82 episodes
- TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham discuss why the BBC blurred pride pins on University, why Reform has reported ITV to the police, Netflix has lost viewers, Channel 4 has teamed up with Disney+ and how Ghosts and Ali G have taken on the big screen…
In this episode:
• Why the BBC edited pride pins out of University Challenge
• Whether blurring a “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt on Strictly was impartiality or censorship
• The Poppy, Remembrance Day and where the BBC should draw the line
• Reform’s police complaint against ITV over its undercover investigation
• Whether undercover journalism was in the public interest or went too far
• Why Netflix engagement is falling and whether the streaming boom is ending
• Weekly episode releases versus the full-season box-set drop
• How YouTube now beats Netflix for US streaming viewing
• Channel 4’s Disney+ deal and what it means for British public service television
• Whether comedy films are the new future as Ghosts and Ali G hit the big screen
• Why British TV comedy is struggling despite Ludwig, Ann Droid and Small Prophets earning millions of viewers
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 BBC removes University Challenge pride pins
06:10 Strictly blurs “Protect the Dolls” t-shirt
09:40 Reform reports ITV to the police
14:40 Netflix: why are people watching less?
21:20 Channel 4’s Disney+ deal explained
27:20 Are comedy movies the future for TV sitcoms?
#BBC #BBCNews #UniversityChallenge #StrictlyComeDancing #Pride #LGBTQ #Impartiality #ReformUK #NigelFarage #ITV #UndercoverJournalism #Journalism #Netflix #Streaming #YouTube #Channel4 #DisneyPlus #BritishTV #TVNews #TVPodcast #TVIndustry #Ghosts #AliG #TheInbetweeners #BritishComedy #Sitcom #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. - Monty Python’s Flying Circus, The Benny Hill Show or Morecambe & Wise — what is Britain’s greatest sketch show? TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham rank the best British sketch shows, from That Mitchell and Webb Look and The Two Ronnies to The Fast Show, Spitting Image, French & Saunders, Goodness Gracious Me! and more…
In this episode:
Morecambe & Wise’s incredible castings
The Two Ronnies, Four Candles and the “dull in Hull” weather forecast
How Not the Nine O’Clock News made Rowan Atkinson a star
The Fast Show, Caroline Aherne and sketches made for the YouTube age
A Bit of Fry & Laurie and the privatised police sketch
That Mitchell and Webb Look’s “Are we the baddies?”
Why Benny Hill was left off the list
Spitting Image, David Owen, David Steel and the puppets that punctured political careers
French & Saunders and their brilliant Bananarama parody
Goodness Gracious Me!’s “Going for an English”
Armstrong and Miller and whether sketch shows should ever be revived
How Monty Python’s Flying Circus changed sketch shows
PLUS: The League of Gentlemen, Little Britain, Smack the Pony and more
Chapters:
00:00 Intro and the rules
03:50 A Bit of Fry & Laurie
05:40 The Two Ronnies
07:55 Not the Nine O’Clock News
11:05 The Fast Show
13:25 That Mitchell and Webb Look
14:45 The Benny Hill Show
17:05 Spitting Image
20:15 French & Saunders
21:35 The Morecambe and Wise Show
23:45 Goodness Gracious Me!
26:40 Monty Python’s Flying Circus
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.
#BritishTV #SketchShows #BritishComedy #MontyPython #MorecambeAndWise #TheTwoRonnies #TheFastShow #SpittingImage #FrenchAndSaunders #BennyHill #FryAndLaurie #MitchellAndWebb #GoodnessGraciousMe #NotTheNineOClockNews #RowanAtkinson #FourCandles #AreWeTheBaddies #SmackThePony #LittleBritain #The League of Gentlemen #ArmstrongAndMiller #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. - The Traitors almost went to Costa Rica with bikinis and hot tubs with BBC editorial policy suggested avoiding the words “murder” and “kill”.
