Title Pending 7982

This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.This article examines the precarious future of British PSB television drama in the context of intensifying global market pressures, regulatory erosion, and structural inequalities within the creative workforce. Drawing on political economy frameworks and the work of Ruth McElroy and Caitriona Noonan (2019), it argues that the historical public service ethos underpinning UK drama is increasingly threatened by the expansion of global streaming platforms, diminishing PSB funding, and weakened labour protections. Through industry data, parliamentary reports, and key production examples, the article demonstrates that the survival of culturally distinctive British drama hinges on urgent and systemic policy interventions, including funding stabilisation, regulatory reform, workforce protections, and IP rights retention. Without structural change, British drama risks becoming a globalised commodity, detached from its public service mission and national cultural identity.