Shows about men still dominate our television screens. But the stories being told are starting to change, with more room for vulnerability and portrayals of male mental illness. These changes include explicit mentions of diagnostic categories and male characters with mental illnesses in the lead role.
In the last few years in the UK and the US, male-centred shows such as The Bear (2022-), Ted Lasso (2020-), Barry (2018-23), The Boys (2019-26), Succession (2018-23), Baby Reindeer (2024) and Slow Horses (2022-) have been hugely popular. It is telling that of these series, at least four explicitly deal with male mental illness.
While researching my new book, Male Mental Illness in Contemporary Culture (due out late 2025), I found that male mental illness is made much more explicit within the comedy genre, particularly in the UK.
