Not Enough Money and Time to Save Everyone – Edinburgh

A trio of British TV behemoths have raised concerns about the proliferation of production companies as the market’s middle section appears to be collapsing.

Banijay UK boss Patrick Holland, It’s a Sin executive Nicola Shindler, and BBC iPlayer/channels chief Dan McGolpin collectively agreed that the current volume of work is unsustainable for the existing number of independent production companies. This perspective was shared during a significant panel discussion at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

“You can’t sugarcoat it,” McGolpin stated. “There aren’t enough money and hours to keep everyone alive.”

Holland added that “in terms of sheer economics there are too many indies for the amount of hours,” while Shindler pointed out that “there are a lot of talented people who aren’t getting a look in.”

The topic of too many production companies has been debated for years, but this discussion felt particularly urgent.

The panel, titled Back from the Brink, explored issues such as risk aversion, the impact of streaming services, and the evolving workforce in the multi-billion-dollar television industry.

Edinburgh Executive Chair Fatima Salaria argued passionately for the importance of maintaining diversity in British television in the face of market contraction and a challenging advertising landscape.

“For me, in terms of the workforce you will end up with an elite class of people who will make elite, high-class premium factual and drama,” she said. “They will be the winners, and we will end up in a situation where a lot of the content valued by the BBC and Channel 4 could end up on cable or its UK equivalent.”

Salaria recently joined The Responder indie Dancing Ledge to lead its factual drama push. She warned that the middle of the market is dropping out, creating “winners and losers.” According to her, indies will struggle to compete due to their current business structures.

To aid traditional broadcasters, she suggested that they might have to “combine together on some kind of super iPlayer content platform that would ensure the survival of PSB values.”

“People are coming to the BBC for national moments, but you can’t sustain a model on that,” she said. “I worry about the license fee and audiences switching off.”

Banijay’s Holland disagreed, arguing that audiences are not just drawn to major events like the Queen’s funeral or football matches but also to dramas like ITV’s Mr Bates vs the Post Office or the BBC’s The Sixth Commandment.

“If you name the top 10 dramas of the year in terms of streamers, ITV, Channel 4, there is a lot of PSB content on there,” he said. “Audiences are still coming in huge numbers to PSB content, but the issue of prominence is massive.”

He acknowledged the downturn in the middle but said he is working with producers to explore other areas to help revive the workforce.

The panel also discussed risk aversion, with Quay Street Productions boss Shindler noting that shows have to be “bigger and push further” given the current market contraction.

“You need to make sure [audiences] will come back to the show as there are so many options,” she added. “In terms of working with writers and directors, you need the end of the episode to be 10 times as good as it was 10 years ago.”

Shindler urged buyers to consider reducing budgets, arguing that current shows are no more “exceptional” than those made when budgets were smaller.

Salaria added, “Some of the stories I saw when I grew up wouldn’t make it onto a platform now,” citing current affairs shows not led by prominent talent as examples.

McGolpin, who manages BBC iPlayer and Channels, said that it is still possible to create notable brands at lower costs, highlighting the success of shows like Gardeners’ World on iPlayer. “Some of our dramas aren’t as expensive as others,” he noted. “It’s not always about money, but what is being lost is the middle ground of things.”

Also on the panel was Beckham producer Nicola Howson, who emphasized the need for traditional indies to improve their marketing strategies.

“I used to be in PR, and people have been dismissive of me being a producer, but my marketing background has helped me hone how we take shows to market,” said the Studio 99 boss. “The best producers fight for every inch of what will happen on their show.”

Howson advised traditional producers to explore alternative revenue streams amid the advertising downturn and learn from people creating content on platforms like YouTube.

She was candid about the number of people working on traditional TV shows. “When I walk on sets, I could take half the people out and do the same job,” she said. “When you make stuff for YouTube, you don’t have that same luxury.”

One YouTuber, Mr. Beast, is collaborating with Amazon on his high-budget Beast Games series, which has recently faced “teething troubles,” according to panel host Ros Atkins.

Chris Bird, Prime Video UK MD, dodged questions about safety concerns during the making of the show, simply stating, “It’s going to be great. It’s going to be a massive hit.”

The panel took place at Edinburgh, with other notable speakers such as Warren Littlefield, will.i.am, and Netflix’s Anne Mensah scheduled for later sessions.

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