Productions already booked at the facility will not be affected

pinewood entrance 3

Pinewood will close its TV department in 2025.

Its TV studios are one of the largest film and TV facilities in the UK, and have hosted a long list of hugely popular LE shows, including Would I Lie To You, Red Dwarf, Taskmaster and The Weakest Link.

According to the Pinewood website, the only productions listed as having being filmed at the facility since 2021 are Taskmaster, Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK.

Productions that are already booked into the studios for 2024 and 2025 will not be affected, with the department to close once those shows have been filmed.

Pinewood states that it has started a consultation process with employees who worked in the department.

Pinewood statement

Following a review, during 2025 we are planning to close our TV department which services the light entertainment TV market. This does not affect TV shows already booked for 2024 and 2025, nor does it affect any other film or TV productions at Pinewood’s sites. We have started a consultation process with colleagues who are affected.

We are very proud of the work the TV team has delivered over the years, having hosted many major titles for the UK’s broadcasters.

Pinewood has been contacted for further comment.

In its 2024 accounts, Pinewood indicated that the Production Services segment of its business, which includes its TV studios, post-production services, television and international sales and marketing, and profit sharing agreements, was more negatively impacted by the commissioning slowdown in the UK, as well as the earlier WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, than its film and HETV segment.

This led to a £5.1m drop in revenue for Production Services compared to the year before (£10.9m v £16m), while Pinewood Group as a whole still made a £25m profit before tax for the year.

Pinewood’s TV facilites comprise of three studios – two just under 9,000 sq ft and a third of 2,640 sq ft.

Its offering includes technical support and a crewing service, HD galleries, a line to BT Tower, live streaming capabilities, and stand by power for live broadcasts. It is also capable of hosting audiences of 2,000+.

It advertises a dedicated TV post facility, which includes full picture and sound services, as well as offline, online, deliverables, and more.

Pinewood’s film and HETV studios continue to be used by Disney, following a long-term deal struck in 2019, with the Star Wars productions among those filmed there.

Its Shepperton production hub is 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.