Screen Australia study finds more First Nations characters but one in four TV shows have all Anglo-Celtic casts

Rachel Griffiths and Deborah Mailman star in Total Control. Screen Australia says First Nations representation is strong, thanks to hit ABC shows Total Control, Mystery Road and Black Comedy. Photograph: John Platt

The number of First Nations main characters in local TV drama has gone from 4.8% to 7.2% in five years, according to Screen Australia’s diversity report.

But there is a lot of work still to be done to reflect the true diversity of the population as one in four of the main casts of the 361 programs analysed is entirely Anglo-Celtic. This is down from one-third of all shows in 2016.