The world of television looks more like the world you see with your own eyes, according to researchers at the University of California Los Angeles.
The study, which analyzed the 461 scripted shows across all platforms during the 2019-2020 TV season, discovered not only growth in hiring people of color and women – both on-screen and off – but growing enthusiasm among audience members for more diversity.
Researchers noticed audiences showed particular interest in Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and “Watchmen,” both HBO productions.
"People basically want to see the TV shows that look like America, that have characters they can relate to and have experiences that resonate with them," Darnell Hunt told the Associated Press.
The study found that in all households, median ratings ranked higher for scripted shows where people of color made up to 40% of the credited writers. In white, Latino, and Asian homes, median ratings were higher for shows in which people of color made up between 41% to 50% of the show’s cast.
When it came to diversity in leading roles, the study found there was an increase in Black and multiracial roles; however, Asian American, Latino, and Native Americans were still heavily underrepresented.
The issue, according to study co-author Ana-Christina Ramon, a UCLA social sciences researcher, stems from studio executives who view shows with diversity as “very niche.”
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