TORONTO — A number of series airing on Global and specialty channel Showcase were singled out Tuesday for featuring gay characters.
U.S.-based GLAAD published its annual Where We Are on TV report, which tracks “the quantity, quality, and diversity of images of LGBT people on television.”
The report cited Global’s made-in-Toronto series Rookie Blue and listed shows like Bones, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife and Under the Dome for having leading and/or supporting LGBT characters.
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(Chicago Fire killed off its lesbian character on the season premiere.)
Parenthood and The Simpsons were identified for their recurring LGBT characters.
The Showcase series Defiance, Dominion and Lost Girl were also recognized by GLAAD for including LGBT characters. All three are made in Canada.
Although they are U.S. productions, several made-in-Canada shows made the list of inclusive programs — including Vancouver-shot series Arrow, The Flash, and Witches of East End and Toronto-filmed shows Orphan Black, Hannibal, and The Strain.
Overall, GLAAD determined 3.9 per cent of the U.S. primetime scripted series regulars on broadcast TV this season are LGBT, an increase from 3.3 per cent over last season but down from 4.4 per cent in 2012.
“Television networks are playing a key role in promoting cultural understanding of LGBT lives around the world, and are now producing some of the best LGBT-inclusive programming we’ve yet seen,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, in a release.
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