‘Studios are like ghost towns’: how Britain’s TV and film industry fell into a hole

Excitement about Netflix and Amazon's investment has evaporated as strikes, falling ad spend and a glut of completed shows leaves crews out of work

Earlier this year things appeared to be looking up for the UK's 6bn TV and film production industry, with US streaming firms revealing billions had been spent on shows and films made in Britain.

An announcement from Amazon that it had doubled its investment in the UK, where it now makes dramas including the Lord of the Rings prequel, The Rings of Power, followed news from Netflix that it was spending about $1.5bn (1.2bn) annually on British-made movies and series such as The Crown and Heartstopper.