Women are falling out of focus on the small screen. According to a new report on gender and hiring in TV presented by IMDbPro and ReFrame — an initiative of Sundance Institute and WIF — women lost gains made over the past several years in nearly every position analyzed.
Last year’s data found that women (or gender-diverse performers) accounted for 54 percent of lead roles, while the new report details a decrease of 13 percent to 41 percent. Also released as part of the study, ReFrame and IMDbPro award a Stamp to recognize gender-balanced hiring on television shows, and this year 77 of the 200 most popular TV and streaming series of 2023-24 earned the distinction (or 38.5 percent). The total represents a dip of 8.5 percent from last year, or 20 percent from a peak in 2020-21.
For a third straight year, the bulk of Emmy nominees for best comedy series earned a stamp including Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Reservation Dogs and What We Do in the Shadows. Three of eight nominated drama series also landed one, including Fallout, The Morning Show and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and three limited or anthology series including Baby Reindeer, Lessons in Chemistry and True Detective: Night Country.