Manchester has become a major production centre for American game shows, with US networks flying hundreds of contestants to the UK to film their top programmes. Lower filming costs and generous tax breaks have made Britain an attractive alternative to Hollywood, according to industry insiders.
The shift was evident earlier this year in Salford’s MediaCityUK, where a crowd gathered to watch the pilot for 'Wordle', the TV spin-off of the New York Times hit puzzle. The only Americans on set were contestants, executive producers and writers; the crew, audience and other studio staff were all British.
A US game show episode can cost up to £1.6 million, but UK tax breaks can cut that to under £750,000. With nearly half of Americans now watching streaming services, traditional broadcasters are under pressure to reduce spending. Fox already makes four prime-time shows overseas, including '99 To Beat' in London and 'The Floor' in Ireland.
Rob Lowe, host of 'The Floor', said on his podcast: “It’s cheaper to bring 100 Americans to Ireland than to walk across the lot at Fox.” Producers have coached contestants to conceal their accents to avoid revealing the shows' foreign origins.
The trend has accelerated since the pandemic, as UK studios adapted quickly to remote working and smaller crews. Toby Gorman of Universal Television Alternative Studio noted that Manchester’s dock10 studio offered a “great pilot deal” that helped secure the 'Wordle' test filming. If the show is picked up, it will likely be developed in Manchester or Ireland.
