A fascinating new ITV drama, “The Hack,” investigates the notorious Murdoch phone hacking scandal. Behind the enthusiasm, industry insiders are already cautioning that it will face an uphill battle in today’s broadcasting environment. Written by award-winning playwright Jack Thorne, best known for creating “This is England” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” it is set to have its UK premiere later this year. Now, producer Peter Kosminsky and other big guns from the industry have sounded alarm bells. They raise concerns over whether it’s possible to fund a project of that scale under today’s terms.
Peter Kosminsky, creator of “The Hack,” thinks public service broadcasters are under severe fiscal pressure. Thus, he argues, they’d have a hard time commissioning the drama today. He proposes that if “The Hack” were created today, it would need to make a lot of concessions, like reducing elaborate scenes.
"had many scenes set outside, many scenes involving horses, we had a whole joust, an extraordinary scene as conceived by Hilary Mantel, the original novelist – and we had to cut everything" – Peter Kosminsky
Screenwriter Jack Thorne has expressed this sadness, pointing out how much money it costs to make such a richly layered drama. For example, he recalls one striking moment captured in “The Hack,” the series’ second episode. It included the participation of 300 military extras, a production accomplishment that would cost conventional broadcasters an impossible amount.
"In episode two, I wrote a fire drill that involved 300 extras. Those 300 extras had to be employed for 10 days. That is an awful lot of money" – Jack Thorne
Despite these challenges, Kosminsky is still hopeful for other funding sources. He proposes an on-account levy on UK subscription streaming revenues as one possible way to fund projects such as “The Hack.” Even a 5% entertainment sector levy could create enough revenue to start making dramas. Without this support, many of these projects would be in danger or never completed.
Beyond this, Sir Alan Bates points to the cultural importance of keeping the capacity to make these kinds of dramas alive. He hates to see projects like “The Hack” go. Just because we’re facing financial constraints doesn’t mean we have to limit creativity and innovation. At the same time, Patrick Spence, CEO of Pronamics, wants to stress the seriousness of the situation and call on the industry to identify possible solutions.
The situation underscores the broader challenges faced by public service broadcasters in an increasingly competitive market dominated by streaming giants. As compared to newer players, costs are mounting and resources are limited for the legacy broadcasters. To continue producing high-quality content, they need to look at new funding models.