Let’s be honest, television hasn’t always been known for its commitment to diversity. Many of us grew up in the absence of a relatable character or even one that bore a resemblance to us. While we might have trouble associating to the characters in Hollywood movies, television is paving the way for Hollywood to do better. According to TV Time, the world’s largest TV tracking app, representation hasn’t been great till 2015, when things began to change and diversity in television rose.
The chances of picking a show to watch and coming across a character from the LGBTQ community, people of colour or a member of the minority community is higher than ever before. So why pick a show at random? Let us guide you, instead.
1. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Among the most diverse shows on television today, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has paved the path on how to get diverse characters right. The show is set in a precinct stuffed to the brim with oddballs comprising of two Latino women (Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz), two African-American men (Terry Crews, Andre Braugher) and two white men (Andy Samberg and Joe LoTrugho) and a sprite of a secretary (Chelsea Peretti). The show gives each character a multi-dimensional appeal by portraying along the story how each character is more than they seem. Like Captain Holt may be a gay policeman fighting prejudice to rise in his career, but he is also a proud parent of Cheddar the dog, a loving husband and an ideal Captain to the precinct. Above all, the show emphasizes the merits of a family of choice, a notion we stand by. The blended family at the Nine-Nine is definitely one we love to watch.
Ten points to you if you get that Terry Crews reference.
2. Orange is the New Black
A story about an underrepresented population, Orange is the New Black portrays the lives of a group of ladies inside a women’s minimum security prison. Apart from showing women from all walks of life, it shares experiences of marginalized, ignored and abused women in everyday society, namely the LGBT and trans population. Based on the memoir and real life experiences of Piper Kerman, each character showcases riotous spirit and every woman in orange, adds an intricate layer to the story. Groundbreaking roles played by talents like Laverne Cox, Ruby Rose, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks and several others have you begging for more by the end of each episode. Created by Jenji Kohan, Orange is the New Black is perfect to binge-watch. With a solid six seasons and another to be out later in 2019, this show has to be on your list.
3. Atypical
A show that took television by storm in 2018, Atypical, starring Keir Gilchrist, is a story about Sam, a teenager with autism. It is through Sam that viewers could understand the struggles of living with a developmental disorder as well as its impact on the family. The show encourages a fresh perspective on people on the spectrum on those part of their lives. Many people on the spectrum as well as queer fans have found solace in Sam’s character and his difficulties in fitting into a society which was not built for him. Additionally, Sam’s best friend Zahid is played by Nik Podani, an out actor who guides Sam through his adolescent confusion, the best way he knows. Though the show received criticism for not casting an actor on the spectrum, they remedied it by casting several autistic actors in supporting roles.
4. Black-ish:
Renya Berris’ Black-ish is centered around an upper-middle-class black family trying to raise their children keeping them rooted to their black history. Black-ish is an intersectional, candid look at family, suburbia and life teaching moments. Emmy nominations aside, the last season scored a whopping 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s worth a watch for entertainment or education. Black-ish challenged stereotypes and showcases Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross), a strong-willed liberal mother of four who is a doctor and works hard to maintain a balance between work and her family. Meanwhile, the father, Dre (Anthony Anderson) makes it a point to aid their children’s understanding of what their skin colour means and what it never will, no matter what some people might say.
5. Sense 8
This Netflix thriller follows a group of 8 ethnically diverse individuals from around the world who suddenly find themselves mentally connected as they try to elude a mysteries organization that is out to destroy them. Watching sense 8 throws you into a world of sci-fi that keeps you coming back for more. The shows main characters aren’t just racially diverse but culturally well portrayed too. With characters from Kenya, Iceland, Germany, India, United States, Korea and Mexico, the show is the prime example of diversity. The creators went to major lengths to keep its diversity authentic and shot it in the characters home countries. Because of the way it is shot, we’re treated to glimpses of the world we never saw on television before. From people seen celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi to people living in Nairobi, Sense 8 gives definition to diversity on television. Even their representation of the LGBTQ community is spot on with four characters from the community in some of the shows favourite roles. The show goes all the way to showcase the difficulties and discrimination faced by people in the community instead of showing them as happy-go-lucky characters without addressing some of the issues faced by them.
