Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23723
SAGCelebrat esDiversit y NETWORKS FAIL TO PROGRAM REALITY ONLY 1 PERCENT OF NETWORK TV CHARACTERS PORTRAY A VISIBLE DISABILITY disabilities represent only 1 percent of all scripted series regular characters— six characters out of 587—on the five broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, Te CW, Fox and NBC. Not only is this invisibility in the F media misrepresentative of people with disabilities, it also means few opportunities for actors with disabilities to be cast. Te annual “Where We Are on TV” report, issued by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation at the end of September, examined all series regular characters expected to appear on the 84 announced scripted series airing during the 2010-11 broadcast network television season. GLAAD analyzed the characters’ gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity. Tis is the first year, however, the study has examined characters with disabilities, a joint effort with the Tri- Union Inclusion in the Arts & Media of People With Disabilities (I AM PWD) Campaign of SAG, AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association. “Among people with disabilities, where we are on TV has always been a mystery, and as this report clearly shows, mostly invisible,” said Anita Hollander, I AM PWD chair. “A major issue regarding the visibility of characters with disabilities in television is the fact that characters with disabilities are simply not counted in this or the recently begun television season, scripted characters with industry. We thank GLAAD for taking the initiative to begin to count, identify and include characters with disabilities in their annual report.” While people with disabilities are largely absent from the television scene, they are very present in the American Scene. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey, the percentage of U.S. citizens reporting an apparent disability is slightly more than 12 percent (or 36.2 million people). Te inclusion of people with non- apparent, Americans with Disabilities Act-covered disabilities, such as cancer or HIV, greatly increases this census number. As of this count, three of the six series regular characters with disabilities scheduled to appear in the upcoming season are on the Fox network: the title character on House, who uses a cane; Dr. Remy “Tirteen” Hadley on House, who has Huntington’s Disease; and Artie Abrams on Glee, who uses a wheelchair. On three other networks, Saul on Brothers & Sisters (ABC) is living with HIV, young Max Braverman on Parenthood (NBC) has Asperger syndrome, and Dr. Albert Robbins on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) has a prosthetic leg. Tese characters, however, represent a disproportionate view of reality. All six are Caucasian and five are male. People with disabilities cross all diversity lines, be they ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age. In addition, only one of the six actors has a known disability: Robert David Hall, who portrays Dr. Robbins on CSI. “Tis analysis shows there’s a lot of work to be done on the broadcast networks,” said Hollander. “Actors with disabilities are rarely cast or considered for series regular roles, but authenticity is a clear advantage for accuracy in scripted programming, and creates a dimension that provides opportunities for further exploration in storylines.” RECURRING CHARACTERS When it comes to actors cast to play recurring guest characters with disa- bilities, it’s a different story. At least six recurring characters are expected to appear on network series this season, two of which have Down syndrome and are female (on Fox’s Glee), three of which have mobility disabilities and are male (on NBC’s Te Paul Reiser Show, Fox’s animated Family Guy and ABC’s Private Practice), and one of which is deaf and female (on Fox’s Lie to Me). Te actors cast for the live-action roles are all actors with disabilities. “Compared to series regulars, there is definitely more gender variety and more authenticity in casting recurring characters,” said Hollander. “Tis suggests producers and writers are showing a guarded interest in being inclusive of characters with disabilities being portrayed by actors with disabilities.” CHARACTERS ON CABLE Tere is some notable advancement in visibility happening in scripted cable programming: at least four characters with disabilities are portrayed by actors with disabilities: RJ Mitte on Breaking Bad (AMC), Luke Zimmerman and Michelle Marks on Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family) and Tor Lundgren on Nurse Jackie (Showtime). CSI features one of the few characters on TV with a disability played by an actor with a disability, Robert David Hall. CLICK HERE TO READ THE I AM PWD ANALYSIS 38 SCREEN ACTOR - Fall/Winter 2010 SAG.org CBS