Too many white men creating the shows at HBO, TV critic says

HBO is a great place to create a TV show — if you’re a white guy.

So says a new report by Huffington Post TV critic Maureen Ryan, who argues that the premium cable channel — home of such acclaimed series as “True Detective,” “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire” — is almost exclusively the province of white male writer-producers.

Or, as the story refers to such people, “narrative architects.”

“Guess how many women or people of color have been a creator or narrative architect on a one-hour HBO drama or miniseries since 2008 (the year after ‘The Sopranos’ ended)?” the article asks.

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“None. Not one.”

Ryan also faults male-created series such as “True Detective” for propagating female stereotypes such as “‘crazy’ mistresses, nameless strippers, randy hookups, disgruntled daughters [and] dismayed wives.”

An HBO spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a Show Tracker request for comment. But a network rep is quoted in Ryan’s story: “We can do better; we are doing better; we are striving to do better.”

Have a look at Ryan’s piece. What’s your take?

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