Insiders: The TV Podcast

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 everThe BBC’s handling of the Gaza: Doctors Under Attack BAFTA speech and what it says about broadcaster pressureHow Wordle could work as a television format, and how Tipping Point was commissionedStephen Colbert bidding farewell to The Late Show with his fellow hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver and Seth Myers in Strike Force Five reunionJames Corden teams up with Rio Ferdinand to make his return to FIFA World Cup coverageListener reactions, questions and moreHave a question or opinion? Leave a comment, find us on socials (@InsidersTVPod), or email us at podcasts@hattrick.comIf 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 #InsidersTVPodJimmy 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.

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.comInstagram: @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: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.comInstagram: @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: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.comInstagram: @InsidersTVPod 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/@InsidersTVPodcastEmail: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.comInstagram: @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.

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/@InsidersTVPodcastEmail: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.comInstagram: @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.

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/@InsidersTVPodcastEmail: InsidersTVPod@expectationtv.comInstagram: @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.