Explore every episode of the podcast Insiders: The TV Podcast

Morse, Vera or Prime Suspect — who is Britain’s greatest TV detective? TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham rank the best British detectives, from Inspector Morse and Prime Suspect to Poirot, Sherlock, Midsomer Murders, The Sweeney and more…

In this episode:

• Whether Ludwig could eventually join the great British detective pantheon
• Why Helen Mirren’s Jane Tennison remains one of television’s strongest detectives
• Brenda Blethyn’s defining performance as Vera Stanhope
• David Suchet’s iconic Hercule Poirot
• Benedict Cumberbatch and Steven Moffat’s modern Sherlock
• Why A Touch of Frost doesn’t compare with the rest of the list
• The Sweeney, John Thaw and the difference between action-led policing and puzzle-solving
• How Midsomer Murders replaced John Nettles with Neil Dudgeon
• Why Bergerac gives John Nettles two iconic TV detectives
• The strange appeal of Van der Valk’s canals and Dutch names
• Why a great detective does not need to be likeable
• The “eureka” moment that makes detective dramas so reassuring
• Why the best mysteries were often 90 minutes long
• How ITV is the home of the great detectives

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Intro and rules

01:21 Could Ludwig become a classic detective?

03:37 Ranking begins with Hercule Poirot

06:38 Sherlock Holmes and Benedict Cumberbatch

07:52 A Touch of Frost

11:14 The Sweeney

13:10 Miss Marple

13:39 Midsomer Murders and the Barnaby succession

17:37 Van der Valk

18:39 Vera and Brenda Blethyn

22:40 Inspector Morse

25:47 Prime Suspect and Helen Mirren

27:43 Bergerac

#BritishTV #BritishDetectives #DetectiveShows #InspectorMorse #Morse #Vera #PrimeSuspect #HelenMirren #BrendaBlethyn #JohnThaw #Sherlock #BenedictCumberbatch #Poirot #DavidSuchet #MidsomerMurders #Ludwig #DavidMitchell #TheSweeney #Bergerac #VanDerValk #CrimeDrama #ITV #BBC #BritishTelevision #TVPodcast #InsidersTV

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News for You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered and Episodes. In the US, Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1997, which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows, including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson’s Farm and Alma’s Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville debate the BBC’s decision to remove potentially offensive sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look, asking whether modern comedy can still break taboos without being censored. They also discuss Trump TV & press freedom, Strictly Come Dancing and why some television formats survive their stars.

In this episode:

• Why the BBC is reviewing That Mitchell and Webb Look before its iPlayer return
• The controversy around the The Civil War sketch, blackface and the limits of contextual comedy
• Why some sketches involving Gary Rhodes, Bill Oddie and Jimmy Savile may have been removed
• How Brass Eye used irony to challenge media attitudes
• The Real Housewives of ISIS sketch and Jimmy’s police warning
• Peter time at Talkback and the alleged threat connected to the Krays
• Donald Trump’s new 24/7 Trump TV channel and its production values… or lack thereof
• Whether YouTube could become the future home of political satire
• Does changing presenters can make or break a television format?
• What Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off, The Grand Tour and Top Gear reveal about presenter changes
• The Apprentice’s decision to keep Alan Sugar as its central figure
• The TV-am “Famous Five” and the dangers of putting too many stars together
• The Generation Game, Bruce Forsyth, Larry Grayson and the importance of a strong format
• Nigella Lawson and Peter’s most unexpected television regret

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on social media @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:40 Why BBC cut 11 sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look

16:17 Trump bans news outlets and launches Trump TV

24:36 Will Strictly Come Dancing survive new presenters?

#ThatMitchellAndWebbLook #MitchellAndWebb #BBC #BBCiPlayer #Comedy #BritishComedy #ComedyCensorship #PoliticalSatire #BrassEye #TrumpTV #Television #TVProduction #TVFormats #StrictlyComeDancing #TheApprentice #TopGear #TheGreatBritishBakeOff #PeterFincham #JimmyMulville #InsidersTVPod

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered and Episodes. In the US, Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1997, which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced major shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson’s Farm and Alma’s Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the Harry Potter series arriving too soon? TV insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville examine why HBO is returning to Hogwarts, whether the original films are still impossible to replace, and what other big issues face the Harry Potter TV show.

They also debate BBC Director-General Matt Brittin’s vision for an iPlayer shaped by a “public service algorithm”, examine new research on women working behind the camera in US television, and ask why Netflix is betting so heavily on dating and reality formats.

In this episode:

• Why is Harry Potter being adapted for television so soon after the original films?
• Christopher Columbus’ reaction to the new Harry Potter series
• Whether the reboot is a creative opportunity or a commercial franchise play
• The continuing debate around J.K. Rowling’s views on gender and the new cast
• The Harry Potter series cast like Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, John Lithgow as Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Hagrid
• Behind the Scenes on the Harry Potter production as leaked reports say props have to be tracked for security
• Matt Brittin’s vision for a BBC iPlayer 2.0
• Could the BBC really host YouTube-style user generated content?
• Why a “public service algorithm” might be useful or “schoolmasterish”
• The decline in women creators and directors on US streaming programmes
• How age and gender affect the roles available on television
• Why Netflix is commissioning more dating and reality formats
• What streamers can learn from broadcasters about genre mix, live television and audience habits

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:40 HBO's Harry Potter Problems

10:53 Matt Brittin’s ideal iPlayer 2.0

18:26 Why fewer women are creating TV shows

23:44 Netflix’s Reality-TV revolution

#HarryPotter #HarryPotterSeries #HarryPotterTrailer #HBO #JkRowling #PaapaEssiedu #JohnLithgow #NickFrost #WarwickDavis #BBC #iPlayer #Netflix #RealityTV #DatingShows #Television #TVIndustry #TVProduction #Streaming #BritishTelevision #InsidersTVPod #JimmyMulville #PeterFincham

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discuss Sir Tom Jones’s shock exit from The Voice UK, Channel 4’s plan to cut around 300 jobs, allegations that some LG smart TVs can capture audio in standby mode, the end of Seven Up, and ITV’s new I’m a Celebrity…The Wild Frontier spin-off.