6. This Is US
Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us has been voted one of the best T.V series on network television and has won Emmys, Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes to name a few. The tear-jerking show features a talented ensemble cast with actors like Mike Ven Ventimiglio, Mandy Moore, Sterling K Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Justin Hearthly. The story revolves around three siblings Kevin, Kate and Randall navigating through unique struggles as they cope with their pasts and attempt to find happiness in life. Battling stereotypical notions around adoption, obesity, fame and death, it is an intersectional ode to ties that bind people together instead of being another family drama. The show’s commitment to diversity extends beyond the camera, boasting a writer’s room consisting of 30% American-American writers compared to the industry average of 5%.
7. Born This Way
A reality TV show starring 7 young adults living a full life accompanied by Down Syndrome, a genetic condition. Milder than most unscripted shows, it is an ideal view for anyone with or knowing someone with a disability. Born This Way lets viewers observe these individuals living their lives arguing, using the occasional iffy language and discussing dating and sex. The show is a realist view of the day-to-day existence of people with special needs.
Brought to you by the producers of the Real World franchise, the cast includes a self-described ladies’ man Steven, rapper John, slightly temperamental Elana, a boy-crazy Rachel and long-term sweethearts, Cristine and Angel. From navigating every day as a reminder that people on the spectrum are capable of accomplishing anything. The honest appeal of the show offers insight into the lives of adults with Down Syndrome negotiating their way through life despite few expectations. It succeeds in allowing the cast to present themselves as unique, highly functioning people in a complicated world. It offers the viewers a valuable opportunity to gain a better understanding of the cast’s experiences and to rethink how we categorize people with special needs.
8. One Day at a Time
Created by Gloria Calderon Kellet who grew up watching the original series by Norman Leads, the story follows a hardworking, single mother of two who lives in a cheap apartment. Perfect sitcom material, eh? There is more to this show. The updated heroine to the Norman Leeds spin-off is a Latina military vet (Justina Meltada) who works as an LA nurse, separated from her PTSD plagued husband, raising a feminist teen Elana (Isabella Gomez) and scheming son Alex (Marcel Ruiz) with the help of her mother Lydia (Rita Morino) and superintendent Schneider (Todd Grimwell) who has to be taught why it might be offensive to wear a Che Guevara shirt around Cuban refugees. The show enables us to take a glimpse into the Cuban – American culture and offers insight to hard-hitting topics like taking help for depression and dealing with racism directed at you.
9. Modern Family
The hit show Modern Family is an accurate representation of changing family dynamics in regard to stereotypical gender norms and acceptance of sexuality. The show proved instrumental in causing a rift in how the world views same-sex relationships, divorce, adoption and diversity between families and relationships. The show portrays Jay (Ed O’Neill), a conservative patriarch coming to terms with his son Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his partner Cameron’s (Eric Stonestreet) relationship and eventually loving him all the same because well, love is love. It also offers insight into the lives of recently remarried Jay, his much younger wife Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and her son Manny (Rico Rodriguez) from Colombia getting accustomed to their lives together. The characters prove instrumental in destigmatizing divorce and remarriage. The show also demonstrates five children growing up as siblings breaking beyond the cookie cutter mould of ideal children. The dynamic between Phil (Ty Burrell) the lovable, gullible relator and Claire’s (Julie Bowen) a strong headed, force to reckon with former housewife often challenges gender norms and conventional dynamics in a relationship.
10. Community
A witty, thoroughly current and a diverse show that portrays white men, women and people of colour and people of all ages coming together despite their differences in the name of education. (Didn’t think something like this could exist?) They all work alongside one another and develop stereotypically ‘unlikely’ relationships with one another. Each character is equally important and the show demonstrates that despite the odds, they really can’t do without each other; further emphasizing the importance of family you choose. Regardless of their sex, age or ethnicity, all the characters have one thing in common, they are all really funny. The show became a critical darling by its third season. Alternating between character-based explorations of identity and adulthood and adventures, the show lets us experience each character in its entirety amidst the pop culture references.
Honourable Mentions:
Bojack Horsemen | How to Get Away with Murder | Greys Anatomy | My Mad Fat Diary | Citizen Khan | Empire
Though diversity on television is on the rise, this is just the beginning. In a utopian vision, on-screen representation would one day replicate diversity on Earth but until then, we can only hope.
Liked Bootstrap‘s suggestions? Mention in the comments below which shows we missed and which ones you liked best.
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