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“Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight says the show would never have been made without the BBC – but admits the broadcaster is known for its lean budgets.
“I don’t think I could have made ‘Peaky Blinders’ at all outside
of the BBC,” Knight said during a House of Commons inquiry into the BBC’s future. “[‘Peaky Blinders’] falls into a category of ‘curious’ and not of the time or of the fashion of the time, and often — not always, but often — it’s the BBC that tends to take a chance on things like that.”
Knight added that one of the other benefits of making a show for the BBC is that there’s “less of a sense that you’re going to be involved in meetings or calls where lots of people feel they must say something to justify being there.” He explained that whether it’s writers, producers or directors, there is a culture of “let them get on with it” if the commissioners believe the creative team “know what they’re doing.”
However he admitted that budgets have always been lean, referencing comedic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, who would also complain about BBC budgets in their skits as far back as the 1960s. “It’s always been known that it’s not the place you go to for the big bucks,” Knight said of the broadcaster. “It’s where you go get if you want to express something.”
The cross-party House of Commons committee for culture, media and sport is looking into how the BBC can adapt to the changing media landscape as the 104-year-old broadcaster is currently undergoing a review of its royal charter.
The BBC is a unique entity in that it is held in trust by the government on behalf of the British public; the Royal Charter is the corporation’s governing document, which is renewed periodically. The current charter, which runs for 10 years, expires in December 2027.
The BBC is funded via a mandatory license fee paid for by anyone who watches live television on any device. However with the public increasingly turning to YouTube, streaming platforms and other forms of media, many are opting to opt out of watching live television, putting increased pressure on the BBC’s budgets at a time when inflation is also rampant.
While the BBC originally commissioned “Peaky Blinders” in 2013, it has since become a co-production with Netflix, with the BBC having exclusive U.K. rights and Netflix taking international rights.
During his evidence session, Knight was asked why the latest instalment in the “Peaky” universe – feature film “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” – went onto Netflix before the BBC. Knight pointed out that the film, which had a limited theatrical run before going onto streaming, premiered in Birmingham but landed on Netflix before the BBC because they had coughed up the lion’s share of the cost to make it. “You won’t get that budget from the BBC,” he said of the film.
