The past year for the TV production sector has been one of unprecedented growth. But there are challenges on the horizon, including budgets, crewing, impending recession and the long term future of the BBC and Channel 4. Tim Dams reports.


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ast year’s Production 100 was a portrait of a sector in recovery mode as it emerged from a hugely disruptive


Covid hiatus. By contrast, 2022’s survey paints an altogether different picture. A gold rush is the image that springs to mind. For many (but certainly not all) production companies, business has boomed as never before amid a post-lockdown demand for content from a growing number of streaming platforms as well as traditional broadcasters. The well-documented surge in


drama production in the UK has been a key contributor to growth. Hartswood Films, for example, has produced six high-end series in the past year for the BBC, Netflix, Amazon, HBO and Sky. But the growth isn’t just confined


how it works


Every year, we send survey forms to television production companies and ask them a series of questions. The facts provided, for the period July 2021-June 2022, form the basis of the Production 100. The top 100 indies you’ll see in the following pages are ranked according to turnover. Thank you to all who took part, especially to those who did not quite make it into the top 100.


to scripted: producers report growing demand in genres such as animation through to unscripted. “The UK production sector is


growing and thriving, with the country still considered among one of the best producers of high-quality shows,” says A Productions. “British content seems to be thriving and sought after,” confirms Douglas Road Productions.


Others note that the pound has weakened by nearly 12% over the past year to $1.20, making the UK even more competitive to US buyers in particular. And it’s still falling.


The side effects As in any gold rush, there have been undesirable side effects. Productions have struggled to crew up with experienced talent; costs and rates have risen; facilities and kit have


been in short supply. At the same time, Covid continues to be a strain for indies, adding to the time and cost of producing. It might not be in the headlines as much, but producers are still having to pay for precautionary measures and to deal with absences caused by Covid spikes. There are plenty of other


challenges that are buffeting indies which will be explored in detail over subsequent pages: budgets are tight at traditional broadcasters; the market has become increasingly crowded and competitive; there are worries about the future of key clients such as Channel 4 and the BBC.


And of course, there is the spectre of recession in the coming year. Will the cost-of-living crisis


Autumn 2022


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televisual.com


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