A new report published today reveals that Doctor Who contributed approximately £134.6m in GVA to the Welsh economy between 2004 and 2021.
The report – undertaken by economists in the BBC Public Policy team, incorporating primary research conducted by Media Cymru -outlines the series’ economic impact on Wales since 2004, when it made Cardiff its home. The analysis considers the impact of Doctor Who from the start of production on Series 1 to the most recent series with Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor (Series 13).
The report finds that the regeneration of the show in Wales is “widely acknowledged” as the catalyst for investment in the South Wales creative cluster and its specialism in high-end television and drama production. Analysis by Cardiff University’s Centre for the Creative Economy for the report pinpoints Doctor Who as the moment the South Wales creative cluster “shifted from strength to recognised excellence.”
The screen sector – comprising of production, post-production, digital and special effects for film and TV, and TV broadcasting – is now the largest of the five Creative Industry sub-sectors prioritised by the Welsh Government and accounted for more than £459m turnover in 2022.
The report also says that across the UK, Doctor Who production activities generated £256m since the show was relaunched and produced in Wales and 87% of the title’s economic output was generated in the UK creative industries.
First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said: “It’s been really satisfying to see the success of Doctor Who since being produced in Wales and the strong association the iconic programme has with our nation.
“The Doctor’s return has been a key driver in building the reputation of the Welsh screen industry and our highly skilled creative sector ensures Doctor Who continues to push the boundaries for sci-fi on TV.
“Penblwydd Hapus to The Doctor – here’s to many incarnations to come!”
Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, said: “In 2004 we decided to reboot Doctor Who in Wales. That decision has a tremendous legacy we can be proud of. It has delivered over £134 million to the Welsh economy – and over a quarter of a billion to the UK as whole. That is truly remarkable.
“But even this understates the transformative impact that Doctor Who has had on the creative economy – with a world class creative cluster now thriving in Wales today.
“Doctor Who’s lasting legacy in Wales is being replicated across the UK as more and more BBC programmes and services move their content outside of London and into the nations and regions. We’re harnessing the creative economy across the UK; something which is paying huge dividends – for communities and for audiences.”
Interviewed as part of the report, Russell T Davies, said: “That’s why I completely love this [approach to commissioning]. I love it. When people say, Oh, a television or television drama cost £2 million. But what that means is £2 million goes into Cardiff. £2 million to the drivers and the office staff and the hospitality, the hotels and then pubs and the bars, and then supermarkets. It’s £2 million ploughed into Cardiff.
“Work creates work, you know, and that has happened. The more crews get to work on stuff, more young people get trained in this stuff. So it’s more crucial for the future, and the more writers are pitching ideas. And you know, the whole thing comes over to attracting not only other international productions, [but] great regional shows as well.”
The report also estimates that each series of Doctor Who (Series 1 to 13) generated indirect and induced employment equivalent to 50.3 FTE jobs per series in Wales, and 94.5 FTE jobs within the UK overall. In Wales, this breaks down as each series typically creating 33.0 FTE roles within the supply chain (indirect employment) and 17.4 FTE roles within the wider Welsh economy (induced employment) for each series of filming.
The report highlights that BBC network production in Wales was relatively limited prior to 2004, but the success of Doctor Who paved the way for big BBC-commissioned shows from Torchwood to Merlin to Atlantis to Sherlock. This year sees six new drama titles from Wales including Steeltown Murders, Wolf and Men Up.
Jon Creamer
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