One reason for the lack of realistic depictions of female experience on prime time might be the scarcity of women writing them. A recent report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State found that women made up just 15% of writers on prime-time network TV in the 2010-11 season (down from 29% in the 2009-10 season).
The lady-centric show creators say they are conscious of who they bring into the writers' room.
"It was important that the '2 Broke Girls' [writers] room was not 10 45-year-old dudes who have written for every sitcom ever," Cummings says. Along with King and veteran TV writers such as Jhoni Marchinko and Greg Malins, they brought on blogger Molly McAleer, who burnishes the "broke" theme with tales of her odd jobs and bedbug infestation. Similarly, "Girls" hired "downtown scene chick" and former Vice magazine columnist Lesley Arfin for a team that also includes experienced co-executive producers Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan.