In this episode:

•Why Sir Tom Jones says ITV removed him from The Voice UK 

•Channel 4’s proposed 300+ job cuts and the financial pressures facing the broadcaster

•How YouTube is competing with traditional television for audiences, advertising and attention

•The remarkable legacy of Seven Up and why the Up series is ending with 70 Up

•Why Asif Kapadia is directing the final instalments of the landmark ITV documentary

•What researchers allege about microphone capture, network scanning and standby audio on some LG smart TVs

•ITV’s expansion of the I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! universe

•Whether spin-offs make successful formats stronger or less special

•PLUS: Celebrity Traitors, Strictly Come Dancing, and more!

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave us a rating on your podcast platform, follow the show and share this episode with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:51 Sir Tom Jones leaves The Voice UK

04:49 Channel 4’s Major Job Cuts & YouTube vs TV

12:01 The End of Seven Up

19:35 Can LG TVs Listen in Standby Mode?

25:39 ITV announces I’m a Celebrity: The Wild Frontier

#TomJones #TheVoiceUK #Channel4 #7Up #70Up #AsifKapadia #LGTV #SmartTV #TVPrivacy #YouTube #ImACelebrity #WildFrontier #CelebrityTraitors #StrictlyComeDancing #ITV #Television #TVIndustry #Broadcasting #TVPodcast #InsidersTVPod

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News for You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US, Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1997; it ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran Talkback, where he executive produced many of its biggest shows, including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson’s Farm and Alma’s Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: /@insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville rank the 10 best British sitcoms ever, debating Fawlty Towers, The Office, Only Fools and Horses, Blackadder, Dad’s Army, Peep Show, Absolutely Fabulous and more.

In this episode:

• Peter and Jimmy discuss Ann Droid and what makes a great sitcom
• How each episode of Fawlty Towers is constructed so well
• Why Dad’s Army has survived across generations
• How The Office became a timeless British comedy
• The cultural importance of Derry Girls
• Why Blackadder works despite its unlikeable central character
• Whether Only Fools and Horses deserves a higher place
• The enduring appeal of Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave
• The difference between British and American comedy
• Whether shorter series create a stronger television legacy
• Whether controversial sitcoms such as Till Death Us Do Part can still be watched today
• And the worst comedy note Jimmy ever received…
• 
  

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5 star rating on your podcast app, subscribe to the show and share this episode with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and rules

03:39 Dad’s Army

06:15 Peep Show

08:10 Blackadder

10:43 Miranda

12:22 Fawlty Towers

16:03 One Foot in the Grave

18:14 Till Death Us Do Part

20:52 The Office

24:04 Only Fools and Horses

28:26 Absolutely Fabulous versus Not Going Out

#BritishSitcoms #BestBritishSitcoms #FawltyTowers #TheOffice #OnlyFoolsAndHorses #Blackadder #DadsArmy #PeepShow #AbsolutelyFabulous #Miranda #OneFootInTheGrave #TillDeathUsDoPart #DerryGirls #AlanPatridge #FatherTed #AnnDroid #BritishComedy #TVComedy #Comedy #Television #TVPodcast #InsidersTVPod

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered and Episodes. In the US, Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1997, which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of its biggest shows, including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, Director of Television at ITV and co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson’s Farm and Alma’s Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: /@insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville are joined by the brilliant Steph McGovern to talk about her career, the television industry, and slime!

In this episode:

The Rest Is Money Podcast

Steph's Career

BBC News

The TV Industry

Steph's Packed Lunch

Steph's Novels

Have I Got News For You

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

CHAPTERS

01:26 Robert Peston / The Rest Is Money

03:01 Steph's engineering roots

03:56 Steph's first steps into TV

05:25 Steph's background

09:30 Steph's first job at the BBC

11:40 The Big Deal

13:27 Working full time at the BBC

15:49 Is TV harder now?

17:40 Steph's Packed Lunch

24:08 Post Packed Lunch life

28:16 Steph's businesses

30:09 Steph's novels

33:50 Steph's first time on HIGNFY

35:48 Steph's first TV appearance

#StephMcGovern #RobertPeston #TheRestIsMoneyPodcast #BlackAndDecker #BBC #Middlesbrough #TheBigDeal #StephsPackedLunch #Gootopia #Deadline

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I'm Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discuss Ofcom vs Satire, Eurovision's voting rule changes, the "Sub v Dub" debate, and Roku's new A.I channel.

In this episode:

The TV Festival

Ofcom vs Satire

Eurovision's voting rule changes

Subtitles vs Dubbing

Roku's A.I channel

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

CHAPTERS

00:27 - Intro

01:24 - The TV Festival

03:16 - Ofcom vs Satire

19:44 - Eurovision's voting rules change

26:48 - Subtitles vs Dubbing

34:27 - Roku's A.I. channel

43:24 - Outro

#EdinburghFringeFestival #EdinburghTVFestival #BBC #StewartLee #Radio4 #ArmandoIanucci #JamesPrice #LBC #HaveIGotNewsForYou #DonaldTrump #Ofcom #BorisJonhson #Channel4 #EurovisionSongContest #Subtitles #Dubbing #Roku #FairgroundTV

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I'm Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discuss the viability of self-funded programming, the increasing lack of stand up on British TV now that Live At The Apollo has been axed, and whether Channel 4 should reinstate their "Red Triangle" programme warning.

In this episode:

- Self funded to TV model

- Shane Gillis + Tires road to Netflix

- BBC cancels Live At The Apollo

- Do comedians need to be on television?

- Should C4 reinstate their "Red Triangle" programme warning?

