Exclusive: The BBC has brought together some of the UK's best drama and comedy producers to discuss the script funding crisis currently gripping the industry, we can reveal.
BBC director general Tim Davie and chief content officer Charlotte Moore described the group as a “gathering of families” and invited a group of veteran executives to a lunch meeting at London’s Charlotte Street Hotel in late November.
Deadline is revealing details of the private conversations for the first time since Jane Featherstone, Black pigeons The producer, who was in attendance last year, told the British Parliament yesterday that the BBC is struggling to finance “multiple” series on its books.
Others included in the BBC meeting The crown producer Andy Harris, Ludwig maker kenton allen, Traitors Producer Stephen Lambert, and Jimmy Mulville producer Derry girls. Tim Henkes, producer Alma is not normalAnd he was also present.
Sources familiar with the meeting said that the talks were constructive and practical, with the BBC showing its willingness to deal with concerns in a proactive manner. “The drama funding gap has become the problem of our time. It is completely unsustainable and unusual,” said one producer.
The BBC refused to comment on the meeting.
The producers talked about how a green light from a UK broadcaster for a major drama series is virtually meaningless because they are only able to come up with about a third of the funding required to roll the cameras.
Featherstone touched on the matter during her evidence before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday. “Every case is different but it leaves us with a gap of up to, say, 60% of the budget. Here we are [in the UK] “Getting closer to that independent film model,” she said.
One person familiar with the talks said the BBC had “thrown down the gauntlet” to producers to come up with stories that local broadcasters could afford, without having to turn to US studios such as Netflix for a co-production deal.
“What was expressed at the meeting is that the BBC wants the best shows and wants to do co-production deals, but the direction of travel is that they will have to work with producers on £2m-an-hour ($2.5m) stories that they finance Along with tax relief and distribution financing.”
This person envisions a two-tier system, with UK producers producing “flashy international dramas”. The crown For US-backed studios and “compelling and affordable” series e.g Mr. Bates v. Post Office For UK market. This is already happening to some extent, with Harry's Doctor Who Producer Jane Tranter has previously discussed plans to develop low-budget slates.
Discussions also touched on tax breaks, with several major producers informally lobbying the British government to extend TV tax breaks to include low-budget domestic dramas and comedies. This is something the BBC can echo in its conversations with ministers and comedy boss John Petrie who has already called for a comedy tax credit.
Although Davie and Moore's meeting with the producers was lively, some attendees criticized BBC Studios for failing to invest more in BBC-commissioned series. One observer said: “Tim was, as always, very good about it, but there was little love in the room for BBC Studios.”
In response to Featherstone's comments on Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said: “Jane Featherstone's comments serve as a timely reminder of the vital role the BBC and public broadcasters play in this fragile environment.
“While competition in the global market is healthy, the BBC beats the drum for British creativity and culturally relevant content in a way that global broadcasters simply cannot. We remain the largest investor in UK producers, talent and skills and support our valuable independent production sector Producers retain their rights and intellectual property, and the value of our spend is kept in the UK, not across the Atlantic. We are committed to keeping this world-class UK creative industry growing.
Max Goldbart contributed reporting.
