Insiders: The TV Podcast

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 ...

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 bro...

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 do...

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 m...

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 “W...

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 ...

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 ar...

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 ...

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the programmes they love that they didn’t make, but rather wish they had. And we ask what the popularity of re-watching old shows means for producers and broadcasters - if you can get consistently strong ratings playing familiar things, are you inevitably less likely to commission new stuff? 

Plus, the margins on drug smuggling, why the original BBC Tinker Tailor looks a bit ropey now, and...

As Jimmy Kimmel returned to the air this week (and to record ratings), Peter and Jimmy reflect on the extraordinary row between ABC and the White House, and the enduring power of satire to rile thin-skinned politicians who can’t take a joke. 

We discuss all the news from the RTS Cambridge Convention, including the case for improved tax breaks, particularly at lower price points, in the hope that half hour comedy can benefit...

Something a bit different this week - we've got a guest!

Peter and Jimmy are joined by legendary producer Andy Harries. He was Head of Comedy and Head of Drama at Granada, before setting up Left Bank Pictures in 2007. His enviable list of credits include The Royle Family, Cold Feet, The Deal, The Queen, The Crown, and Department Q.

We discuss the BBC’s bemused response when they first received The Royle Family,...

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the DG’s appearance at the Culture Media and Sport committee, and his big idea to have a “succession plan” in place for every BBC presenter, just in case they happen to become embroiled in something unsavoury. We talk Piers Morgan Uncensored, and the smart move by all involved to start playing it on 5. And as we all come to the terms with the news that Melvyn Bragg is stepping down from In Our Tim...

This week, as the all-conquering Thursday Murder Club tops the Netflix charts, we take a deep dive into the crime and detective genre. 

Jimmy talks about his long-running and hugely successful partnership with Jed Mercurio, and Peter tells the story of his hit series, The Chelsea Detective. And we ask, is there an unlikely common ground between cosy crime and panel shows - both perennially out of fashion with commissio...

This week, Jimmy and Peter unpack all the news from Edinburgh, from the bad tempered sniping between Netflix and Channel 4, to the headlines from James Harding’s McTaggart lecture (or could it also be read as a 5000 word job application to be the next DG?). And, from Eric and Ern, to Brucie’s Big Night, to Trinny and Susannah, we talk the decidedly chequered history of talent who make the move from the BBC to ITV.

Plus, Jimmy dr...

This week, Jimmy shares his highlights from the Edinburgh Fringe, and Peter tries to remember what on earth his McTaggart was about. We discuss doing comedy in the age of Trump, and South Park’s successes in riling the White House. And we talk the return of Play for Today - another smart move from 5’s Ben Frow?

Plus, Jimmy’s friendly chat with Cherie Blair, the perverse logic of banning shows, and we finally answer the question ...

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss Harry and Meghan’s newly announced Netflix first look deal, and why it’s a much diminished beast compared to the output deal they had before. As Disney+ buys up the rights to show Spanish football in the UK, we ask whether live sport is the next frontier for the streamers. And we remember Blue Peter producer Biddy Baxter, who's died at the aged of 92. An inspirational leader and maverick prod...

This week, as the Edinburgh Fringe gets underway, Peter and Jimmy ask whether having success at the Fringe is still a worthwhile route for performers who want to carve out a career on television. 

And we talk Netflix’s new (but decidedly retro) sitcom Leanne. Given that Friends is still one of the streamer’s most watched shows, is the only surprising thing about Leanne that it’s taken Netflix quite so long to start commissi...

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the news that YouTube has become the second most watched video platform in the UK - what does its inexorable rise mean for both producers and broadcasters? And we talk ITV, and try to look beyond their not-great-but-not-quite-as-bad-as-expected results, and ask if they’re getting the big strategic questions right?

Plus, the perils of slow lifts, Jimmy’s efforts at self-immolation in t...

This week, Peter and Jimmy discuss the smorgasbord of news from the BBC, from the future of Masterchef to the devil in the detail of the annual report. And we talk CBS’s decision to cancel the Late Show, and ask whether the age of the made-for-TV chat show is coming to an end? 

Plus, Clive Anderson upsetting the Bee Gees, Jimmy’s dinner with Jeremy Hunt, and why you should be wary of any meeting where someone tells you how ...