From “woman in jeopardy” to COVID-19 lockdown: the gender gap in TV movies aired on Spanish generalist television (2005-2020)

ABSTRACT

The number of TV movies aired on Spain television over the last decade has increased exponentially. These primarily North American and German productions not only take up a large part of lunchtime and the afternoon; they also portray women rooted in gender stereotypes that are clearly at odds with the female gender values of autonomy and equal rights. However, 2017 saw an increase in female directors making TV movies portraying women in a significant variety of roles. This trend, which continues during the COVID‑19 pandemic, has led to a partial shift in the construction of gender. Our research assesses the transformation of gender portrayal and the ideological construction behind TV movies, including their subject matter, lead characters, frequency of airings, and target audience. This study also examines women’s roles in TV-movie production, including screenwriting and directing, and seeks to ascertain the leading TV-movie production companies that broadcast their output in Spain and address the business philosophy behind these producers. Finally, we review the Spanish channels that most frequently schedule TV Movies in large numbers, as well as their guidelines, target and vision.

KEYWORDS:

• TV movies
• gender
• stereotypes
• women
• Spain
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Grant [CSO2015-66260-c4-3-P].

Notes on contributors

Lucía Tello Díaz

Lucía Tello Díaz is the Academic director of the BA degree programme in Communication at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR), Madrid, Spain, where she is Professor of Film History, Mass Media Communication, Audiovisual Production, and Ethics and Deontology. Díaz is author of numerous academic books, chapters and journal articles on cinema and is also a documentary maker, and, film and television critic, publishing week in the Huff Post. She is a member of the Gynocine Project: Feminisms, Genders and Cinemas (University of Massachusetts) and the HISPROTEL Project, financed by Spain’s Ministry of Economy. Email: [email protected].