Third Inclusion Summit Welcomes Members for First Time

The Television Academy's third Inclusion Summit — a recurring series that continues to explore issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) within the television industry as part of the Academy's ongoing commitment to those principles — was the first such gathering open to Academy members. Held December 4 at the Academy's Saban Media Center in the NoHo Arts District, the summit presented two morning panels, with time allotted in between and afterward for networking among attendees.

The first panel, "State of Inclusion in the Television Industry," welcomed moderator Jerome Core, head of DEIA content, Amazon MGM Studios; Tiffany Chao, vice president of entertainment and media at Gold House, an organization that uplifts the Asian Pacific community through cultural change, working with studios and streamers to increase more authentic Asian Pacific representation in media; Diana Luna, executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), which supports the advancement of producers, performers, writers, directors and other industry professionals; and Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow, Gender Equity, Paid Leave and Care Policy and Strategy at Washington, D.C. think tank New America and founder-director of Better Life Lab.

Core said he is feeling positive about the state of DEIA at Amazon MGM Studios, having recently launched the crime series Cross with a Black lead and in July, the Spanish-language Betty la Fea, the Story Continues, a sequel to the telenovela that inspired the ABC series Ugly Betty. Shabo, much of whose work focuses on caregiving, noted that caregiving is rarely shown onscreen. In addition, women are shown as family caregivers far more often than men, even though women are the primary wage earners in many families, and 84% of viewers want to see authentic, hopeful stories reflecting their own families on screen.

Luna said that with the U.S. Latino community's massive spending — its GDP was $3.6 trillion in 2022 — and its status as 24% of streaming service subscribers, the television industry is missing an equally massive opportunity if it doesn't develop content for these audiences. There is an explosion of production in Latin America, as well as opportunities to develop projects. "We have now the influence and the ability to bring into the streaming services all those shows that are incredible stories about authenticity," she remarked. While few executives are Latino, she believes the ranks of decision-makers are rising with the changes created by such creatives as Eva Longoria and John Leguizamo.

Chao said that Gold House is the busiest it has ever been, with numerous partners asking for meaningful input on their projects. However, regarding the quality of representation, "[Asians are] more visible on screen in terms of sheer time spent, but quality and specificity of those characters were [such that] often, they're not lead characters or supporting characters. Their backgrounds are not really referenced. There is not a diversity in body types and skin tones and all these things that matter, because people want to see themselves represented on screen." Luna added that Latinos also want to see stories that break stereotypes, rather than repeatedly dwelling on themes such as immigration or drugs.

The U.S. television industry needs to recognize that programming involves global content, which can help break down cultural stereotypes and foster acceptance of subtitled foreign languages spoken with foreign accents. Wherever the origin, the panelists expressed optimism that the degree of diversity, representation and authenticity on- and off-screen will continue to rise.

One show that relied on a subtitled foreign language was the FX Japanese feudal historical epic Shōgun, the subject of the second panel, "Shōgun — A Case Study." Seventy per cent of the dialogue in the 10-episode first season was in Japanese, spoken primarily by native Japanese performers who knew little or no English. Participants in the panel included moderator Nzinga Blake, executive producer, ABC Owned Television Stations; Shola Ajewole, SVP, Creative and Cultural Diversity, FX Networks; Gigi Causey, VP Production, FX Networks; and Colette Wilson, SVP of Current Series, FX Networks.

The show scored 25 Emmy Award nominations and won a record-breaking 18 Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series. Two of its stars, lead actor Hiroyuki Sanada and lead actress Anna Sawai, became the first Japanese actors ever to win Emmys.

Unlike the James Clavell novel and NBC's 1980 miniseries adaptation, which focused on an Englishman coming to an unfamiliar land, the decision here was to flip the narrative of Shōgun and tell the story from the perspective of the Japanese, with all the cultural details that involved. Creatives and executives made scouting trips to Japan, though ultimately the production filmed in Vancouver because Japan couldn't accommodate all the filming, location logistics and infrastructure.

The scripts were written in English by Asian-American writers representing several cultures, then translated into Japanese. When the creators decided to cast mainly Japanese actors, the use of subtitles followed.

"The business of casting out of Japan was another learning curve," Causey recalled.

Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, executive producers and showrunners, had to flip their perspective a bit, Wilson recounted: They thought they had everything set in terms of authenticity, when a Japanese prop person expressed qualms about a character.

"They were so open and welcoming to hearing this fresh point of view," Wilson said. "And then they realized that what they needed to do was open up this whole process to the entire Japanese cast and crew, to [have them] feel comfortable to come to them with any questions, any tips, any advice, anything. That's the purest definition of inclusion, their openness and willingness to learn."

Among the results: Experts on kimonos, wigs and gestures were flown to the set from Japan to make sure those elements were accurate. And for a performance within the story, the producers constructed a Noh theater, also in accurate detail, and hired a Noh master to write a play.

During the show's 10-year development process, Disney acquired Fox, providing its financial support and global reach to FX for what began as a basic-cable project. There were premieres in both the United States and Japan; the latter included a blessing ceremony at an historic temple. Marketing included screenings at Japanese cultural-showcase entities in Los Angeles and New York and immersive events at Japanese restaurants.

The quest for authenticity in storytelling paid off, in ratings as well as Emmy wins. Following its February 27 launch in 107 countries, Shōgun ranked in at least the top five in all countries, and number one in 65 countries. And it is FX's most-watched show on any Disney streaming platform.