The Flight Of The Black Actor

Last week, as Chair of the Royal Television Society Diversity Committee, I organised a panel discussion on whether black British actors need to leave the UK in order to further their careers.

You can read the RTS report on the event here http://www.rts.org.uk/flight-black-actor-%E2%80%93-report-diversify-14-november-2013 (and it was filmed so that is to follow soon)

I thought people might like to read the briefing document I produced ahead of the panel with facts and figures about BAME actors BAME audiences.

Read, enjoy, weep and please feel free to use them randomly in your next discussion about BAME people in the media over a drink, a coffee, at work or a dinner party...

Briefing Document for Royal Television Society Panel on “The Flight Of The Black Actor”

Do black British actors need to leave the UK in order to have successful careers?

It’s a common enough idea with even the Shadow Business Secretary Chukka Umunna MP talking about it in a recent speech. Morgan Freeman has talked about how British actors need to go to America and even the new Director of the National Theatre Rufus Norris has spoken about it.

1. EXAMPLES OF BLACK FLIGHT:

Idris Elba

David Harewood

Troy Titus Adams

Marianne Jean-Baptiste

David Oyelowo

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Notable examples of black actors who have not gone to America:

Naomi Harris

Ashley Walters

And Lenny Henry

2. BRITAIN VERSUS AMERICA

i. Awards

Only three black British actors have won RTS best acting awards: 2009/10 David Oyelowo and Naomi Harris in Small Island and Diane Parish best female actor in Babyfather (interestingly that they were all examples of black subject matter – definitely not colour-blind casting.

BAFTA - No black actor has so far won a BAFTA for best actor (male or female)

EMMYs In last 30 years six BME actors have won best actor awards at the EMMYS

ii. Salary

No BME British actors make any top ten lists for most paid.

In America Sandra Oh of Korean decent makes the top ten paid actors list for her role in Greys Anatomy

iii. “Colour-blind” casting

When the BBC announced a present-day version of Sherlock Holmes they cast Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. When the Americans announced the US version, Elementary, Lucy Liu was cast as Dr Joan Watson – an Asian woman.

iv. ABC Disney has increased its BME on-screen representation form 6% fifteen years ago to 27% now. It’s stable of programmes include Modern Family, Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy. Head of casting is Korean American Keli Lee.

3. STATISITICS

i. Audiences:

BME population is approximately 14% of the UK population

BME population of London is 40.3% (Particularly pertinent when thinking about about London based dramas)

ii. TV Audiences:

BME’s watch 5 hours less television a week than their white counterparts 22hours –vs- 27hours:

BME’s watch 8 hours less mainstream terrestrial TV a week than their white counterparts. 8 hours vs 16hours.

BME’s are deserting mainstream TV for digital TV. They watch 3 hours more Digital TV a week than their white counterparts. 14hours vs 11hours.

BME audiences watch less mainstream TV of every genre than their population percentages but in drama and comedy the difference is most marked.

For BBC1 Drama only 9.3% of their audience is made up of BME’s vs population percentage of 14%

For BBC1 Comedy only 5.8% of their audience is made up of BME’s vs population percentage of 14%

  

BIG STAT ALERT!! BME onscreen representation for EastEnders has the most racially diverse on-screen representation of any soap. Over a third (38%) of the white population watch EastEnders at some point in the year. But 50% of the BME population watch EastEnders!

Anecdotally ITV have increased their on-screen representation in both Corrie and Emmerdale over the last year. In January 2013 Corrie’s new producer Stuart Blackburn said increased on screen diversity was a top priority.  Last year 2012 introduced its first black family. And it has had no effect on their audiences. That can be seen as both positive and negative. It did not “scare-away” white viewers but so far it hasn’t grown the BME audience either.