Mothers who have abortions: what to do with TV’s third rail?
Most women who terminate a pregnancy are already mothers – but we rarely see that on screen. Australian comedy The Letdown is the latest show to tackle the taboo
Lauren Carroll Harris
Tue 11 Jun 2019
“We got a beautiful email from a viewer last week,” says Sarah Scheller, co-creator of the ABC’s The Letdown. “It said, ‘That was my scenario. I can’t believe I just saw it on screen.’”
Women who have abortions are only just now beginning to see themselves depicted on screens, but for a certain subgroup – women who are already mothers when they decide to terminate – the taboo is stronger than ever.