From: YourName@YourISP.com
What a NON-surprise ... ethnicity-swapping (and gender-swapping)
characters was always an insanely stupid idea. It was done solely to
meet quotas and appease the 'Politically Correct' whiners.
BBC Told To Avoid "Clunky" Color-Blind Casting
& "Preachy" Anti-Colonial Storylines In Drama Series
----------------------------------------------------
The BBC has been urged to rethink color-blind casting "tokenism"
and "preachy" storylines about the UK's colonial history in
scripted series, according to a major study commissioned by the
broadcaster.
Conducted by former BAFTA chair Anne Morrison and ex-Ofcom
executive Chris Banatvala, the thematic review of "portrayal and
representation" across BBC output found that "clunky" depictions
of race can cause more harm than good.
The 80-page report revealed audience complaints about Doctor Who
casting Nathaniel Curtis as Sir Isaac Newton in the 60th
anniversary special "Wild Blue Yonder," as well as the 2023
Agatha Christie series Murder Is Easy, which featured an
allegory on colonialism.
The review noted that colour-blind casting was a matter of
controversy for commentators and some viewers. Urging
commissioners to "consider their choices carefully," the report
said that good intentions to increase diversity can lead to
inauthentic outcomes - outcomes that can sometimes be damaging to
the communities they are attempting to serve.
"In depicting an anachronistic historical world in which people
of colour are able to rise to the top of society as scientists,
artists, courtiers and Lords of the Realm, there may be the
unintended consequence of erasing the past exclusion and
oppression of ethnic minorities and breeding complacency about
their former opportunities," the review said.
"What needs to be avoided is ethnic diversity which looks forced
and tick box, and we found our interviewees of colour as emphatic
on this point as those who were white."
The report said that the BBC's efforts to measure representation
should be done at a genre level, rather than on a show-by-show
basis. It said current measurements can "lead to a sense that
there needs to be a smattering of diversity in every programme
which can lead to inauthentic portrayal." It added:
"In some cases, this can look clunky, particularly in scripted."
Authors Morrison and Banatvala also warned against "clunky"
attempts to boost diversity in storytelling, pointing to the
Christie adaptation Murder Is Easy, starring David Jonsson. At the
time the series aired, director Meenu Gaur said that storytelling
from West African Yoruba culture had informed sequences in the
drama, saying it was a "great allegorical story about
colonialism."
The thematic review said: "Audiences are particularly unforgiving
of this if it challenges their expectations of what they have
switched on to see. If there's an Agatha Christie murder mystery
over the Christmas period, they won't expect to be taken into
anti-colonial struggles, alongside the country-house murder. Unless
it's very skilfully done, there is a danger it will feel overly
didactic and preachy, as if the viewer is being lectured or a point
is being made heavy-handedly."
The review was informed by a survey of 4,518 UK adults, interviews
with 100 BBC employees and observers, and an analysis of BBC
content over a year-long period to the end of March 2024. It said
that authenticity was critical to content resonating with audiences,
with successful BBC series cited in the research including Michaela
Coel's I May Destroy You and Man Like Mobeen, created by Guz Khan.
Yonder Consulting, which undertook audience research, said: "In terms
of what made for 'poor' representation across the media landscape,
participants across the breadth of the qualitative sample highlighted
'tokenistic' representation of minority groups or perceived 'quota
filling', in which attempts to represent felt incongruous, overdone
or unnecessary."
Yonder said that when on-screen diversity missed the mark, it could
"drive people away" from the BBC. "Representation alone was not
enough - people also expected deep and nuanced portrayal," it added.
The BBC welcomed the findings and said it planned to "systematically"
review upcoming content plans to "ensure underrepresented audience
groups are reflected authentically." The BBC added that it would
update its "measurement framework" in the coming months, potentially
changing the way it monitors representation across shows.
Kate Phillips, the BBC's chief content officer, said: "As this
detailed and thoughtful review notes, much has been achieved since
we pledged to move more BBC production and commissioning across the
UK, but what is also clear is there is still more to do - both here
and across the industry. We accept that challenge and we are
committed to going further to meaningfully reflect the lives of the
audiences we serve."
BBC chair Samir Shah added: "It is vital the BBC authentically
reflects the lives of all the communities, classes, and cultures
across the UK. Decision-making must happen closer to audiences if we
want to ensure that everyone feels represented and that the BBC
remains an engine for growth within the creative industries."
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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