Indeed, there is an argument that the showrunners are simply following the source material – George R.R. Martin’s excellent series of books – but such material can always be modified in order to promote diversity and reflect the world we live in. J.K. Rowling’s exuberant reaction to the casting of a black woman as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a perfect example of this. Noma Dumezweni went on to deliver a critically acclaimed performance in the play which earned her several awards, including a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting role.

In addition to reflecting the diversity of the real world, research has also showed that diversity on screen can be good for television ratings.  A 2015 study by UCLA analysed over 1,000 shows and found that household ratings peaked among broadcast television shows that were 41 to 50 percent minority, while ratings took a dive for shows with casts that were 10 percent minority or less. Similar research by Nielsen also found that programs with predominantly black casts or black leads garner substantial viewership from non-African Americans. Black-ish, for example, has drawn a 79% non-black viewership this season and consistently posts high ratings with an average of 5.4 million viewers per episode. HBO’s Insecure has a 61.5% non-black audience, while Golden Globe-winning Atlanta has an almost even split between black and non-black viewers. The evidence seems to suggest that making diversity a factor in creative decisions can pay off both critically and commercially, so why do we still have this #ThronesSoWhite problem? I don’t get it and John Boyega doesn’t either.