Sherwood writer calls for better working class representation on TV in powerful speech

Graham noted that this figure marked "the lowest percentage of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in television in at least a decade, likely longer".

He then spoke about a clime of "boom and bust", with the sector having peaked a few years ago to now being in a "drought", with little being produced.

He then argued that this hit underrepresented groups the hardest, and said that "when it comes to class… I feel like we just don’t feel" the underrepresentation as much, perhaps because of a "British embarrassment over money".

Graham went on to try to define "working class", noting that: "We have an inbuilt alarm bell, an innate bull***t detector, especially when – elephant in the room – it comes to white men waving a diversity flag. Which I suggest is correct. A necessary cynicism, born out of evidence."

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However, he continued: "You’re never required to prove, say, your gayness, or your blackness. Or – and God, I hope this is true – your disability once declared, is believed and recognised."

After describing his own background, he notes that "the stratas of class are varied, and vast", before calling for "a proper, industry-wide standard, and plan" to boost representation.

He continued: "When I completed my last three diversity monitoring forms following a wrap on a production – I was asked to indicate my race, my gender, my sexuality, and my disability status on all of them. Only on one did it ask for my parents' occupation.

"It is the category of representation with the largest disparity between make-up of the country and make-up of our industry. Yet it is the only significant category not to be formally included in most of our standard measurements of diversity."

Setting out his proposal, Graham said: "I would join others in our sector and ask that we begin to recognise class as a consistent and specific characteristic in our diversity monitoring forms.

"That it becomes not only an aspiration, but a concrete part of industry tentpole organisations like BAFTA – who have already shown provable progress in these areas – when it comes to membership and nominations."

He continued: "I would welcome the resources and expertise of those in the television and film industry to help get the funding to build something, and keep it running – as a statement of intent toward change, as much as a genuinely valuable resource.

"It gives me great pleasure, then, to say that the TV Foundation, the charity which owns the Edinburgh Television Festival, agree, and will be an organising force behind such an endeavour dovetailing with work they’ve already undertaken.

"There’ll be an announcement going out after this lecture about that launch.

"I’m keen that any such conversations feel inclusive and kind. Recognising that those in our sector who come from more privileged backgrounds don’t choose the class they’re born into any more than the less privileged.

"This is simply about equity of opportunity, and a refusal to believe that this is the one area in unfair, unjust, underrepresentation that we simply cannot and will not crack.

"And it must be cracked, for the same reasons we know the value of it being cracked in other areas. If you see a person, or a character, who looks like you or sounds like you on screen, whose experience or dilemmas, or joy, reflects your own… you feel more seen.

"There is a catharsis there for audiences. A validation."

While Graham is primarily known for his work in the theatre, he has also written for the screen on projects such as X+Y, Brexit: The Uncivil War, The Crown, Quiz and The Way.

The Mactaggart Lecture has been given in recent years by the likes of Louis Theroux, Emily Maitlis, Jack Thorne and David Olusoga.

Sherwood season 2 launches with a bank holiday double bill on Sunday 25th August and Monday 26th August at 9pm, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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