Television wasn’t the death knell for cinema – and that holds lessons for the creative industries and AI

Posted on 17 April 2025 • Arts, Arts and social sciences

As television grew rapidly in popularity in the second half of the 20th century, many people assumed it would cause a knock-on crisis for the film industry. After all, it meant that viewers no longer had to leave their sofas to enjoy onscreen entertainment, says Mark Fryers, Lecturer in Film and Media.

But the reality was far more nuanced. The “death of cinema” has been habitually touted ever since the introduction of the TV, but never really came to pass. Instead, cinema found ways to work with new competition through technological innovation, aesthetic invention and engaging with challenging subject matters.

Today, lessons from the introduction of TV demonstrate how the creative industries have navigated the introduction of new technology. And could offer some comfort to those who fear that artificial intelligence (AI) technology could be a death knell for the creative industries.

As far back as 1938, long before its widespread popularity, film production company Paramount Studios sought to break into television. It made significant investment in DuMont Laboratories, which evolved into a pioneering commercial TV network.

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