Playwright James Graham recently addressed the issue of class representation in the television industry, calling for it to be treated with the same importance as race or sexuality. He highlighted a report showing that only 8% of people in the British film and TV industry are from working-class backgrounds, warning that this lack of diversity is causing programme makers to lose touch with viewers.
Graham emphasized that being working class is more than just about income and job status – it is a culture and identity that should be accurately represented on screen. He praised the impact of working-class TV dramas from the 1980s and 90s, which he believes provided a sense of validation and catharsis for audiences.
In his MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh television festival, Graham stressed the importance of public service broadcasters in supporting diverse voices and narratives that may not have a wide commercial appeal. He also highlighted the need to include classic British TV drama in the national curriculum to prevent young people from losing the ability to focus on longer, complex narratives in the age of short attention spans.
Graham’s own show, Sherwood, set in the Nottinghamshire mining villages where he grew up, is returning to screens, with episodes being broadcast weekly to encourage collective viewing and discussion of important social issues. He called for industry-wide support for working-class representation in television and warned of the consequences of neglecting this vital aspect of diversity.
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