Wolf Hall demonstrated the best of British television drama - but there are fears for the future (Image: Ed Miller/BBC/Company Productions Ltd)
Britain's celebrated film and television industry is in danger and urgent action is needed so it survives a crisis which threatens its future, a cross-party group of MPs have warned. The Culture, Media and Sport committee is calling for streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and Disney+ which benefit from British creativity to pay 5% of UK subscriber revenue into a “cultural fund” for “distinctly British” drama.
The MPs say the levy and tax breaks should be “on the table” to help the country’s “crisis-hit high quality drama sector”.
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
Undo
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Jeremy Corbyn at war with Angela Rayner over plans to concrete over Britain's allotments
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Labour surrendered on housing within days - here are vital steps they won't take for UK
Labour MP under investigation over Israel-Palestine trip
Rachel Reeves issued major warning by business bosses over jobs
Where will it end? Now Angela Rayner threatens allotments with war
Britain's seaside towns can be saved with one simple move by Labour
Jeremy Corbyn has ensured that the pints are on Nigel Farage if they ever go to the pub
I went to a migrant hotel protest - one thing left me feeling completely hopeless
Home Office staff enjoy massages in secret in-house beauty parlour during migrant crisis
Furious Trump erupts after US jobs meltdown as he makes extraordinary 'rigged' claim
EU civil war erupts as Italy's Giorgia Meloni explodes in anger at immigration legal blow
Angela Rayner's new laws are 'opening the door' to NHS strikes that threaten patients
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned for 'threat to patient care' as NHS strikes loom
Jeremy Corbyn at war with Angela Rayner over plans to concrete over Britain's allotments
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Labour surrendered on housing within days - here are vital steps they won't take for UK
Labour MP under investigation over Israel-Palestine trip
Rachel Reeves issued major warning by business bosses over jobs
Where will it end? Now Angela Rayner threatens allotments with war
Britain's seaside towns can be saved with one simple move by Labour
Jeremy Corbyn has ensured that the pints are on Nigel Farage if they ever go to the pub
I went to a migrant hotel protest - one thing left me feeling completely hopeless
Home Office staff enjoy massages in secret in-house beauty parlour during migrant crisis
Furious Trump erupts after US jobs meltdown as he makes extraordinary 'rigged' claim
EU civil war erupts as Italy's Giorgia Meloni explodes in anger at immigration legal blow
Angela Rayner's new laws are 'opening the door' to NHS strikes that threaten patients
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned for 'threat to patient care' as NHS strikes loom
Jeremy Corbyn at war with Angela Rayner over plans to concrete over Britain's allotments
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Labour surrendered on housing within days - here are vital steps they won't take for UK
Labour MP under investigation over Israel-Palestine trip
Rachel Reeves issued major warning by business bosses over jobs
Where will it end? Now Angela Rayner threatens allotments with war
Britain's seaside towns can be saved with one simple move by Labour
Jeremy Corbyn has ensured that the pints are on Nigel Farage if they ever go to the pub
I went to a migrant hotel protest - one thing left me feeling completely hopeless
Home Office staff enjoy massages in secret in-house beauty parlour during migrant crisis
Furious Trump erupts after US jobs meltdown as he makes extraordinary 'rigged' claim
EU civil war erupts as Italy's Giorgia Meloni explodes in anger at immigration legal blow
Angela Rayner's new laws are 'opening the door' to NHS strikes that threaten patients
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned for 'threat to patient care' as NHS strikes loom
Britain’s studios are famed for their role in making some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters and many of the world’s most prestigious television series. Barbie’s Barbieland set was built at Leavesden in Hertfordshire, and the latest series of spy thriller Slow Horses has been shot across London.
But the committee warns there “must be no complacency” and pushes for action to “halt the decline of domestic production of culturally distinct British film and programmes”. It warns these have “failed to keep pace with the headline-grabbing growth of big box office productions financed and controlled from outside the UK”.
The MPs want to see a tax credit to support the distribution of lower-budget films to ensure they reach an audience. Without urgent intervention, they warn, competition from “high-budget overseas production” will continue to drive up cots.
Sponsored
Lowe's Shoppers Say This Weird New Tool Is 'Flying Off Shelves'
Undo
They warn the commissioning budgets of public service broadcasters are being “squeezed” by a fall in advertising revenue and pressure on the licence fee.
Don't miss: UK dubbed 'Hollywood of Europe' as top blockbusters are filmed in Britain
Don't miss: Entrepreneur seeks investors to realise dream of cliff-top film studio in Dover
Uniquely British content, they say, is “vital” to the “UK’s identity, national conversations and talent pipeline” but this is “under threat”.
The committee was warned by Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky that the latest adaptation in the series – The Mirror and the Light – could not be made today because of funding challenges.
