ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office star Toby Jones made huge sacrifice so show could go ahead

dailyrecord.co.uk:

ITV's new drama series, Mr Bates vs The Post Office has sparked fury across the country as the post office scandal which saw hundreds of postmasters being wrongfully accused of fraud has been brought to light.The shocking series which was released on New Year's Day has left horrified viewers feeling sick to their stomach as the show tells the tale of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.Toby Jones, who portrays campaigner and former subpostmaster Alan Bates, reportedly played a key role in bringing the drama to TV screens and said it was a privilege to help retell the story.However, the actor who also starred in Harry Potter, had to make a huge sacrifice in doing so.Toby, 57, agreed to a reduced fee in order for producers to meet it's estimated £8m budget, the Mirror reports.He told The Times: "These kinds of four-part, very British, thoughtful dramas are massively at threat because distributors worry that it is less likely that they will recoup their investment than they would from an international thriller with lots of episodes. "There is a huge possibility that shows like Mr Bates will not be made in the future.

Not because TV commissioners don't want them, but because they can't afford them. The financial pressures are too great." Series writer Gwyneth Hughes also revealed that she was forced to sacrifice some storylines and characters to fit the budget. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. She explained that factual dramas often tend to cost more money as they require a lot of research.