THE BLACK Doves executive producer warns that if the UK television drama industry was a pilot episode, it would have have just “five minutes left to stop the bomb from going off.”
In a speech at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards in London last night, Jane Featherstone voiced extreme concern over the future of the business.
In particular, she pointed again to the funding crisis in the public service broadcasting (PSB) system reports Deadline.
Jane was the first high-level producer to publicly reveal that the BBC has several shows stuck in a post-greenlight funding cavern, during an appearance at the UK parliamentary inquiry into high-end TV and film in January.
In last night’s speech, she added: “Today, the gap between available funding for programming and current budgets is simply too high.
“We’re at risk of losing the very stories that define us.
“The danger isn’t theoretical. It’s immediate.
“We are in the 45th minute of the pilot episode, and we’ve got five minutes left to stop the bomb from going off.”
Jane, founder of Sister Pictures, a global TV and film production and development company, called for collaboration ‘across the industry to protect the source of our great shared success, our PSB system and the practitioners it supports.’
She described the UK’s PSB system, which allows producers to own the rights to the shows they make, as “like the Amazon rainforest for storytelling.”
She added: “If it dies, it takes the oxygen of diverse story with it, and we don’t have the luxury of time.”
Jane said the industry needed to first collectively agree there was something at risk here and that they needed to ask the government for financial support.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Netflix’ Black Doves is the best spy franchise since James Bond – here’s why you NEED to watch” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6365531614112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]She said: “It’s harder than ever to sell British focus stories. I won’t name the shows.
“Mr Bates tonight has won awards, and we all know how difficult that would be to get made now, you’ve heard that from others.
“But it’s hard to get to sell them, and it’s hard to co-produce them.
“We know British stories resonate deeply with local audiences, and they have the power to captivate global ones.
“We need to preserve our ability to support new creative voices, continue to nurture established ones so that they can shape and enrich the wider conversation.”
Wolf Hall writer Peter Kosminsky has been leading the charge for the UK to adopt a streamer levy akin to those in place in Europe and other parts of the world, calling the current situation “the greatest crisis” he had witnessed during his working career.
Jane has previously said she is isn’t keen on a streamer levy, but argued in her speech that the industry should ‘debate the ways’ in which support was provided.
She said that could mean: “Levelling up the high-end television tax incentive to match independent film.
“Better rights deals for independents and producers, higher licence fees from the broadcasters, or indeed, other solutions.
“There are many, and we need to discuss them, but we need to give ballast during this time of change.”
“This isn’t special pleading, it’s strategic,” she added.
Jane was honoured with the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting at last nights awards.
