Yahoo News Women have more lead roles on US TV than men, new data suggests
Women have more lead roles on US TV than men and play more diverse parts, according to new data.
Analytics company Ampere Analysis has looked at both in-development and in-production network dramas in the US, and its findings suggest there are more than double the amount of shows led by a sole female star than there are shows led by a man.
Out of 251 dramas analysed, 42% of them have a sole lead that's female, 20% have a solo male lead, while pairs, couples, families and siblings as 'the lead' make up the rest of the pie chart.
Related: The entire MCU ranked by how much time female characters spend on screen
The company points to a lot of newly-commissioned shows such as Melanie, Under the Bridge, Sisters, 100 Days without Fear, Trailblazer, Lean on Me and more. Apparently, The CW and NBC have the most female-led shows.
Looking at the professions of the lead characters in these shows, women are apparently cast in more diverse careers. Men are said to work in the CIA, the FBI or as police. Women are cast in a wider variety of professions, such as lawyers, the medical field, sports and more.
Related: 7 black women who are rocking TV in 2018
Obviously, this isn't as simple as saying 'equality is achieved'. The shows differ in terms of popularity and visibility, and if this is a reaction to people calling out the lack of women in lead roles, it'll be more interesting to see how things change in the long run.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account.
('You Might Also Like',)
