Pinewood has announced TV department will close in 2025

uk

A petition has been launched on Change.org with the aim of saving Pinewood TV studios.

Earlier this week, Pinewood announced that it will close its TV department in 2025. Productions already booked into the studios won’t be affected by the move, while a “consultation process” has begun with employees. The facilites comprise of three studios, two just under 9,000 sq ft and a third of 2,640 sq ft, and it has focused on the light entertainment sector, with recent shows including Taskmaster and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. 

At the time of writing, the petition has 172 signatures, 161 of which signed today, 4 October. The author aims to, “urge them to reconsider their decision to keep the studios open,” and explains that while the future of the studios and light entertainment are important, it is also about, “the shows and experiences that have become a part of our lives.”

Pinewood TV studios petition

The Closure will be an irreplaceable piece of our TV industry’s infrastructure [sic].

From game shows to sitcoms, Pinewood TV Studios has been delivering quality production services to a host of television programs that we’ve all come to love and enjoy.

This isn’t just about a studio and the opinion of ‘if light entertainment still exists’ ; it’s about the shows and experiences that have become a part of our lives. By signing this petition, we can tell the decision-makers that we value Pinewood TV Studios.

They need to understand, it’s not just about profits or losses, it’s about culture, creativity, and the very heart of our cherished British televisual landscape.

United, we can make a difference. Let’s urge them to reconsider their decision to keep the studios open. Let’s save Pinewood TV!!!!!!

One supporter writes, “I’m a camera trainee, and I need facilities like this to stay open for the possibility of work; and or the possibility that I myself will be able to contribute to its history.” Another posted, “I believe these studios are iconic in the TV industry and need to stay active.”

Pinewood’s facilities have come to largely focus on film and HETV, with Disney, following a long-term deal struck in 2019, occupying most of the Pinewood studios, and the Star Wars productions among those filmed there. Its Shepperton hub s in a similar situation, with Netflix and Prime Video both in long-term deals to use the space - which became the second largest film studio in the world earlier this year.