A new study from the BBC has the network realizing the need to do more than just put gay characters on screen -- it needs to diversity them.
The BBC's "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" were among the dramas praised for their inclusion of gay, lesbian and bisexual characters. John Barrowman starred as Jack Harkness, an openly bisexual action hero, on both series.
"'Doctor Who' quite often has a gay character in it but it isn't always an issue or the plotline," anti-hate crime charity Galop said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "It's just incidental, which has been quite nice."
BBC's report finds that the majority of audiences "are comfortable with the depiction of lesbian, gay and bisexual people on radio, TV and online," but that many lesbian, gay and bisexual people feel they are under-represented by UK broadcasters.
Experts who participated in the study said BBC should be more creative in how it represents gay, lesbian and bisexual people across various genres and platforms.
"The BBC has a fundamental obligation to serve all its audiences. In fact, it’s one of the BBC’s public purposes to reflect the diversity of UK life," Tim Davie, acting director general and chair of the BBC Working Group, said in a statement. "I'm proud to have led this work for three years, and this review underlines our commitment and sets a direction for the work to continue."