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

CHAPTERS

01:27 - Self-funded to TV model

07:31 - Ad-funded programming

11:45 - Shane Gillis + Tires road to Netflix

15:30 - BBC cancels Live At The Apollo

23:28 - C4 celebrates 40 years since Red Triangle debut

#ShaneGillis #Tires #Netflix #BBC #Channel4 #YouTube #LiveAtTheApollo #BlanketyBlank #CelebrityMastermind #MaryWhitehouse #NeverMindTheBuzzcocks #

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I'm Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedy producer Ash Atalla joins Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham to tell the inside story of The Office, his struggles trying to sell the IT Crowd and what the worst TV show he ever made was…

In this episode:

•How The Office got off the ground — and why nobody was guaranteed to believe in it

•Why Ash left the BBC and founded Roughcut Television

•The tough reality of trying to sell shows like The IT Crowd

•What the worst TV show Ash ever made was and what he learned from it

•Why streamers will buy shows like How to Get to Heaven from Belfast but not Big Boys

•What the future holds for the TV industry

•PLUS: The BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, new comedy, old-school commissioning, and more

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share the podcast with a friend – it really helps us grow.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Coming Up...

01:53 Unearthing The Office, Big Boys and Stath Lets Flats

10:10 Joining Talkback & Starting Rough Cut

19:10 The Worst Show Ash Ever Made

22:45 How to Sell Shows Today

29:54 The Future of TV

#TheOffice #AshAtalla #JimmyMulville #PeterFincham #TVPodcast #BritishComedy #BBC #Channel4 #RoughcutTelevision #TheITCrowd #PeopleJustDoNothing #StathLetsFlats #BigBoys #Television #Comedy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"What has the BBC ever done for me...?" TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville take on the BBC's much-debated new advert, dig into Hollywood's revolt against the $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger, and ask whether anyone can ‘Beat Luke Littler’ in his new Netflix show…

In this episode:

• Is the BBC's "What Has The BBC Ever Done For Me?" advert a costly own goal?
• Hollywood stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong  speak out against the Paramount-WBD merger
• A new report revealing UK TV's diversity promises that haven't delivered
• The latest on Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC
• Luke Littler’s new Netflix show with £501,000 prize pot
• PLUS: Chris Martin's baffling cameo, Count Binface’s election chances and why Peter reckons he's more "Luke Littler" than "Mo Farah"

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share it with a friend – it really helps us grow!

#BBC #RomeshRanganathan #BBCFundedByAllOfUs #ThisIsOurBBC #BBCAdvert #Advert #LicenceFee #2026 #Paramount #WarnerBrosDiscovery #LukeLittler #Diversity #DonaldTrump #Podcast #Television #Netflix #TVNews #InsidersPodcast

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I'm Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville answer listener questions on Channel 4 and Netflix removing classic sitcom episodes, the secret scheduling battle between the BBC and ITV and why some revived formats soar while others flop.

Correction: It was actually Matt Berry's character of Douglas who dates April, not Chris O'Dowd's character Roy. You'll forgive us for getting this mistaken – we obviously couldn't watch the episode to check!

In this episode:

• Why Channel 4 removed “The Speech” episode of The IT Crowd
• Why Netflix removed episodes of Little Britain, Come Fly with Me & The Mighty Boosh
• The Fawlty Towers, Father Ted and Peep Show scenes that got cut or pulled entirely
• Whether broadcasters should be editing TV history
• How the BBC and ITV secretly traded schedules ahead of the Radio Times deadline and why the ITV's Christmas strategy was always to "lose with honour"
• Forgotten TV creatives, like Brian Clemens, who never get mentioned today
• Why revivals like Gladiators and Blankety Blank succeeded as revivals when Challenge Anneka and Blind Date didn't
• The real story behind Have I Got News for You's rotating host, and how QI almost had a very different presenter
• How actors fake smoking, drinking and eating on screen

Have a question or opinion? Leave a comment on Spotify, find us on socials (@InsidersTVPod), or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it really helps us grow.

#BBC #ITV #Channel4 #Netflix #ITCrowd #FawltyTowers #FatherTed #PeepShow #LittleBritain #TVPodcast #BritishTV #Television #InsidersTVPod #HaveIGotNewsForYou #QI #Gladiators #PublicServiceBroadcasting #Streaming #Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Powell-Jones and Thom Gulseven of Strongwatch Studios join Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville to reveal what it was really like to work at LADbible when it was booming, why they had to turn down Tom Hanks and whether the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16s can actually work.

In this episode:

•Why they said no to Tom Hanks's agent (and almost turned down Billie Eilish)

•How a £500 video made £80k overnight (and why platform ad revenue can vanish just as fast)

•Building LADbible's YouTube channel from zero to millions of views

•Why Patreon and direct-to-consumer content is the future of monetisation, from Fin vs History to Time Team

•Why focus groups lie (and what LADbible's data really showed about who was watching Love Island)

•How TV and YouTube are merging, from Rest Is Football's move to Netflix to broadcasters commissioning entire YouTube channels

•Their honest take on the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16s

Have a question or opinion? Leave a comment, find us on socials (@InsidersTVPod), or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review 5-star review, share it with a friend and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Strongwatch Studios

04:37 Building LADbible's YouTube Empire

09:44 Snubbing Tom Hanks and (almost) Billie Eilish

12:40 Starting a Company in a Constantly Changing Digital World

15:30 Patreon and the Rise of Direct-to-Consumer Content

22:10 Data in Digital versus TV and why Focus Groups Lie

23:07 TV as ‘Secondary Distribution for YouTube’

26:05 Broadcasters Now Commissioning YouTube Channels

33:20 The Social Media Ban for Under-16s

#YouTube #LADbible #SocialMediaBan #StrongwatchStudios #ContentCreator #Patreon #TVPodcast #BritishTV #DigitalMedia #InsidersTVPod #TomHanks #BillieEilish #CreatorEconomy #Streaming #Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discuss Count Binface, the BBC's World Cup cost saving efforts, Sky's ITV purchase, and Peppa Pig using A.I.

Topics discussed:

Farage vs Count Binface

BBC not going to the US in the World Cup Quarter Finals

The Sky/ITV deal

Peppa Pig using A.I. for its younger voice actors

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:12 Farage vs Count Binface

03:20 The BBC's World Cup cost saving efforts

09:27 Sky's ITV deal

29:19 Peppa Pig + A.I.

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

#CountBinface #NigelFarage #BBC #ITV #FifaWorldCup2026 #Sky #ITV #PeppaPig #GeneWilder

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville address your comments and questions regarding the BBC's Sarah Everard drama, axing long-running TV shows, Claude writing quiz show questions, as well as discussing Michael Grade's recent comments about terms of trade.

Topics discussed:

Michael Grade's comments regarding terms of trade

The BBC's Sarah Everard drama

Exploitative true crime shows

TV quiz show question writing

Claude and the use of AI in TV

Axing long-running TV shows

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:12 Michael Grade's comments regarding terms of trade

09:59 Question 1) regarding the BBC's Sarah Everard drama

12:11 Question 2) regarding the BBC's Sarah Everard drama

13:26 Statement from Lindsay Salt, BBC Director of Drama

19:16 Question 3) regarding exploitative true crime TV shows

20:49 Question 4) some dramatisations are simply poor taste

23:09 Questions from Kenton Allen

24:16 Question 5) regarding TV quiz show question writing and AI

29:59 Peter's Bob Dylan quiz

35:01 Question 6) regarding the axing of long-running TV shows

37:09 Outro

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

#MichaelGrade #BBC #BBCDrama #SarahEverard #TrueCrime #KentonAllen #Quiz #QuizShows #Mastermind #BobDylan #TheBill #GMTV

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: / @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville tackle the World Cup coverage battle, the TV Festival's Manchester move, the BBC's 500 job cuts, and the Government's social media green paper - recorded on the UK's hottest June day on record!

Topics discussed:

The UK's Prime Minister

England cs Ghana

The World Cup coverage battle between the BBC & ITV

The Edinburgh TV Festival moving to Manchester

The BBC's 500 job cuts

The Government's social media green paper

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:30 The UK's next PM

02:06 England vs Ghana

02:32 What's on the show today?

03:13 The World Cup coverage battle

10:00 The Edinburgh TV Festival moves to Manchester

14:30 Hydration Break

14:53 The BBC's 500 job cuts

25:01 The Government's social media green paper

35:25 Outro

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

#PrimeMinister #AndyBurnham #England #FIFAWorldCup2026 #BBC #ITV #HydrationBreak #EdinburghTVFestival #Manchester #UKGovernment #GreenPaper #YouTube

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: / @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville are joined by Channel 4's Head of Comedy Charlie Perkins to discuss the importance of comedy for a channel identity, monetising comedy on YouTube, SNL's budget, talent deals and how hit comedies can prove a good investment years after their first release.

Topics discussed:

Channel 4's sitcom commissions

Comedy + YouTube

SNL UK

New comedy talent

Producer's rights

Monetising comedy on YouTube

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:40 Channel 4's sitcom commissions

04:25 The value of comedy

08:10 Comedy on digital platforms

09:27 The trickle down effect in comedy

11:45 SNL UK's on C4?

14:13 TV + Comedy talent

19:45 Will YouTube change how we make TV?

27:26 How to monetise comedy on YouTube

38:07 What's your pitch for more comedy on Channel 4?

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

#Comedy #Channel4 #SNLUK #YouTube #DontHugMeImScared

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: / @insiderstvpodcast

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville debate whether it’s coming home after 60 years of hurt in this 2026 World Cup episode that covers The Rest Is Football’s lucrative Netflix deal, extortionate live sport paywalls, and nostalgic chat about previous world cups. 

Topics discussed:

• England winning the World Cup in 1966
• The Rest Is Football Netflix series
• World Cup Coverage tussles between BBC and ITV
• Are sport paywalls taking the piss?
• The ongoing issue of viewers illegally streaming live sports events
• Will the 2026 World Cup make Americans finally love football or, as they continue to call it, soccer 
• What is the future relationship between live sports and free-to-air television?
• Geopolitics and football
• The World Cup and Brazil at Goodison Park, 1966
• Players who were destined for greatness but sadly never achieved it

Chapters:

00.00 - The 1966 World Cup

05.27 - The Rest Is Football World Cup coverage

13.37 - Live sport behind paywalls / Illegal live sport streaming

17.10 - Will America learn to love football?

20.12 - Listed events / World Cup coverage

24.26 - Watching the 2026 World Cup / Geopolitics in football

28.05 - World Cup at Goodison Park

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

#2026WorldCup #TVPodcast #TheRestIsFootball #paywalls #soccer #GoodisonPark #DonaldTrump #ColePalmer #BBC #ITV #LiveSports

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville debate the BBC's controversial Sarah Everard drama and whether a man should be writing it, explore how the Married at First Sight UK fallout could threaten Love Island, and confirm your suspicions: your favourite TV shows DO keep disappearing for longer and longer…

Topics discussed:

• The 400 female screenwriters who signed an open letter against the BBC commissioning Jeff Pope to write the Sarah Everard drama
• Should men write dramas about violence against women? Or is it too soon for a factual drama about Sarah Everard at all?
• Love Island relaunching under the shadow of the Married at First Sight UK/Panorama scandal
• What next for MAFS UK after all episodes taken down from Channel 4, TUI pulls sponsorship and the "hush email" sent to workers?
• The Stranger Things Effect: why the gap between TV seasons has more than doubled in a decade – and does it actually matter?
• After the success of ice hockey romance dramas Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, is sport + sex TV's hottest new genre?
• Could croquet, bowls or darts be the UK's answer to ice hockey romance?

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review 5-star review, share it with a friend and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

Chapters:

• 0:00 Intro and Jon Petrie joining Hat Trick Productions
• 2:51 The Sarah Everard Drama: Should a Man Be Writing It?
• 14:35 Love Island, Married at First Sight UK & Reality TV's Reckoning?
• 25:06 The Stranger Things Effect: Why TV Shows Disappear for Years
• 30:33 Ice Hockey Romance: TV's Hottest New Genre?

