Why the UK scripted show 'crisis' could spell disaster for many TV fans

In the same world of big-budget shows from streaming giants such as Netflix and Apple TV+, UK broadcasters are currently in a funding catastrophe that has already had some serious ramifications and only spells trouble for the future of scripted TV.

Despite it being one of the standout shows of 2024, it was recently revealed that Oscar award-winning actor Mark Rylance took a pay cut in order to allow Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light to get made. Director Peter Kosminsky stated that the decision for Rylance's salary decrease was made because streamers declined to co-produce the second instalment with the BBC.

The current lay of the land within British drama has also meant that multiple productions are currently stuck in serious limbo, with funding being the main cause of contention and no one solution agreed upon.

While some within the industry are calling for tax breaks, some are pointing the finger at big broadcasters like the BBC and others are calling on starry names to be more comfortable with taking a pay cut if we're to "relearn the art of making lower-budget shows that still deliver high-quality," according to director and writer James Strong.

There's no denying that the industry is in a seriously bad way right now, with BBC's own director of drama, Lindsay Salt, admitting that the broadcaster "can't afford to fully fund shows".

As TV fans, it's probably quite easy to switch off from the noise of the wider sector though, right? If the shows you know and love continue to be released, with some shiny new ones thrown in every now and then, who cares? Well, the current crisis is one we should all be paying attention to, as it's only set to impact more viewers going forward.

While I could rehash the important statistics and findings from the recent UK parliamentary inquiry into high-end TV and film, it's time to think of what this current scenario spells for the future of British TV and namely, diversity and representation within our storytelling.

Producer Jane Featherstone, the co-founder of Sister, was one of the first to be forthright about the current situation impacting British dramas.

Featherstone – who is best known for her work on Spooks and more recently, KAOS, Eric and Black Doves – revealed to the Culture, Media & Sport Committee (CMSC): "The BBC can answer for this but I am aware they have multiple shows which, through no fault of their own, they can’t fund."

In a written submission to the CMSC, the BBC confirmed: "Multiple greenlit BBC productions are now stuck in funding limbo and are not progressing to production."

Known for being at the very helm of British dramas, it's high time we all start paying attention when the country's biggest broadcaster is turning up the warning klakson with a very real look at the scope of their own slate.

But this is precisely why it's the moment that we need to start considering what this spells not just for television but also for whose stories will be prioritised, which series will be pushed through 'easily enough' and what kinds of narratives won't 'fit' into the scope of an already ailing industry.

Think of some of the biggest and most talked-about UK scripted shows of recent years: Peaky Blinders, The Crown, Wolf Hall, Downton Abbey. All brilliant series within their own rights, all historical dramas, all championing different stories, all boasting high-profile names – but all led by majority white casts.

If a fan-favourite series like Wolf Hall struggled to find funding for its anticipated second instalment, what does that spell for the kind of content that's deemed more risk-averse for audiences, 'niche' or not necessarily going to draw in the big primetime Sunday evening crowds?

Unfortunately, more often than not, that very kind of TV is led or created by diverse talent, which will undoubtedly be hit hardest in this funding crossroads.

Still rightfully talked about to this day, 2021's It's A Sin was both joyful and heartbreaking, teaching viewers about the UK AIDS epidemic in the '80s. The vital LGBTQ+ historical drama went on to become one of the most-watched dramas in Channel 4 history – but it almost didn't get made.

In a 2021 interview, Russell T Davies said that the It's A Sin script was turned down by ITV, the BBC and even its eventual home of Channel 4 the first time round.

Describing it as a "hard sell" due to its subject matter, Davies said it only got made because Channel 4's commissioning editor of drama, Lee Mason, "literally put the script in his drawer and waited for all the staff to change and all the heads of department to move on and then got the script out again and said: 'Would you like to make this?'"

Doctor Who showrunner Davies is no stranger to working on a big show (or several, to put it mildly), and if he could be turned down multiple times with such an important series, that only gives a small window into what it's like for writers from underrepresented backgrounds trying to get their shows made.

With the added pressure of funding, the situation will surely only get worse for newcomer writers striving to get their stories told.

