The Governments report “Supporting the UK Film and HETV” Industry was published in full this week but first, no apologies for the flex — I didn’t set out on a numbers game, but…
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English was once a subject that filled me with fear, confusion, and self-doubt. I didn’t know why I couldn’t keep up, I just knew I felt behind.
Now I write publicly about storytelling, media, the freelance crisis in an industry I love, and smarter creative workflows. And 10,000 people choose to follow those words.
If you’re one of them, thank you. That means more than you know.
📚 Main Editorial: Supporting the UK Film and HETV Industry
The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee released its report on British Film and High-End Television. Having read the entire thing, here are my thoughts, followed by a summary of the report.
🎁 I’ve also created a PDF you can download here. I
Section A: A summary of the key points.
Section B: All the conclusions and recommendations, minus the fluff.
It’s the Blinkist version — read it, and look clever next time you’re in Soho House, BAFTA, or an RTS meeting.
If you want the full report its here.
💬 My View
The report does what it says on the tin — Supporting the UK Film and HETV Industry. But here’s the catch:
The issue with HETV is the “HE”, High-End. That immediately excludes the majority of UK domestic broadcasters, PSB or not. They simply don’t have the budgets to commission proper HETV anymore
That’s the root of the crisis in British drama: British stories told for British audiences. Wolf Hall and Mr Bates vs The Post Office were nearly left on paper due to costs. Adolescence found Netflix funding not because it was British, but because its theme — online radicalisation of boys, was universal.
Every new advantage handed to HETV risks becoming another nail in the coffin of locally made, mid-budget British drama.
And let’s be clear: there’s no mention of format TV, reality or unscripted. Yet that’s where most of the freelance work is. And the freelance jobs market has collapsed — you’d never know it reading this report.
There’s also nothing on retraining, not even for those trying to pivot into HETV. Ironically, it’s management that needs retraining.
A sound recordist on Doctors has the same skill set needed for The Crown. What they lack is the opportunity.
🎓 Education and the Talent Pipeline
We all know it: to make HETV, or any TV or film, requires a wide set of skills — enough to employ an entire cohort of sixth-formers, according to the report.
That line says a lot. Why doesn’t the wider labour market recognise that people from the TV and media sector are highly skilled, calm under pressure, and brilliant communicators?
If someone from our sector needs to pivot, support them. You won’t find a better-trained worker.
Thank god the report said “sixth-form cohort” and not “graduates.” Our industry should support talent and passion, not just academic credentials. We need apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and probation periods.
Let’s be honest, the working class has been excluded from TV for the last 20 years. When I started at ATV, I found my home. Oxford and Cambridge grads worked shoulder-to-shoulder with people schooled in life.
Johnny Speight, East End working class and one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Look up William G Stewart’s Wikipedia page — a legendary “shit-kicker” turned producer. I learned from people like that.
It was a place of equality. Yes, we had work to do (and still do) on women’s rights and minority representation. But for the time, the LGBTQ+ community were simply fellow workers — no labels, just part of the team.
So yes, there’s a long way to go on education and inclusion. But we also need to talk about jobs. With unemployment in the industry still sky-high, skills talk without job pipelines is just hot air.
Welcome the levy. Welcome the support. But for freelancers and the future of the UK screen industry: ❌ Could do better.
DCMS Report Summary: Supporting the UK Film and HETV Industry (2025)
The UK film and HETV sectors face a critical moment. While new tax credits and growth commitments are welcome, systemic challenges around funding, skills, and sustainability remain. The DCMS outlines a clear set of interventions needed to ensure these industries can grow, innovate, and compete globally.
🔧 Key Recommendations
1. Funding & Tax Relief
- Independent Film Tax Credit welcomed, but not sufficient. Needs companion relief for marketing (Prints & Advertising).
- Introduce 25% P&A tax relief in Autumn 2025 Budget.
- Amend R&D definitions to include creative development across film, TV, and wider industries.
- Review Enterprise Investment Schemes to ensure access for film financing.
- Increase UK Global Screen Fund in line with BFI bids.
- Rejoin Creative Europe as associate member for collaboration and co-finance access.
2. Domestic HETV & Broadcaster Support
- Introduce a targeted uplift in tax relief for UK-centric HETV shows (budgets £1–3M/hr).
- Commission research on applying PSB-style terms of trade to streamers.
- Require SVoD platforms to contribute 5% of UK revenue to a cultural fund (BFI-administered).
3. Freelance & Workforce Stability
- Appoint a Freelancers’ Commissioner with real powers.
- Introduce protections on pay precarity, hours, and contracts.
- Mandate spending disclosures on skills training by all productions claiming tax credits.
- Require studios to report how their budgets support skills and regional growth.
4. Skills & Inclusion
- Tie ScreenSkills funding to performance-based outcomes.
- Fund a national industry awareness campaign for young talent and educators.
- Expand short film schemes via BFI Skills Clusters, especially outside London.
- Launch a Growth and Skills Levy designed for film/TV – portable apprenticeships, SME support, and CPD funding.
5. AI, IP & Creative Integrity
- Establish a BFI-led AI observatory and tech hub.
