When we developed #TheFamilyLaw for SBS, we knew we weren't writing a show about race.

But we were cogniscent we were breaking ground by writing the first TV show with an Asian-Australian family—requiring a core cast of roughly 90% Asian characters.

So ... did the talent exist?

Like all writers rooms, we could've done better. But it helped that our executive producers were Chinese-Australian, as were most brainstormers.

Notetakers (emerging writers) were almost all non-Anglo and/or disabled. Not an accident. We made a point of it, because we wanted it.

As for actors? Our casting team made more time and expanded the search across AU, NZ, UK, US & Singapore.

Turns out the talent was already here. Simply had few screen opportunities. Next minute: @AACTA nominations. Casting Guild & Equity Ensemble Awards for Best Cast in Comedy.

Moral of the story: diversity – or lack thereof – is never a measure of whether the talent's there or not.

It's a measure of willpower and effort.

P.S. And if you're worried about tokenism, remember there's always an easy solution.

Hire two.

N.B. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander filmmakers have led the way on this.

We went from zero known First Nations faces on Oz TV comedy and drama in 1992 ... to Redfern Now and Black Comedy. Mystery Road is massive in Europe!

This is how it happened.
https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2018/october/1538316000/benjamin-law/golden-age-popular-indigenous-storytelling#:~:text=Benjamin%20Law%20is%20the%20author,Stop%20Everything%20on%20ABC%20RN.

P.S. In many ways, this conversation goes far beyond one show creator, who's done good work repping neurodiverse/queer/disabled characters.

Race is a big blindspot. Every BIPOC Australian screen-worker has heard the same arguments privately and publicly. This was just recorded.