TV DRAMA


GENRE REPORT


TV drama production has been experiencing


massive growth in recent years, but is the bubble about to burst? Pippa Considine reports


DRAMA U 44


K drama production is still all systems go, but there are clear and present headwinds. Forecasts have been


riding high for a while. The latest research, published by


ScreenSkills in June 2022, estimates film and high- end television production in the UK could be worth £7.66 billion – up from £5.64 billion in 2021 – by 2025. While much of the recent boom has been driven


by inward investment and the rise of high-quality productions made for streaming platforms, UK commissioned drama has bounced back after Covid, accounting for 35 per cent of all UK content spend in 2021, according to the recent Pact census. But is this growth now checked? At BBC Studios


label Sid Gentle, ceo and founder Sally Woodward Gentle says, “I think a bubble has burst. I think there will be a massive settling down of the status quo and there’ll be winners and losers over the next year to 18 months. We’re going to have a bumpy period in terms of money available for all shows.” The drama boom, whilst transforming the


production industry, has led to instability, with wage inflation and fierce competition for crew now the norm. The Pact/BECTU agreement setting out best working practices is still in consultation mode, with many indies fearful that improvements to conditions – while long overdue - might topple production budgets. This year, revolving doors at the broadcasters


have seen BBC drama chief Piers Wenger and BBC director of films Rose Garnett leaving to join A24, with Lindsay Salt from Netflix taking over as director of drama, while acting director Ben Irving left to


televisual.com Winter 2022


join Severance producer Fifth Season. Meghan Lyvers joined Sky Studios as director of original drama UK&I, from CBS Studios, while director of drama commissioning Gabriel Silver exited. Sector growth and the dynamic market for


talent has underpinned more new launches and investment in indies. Examples are the launch of Winchester Films, ITV Studios’ new labels 5 Acts and Poison Pen, Banijay buying Mam Tor, All3Media backing Vicky McClure’s Build Your Own Films and Calculus Capital putting money into Jude Law’s indie Riff Raff.


DOMESTIC DRAMA The BBC is still notching up far and away the


largest number of scripted commissions in the UK. According to data from Ampere Analysis, it announced far fewer in the last year when compared to 2020/21 data. That said, the drama slate has over 40 titles in the pipeline, with seven titles into a second series, including Sherwood, The Tourist and The Responder. And with increasingly diverse and regional talent. One of its more risky bets is perhaps the reinvention of the classic Western with Drama Republic’s The English, a co-pro with Amazon Prime Video. Channel 4 has been firing on all


cylinders. Flagship drama includes I Am Ruth, with Kate Winslet, a feature-length instalment of the BAFTA-nominated and female- led drama anthology series I Am. Caroline Hollick, head of Drama, Channel 4 says, “the


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