MPTS: British drama and production jobs under threat

At MPTS, speaker after speaker, including the director of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, voiced fears for the future of the UK TV industry.

The Media Production and Technology Show (MPTS) felt like a busy show but the energy from many leading creatives and executives belied the perilous state of UK TV production.

It doesn’t seem to matter whether you are a director with a strong track record or a runner trying to catch a break, the industry’s finances appear to be at breaking point with opportunities for work leaving freelancers high and dry.

“The shows that we cut our teeth on have gone,” said James Hawes, who directed the first season of Slow Horses for AppleTV+ and has just made feature film Amateur with Remi Malek. “We have to replace it otherwise...

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