Exclusive: Disagreement over the use of local Scottish talent in hit programmes Traitors, Or the lack thereof, it shows no signs of abating.
Deadline can now reveal that late last year the BBC and Ofcom were forced to amend the regulatory body's record of the number of Scots who worked on the first season of the show. Traitorswhich was produced by London-based Studio Lambert in Scotland and qualifies as a Scottish commission.
Before that Traitors The row is making headlines due to a ranting LinkedIn post from Scottish director Peter Strachan. Deadline has been told that figures from local industry have contacted Ofcom over what they believe is a discrepancy in Ofcom's Made Outside London record for 2022. That record was initially listed Traitors The first season met Ofcom's criteria for at least 50% of the talent under the line to be based in Scotland. Upon investigation it has been shown that this is not true and that the 50% rate actually applies to sub-par talent who are simply based outside of London. The record was corrected late last year, we are told, by Ofcom's regulatory affairs director Stefan Webster. Lists now Traitors with an asterisk and says at the beginning: “After spot checks, two BBC headlines and one Channel 5 headline were found to contain reporting errors,” and we understand that one of these errors is Traitors.
Broadcasters and indies report whether they have reached Ofcom standards. Deadline understands Ofcom regularly carries out spot checks on its register but this particular check was carried out after the regulator received intelligence from the sector.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “As a crucial way to support television production in countries and regions, we take broadcasters’ compliance with our Made Outside London regulations very seriously.” “We regularly collaborate with the BBC and other broadcasters to monitor how they are meeting their requirements, including carrying out spot checks on certain programmes.”
Due to what many would consider an oddity in the rules, the show would have been considered a Scottish commission for the BBC with or without a fault, but the news will fan the flames of a wider row over the use of Scottish talent on television. Traitors And beyond, while continuing to raise questions about whether Ofcom's standards for offers outside the English capital are fit for purpose.
Strachan's post on LinkedIn, in which he accused the BBC of painting a “really terrible picture” when it comes to the number of people working across all seasons of the series. Traitors, So far, it has been liked more than 1,000 times and sparked a lot of discussion.
This debate has reached the highest levels of government. After reading Deadline's initial story, Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said on Channel Meanwhile, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who has made representation of the whole of the UK one of the cornerstones of her short tenure so far, sent a message on the issue by Strachan and her.
A spokesperson for Nandy told Deadline: “The Culture Secretary believes that film and television should reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK.” The spokesman declined to comment on whether Nandy would also seek to meet Devi.
The BBC and Studio Lambert declined to comment on this story. When shown Strachan's post last week, the BBC said: 'According to Ofcom's definition of regional production, Traitors “It is considered a Scottish production and was clearly produced in the Scottish Highlands, as viewers will know.”
Traitors Season 3 launched two weeks ago, and has posted its best ratings yet, with more than 5 million viewers watching each night. Episode 7 airs tonight. A celebrity edition will also be launched later this year. The show has sold out worldwide and a successful American version aired on Peacock.