#BBCDrama #SarahEverard #LoveIsland #MarriedAtFirstSight #StrangerThingsEffect #TVNews #BehindTheScenes #UKTelevision #PeterFincham #JimmyMulville #InsidersPodcast #BBCControversy # #TwinPeaks #HappyValley #StrangerThings #Euphoria #TVPodcast #BritishTV #RealityTV #JeffPope #MAFS #Channel4 #HatTrick #TVIndustry #ScreenwritingDebate #HeatedRivalry #OffCampus #TVDrama

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: podcasts@hattrick.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham discuss whether Euphoria is on its final series, how to end a TV hit properly, why killing off characters can backfire, how prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are spoiling reality TV shows like Survivor, and what the BBC can learn from YouTube.

They also talk about:

• The Bear and Emily in Paris announcing their final series
• The endings of Derry Girls and The Sopranos compared to Game of Thrones
• What it was like to cancel shows like the The Bill and Bodies
• The art of writing shocking character deaths in shows like Emmerdale
• Who tells the talent that they’ve been written out of a show
• The ‘Prediction Markets’ could change reality TV forever
• How outcomes of The Masked Singer, Next Level Chef and The Bachelorette were all correctly predicted months before they even aired
• Matt Brittin’s comments on the BBC, improving the iPlayer and YouTube

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review 5-star review, share it with a friend and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

#TV #Television #BBC #Euphoria #TheBear #DerryGirls #GameOfThrones #Survivor #Survivor50 #DowntonAbbey #Eastenders #Emmerdale #RealityTV #YouTube #Podcast #Insiders #PeterFincham #JimmyMulville #Kalshi #Polymarket

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville are joined by Michael Grade to talk about the challenges facing new BBC Director General Matt Brittin, questions asked of Channel 4 after allegations made about Married at First Sight UK and Blackadder, Doctor Who, Father Ted and more!

In this episode:

• What the new BBC Director General needs to do first, and why coming in from the outside can be a strength
• Why Michael Grade thinks the BBC should take more risks and become “a nursery and not a grocery”
• The BBC’s culture, Oxbridge snobbery, scheduling, and why the middle of television has disappeared
• Why the BBC needs to justify public money in a streaming world and what its real purpose should be
• Michael Grade’s take on Channel 4, new voices, and whether it can survive as a smaller, distinctive broadcaster
• The Married at First Sight UK allegations, duty of care, and whether reality TV has gone too far
• Telling talent the truth, spotting blind spots, and why great TV still depends on taste
• Blackadder, Father Ted, Doctor Who and more!

Have a question or opinion? Leave a comment, find us on socials (@InsidersTVPod), or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to give us a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify, follow the podcast wherever you're listening to it now and share this episode with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Coming up!

01:10 The Challenges for the New BBC Director General

18:19 Running Channel 4

22:35 Almost Cancelling Black Adder

25:07 Married at First Sight UK and reality TV ethics

30:55 The Rest of Michael's Career

#BBC #MichaelGrade #MarriedAtFirstSightUK #Channel4 #DoctorWho #Blackadder #FatherTed #RealityTV #TVPodcast #BritishTV #Television #InsidersTVPod #PublicServiceBroadcasting #BAFTA #Streaming #Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville tackle Eurovision's biggest controversy yet, the BBC getting called out at the BAFTA TV awards, and why Wordle could actually work as a prime-time TV show.

In this episode:

• Why Eurovision 2026 final has been marred by the row over Israel’s inclusion and why the contest has become more political than ever
• The BBC’s handling of the Gaza: Doctors Under Attack BAFTA speech and what it says about broadcaster pressure
• How Wordle could work as a television format, and how Tipping Point was commissioned
• Stephen Colbert bidding farewell to The Late Show with his fellow hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver and Seth Myers in Strike Force Five reunion
• James Corden teams up with Rio Ferdinand to make his return to FIFA World Cup coverage
• Listener reactions, questions and more

Have a question or opinion? Leave a comment, find us on socials (@InsidersTVPod), or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com

If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure you're following the podcast, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share an episode with a friend — it really helps us grow

#Eurovision #Eurovision2026 #Wordle #TippingPoint #BBC #BAFTA #StephenColbert #TheLateShow #StrikeForceFive #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCup #TV #Podcast #Television #Channel4 #Streaming #InsidersTVPod

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville break down Helena Bonham Carter’s shock exit from The White Lotus Season 4, discuss the huge Celebrity Traitors line-up and celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday.

In this episode:

•The White Lotus announcement from HBO and what “creative differences” actually means in television

•The surprising omission from the Celebrity Traitors cast

•Why the BBC still beats Netflix and Amazon at “event TV”

•How AI is already changing television editing and ADR

•The career decision that made David Attenborough a legend

•PLUS: your reactions to our AI in editing debate, Hollywood power struggles, BBC commissioning insights, and more

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review 5-star review, share it with a friend and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:08 Celebrity Traitors lineup revealed

07:49 Helena Bonham Carter exits The White Lotus

15:33 AI controversy in TV editing

22:13 David Attenborough at 100

30:47 Corrections, cocaine and conclusions

#TheWhiteLotus #CelebrityTraitors #DavidAttenborough #HelenaBonhamCarter #MikeWhite #AI #BBC #Netflix #Streaming #Television #Podcast

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter and Jimmy catch up on Expectation’s new gameshow pilot, as well as Jimmy’s attendance at a charity event for the Andy Taylor Foundation, before turning to the week’s TV news.

They discuss the cancellation of Football Focus after 52 years on our screens, and what it says about how audiences now consume football content.

From there, they debate whether an AI editing technique used on a TV show should have been banned by the production — exploring whether ethical boundaries can be maintained, if it enhances or undermines creativity, and whether the industry is resisting inevitable change.

This leads them to unpack Donald Trump’s accusation that the BBC used AI in a Panorama documentary to defame him, and why that misunderstanding could weaken his $10 billion lawsuit against the corporation.

