‘Girls’ shine on TV, but not behind the scenes

LOS ANGELES (AP) - At first glance, the television industry is in the grip of female empowerment so strong that men seem relegated to an afterthought.

“Girls” and “New Girl” are scoring ratings, buzz and Emmy Awards respect. Actor-writers Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”) and Lena Dunham (“Girls”) are case studies in hyphenate success.

But appearances are deceiving, especially within the Hollywood fantasy factory: Making TV overwhelmingly remains men’s work even with the television business in its seventh decade.

Women are consistently underrepresented in top TV creative positions and face being treated as dismissively as bit players whatever their achievements.

“I certainly understand the impulse to celebrate high-profile women working in the business,” said Martha M. Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.

But to grasp how women really fare in the TV industry and how much work they’re getting, Lauzen said, “you have to count the numbers.”

Yes, Dunham is nominated at Sunday’s Emmys for writing, directing, producing and starring in HBO’s “Girls.” Fey, a triple-threat acting, writing and producing winner for “30 Rock,” is competing again for on-screen and behind-the-camera honors, as is Poehler.

“New Girl,” from creator and executive producer Liz Meriwether, is up for four awards including best comedy actress for star Zooey Deschanel at the ceremony airing live at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday on ABC.

The shows and the women creating them may be a sign of change. But they stand now as exceptions to the rule, according to the most recent research from labor unions and academic studies _ and women themselves, including the industry’s most successful.

“This town is still in a certain way a boys’ club, even though there are more and more women executives,” said Marta Kauffman, “Friends” creator and producer.

Or, as Jenji Kohan, creator and producer of “Weeds” put it, “Hollywood is its own little world.”

“There are certain perceptions out there about women writers that are unfair … and there are biases and there are a lot of decision-makers with mother issues or girl issues. It’s all fraught,” Kohan said.

Hollywood’s imbalance in male-female hiring is so pronounced it could sink an ocean liner.

Of the more than 2,600 TV series episodes produced in the 2010-11 season, 88 percent were directed by men and 12 percent by women, according to a Directors Guild of America study.

A 2011 report from the Writers Guild of America, West, found the share of TV writing jobs filled by women is essentially “stuck at 28 percent,” little changed compared to 2007 figures from the previous guild study.

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