In this article we will outline the recent news concerning the potential future of TV shows made in Britain, and what it could mean.

Britain, Britain, Britain

John Whittingdale, Minister For Media And Data, spoke at the Royal Television Society a few weeks ago. In his speech, he mentioned the drafting of an upcoming white paper. This paper will require UK Public Service Broadcasters to, by law, produce “iconic” shows that are distinctly British and reflect British values. To accomplish this Ofcom (the UK’s TV regulatory body) will be making guidance for what a show would need to qualify as “British”. But Whittingdale stated Derry Girls, Fleabag, Gogglebox, The Great British Bake Off, Line of Duty, Dad’s Army, Blackadder Goes Forth, Coronation Street, Eastenders, and Only Fools and Horses would all qualify.

A House of Cards

Some may view this news as a way of bringing attention to home-grown talent. With PSBs forced to look towards talent within Britain, there’s theoretically more room for the recognition of creatives from different backgrounds. And there’s a chance for UK residents to see content that feels more applicable to them. However, this proposal begs the question, what defines a “British” show?

For example, is something only British when it’s set in the UK? That excludes international documentaries (Planet Earth); holiday (Benidorm), and war (Black Adder Goes Forth) stories made by UK talent. There are also calls for the locations in these productions to be more recognisably British. But what about different representations of how artists see the UK? E.g. the surreal, the horrific, the minimalist. Must a show act as a tourist promotion to be called British? That seems forced. 

Should productions adhere to certain cultural principles? The proposal’s guidance says that programmes should reflect British values. These include democracy, individual liberty, rule of law, and mutual respect and tolerance for different faiths and beliefs. But many beloved British shows arguably don’t adhere to these values. Only Fools and Horses follows the Trotters running a business that often sells stolen goods. The original House of Cards is fundamentally critical of our democratic system. Derry Girls frequently uses disrespectful language towards protestants and the British. And surely the advocation for individual liberty must allow art to be critical of so-called “national values”?

The press release also speaks of international investments and casts potentially negatively affecting Britain’s “Brand”. Implying PSB’s should only produce content with casts and ideas that promote a “British” image, which feels unnecessarily restrictive. And invites divisive, and dangerous discussions over what and who counts as “British”.

Goodness Gracious Me

And, of course, this announcement hasn’t come out in a vacuum. It’s hard to ignore that few of the shows Whittingdale mentioned have a lead cast member from a minority background. Nor do many feature LGBTQ+ perspectives.

This initiative to produce British shows which, displays little regard for anyone other than straight, cisgender, white people, propagandizes British values like respecting the rule of law, and demonstrates dismissive attitudes towards international casts and productions in favour of an idea of “Distinct Britishness” only does three things. It uses patriotic sentiment to drown out potential artistic criticism of issues like discrimination and systemic abuse of power. It alienates marginalized groups by implicitly saying they aren’t really “British”. And, intentionally or not, says that other cultures are less worthy of consideration in our art.

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

Making it law for PSBs to solely make “British” shows while discouraging international cooperation and vision has the danger to be jingoistic and discriminatory if “Britishness” is too narrowly defined. The little consideration given to works made by and starring minority groups is potentially alienating. And this law also seems like a way to silence artistic criticism of UK institutions.

But ultimately, art doesn’t exist just to flatter us. It also critiques us and shows how we can improve. And if we restrict art to show only the familiar, instead of expanding our horizons nothing will ever change.

Also Read: Brexit: How Will It Affect The UK Film Industry?

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The Government guidelines encourage people to work from home whenever possible, and when not possible, to maintain social distancing. While some select programmes have continued filming, such as the news and chat shows, albeit with no studio audience and most guest appearing via webcam. This has faced many of these shows to adapt. Saturday Night Takeaway transformed from a studio show to being a skype chat from the host’s living rooms, with old footage.

While this approach can work for programmes in post-production, like Netflix’s Umbrella Academy, as post-production can often be worked on at home, with actors even recording lines hiding in their cupboards. It is much more difficult to actually film new footage with the lockdown. With UK Government advice being to keep a distance of at least 2 meters between other people, filming would take much more time if not be impossible. This has resulted in some unique programming, as people have tried to adapt and entertain.

New Guidelines

The new information means that some industries can go back to work, including the film and TV industries, however, things have not completely back to normal. For instance, the 2-metre rule should still be followed wherever possible, including by actors. This means that scenes may have to be re-written and planned to ensure this. It also means actors should apply their own makeup, costumes and microphones whenever possible and floor markings to clarify the distance.

Additionally, scenes set in open, outdoor spaces are to be prioritised, and the use of green screen is encouraged. This allows actors to film scenes without actually being on set. Senior actors, or ones with underlying health conditions, are to stay at home. Crews from local areas are to be prioritised, so as to reduce the spread of infection. Stunts and special effects sequences have even more planning and should consider demand on the NHS.

Is it too soon?

While these measures seem reasonable, they seem restrictive. Having to rewrite scenes so that characters are 2 metres apart in every scene could prove difficult. Especially in scenes between love interests or other emotional beats. There are very few natural reasons to not comfort someone in distress with a hug. Will every show now need to set an episode in the pandemic? While soaps and some other shows might be able to work with this premise, other’s won’t. The Walking Dead will be much less effective with all the Walkers social distancing.

While the effort to restart production is admirable, these measures do seem too restrictive. Although some programmes have still been filming, it clearly won’t work for everything. Even if only one person is on camera, there will be several behind it, unseen. With dozens of people on set, all trying to do a job, social distancing will be very hard. Things will likely take even longer on set, as everyone has to constantly stay apart, and do things on their own.

The reaction to these measures has understandably been mixed. While people are glad to get back to work and filming again, there are still concerns. Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite summed it up “There’s no quarantine-friendly version of making a film“. While writers rooms and pitch meetings can still happen via Zoom or Skype, not everything can. It is much harder to direct actors and crew without physically being in the space with them. Many also feel that the job isn’t worth risking people’s lives over.

While the impact of coronavirus will likely be felt for months to come, things are slowly returning to normal. While some are arguing it is too soon, precautions are being taken. Hopefully, it won’t be too much longer before our favourite shows are back to normal.

Also Read: Coronavirus: How It’s Affected The Film Industry

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