Now the show’s commissioner, Syeda Irtizaali joins TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville to reveal the decisions, disagreements and casting choices behind the hit show…
In this episode:
How the Dutch format became The Traitors on the BBC
Why Syeda pushed for a Scottish castle instead of Costa Rica
The BBC’s concerns about “murder” and “kill” and why she rejected the advice
The A-list star who was almost in Celebrity Traitors Series 2
Claudia Winkleman’s worries about the first big twist
Why the original series launched with ordinary people, not celebrities
The fan test used to cast Celebrity Traitors
Can Netflix create its own nation-gripping reality hit?
“Prestige reality”, Netflix: Will You Marry Me? and the future of unscripted TV
PLUS: The Big Breakfast, a beer-stained job application and secretly training Denise Van Outen
Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email 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 Welcome and meet Syeda Irtizaali
01:20 Celebrity Traitors and the unnamed A-list star
03:30 How The Traitors came to the BBC
07:50 Costa Rica, hot tubs and the Scottish castle
09:10 Why the BBC questioned “murder” and “kill”
11:20 Claudia Winkleman and the first big twist
13:50 Why The Traitors started without celebrities
16:50 Celebrity Traitors and the casting fan test
18:10 Can Netflix create the next big reality hit?
19:30 Netflix: Will You Marry Me?
20:50 What is “prestige reality”?
22:20 Moving from the BBC to Netflix
24:00 The future of the BBC and Channel 4
27:10 Getting into television and The Big Breakfast
30:30 Secretly training Denise Van Outen
31:20 Something for the Weekend’s outrageous dating segment
32:20 Becoming a Channel 4 commissioner
34:35 Final thoughts and goodbye
New episodes every Friday.
YouTube: @insiderstvpodcast
Instagram: @InsidersTVPod
Email: podcasts@hattrick.com
#TheTraitors #CelebrityTraitors #ClaudiaWinkleman #Netflix #BBC #SyedaIrtizaali #DeniseVanOuten #TheBigBreakfast #RealityTV #TVPodcast #InsidersTVPodcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Is the BBC About to Close BBC Three and BBC Scotland? & The Traitors Returns...
09/10/2026 | 33 mins.TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discuss proposed cuts to BBC Three and BBC Scotland, the extraordinary success of The Traitors, Channel 4’s new programming structure and the possible impact on British comedy. They also remember Esther Rantzen and the unforgettable television moment involving Nicholas Winton.
In this episode:
Why The Traitors is still able to dominate television viewing
Richard E. Grant, James Acaster and Amol Rajan’s early exit
Early exits of Robert Kilroy Silk, Noel Edmonds and Susannah Constantine from I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
Why BBC Three’s online-only future is so complicated
The debate over BBC acquisitions including Suits, Schitt’s Creek and Scooby-Doo
Whether the BBC should charge audiences overseas
What longer iPlayer availability could mean for producers and programme rights
Could BBC iPlayer become a home for Channel 4 and other public-service content?
Why the BBC should consider advertising around some of its archive programming
Whether YouTube should give UK public-service broadcasters greater prominence
The BBC World Service and Britain’s soft power
BBC MediaTech cuts and staff’s emojis reaction to the announcement
David Brindley’s appointment at Channel 4
Why merging Channel 4’s comedy and drama teams could be bad news for comedy
Esther Rantzen, That’s Life! and the television legacy of Nicholas Winton
Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube or Spotify, find us on social media at @InsidersTVPod, or email 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 Introduction
00:40 Why The Traitors is still a television phenomenon
06:40 BBC cuts and the future of BBC Three
11:00 Proposals to reform the BBC licence fee
22:40 BBC MediaTech cuts and the emoji backlash
24:40 Why merging comedy and drama could hurt Channel 4
27:20 Remembering Esther Rantzen
#BBC #BBCThree #BBCScotland #TheTraitors #Channel4 #BBCiPlayer #Television #BritishTV #TVIndustry #TVNews #TVProduction #Comedy #Broadcasting #EstherRantzen #ThatsLife #NicholasWinton #YouTube #Streaming #PublicServiceBroadcasting #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.
YouTube: / @insiderstvpodcast
Email: podcasts@hattrick.com
Instagram: @InsidersTVPod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.- 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.
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About Insiders: The TV Podcast
Every Friday, TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville take you behind the scenes of the world of television.Jimmy is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hat Trick Productions. His hit shows include Have I Got News For You (series 69 now airing), 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 producerPeter 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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