Phil Redmond Criticizes Streaming and TV Output

Phil Redmond delivered a blunt verdict on modern television: too much content now makes great storytelling harder to spot.

Speaking at the Creative Cities Convention in Liverpool, the veteran writer behind Grange Hill and Hollyoaks argued that today’s flood of programming has overwhelmed audiences rather than empowered them. Redmond’s central complaint focused on abundance without clarity — a landscape where viewers face endless options but struggle to find work with real staying power. Reports indicate he compared the search for standout television to hunting for a gem in a torrent of pebbles.

Redmond’s message was simple: more choice does not automatically produce better television, and volume can drown out craft.

He also turned his fire on U.S. streaming services, which he suggested have helped reshape viewing habits and industry priorities in ways that do not always serve strong writing. The critique lands at a moment when broadcasters and platforms alike chase scale, subscriptions, and constant novelty. In that environment, Redmond appeared to argue, the signal often gets lost in the noise.

Redmond’s comments carry weight because they come from a writer whose work helped define generations of British television. He did not just complain about changing tastes; he pointed to a structural shift in how shows get made, promoted, and discovered. For creators, that means tougher competition for attention. For viewers, it means spending more time searching and less time connecting with stories that last.

What happens next matters well beyond one speech. As streamers, broadcasters, and producers compete for crowded audiences, the pressure will grow to prove that more programming still leads to better television. Redmond’s warning suggests the real challenge now is not making content at scale, but helping distinctive storytelling break through before audiences tune out altogether.