Finally, they look at how formats like A League of Their Own are evolving beyond television into live events and broader IP monetisation strategies.

Plus: Alan Titchmarsh’s unsigned wellies, Paul Simon’s decades-long grudge, and why every drama set in Liverpool seems to benefit from a conveniently placed bag of cocaine…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter and Jimmy bid farewell to Ian Katz, the outgoing Chief Content Officer at Channel 4, reflecting on what really happens when a top TV executive steps down before answering listener questions. 

They unpack who really holds creative power in TV versus film — from auteur directors and “final cut” culture in Hollywood to why, in television, producers and writers often overrule directors in the edit. They also lift the lid on how shows get recommissioned or cancelled, revealing the crucial role of schedulers, the temptation to keep ageing hits on air, and how streamers’ data-driven decisions could be the death of the “slow burn” success story. And finally, they tackle why there’s no ‘right way’ to sack someone in TV when people rarely believe they deserve to go.

Plus, Peter’s top fashion tips, Jimmy’s new ‘Guess That Fishy Channel Controller’ gameshow, and why you should never say never on a Saudi Arabian version of Outnumbered…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss Christopher Eccleston’s claim that TV executives think audiences are “stupid”, and swap war stories from the front line of tricky commissioning meetings.

Later, they chat about the actors and producers in the US rallying together to oppose the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger. They then set about unpicking the BBC’s announcement of 2,000 job cuts, a hiring freeze, and the interim DG’s surprising candour around the current funding model being “unsustainable" and "reaching the end of its sell-by date".

Plus, we get live reaction to Content Chief Ian Katz leaving Channel 4, some insight into the world of being an ex-channel controller, and as Peter reports back on his recent visit to Clarkson’s Farm, we ask, what exactly does an executive producer actually do? (clue: mostly get in the way on set)

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy ask whether the arrival of HBO Max might be nudging us all dangerously close to peak demand for subscription services. Does the subscription model thrive as much on inertia as it does on the content they offer? And is that really sustainable? 

We talk revisionism when it comes to the question of what’s acceptable on television, and ask what are the shows that we love today that we’ll one day be embarrassed by? 

And with a new series in full swing on BBC1, Jimmy shares fond memories of some left-field HIGNFY bookings. Some of whom were memorable for all the right reasons (Play Your Iraqi Cards Right, anyone?). Some of whom were just memorable...

Plus, the BBC Twat Memo, Peter’s irrational fear of watching medical dramas, and wishing David Dimbleby well in his retirement.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:   / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter are joined by former Director General Greg Dyke as he talks the highs and lows of his time running the BBC, and what advice he’d give to Matt Brittin as he prepares to take on the top job.

During his 4 years as DG, Dyke oversaw huge changes at every level of the organisation, from the birth of the iPlayer to a concerted effort to make the BBC less London-centric. But it was the row with the government over the Iraq war, and the Hutton Report that followed, that came to define his time in charge. He talks candidly about what that experience was like, and his regrets looking back more than 20 years later.

Plus, the bygone era of union dominance of television, unlikely book buying in Kampala, and why, if anyone ever asks you to join the LWT share options scheme, you should always, always say yes.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: / @insiderstvpodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the challenges that lie ahead for Matt Brittin as he’s (finally) confirmed as the next DG. While he’s doubtless a vastly able and experienced corporate leader, his in-tray already looks unenviable. We wish him well. 

The British iteration of SNL launched last weekend. There was a bit of sniping from the critics, but it was fundamentally a really strong start, and a very funny show. Could this be the turning the point that convinces broadcasters to start commissioning sketch shows again? 

And in this week’s political-correctness-gone-mad news, Peter and Jimmy offer their analysis of the fuss around The Repair Shop and Bob Monkhouse’s joke books.

Plus, Peter’s youthful dreams of being a cox (in the rowing sense), Jimmy’s zooms with the obscenely handsome Jamie Dornan, and the unlikely link between Matt Brittin’s Cambridge alma mater and the world of television. 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:   / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter are joined by broadcaster and soon-to-be media entrepreneur Amol Rajan to talk about the smaller but even more important future for the BBC, the rise of the creator economy and why YouTube versus Netflix is the media battle of our age.

They also unpack what it takes to build a media company in 2026, from audience-first thinking to monetisation challenges, and why individual creators are becoming more powerful than institutions. Amol shares his plans to create a global, intellectually curious audience through podcasts, video, live events and more whilst reflecting on lessons from legacy media and figures like Piers Morgan who’ve successfully followed the audience.

Plus, crashed boats, care homes and Amol’s presenting tips for Jimmy and Peter…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:   / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy kicks us off with his tales from the Writers Guild Awards in New York and the feeling on the ground around David Ellison’s takeover of Paramount and the future of CNN. Then, Peter outlines the BBC’s latest ideas as to how it will fund itself in the streaming age where licence fee evasion costs the BBC more than £1 billion a year.

Later, they discuss what we can learn from the end of Meghan Markle’s partnership with Netflix as her lifestyle brand ‘As Ever’ heads out into the world selling jam and “flower sprinkles”.

Plus, Barry White running CBS News, George Osborne getting booed at the Paralympics and why a traumatic memory from Peter’s childhood inspired him to commission Robin Hood years later…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter unpack the Banijay / All3Media merger, and ask what the creation of a €4.4bn mega indie with some 170 creative labels across 25 countries could mean for the rest of the sector. 

As Paramount prevail over Netflix in the battle for Warner Bros Discovery, we discuss what the future holds for Warner’s output - not least Donald Trump’s bete noire CNN.  

And we talk all things BBC, and the controversy around their Bafta coverage. 

Plus, Everton’s new kick off strategy, the (hitherto untested) link between being good at rowing and being a good Director General, and Prince Phillip not doing a Nazi salute. 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:   / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter welcome Lisa McGee into the studio, creator of the BAFTA and Emmy-winning Derry Girls and the writer behind Netflix’s new comedy-drama How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.

