The BBC must stop box-ticking casting that ‘shoe-horns’ ethnic minority actors into period dramas, a review has urged.
In a damning independent report into the corporation’s content, the BBC was also told it needs to improve coverage of the working class and women over 60 if it is to keep engaging audiences.
The broadcaster has been conducting ‘preachy’ diversity casting in a string of its dramas, resulting in ethnic minorities ending up in inappropriate settings, the review found.
An adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, released in 2023, was held up as an example of the problem with mixed-race actress Shalom Brune-Franklin playing Estella despite the story taking place in the early to mid-19th Century.
Another casting choice criticised by many viewers was mixed-race Nathaniel Curtis’s portrayal of Sir Isaac Newton in the 60th anniversary episode of Doctor Who.
The report acknowledged this example but insisted this was ‘less of a stretch’ given the science-fiction focus of the show.
And the review also honed in on Murder Is Easy, the BBC’s 2023 adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel, which saw David Jonsson star as Luke Fitzwilliam in the mid-century story set in a country village.
The series also incorporated certain elements of West African Yoruba culture into the storyline and Fitzwilliam was given the middle name ‘Obiako’.
The BBC must stop ‘shoe-horning’ ethnic minority actors into period dramas, a review has urged (Pictured: Shalom Brune-Franklin playing Estella in 2023’s Great Expectations)
Another casting choice criticised by many viewers was mixed-race Nathaniel Curtis’s turn as Sir Isaac Newton in the 60th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, pictured
‘Audiences are particularly unforgiving of this if it challenges their expectations of what they have switched on to see,’ the review said.
‘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.’
The report suggested this casting fell short of viewers’ standards of authenticity and came off as ‘preachy’.
It added that ethnic minorities appearing in certain settings served to ignore the historic plight of certain groups.
‘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 added.
Some BBC shows have featured an all-black main cast, including I May Destroy You and Mr Loverman, and the report recommended that the corporation should feel as comfortable making all-white programmes.
The issues extend to contemporary shows, with some viewers questioning the decision to place ethnic minorities in parts of the country or occupations where they are not often spotted.
The review focused on the example of crime drama Shetland which cast Tanzanian, Sri Lankan and Jamaican/Irish actors to play the Procurators Fiscal.
The review also honed in on Murder Is Easy, the BBC’s adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel, which saw David Jonsson star as Luke Fitzwilliam, pictured, in the mid-century story
It pointed out ethnic minorities make up just 3.2 per cent of senior law officers across Scotland and the numbers for rural Shetland are likely to be far lower.
The report was conducted by former Bafta chairwoman and ex-BBC exec Anne Morrison, and independent media consultant Chris Banatvala.
The duo spoke to more than 100 executives, commissioners, programme-makers and media experts, as well as 4,500 members of the TV-watching public.
The corporation was also urged to improve the way it connects with working-class audiences and women over 60.
It found perceptions of the Beeb are often lower among those demographics who are also less likely to be satisfied with how they are represented and portrayed.
The review said power in the organisation is still too concentrated in London and recommended more key decision makers should be located outside the capital.
‘Our audience research found that the perception of the BBC remains that it is skewed towards the middle class and is London-centric – and that the power in the organisation still lies in the UK capital,’ the report said.
‘We found that this has consequences for portrayal and representation.
‘Genuine production, rooted in the location, made by people who understand it in depth was described to us as fundamental to on-air authenticity. We agree.’
The review added the BBC’s key decision makers ‘must understand the audience and what will appeal to them – whoever and wherever they are’ and that bosses need to devise a ‘new set of diversity characteristics specifically for measuring portrayal and representation which would include class and geography’.
The BBC’s headquarters at Broadcasting House in London. A damning report has claimed that the national broadcaster is too ‘middle class’ and ‘London-centric’
The BBC’s interim director general Rhodri Talfan Davies. The review has recommended more key decision makers inside the corporation should be located outside the capital
In order to facilitate these changes, it said that senior editorial staff should be located outside London.
The report also said the BBC would represent the whole of the country better if ‘at least half’ of all senior TV genre commissioners were ‘rooted in the location’ where Brits are currently more disengaged from its content.
It continued: ‘The genres which bear most strongly on UK portrayal and representation and have the greatest impacts for audiences would be the most appropriate to move to these locations.
‘We also believe that network radio not based in Salford should move elements of its commissioning out of London over time.’
The review noted that, while there has been some improvement, there are still more men than women featured in BBC news, nations and factual programming, and this is particularly prevalent among older people.
The report said: ‘We would like to see a renewed effort to achieve gender balance in content for contributors and reporters in news and factual programmes.
‘In addition, we found that male presenters significantly outnumber female presenters in the older age groups.
Responding to the review, BBC chairman Samir Shah (pictured) said: ‘It is vital the BBC authentically reflects the lives of all the communities, classes and cultures across the UK’
‘The BBC has not been making full use of the data it holds to keep track of this issue. We believe that women on air ought to be able to have as long a career at the BBC as their male counterparts.’
Responding to the review, BBC chairman Samir Shah said: ‘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.
‘The board welcomes the challenge set out in the report and the actions the BBC Executive want to take in response.’
The BBC Executive said it has committed to strengthening how the BBC measures the ways in which different audiences are portrayed and represented in its output.
The organisation also said: ‘The BBC welcomes the authors’ recognition that significant progress has been made in how it represents all the communities of the UK, including through increased regional investment, a broader and more representative range of voices on and off-air, and a stronger focus on authentic portrayal in commissioning decisions.’