BBC sick of 'papering over cracks' with sitcoms as comedy boss makes radical change

The scripted comedy TV industry will face a major overhaul as BBC’s comedy chief John Petrie declared that spending more money on shows doesn’t make them funnier. The Director of Comedy delivered the sobering speech at the BBC Comedy Festival in Belfast in May and urged producers to try to be creative in how they spend limited resources.

While production companies continue to grapple with budgets, Petrie said: “We must constantly ask, ‘Does this specific spend make it funnier?' We can't out-budget global streamers, but we can be smarter and funnier and speak to UK audiences more directly.” Highlighting recent research, he added: “The data backs up what we've always suspected - people connect with great characters and writing, not budget.”

Petrie then called on producers to consider costs from the moment an idea is conceived: “If we keep our comedy affordable and distinctive… we’ll shape what comes next - and make it funnier, sharper, and unmistakably ours.”

He also praised creatives in scripted comedy TV for creating successful shows despite resources being tight, and pointed at shows like Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, Alma’s Not Normal, Amandaland and Ludwig.

He added“Our focus now must be on channelling that resourcefulness smartly, less about ‘papering over cracks’ and more about being strategically focused so we can make distinctive, impactful comedy for the long haul.”

Petrie urged: “Think about what people actually share online. The moments that go viral aren't expensive set pieces - they're laugh-out-loud writing and performances. Amandaland and Am I Being Unreasonable clips spread across social media week after week.”

Petrie’s speech came just months after the BBC announced it would spend £150million less on new shows this year as it warned of an “unprecedented” funding challenge for British television.

The broadcaster has faced a significant financial challenge due to the fixed price of the TV license fee, which has been frozen while costs have increased.

The BBC has been investing heavily in its streaming service iPlayer, which continues to face growing competition from rival platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. As a result, it is looking to stem an exodus of viewers, particularly its younger audience, to streaming services.

The broadcaster said it “remains a unifying force in a digitally fragmented world,” pointing to major successes for Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, which both pulled in more than 20 million viewers.