Insiders: The TV Podcast

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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: / @insiderstvpodcastEmail: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodThe 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: [email protected]: @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/@InsidersTVPodcastEmail: [email protected]: @InsidersTVPodInsiders: 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.