Big changes in movies and television for UK viewers.
Movies and television shows have seen constant changes over the past years – more so in 2020. The UK is at the heart of these changes. Ideology is triumphing over artistry, a pillar of the industry loses support, cinemas are closing, and film-makers are forced to find new avenues to fund their films.
Check out our detailed news analysis, aftermath COVID-19 situation.
The death of Traditional Comedy:
Allegedly rising social tensions and overly-sensitive millennials have made comedy as bland as it can be. Mr. Bean’s Rowan Atkinson lamented the speech laws within Public Order Act in the UK almost 10 years ago – insisting that it was a new intolerance that would have a chilling effect. He was correct.
In the UK, mainstream comedy has lost most of its edge. Criticism, ridicule, and sarcasm can now be deemed offensive – and cancel culture is always ready to smear anyone who disagrees with their opinions.
Ricky Gervais laments that The Office would have been met with hordes of outrage mobs calling for the end of what they would perceive as offensive. Jokes that center or even mildly allude to gender, race, or religion are now expressly forbidden. Writers and producers are now constantly censoring themselves in fear that someone may get offended. The death of comedy gets even clearer when a man was confronted by the police for – not even writing, but merely – sharing a limerick online.
BBC to be defunded?
Calls for the defunding of the BBC is growing, and some individuals are purposefully not paying the license fees. The BBC is funded by a license fee of £157.50 paid by 26 million UK residents. It is integrated into regular taxes, and refusing to pay can merit a £1,000 fine or even jail time.
In 2016, more than 180,000 people were prosecuted for non-payment, and 90 people were sent to jail. The prosecutions sparked a massive outcry due to the scandalous waste of court resources, as well as the imprisonment of the 90 people. In the past four years, 3.5 million residents have refused to pay the BBC license fees. There are calls to decriminalize non-payment and remove the license fee altogether – switching the BBC to a subscriber model similar to Netflix or BritBox. According to several surveys, around 60-70 percent of UK residents support removing the required license fees that fund most of the BBC’s shows and operations.
The BBC has faced overwhelming backlash over pushing its ideology into its viewers – with shows race-bending historical figures and often maligning straight white men. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for a review of the mandatory BBC license fees and the decriminalization of non-payment.
The rise of Streaming Services:
Most cinemas in the UK are all but dead. The COVID-19 pandemic was the final nail in the coffin. Cineworld, with its 127 movie theaters, has permanently closed its doors. Smaller cinemas have also ended their run as the 2020 shutdowns brought massive overhead costs without the earnings.
Film studios are also opting to release their titles directly to streaming services, with Disney’s Mulan being the first big endeavor. Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 also tested a similar release, unfortunately garnering lower numbers than its previous release. Streaming services have long been touted as an alternative to the cinematic experience – and they may completely replace the cinema if film producers veer away from it. Although most streaming services often produce their own movies, movie studios previously preferred cinematic releases to maximize profit.
Now-a-days, OTT is preferred over TV series and Movies. There are so many parameters behind this success – fresh new contents, diverse topics, freedom to execute what Directors wants to convey, comparatively lower production cost than standard movies, anytime accessibility and many more. The use of Hollywood level Animation and Visual Effects are also a major part. HBO’s iconic series Game of Thrones have given tons to spectacular visuals to its viewers.
Crowdfunding:
Despite the events of 2020, film-makers in the UK are thriving, thanks to crowdfunding. Sites like GoFundMe, Crowdfunder, Indiegogo, and Kickstarter have been funding artists from Manchester, London, Glasgow, Belfast, and many other parts of the UK. Crowdfunding has financed documentaries, science-fiction movies, dramas, and almost every genre possible.
Independent artists get access to film studios, equipment, editing facilities, and industry experts – increasing the quality of their films and their chances of making a profit in the box office. Although crowdfunding doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, a good pitch can earn significant support. Interesting projects are getting more than £50,000, with bigger projects (like a re-imagining of Macbeth starring Sean Bean, Rupert Grint, and Charles Dance or new episodes of Thunderbirds) garnering more than $200,000.
Times are changing, and both movies and television have been fundamentally changed by ideology, economics, catastrophe, and society. Whether for weal or woe is yet to be decided, as the opening scenes of a movie can change drastically from its ending.