The MPs want streamers to “put their money where their mouth is” by supporting the cultural fund.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, who chairs the committee, said: “Big box-office blockbusters made in Britain have showcased the UK’s world-class film and high-end television industry like never before. But the boom in inward investment of recent years now risks crowding out our many talented independent British producers.
“While streamers like Netflix and Amazon have proved a valuable addition for the industry and economy, unless the Government urgently intervenes to rebalance the playing field, for every ‘Adolescence’ adding to the national conversation, there will be countless distinctly British stories that never make it to our screens.”
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Labour surrendered on housing within days - here are vital steps they won't take for UK
Labour MP under investigation over Israel-Palestine trip
Rachel Reeves issued major warning by business bosses over jobs
Where will it end? Now Angela Rayner threatens allotments with war
Britain's seaside towns can be saved with one simple move by Labour
Jeremy Corbyn has ensured that the pints are on Nigel Farage if they ever go to the pub
I went to a migrant hotel protest - one thing left me feeling completely hopeless
Home Office staff enjoy massages in secret in-house beauty parlour during migrant crisis
Furious Trump erupts after US jobs meltdown as he makes extraordinary 'rigged' claim
EU civil war erupts as Italy's Giorgia Meloni explodes in anger at immigration legal blow
Angela Rayner's new laws are 'opening the door' to NHS strikes that threaten patients
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned for 'threat to patient care' as NHS strikes loom
Undo
Jeremy Corbyn at war with Angela Rayner over plans to concrete over Britain's allotments
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
Sciatic Pain? Never Drink This Againsciatiease |
Learn More
Undo
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
Wrap Foil Around Doorknobs When Alone, Here's WhyTrendGuruTips |
Undo
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Former Kansas missile silo seeks $1.3 million, could be a blast as a homeHomes.com |
Undo
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
This Bra Is Redefining Comfort—Women Are Loving ItShapermint |
Learn More
Undo
Labour surrendered on housing within days - here are vital steps they won't take for UK
Labour MP under investigation over Israel-Palestine trip
Always Wrap Car Keys in Foil (Here's Why)TrendGuruTips |
Undo
Rachel Reeves issued major warning by business bosses over jobs
Where will it end? Now Angela Rayner threatens allotments with war
Man Thought He Found A Hornet's Nest — But Then An Expert Tells Him ThisHealthy Glam |
Read More
Undo
Britain's seaside towns can be saved with one simple move by Labour
Jeremy Corbyn has ensured that the pints are on Nigel Farage if they ever go to the pub
CVS Hides This $1 Generic Viagra - Here’s the Aisle It's Really In.Friday Plans |
Learn More
Undo
I went to a migrant hotel protest - one thing left me feeling completely hopeless
Home Office staff enjoy massages in secret in-house beauty parlour during migrant crisis
Man Divorces Wife Over Black Kids—10 Years Later, the Truth Shocks Him!Finance Nemo |
Read More
Undo
Furious Trump erupts after US jobs meltdown as he makes extraordinary 'rigged' claim
EU civil war erupts as Italy's Giorgia Meloni explodes in anger at immigration legal blow
Explore new and used vehicles across the board.Carxplore |
Shop Now
Undo
Angela Rayner's new laws are 'opening the door' to NHS strikes that threaten patients
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned for 'threat to patient care' as NHS strikes loom
Jeremy Corbyn at war with Angela Rayner over plans to concrete over Britain's allotments
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Labour surrendered on housing within days - here are vital steps they won't take for UK
Labour MP under investigation over Israel-Palestine trip
Rachel Reeves issued major warning by business bosses over jobs
Where will it end? Now Angela Rayner threatens allotments with war
Britain's seaside towns can be saved with one simple move by Labour
This Pain-Free Glucose Monitor Is Changing How Seniors Track LevelsGlucose Monitor
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
New AI Trading Bot for Beginners Delivers Impressive Gains in Just a WeekFX Market Insights
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Vacant Houses For 10K CashVacant Houses Selling For 10k Cash | Search Ads
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Keep Your Family Safe with This Electric Bug ZapperGraddi
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Dame Caroline said the sector is “so important to both our economy and our soft power overseas” but the people working in it are “going through a turbulent time”.
Don't miss: Film studio Pinewood Shepperton's profits treble
Don't miss: Trump’s 100% tariffs seeing a 'crisis' among UK filming industries says director
Trending
The committee warns that streamers are making deals with independent production companies which are “not sustainable”. The MPs say the companies are “gutted by deals” which prevent them making the most of intellectual property rights.
Wolf Hall director Mr Kosminsky said: “I hugely welcome the fact that the CMS select committee has endorsed the call for a 5% levy on streamers’ revenue to support public service broadcasting high-end television. This is a brave thing to do in the current political climate and absolutely the right solution. However, I do think it is important to stipulate that the fund created by this levy should only be available to productions which are either commissioned or co-commissioned by a public service broadcaster.”
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy