The Stage

UK’s Lost opportunity to sell dramas worldwide

Published Tuesday 20 September 2005 at 11:50 by Liz Thomas

British television must imitate the US system of massive investment in programme development if it wants to create new drama with the worldwide appeal of Lost, says Talkback Thames chief executive Lorraine Heggessey.

The former BBC1 controller, who now heads one of the country’s largest independent production companies, Talkback Thames, pointed out that Lost makers ABC and Disney spent more than $10 million producing the pilot alone. US networks commission around 150 scripts a year before choosing 100 to make into pilots costing around $300 million. Of these, an estimated 30 shows only are ever broadcast.

Heggessey challenged UK drama producers to learn not only from their American rivals but also British colleagues working in other television sectors.

“Whereas producers go to extraordinary lengths to find the next reality or entertainment format, we seem much more timid when it comes to drama,” she said.

“Look at the list of productions that we sell abroad and it’s dominated by cosy series like Poirot and Midsomer Murders. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with them but they do not reflect the diversity that the British drama community could provide. Why is it that we have the world beating a path to our door for entertainment and factual formats and yet our drama still hasn’t really broken through?”

Heggessey admitted that the scale of money available in the US for drama would be difficult to match but steps need to be taken to increase funds. Programme makers in Britain would have to look to new avenues of investment in order to be able to fund such a procedure but it was important to broaden the appeal.

“If we want the British television industry to grow as a global player, then we have to find new ways of investing more in research and development. That will involve a different kind of partnership between broadcasters and producers,” warned Heggessey.