- Create an AI ethics certification scheme for productions using public funds.
- Legislate against unauthorised use of likeness, voice, or deepfake cloning.
- Abandon ‘opt-out’ AI copyright training models – enforce licensing by default.
6. Screen Heritage & Infrastructure
- Reform business rates to protect studio growth.
- Fund independent cinemas with core + capital support.
- Develop a national strategy for screen heritage and a film preservation apprenticeship.
- Research and introduce a statutory moving image deposit scheme
So if thats whetted your appetite hers are the links again
Summary PDF you can download here.
Section A: A summary of the key points.
Section B: All the conclusions and recommendations, minus the fluff.
If you want the full report its here.
🎬 WHAT’S NEW IN FORMATS & UNSCRIPTED
📌 Lead Story: E4 Opens The Honesty Box
E4 is launching a new reality dating experiment, The Honesty Box, later this month. The show is produced by BBC Studios-backed Mettlemouse in partnership with GroupM Motion Entertainment. Built around unfiltered honesty, the format aims to push couples to confront emotional truths early, reshaping how reality TV handles dating and commitment. Positioned between Love Island and The Circle in tone, this could mark a shift in Channel 4’s relationship reality slate.
🇬🇧 UK UPDATES
- Doctor Who returns this weekend, now officially a Disney+ and BBC Studios co-production. Expect bigger global reach, tighter visual FX, and Ncuti Gatwa’s full debut as the Doctor. This relaunch is being treated more like a global franchise reboot than just another series drop.
Where to watch The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 in the UK – Can’t Wait
The new season of The Handmaid’s Tale will arrive in the UK on May 3, and will air on Prime Video and Channel 4.
- Sky UK is adapting Saturday Night Live, with a 2026 premiere planned. Executive produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels, the British version will aim to preserve the live format and feature top UK comic talent.
- Channel 4 commissions The Hunt , a high-stakes, tech-driven survival competition where contestants chase each other through forests for a £100,000 prize. Think The Hunted meets The Hunger Games. Launching in 2025.
- ITV acquires The Assembly, a format where celebrities are interviewed by a panel of neurodivergent contributors. Originally piloted by the BBC, ITV has ordered a short run with full production support from neurodivergent-led orgs.
🌍 World Wide FORMAT MOVES
- USA (Netflix): Monopoly becomes a reality competition format. Format specifics a secret
- Spain: The international roll out of Traitors continues in Spain to premiere on Antena 3
- Norway: TV 2 orders The Fortune Hotel – Celebrity Edition only a matter of weeks before it comes to the UK
- Brazil / YouTube: MasterChef Creators, produced by Endemol Shine Brasil, will focus on digital creators. In an interesting crodd over from the digital world
🤖 AI in the Media
🎬 James Cameron Advocates for AI to Reduce Blockbuster Costs
Renowned filmmaker James Cameron is championing the use of generative AI to cut the soaring costs of blockbuster productions. Speaking on Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth’s podcast, Cameron highlighted AI’s potential to streamline visual effects workflows without displacing human workers. He emphasized that AI can enhance production efficiency and creativity, rather than eliminate jobs. Cameron, who joined the board of Stability AI in 2024, also addressed concerns over intellectual property used to train AI models, suggesting that artists, like AI, are shaped by their experiences and influences.
🧠 ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Explores AI and Human Consciousness
Netflix has released the seventh season of its anthology series ‘Black Mirror,’ featuring six episodes that delve into themes of AI, human consciousness, and technological ethics. The season includes a sequel to the fan-favorite episode ‘USS Callister,’ titled ‘Into Infinity,’ and other episodes like ‘Plaything’ and ‘Eulogy’ that explore digital interactivity and the impact of AI on personal loss and identity.
💼 Freelance Forever
The latest statistics on the levels of UK production are due to be published byt the BFI at the end of may for now here’s a brief summary
As of April 2025, the UK film and television industry still faces significant challenges, particularly affecting freelance workers. As we know survey conducted by Bectu in July 2024 revealed that over half of the UK’s film and TV workforce remained unemployed:
- 52% in film
- 51% in TV drama
- 57% in unscripted television
- 53% in commercials
These figures indicate a slow recovery from the 68% unemployment rate reported in February 2024 .
The prolonged downturn has led to financial strain, with 81% of respondents reporting increased financial difficulties and 21% resorting to loans or unsecured debt. Mental health concerns are also prevalent, with 70% struggling with their mental wellbeing .
The crisis has disproportionately impacted underrepresented groups:
- 61% of Black/Black British workers
- 67% of Asian/Asian British workers
- 56% of workers from other minoritised ethnic groups
These groups are more likely to be unemployed compared to 51% of white workers .
In response to these challenges, the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee has called for urgent action, including new tax breaks and a proposed 5% levy on UK subscriber revenue from streaming services to support the industry .
Despite these efforts, the industry remains in a precarious state, with many freelancers facing prolonged unemployment and financial hardship.
Lets all keep talking and make use of TV Mindset and TV Switch Up on Facebook and the Film and TV charity
Thanks for reading — and for doing the work.
Keep making things that matter.
Jonathan
Media Consultant & Format Creator
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