Insiders: The TV Podcast

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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected] 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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected] #TheTraitors #CelebrityTraitors #ClaudiaWinkleman #Netflix #BBC #SyedaIrtizaali #DeniseVanOuten #TheBigBreakfast #RealityTV #TVPodcast #InsidersTVPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected] 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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected] Instagram: @InsidersTVPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Insiders Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville debate the BBC’s decision to remove potentially offensive sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look, asking whether modern comedy can still break taboos without being censored. They also discuss Trump TV & press freedom, Strictly Come Dancing and why some television formats survive their stars. In this episode: Why the BBC is reviewing That Mitchell and Webb Look before its iPlayer return The controversy around the The Civil War sketch, blackface and the limits of contextual comedy Why some sketches involving Gary Rhodes, Bill Oddie and Jimmy Savile may have been removed How Brass Eye used irony to challenge media attitudes The Real Housewives of ISIS sketch and Jimmy’s police warning Peter time at Talkback and the alleged threat connected to the Krays Donald Trump’s new 24/7 Trump TV channel and its production values… or lack thereof Whether YouTube could become the future home of political satire Does changing presenters can make or break a television format? What Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off, The Grand Tour and Top Gear reveal about presenter changes The Apprentice’s decision to keep Alan Sugar as its central figure The TV-am “Famous Five” and the dangers of putting too many stars together The Generation Game, Bruce Forsyth, Larry Grayson and the importance of a strong format Nigella Lawson and Peter’s most unexpected television regret Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on social media @InsidersTVPod, or email us at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:40 Why BBC cut 11 sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look 16:17 Trump bans news outlets and launches Trump TV 24:36 Will Strictly Come Dancing survive new presenters? #ThatMitchellAndWebbLook #MitchellAndWebb #BBC #BBCiPlayer #Comedy #BritishComedy #ComedyCensorship #PoliticalSatire #BrassEye #TrumpTV #Television #TVProduction #TVFormats #StrictlyComeDancing #TheApprentice #TopGear #TheGreatBritishBakeOff #PeterFincham #JimmyMulville #InsidersTVPod 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 major 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: [email protected] Instagram: @InsidersTVPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.