Its creative businesses are recognised by critics and lauded by millions of paying filmgoers and television audiences around the world, evidenced by the Oscar for VFX going to a British company six times in the last ten years. Its long history in storytelling through filmmaking, TV production and broadcast technology is well documented, with much of the world’s best-loved and most critically-acclaimed screen content – combining the highest values of craft and creativity – made in the UK.
The UK television industry enjoys a strong international reputation for the quality, quantity, creativity and diversity of its programming. Its TV is also quirky, reflecting the creativity of UK culture in general; producing cult commercial successes that could not have been created anywhere else – such as The Office, Wallace and Gromit, The Thick of It and Doctor Who.
British programme makers are known for their originality; they excel at coming up with new and fresh ideas (such as the X Factor, MasterChef and The Apprentice) and welcome the opportunity to work in partnership teams with international collaborators. As a time-rich middle class continues to grow in emerging economies across the world, there is an increasing demand for quality programmes that match their interests: shows such as cookery, travel, history, but also nuanced, quality drama as well. The UK TV sector also has the advantage of appealing to the vast number of English speakers around the world – around 1.5 billion people.
This is one of the many reasons that the UK is increasingly a base for major international productions, with programme makers attracted by the world-class facilities and the generous High End Television Tax Relief, introduced in 2013. For scripted television projects with a minimum core expenditure of £1 million per broadcast hour, the TV Production Company (TPC) can claim a rebate of up to 25% of qualifying UK expenditure. International companies choosing to shoot in the UK include HBO, Starz, Sony, CBS, Lionsgate and Fox. They also benefit from the advice and assistance of the British Film Commission.
Find a UK partner:
The UK’s Department for International Trade has a global team of specialist advisors that can connect businesses, like yours, with UK creative talent to make your own ground-breaking and jaw-dropping productions. As a part of this free service we can provide:
• Introductions to UK creative and media companies who meet your specific business requirements
• An understanding of the UK’s creative landscape
• Invitations to upcoming trade events in your market and region where UK suppliers will be present
To discover what makes UK TV, film, VFX and animation so successful and to facilitate an introduction to the UK’s brightest industry talents, please get in touch using this link.