Lisa explains how she moved from pure sitcom into mystery, how writers’ rooms are now her preferred way to work and why music is so central to her storytelling, even when the rights negotiations get painful.

Together, they also discuss the post-Game of Thrones production boom in Northern Ireland, the challenge of balancing comedy and drama in an industry that often separates the two and whether Derry Girls might one day take to the stage….

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter chat about whether the music industry’s rights-roll-up model could ever work for television after a listener question about untapped TV archive potential. From there they tackle the thorny question of how channels like Sky still run adverts on premium subscription channels and what that says about the future of ad-funded TV. They also unpack the latest BBC cost-cutting plans ahead of charter negotiations and the Government’s BBC Green Paper consultation (including the mysteriously under-marketed “Freely”), before rounding off with the latest on the ITV–Sky/Comcast takeover talks slowing down thanks to the messy reality of splitting ITV Studios from the broadcast business.

Plus, what hiring a Cabinet Secretary and a Director General has in common, Peter’s airport immigration story that inspired a cavity-search comedy sketch and a detailed account of Jimmy’s use of the fast-forward feature on his TV...

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter briefly discuss the two latest industry curveballs: fresh Westminster chat about a potential BBC–Channel 4 tie-up, and ITV squeezing ad breaks into rugby scrums, before inviting Gill Wilson into the studio…

Gill Wilson is Head of Factual at Plum Pictures, the co-founder of indie label Betty and a former Channel 4 commissioning editor heading up Features and Daytime with programmes including 'Escape to the Chateau', 'Love it or List it', and 'The Supervet'.

Together, they get into the differences between being a commissioner and producer when around 97% of ideas put forward by producers are met with a “no” and how the business has shifted from TV’s wilder, more maverick side in the 90s to now, where duty of care is on the rise but our producers proximity to audiences is closer than ever.

Plus: Jimmy’s newspaper comment that got a Gill’s train station show stopped in its tracks, Tom Jones’ trip to the rugby and Peter's does a rendition of King Lear...

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter tune into Donald Trump’s latest reality show – the Grammys – and his threats to sue host Trevor Noah, before unpacking leaked details from a BBC board meeting about plans for a post-licence-fee future and questioning whether Channel 4 risks alienating the independent sector by expanding its in-house production.

Plus, tales of World Cup hospitality, BBC executives hiding from the rain in Salford and everyone’s favourite cooking utensil: the wok…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter kick off with a rapid roundup of the latest TV headlines like The Traitors heading to the stage, Nigella Lawson joining The Great British Bake Off and the revival of Farmer Wants a Wife in the UK, before welcoming Kenton Allen into the studio.

Kenton Allen is CEO of Big Talk, one of the UK’s leading film and television production companies, and the producer behind hits including Rev, Him & Her, Mum, Friday Night Dinner, and most recently Can You Keep a Secret.

Together, they discuss the origins of Ludwig and the development of its American adaptation, finding a home for Mitchell & Webb on YouTube and how AI can be used both to market new shows and uncover untapped value in archive content.

Plus: unexpected encounters with listeners at urinals, how to respond when broadcasters claim they have no money and Kenton’s horror story of a US TV show cancellation…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US, Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: / @insiderstvpodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy and Peter dig into the latest mergers and acquisitions chatter, including MediaWan’s interest in North Road and the broader risks of buying creative companies built around individual talent. Next, they chat the BBC’s decision to commission bespoke content for YouTube and what that signals about platform strategy, public service broadcasting, and where audiences are really heading. Then, they discuss Amol Rajan’s decision to step away from Radio 4’s Today programme, prompting a wider discussion about control, reach, lifestyle, and whether you should ever “quit the hit.”

Plus, there’s a sighting of megastar Margot Robbie, tales of attempts to buy BBC Three for £1, Donald Trump on skis and the Sky remote that almost ended a marriage…

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the potential Banijay–All3Media mega-merger and unpack why “independent TV” may soon exist in name only. They challenge headline claims that YouTube has overtaken the BBC, interrogate what those numbers really mean, and ask who actually pays for content in a platform-first world.

Then, it's Netflix’s all-cash play for Warner Bros and a discussion about the fragile future of broadcast news, the economics of Sky News and Channel 4, and what happens to impartial journalism when linear television fades.

Lastly, we get an update on Trump vs the BBC, with the broadcaster set to stand firm in Florida...

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

The producer is Owen Braben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy are joined by Tim Hincks, co-CEO of Expectation and former global president of Endemol responsible for shows like Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, 8 Out of 10 cats, Would I Lie to You? Black Mirror, Humans and Peaky Blinders…

They take a look at some predictions for what 2026 might hold, digging first into why The Traitors has made a bold format shift while it’s still on the rise (and what happens in the room when producers decide to change a hit), plus the industry’s obsession with “the next Traitors” and why copying a breakout doesn’t usually end well.

Next, they examine the possibility (and possible reality) of ‘micro-budgets’, the state of play when it comes to getting scripted shows funded and whether YouTube will become the ‘undisputed king of TV’.

And finally, they unpick the idea Disney may one day aquire Taylor Swift, what it would actually mean to “buy” a global superstar and why the next boardroom battle might be over individuals, not companies.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal. New episodes every Friday.

YouTube:    / @insiderstvpodcast  

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as Donald Trump files his $10bn legal action against the BBC in Florida, Jimmy and Peter ask how the corporation might best respond. And we discuss the government’s newly minted Green Paper on Charter renewal, and the alternatives being considered for the future funding of the BBC - is the licence fee the worst option, except for all the others? 

Plus, Jimmy’s Christmas in Memphis, Samir Shah’s breakfast, and our continued failure to secure a sponsorship deal with the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the appointment of Priya Dogra as the new Chief Exec of Channel 4. Her commercial background will doubtless be vital in helping C4 to navigate the commercial challenges it faces. But how will she approach and articulate her editorial vision for the channel? We talk all the latest twists and turns in the Netflix / Paramount bidding war for Warners. And we give ourselves an early Christmas gift by watching the "With Love, Meghan" Christmas special on Netflix and The Liz Truss Show on YouTube - do they actually have rather more in common than you might imagine? 

