DGA Inclusion Report reveals gains for directors in 2020-21 TV season

Even with a significant reduction in the number of television episodes directed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the percentage of dramatic television episodes directed by women and directors of colour continued to increase.

34% of dramatic television episodes in the 2020-21 season were helmed by directors of colour, and 38% were directed by women, the Directors Guild of America announced today in its latest Episodic Television Director Inclusion Report.

There were 2,691 DGA-covered episodes in the 2020-2021 season, a reduction of 36% from 4,186 episodes in the 2019-20 season. Despite the significant decline in overall episodes, gains in diversity by percentage of episodes directed continued year over year.

While the shares of episodes directed by women and directors of colour continued to see incremental growth, gains were not evenly shared. Latino and Asian directors saw minimal gains, continuing to remain underrepresented at 9% and 7% respectively.

“When the pandemic hit, a big question on our minds was whether progress on inclusive hiring would backslide as the production environment changed radically with the implementation of necessary COVID Safety Protocols,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “Despite all the production challenges, the good news is that inclusive hiring continued its upward climb last year – both in overall hiring, as well as hiring of first-time directors. That said – although there has been continued progress, the goal of a level playing field for all has not yet been achieved. In addition, the statistics clearly reveal this, especially for our Latino and Asian members”

The DGA issued its first-ever inclusion report on the other members of the directorial team (UPMs, First ADs, Second ADs) in dramatic television revealing that women represented 39% of members employed in full-season series positions and directorial team members of colour represented 24% of the directorial team employed in full-season series positions.

“We are proud to be issuing our first-ever inclusion report of the directorial teams in episodic television,” said Glatter. “By focusing on full-season hires – we have been able to create an important new baseline of current studio hiring practices for the directorial team.  Unfortunately, this report reveals that the studio hiring practices for the directorial team raises areas of concern, particularly regarding the hiring of ADs and UPMs of colour who represent less than one-fourth of all team members hired last season.”

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