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Insiders: The TV Podcast

Insiders: The TV Podcast

Written by: Expectation / Hat Trick
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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 producer


Peter 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.

Expectation / Hat Trick
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Episodes
  • C4's Charlie Perkins on Comedy
    Jun 19 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • 2026 World Cup Kick Off
    Jun 12 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Should a Man Write the Sarah Everard Drama? 400 Female Screenwriters vs. The BBC
    Jun 5 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
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