London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

BBC director general welcomes proposals for ‘distinctly British’ content

BBC director general welcomes proposals for ‘distinctly British’ content

Tim Davie says promotion of British talent could counterbalance the ‘globalised algorithmic’ commissioning of TV
The BBC’s director general has embraced the idea of requiring broadcasters to produce “distinctly British” content, after losing British talent to deep-pocketed streaming services.

The likes of Netflix have invested enormous sums in producing UK-based programmes and hiring British creatives but their shows usually need to appeal to an international audience. This can often result in dramas such as Sex Education that are filmed in the UK with British actors but have US characteristics and tone.

Last week the government said it would introduce legislation requiring the UK’s public service broadcasters to make “distinctly British” shows. They said that otherwise programmes could become “indistinguishable from that produced elsewhere and less relevant for UK audiences”.

The former culture minister John Whittingdale held up Only Fools and Horses, The Great British Bake Off and Coronation Street as shows that reflected Britain.

Tim Davie told the culture select committee he was unsure about having such a rule enshrined in legislation but broadly welcomed the approach: “Overall, the protection of British-made drama and locally produced drama with locally produced stories is vital. I also feel it’s where we’re most potent as the BBC.”

Davie said the government promotion of Britishness could be a counterbalance to the “wholly globalised algorithmic” commissioning of television shows by streaming companies: “I don’t in any way associate that with flag-waving or editorial control.”

He suggested that shows such as Call the Midwife, Small Axe, and Michaela Coel’s Emmy award-winning series I May Destroy You – which she wrote for the BBC after turning down Netflix – were examples of distinctly British BBC programmes: “This doesn’t restrict you from being a global hit. Normal People is stronger because of its location.”

The cost of making high-end drama has exploded in recent years, driven by insatiable demand from streaming companies trying to grab market share. As a result, the BBC and other British broadcasters will increasingly partner with a global streaming company to share the ever-growing costs of making programmes.

Yet this inevitably means giving up some editorial control and risks losing talent. The BBC nurtured the Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge to enormous success, only for her to sign a huge deal with Amazon. Davie said this was an increasing challenge: “If you are a successful writer or an actor or a director the demands on you have never been greater, and there are the opportunities for transformational wealth. The BBC needs to do things differently to other players.”

Davie also said the BBC is increasingly choosing to retain the UK streaming rights to its popular shows for the iPlayer service, meaning BBC shows are less likely to appear on Netflix.

With the government preparing to announce the amount the BBC can charge for the licence fee over the next five years, Davie said the corporation urgently needed at least a small increase from the current £159-a-year to remain competitive: “We’ve gone up 1% this year and are down 30% in real terms since 2010. We need to make sure we’re not stripping this service because we will then be into a spiral if you haven’t got the investment.”

Davie was sitting next to the BBC chairman, Richard Sharp, who said he was baffled that so much about the inner workings of the broadcaster was leaked to politicians and the media: “There seems to be a culture, which I certainly wasn’t used to in the private sector, of free communication on confidential matters.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×