The sad demise of British TV production

[Morningside]

Last one of a production line. BTW: Do we actually make anything now?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8222421.stm

[Kermit power]

The title of your post actually highlights the debate around what the UK produces more accurately than I imagine you thought.

I had assumed we'd not made TVs in this country for a couple of decades, so my immediate bemused reaction was that for some reason TV programme production has suddenly died in this country!

Although we've not got a television manufacturing industry any more, we've got a huge industry in creating tv programmes and licencing the formats - over £630M in 2007.

The US may well earn more than we do from exporting TV programmes, but nobody else does. Sure, I know X Factor is crap, but it's lucrative crap, and Britain leads the world in it!

[john_p]

BBC said:

Britain is now focused on making world-leading content.

Programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing, the Weakest Link, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Pop Idol were all created in Britain and have gone on to huge acclaim and massive audiences across the world.

[Dracoro]

And how many people here have recently bought a British made TV?

On the whole, there's usually good reason why companies go to the wall. If you can't compete on price, you have to compete on other aspects, quality, customer service and so on. Do none of that and you won't get far.

[FourWheelDrift]

Dracoro said:

And how many people here have recently bought a British made TV?

To be honest who would even notice. So it's the last Toshiba TV to be made in Britain? I didn't know Toshiba even made TVs here, since they are a Japanese company so I would never have thought of it as British.

If I was knowingly buying a British TV I would be looking for a British company name like Ferguson or Rediffusion but since I didn't live in the 1970s and they were all rubbish anyway I wouldn't have bought one.

[anonymous-user]

I'm staggered to learn that anyone was still making TV sets in the UK.

[Morningside]

Its not that long ago that the Sanyo plant closed near Lowestoft and that was only the beginning of the year.

[jimpritchard]

wasn't there a TV factory in Wales?

Talking of British TV Programmes? what about Spooks, Hustle, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes?

[Dracoro]

I think the thread is about physical TVs, not programmes

[Morningside]

jimpritchard said:

wasn't there a TV factory in Wales?
...

Pace TV/Sky box type thing had their production plant in Wales I think.

[XitUp]

Aren't the vast majority of TVs in europe all made in one huge factory in Turkey?