Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s content director, has been chatting about the Beeb’s recent uptick in supporting female writers, and the importance of giving female-focused stories an amplified voice in the industry.
Digital Spy heard Moore speak at the Steve Hewlett Memorial Lecture last night, and what she had to say was downright inspirational:
“45% of the dramas we’ve commissioned at the BBC in the last two years are from female writers… It’s not 50:50, yet, but it’s more than double where we were in the past,” Moore revealed.
She also stated that the BBC is “just at the start of a very long journey to address a huge historical failing of female voices”.
Moore added, “There’s a whole generation of female stories, perspectives and experiences that’s coming to the surface. It’s our responsibility to make that generation heard – and help them inspire a new generation in turn. They bring with them a promise of a society that is fairer, better, and more equal than ever before.”
Moore also touched upon the importance of female representation on screen, using the example of Doctor Who‘s recent regeneration as a key example of inspirational equality in action:
“I defy anyone who saw that viral video of the little girl, waiting for the new Doctor Who to be unveiled – who witnessed the expression on her face when she shouted: ‘The new doctor is a girl’ – not to think we’ve done something good and inspirational.”
We look forward to seeing what other great stories come out of this admirable effort from the BBC. And we’ll be sure to keep you updated as and when we have more to report.