Plus, the politics of personalised parking spaces, Peter’s deeply disappointing school trip to Coventry, and is everything (including this podcast) always too long? 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the pod comes live from the Content London TV conference. We discuss the latest in the BBC leadership saga, and ask whether you need to be a bit of a bruiser in the mould of Christopher Bland or Marmaduke Hussey to be a really effective BBC Chair? And Peter and Jimmy answer some great questions from the Content London audience - does indie production have a sustainable future; is legacy TV in terminal decline; and what’s the best (and worst) way to develop an idea? 

Plus, an unlikely duet with Myleene Klass, Peter’s Dickensian Christmas, and what the Americans really mean when they say “let’s circle back”.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s another guest ep!

This week Peter and Jimmy are joined by Andy Wilman, the genius producer behind Top Gear, The Grand Tour, and Clarkson’s Farm. 

Andy tells the story of the extraordinarily ordinary Top Gear pilot, and traces how the series grew into a record breaking TV behemoth, before unravelling slowly… and then all at once. We discuss the Top Gear team's move to Amazon and The Grand Tour (and how close Richard and James really were to staying at the Beeb). And we ask whether the Clarkson / Wilman Top Gear really had to end the way it did? 

Andy’s new book, Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure, is available now in all good bookstores, and would make an excellent Christmas present. Get it while stocks last. Maybe buy two, just to be safe. 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the latest fallout from the Panorama edit row, not least the Culture Secretary's suggestion that the next DG should have a news and current affairs background. Is that really the lesson to be learned from this, and what the BBC needs right now? And we talk Sky’s move to buy ITV’s broadcast business. However compelling the business case might be, isn’t it an immutable fact that consolidation of broadcasters inevitably means fewer customers for indies to sell to?

Plus, all the things wrong with country music, Peter’s special loathing for the word “curate”, and what Scotland’s World Cup success tells us about the importance of live TV. 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Jimmy and Peter unpack the extraordinary events of the last seven days at the BBC. With Tim Davie and Deborah Turness both offering their resignations, we discuss how the BBC got itself into this mess, and where it goes from here. 

And, as the pod comes live from the Belfast Media Festival, we ask whether there’s still an unconscious bias when it comes to nations and regions commissioning, and what more can be done to make sure broadcasters and producers really make the most of the vast pool of talent in Northern Ireland. 

Plus, the runners and riders to be the next DG (maybe Jimmy or Peter fancy it?), and long-suffering producer Owen makes an appearance. 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy unpack the row over the “misleading” edit in Panorama's Trump doc. Could (and should) there be resignations? We talk Kim Kardashian’s appallingly reviewed new drama “All’s Fair”. Does being panned in the press actually put streaming audiences off, or does it simply pique their interest and make them more likely to try a show for themselves? And we dip a toe into the fascinating and fast-growing world of micro drama.

Plus, our first live stage show, an idea for a new gig for Nadine Dorries, and an apology to Bruno Brookes (and Andy Peebles too).

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, with Claudia Winkleman reportedly being lined up for a BBC chat show (to be produced by Graham Norton's company), Peter and Jimmy ponder how that’s going to work in practice, and remember some chat show hits (and misses) of their own. And as Disney announce they’re ending their deal with the BBC to make Doctor Who, we ask what the future holds for the series, and whether the BBC’s cast-iron commitment to the so-called “Whoniverse" makes it a show that’s simply too big to fail?

Plus, failing to book Bruno Brookes, Strictly gossip from Peter’s hairdresser, and some free advice for agents everywhere: never let your clients see the swimming pool in your second home.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Jimmy and Peter discuss the future of Strictly, and what to make of the mid-series announcement that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are leaving the show. As Studio Canal file their first court papers in the Paddington vs Spitting Image case, we indulge ourselves one more time in the story (and the publicity) that never stops giving. And we ask what (if anything) the results of the Our BBC, Our Future survey really tell us?

Plus, Jimmy sings Sondheim, William G Stewart’s middle name, and the only commissioner (so far) ever to slam the phone down on Peter.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy ask whether Harry and Meghan’s much-diminished first look deal with Netflix is really the “sign of strength” that Meghan claims. But lest anyone roll their eyes too hard, isn’t that blend of resilience and self-delusion exactly what every good independent producer needs? And as Banijay strike a deal that “paves the way” (but no more than that) for the return of The Inbetweeners, we talk the science and art of programme announcements. 

Plus, Sir Phil Redmond’s eyebrows, what to say on a first date, and the perils of swapping analogue pounds for digital pennies.

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Peter and Jimmy debate the wisdom of Studio Canal’s decision to bring legal action against Avalon over the portrayal of Paddington Bear in the new Spitting Image. Jimmy talks about the error that found its way into last Friday’s ep of Have I Got News For You, and what's happened in the days since the show went out. And we discuss the results of the latest BBC tender process, and how remarkably successful BBC Studios are at winning BBC contracts. 

Plus, the circuitous journey of Expectation’s Osbornes doc, Jimmy’s epic day at the Strictly record, and a shout out to our long-suffering lawyer Simon. 

Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His list of hit shows includes Have I Got News For You, Father Ted, Derry Girls, Outnumbered, and Episodes. In the US Hat Trick launched Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1997 which ran on ABC for seven years and was the first British series to be recreated for American network television by a British producer.

Peter Fincham ran TalkBack, where he executive produced many of their biggest shows including I’m Alan Partridge, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and Da Ali G Show. He went on to be Controller of BBC1, then he was Director of Television at ITV, before returning to the independent sector as the co-CEO of Expectation, the company behind Clarkson's Farm and Alma's Not Normal.

New episodes every Friday.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsidersTVPodcast

Email: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.com

Instagram: @InsidersTVPod

Insiders: The TV Podcast is an Expectation and Hat Trick co-production.

The producer is Owen Braben.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.