David Tennant: There’s been a downside to TV’s golden age

The Broadchurch actor has raised concerns about the independent film industry 
PA
Rachel McGrath27 December 2019

The golden age of television has been “at the expense of independent film-making,” David Tennant has said.

Critics hailed shows from The Sopranos and The Wire to House Of Cards and Game Of Thrones as evidence of the small screen’s golden age.

But Broadchurch star Tennant, 48, said there was a downside.

“The golden age of television, if that is what we’re in, has thrived at the expense of independent film-making,” he told Radio Times magazine.

Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Universal Pictures

“But then you get these long-form dramas that are so beautifully made, written and acted, something like (HBO series) Succession, which I think is just delicious.”

His comments came after some filmmakers warned the UK could face the loss of its independent movie business, hailed for dramas such as The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire.

The increasing power of US streaming platforms, such as Netflix, which recently released independent film A Marriage Story, is said to have increased competition for stars as well as pushing up costs.

Director Martin Scorsese recently said Marvel movies are “closer to theme parks” than cinema.

But Tennant told the magazine: “I love Marvel movies. I queue up to see each new one as it comes out. I don’t think that means there’s no space for other things.”

The full interview is in Radio Times magazine. Additional reporting by Press Association.

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