iWorld
High-end TV production spend in the UK hits £2.6bn in 2019
MUMBAI: 2019 has seen a significant boost in high-end television productions made in the UK. The UK ‘high end’ TV 2014-2019 report by analyst Ben Keen states that investment in UK shows using the high-end TV tax credit has doubled since 2014. Spend per hour is up: Average spend/hour has risen by 60 per cent since average budget allotted to shows has nearly doubled – partly due to average number of hours per show increasing substantially.
There has beena 56 per cent increase in HETV productions commissioned solely by streamers in 2019. Number of shows with third party involvement, or co-commissions, has nearly doubled, up 17 per cent. In fact,third parties now contribute more to thefunding of Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) dramas than PSBsthemselves. The trend shows no sign of slowing.
Owing to this spike in collaboration between traditional broadcasters and SVoDs, investment in UK TV dramas has more than doubled since 2014, hitting a record high of £2.6 billion (US$3.5 billion)in 2019, up 31 per cent from 2018 and over 3X the 2014 total.
Sole commissions have also increased across the sector, with PSBs, pay-TV operators and SVoD streamers all increasing activity. The BBC alone commissioned 26 HETV shows.
Number of shows per year is up 25 per cent since 2014, and total number of HETV productions rose 19 per cent to 142last year. Hours made per year increased 59 per cent since 2014.
The report states that co-commissioning is more important for drama HETV productions than any single broadcaster or streaming platform. Amazon, AMC, Netflix, PBS, HBO & Hulu have been the most important partners for PSB productions; 28 different partners since 2014.
Streamers like Amazon, Netflix & Hulu have become increasingly important partners for PSB drama productions. Netflix participation in PSB co-commissioning peaked in 2017, but active in 2019 with four in year-to-date.
The report further highlights that third parties – like global streamers have become increasingly important to funding of PSB dramas via co-commissioning. A record £664million was invested in making original PSB drama last year, but 56 per cent was contributed by third parties – like global streamers. As a result, original drama hours on PSB channels have stabilised since HETV tax break was introduced in 2014.
The average spend per hour for all HETV productions has increased, jumping almost 60 per cent to £4.1m last year. However, total number of screen hours of HETV productions fell to 643 – fewer than in 2016.
On the other hand, with their production budgets boosted by higher third-party spending, PSBs themselves actually reduced their direct spend per hour by £45,000, while increasing the hours of drama they were able to air compared with 2018.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
