Toby Jones praises the BBC amid "existential" crisis hitting UK drama industry
Jones has said he thinks the BBC has a "dynamic role to play" when it comes to TV drama.
Toby Jones, star of Mr Bates vs the Post Office and upcoming drama series The Hack, has spoken about the "existential" pressures threatening the industry, and praised the BBC as having "a dynamic role to play".
Speaking with Deadline, Jones, who took a pay cut to star in Mr Bates vs The Post Office, said: "There are various existential things affecting the industry at the moment, not least how actors are going to be able to copyright their work in some way.
"There seem to be many seismic problems that digital culture is presenting to drama, not theatre necessarily, but certainly filmed drama."
Jones said that he thought the current pressures on TV dramas could work in the favour of UK films, saying: "The authentic theatrical, the one-off experience could have a premium.
"People will want to go and be part of that, perhaps. And I could imagine that independent British films might get more of a look in than they’ve had for a long time."
On the BBC, and how it and other terrestrial UK channels are struggling to fund high-end dramas, due to competition from streamers, he said: "Having travelled a bit with my job, I’m a paid-up celebrant of terrestrial BBC, and digital BBC and radio BBC. I’ve always worked for the BBC. It’s been my principal employer my whole career."
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Jones continued: "I think it has a dynamic role to play, not just in news, in which it definitely has a role to play, but also in drama.
"But I can see how it’s just hard to imagine, unless it can find ways to collaborate with streamers, or indeed, with its historical rivals, I don’t know enough about the numbers, but I can just see it theoretically, that that is going to be a problem. And then you wonder about native-made drama."
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Jones is by no means the first industry figure to speak out about the UK funding crisis.
The BBC itself warned of the "unprecedented" challenge it is currently facing, while Adolescence writer Jack Thorne has warned it could mean shows such as that Netflix hit cease to be made.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