Michaela Coel – who created, wrote, co-directed and executive produced I May Destroy You – has an exciting return to scripted TV on the horizon, but has been forthright in the past about her own struggles in getting Chewing Gum off the ground, as well as her decision to turn down a $1 million Netflix deal for I May Destroy You.

During an interview on BBC Radio 4’sWoman’s Hour back in 2021, Coel discussed her decision, saying: "It’s hard to say to people trust your gut or instinct … I was right to observe the industry and observe there was a lack of transparency because there was an exploitation occurring."

The BBC comedy-drama was released back in 2020 but is still seen by many as one of the best dramas of recent times, opening up crucial conversations around sexual assault, race and consent. Again, not the prettiest or lightest of subject matters, but a resounding success for the broadcaster. In a somewhat similar case to It's A Sin, there was the sliver of a possibility that without Netflix's backing, I May Destroy You may not have been made.

With money tied up in the streamers and a significant decrease in co-production funding from certain partners, the TV landscape could be more inclined to turn to what they know – another police procedural, anybody? – rather than be bold in their commissioning.

Producer Featherstone has admitted that she feels "less inclined to take those risks" related to scripted TV at Sister, citing the surprising lack of international interest in some British content like Mr Bates vs the Post Office and a lack of confidence in the "sustainability" of Sister's business model.

The BBC has also said that "the current challenges are detrimental for both audiences, who could start to see less high-quality, free, and distinctive public service content, and the sector." But let's call a spade a spade, we know in this game – and more pessimistically, life in general – that the cards are stacked against those who are typically seen as a lower priority and are usually from underrepresented backgrounds.

We're all adult enough to know that this only spells trouble for seeing authentic scripted TV content created by or about racially diverse, LGBTQ+, working-class, neurodiverse or disabled people.

How can we get a plethora of British stories on TV screens if the initial doors of opportunity are closing at a faster rate than ever, or simply regressing into the routine of not being open in the first place?

As a writer, Coel's MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival struck a particularly sobering note when she delivered it in 2018, but it continues to have relevance to this day.

As well as talking frankly about her own career journey, Coel said of the way that burgeoning writers can often be sidelined: "In the quest for new writers, the misfit-looking people are instinctively sought after first. But instead of nurturing them to write for themselves, the last few years have seen an immediate coupling with writers before the process has begun. Writers more experienced, who fit in to this house more.

"Is it important that voices, used to interruption, get the experience of writing something without interference at least once?"

Is it just a simple coincidence that many of the recent spate of dramas and upcoming releases are being penned by the same, "trusty" voices? There's no denying that there's an appetite for UK-produced scripted shows, but it's what they'll be about, what kind of multifaceted freshness they'll bring to the TV landscape (if any) and whether they will be productions that will also champion marginalised talent behind the cameras as well. But only time will tell.

According to Deadline, the UK producer trade body Pact has estimated that as many as 15 shows that were initially given the green light across the broadcasters simply cannot get into production because of the current gaps in funding.

In terms of tangible recent examples, it's been reported that funding for James Graham's Dear England is rumoured to be "tough going", while the BBC and A24 adaptation of Booker Prize-winning Shuggie Bain is "stuck in limbo", still seeking international financing.

It's easy to get downtrodden about it all, especially as a fan of TV. Hell, I'll even need to take my own advice. But it's not all bad right now, with the BBC having commissioned Caleb Azumah Nelson's Open Water, ITV's Code of Silence with Rose Ayling-Ellis on the horizon, as well as a BBC and A24 co-production for Michaela Coel's First Day on Earth, David Harewood's Pierre, the recent renewal of Big Mood and a new season of Dreaming Whilst Black.

There's also the second season of Dinosaur, the TV adaptation of Benedict Lombe’s romantic hit stage show Shifters and the recent hit arrival of Virdee, the complex BBC crime drama which features a South Asian-led cast.

From portrayals of Black love and mental health to explorations of institutional corruption, interfaith marriage, autism, and representations of deafness, these are just a few of the highly anticipated releases that come to mind.

But with a massive strain on funding, increased pressure on the industry and a likely cutthroat outlook on commissioning – issues that viewers will likely see unfold further down the line – we can only try and hope that a variety of experiences like the aforementioned (and more) will make it to release.

Let's cross our fingers.

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