C21Podcast

BBC Studios' Zai Bennett and Shelley Macintyre on why landmark natural history series Blue Planet III is sticking to its blue chip roots [01:24]; Crystal Lake showrunner Brad Caleb Kane on why horror is murdering it as a genre [10:28]; and Rainbow Group's Iginio Straffi on taking toons direct-to-consumer as public service broadcasters become increasingly squeezed [28:40].

GammaTime's Alex Montalvo [01:36], COL Group's Timothy Oh [15:45], Every Media's Tim Vloothuis and Dutch Core's Lorraine Joore [32:10] on the latest trends shaping the microdrama market as dealmaking and consumer demand intensifies, monetisation models and audience tastes evolve, and AI plays a greater role.

In a bumper episode from Cannes, C21's Nico Franks and Neil Batey give their take on this year's Mipcom, from a bullish Banijay to uncertainty over Skydance, and malfunctioning AI robots [02:02]; the BBC's Kate Phillips blasts algorithmic commissioning [17:21]; Uncensored's Rashida Jones [22:25] and After Party's Ben Doyle [43:27] on going digital-first; ITV Studios' Ruth Berry [57:18]; ProsiebenS...

C21's Clive Whittingham, Nico Franks, Karolina Kaminska and Michael Pickard look ahead to Mipcom, with the all new Skydance and All3Media-bolstered Banijay reshaping the international TV landscape again [01:01]; and BBC Studios' Sharifa Mansour and Kate Woods on their expectations of the event and approach to getting programmes made in today's challenging marketplace [29:48].

ITV Studios exec VP of global content Julie Meldal-Johnsen discusses new shows First Woman, Number 10, The Party, Winter and more, being presented to buyers at Mipcom in Cannes next week. This episode is brought to you by ITV Studios.

Sphere Abacus's Jonathan Ford on the firm's acquisition of Rocket Rights and the latter's Cat Davie on digital distribution dynamics [01:27]; BBC Studios' Cecilia Persson on kids' YouTube channels and slower-paced shows [17:31]; director David Pujol and New Regency's Marco Arabit on new drama Genesis, about chef Ferran Adrià's transformation of gastronomy through El Bulli [35:10].

As David Ellison's Paramount Skydance clears the final hurdles in its US$110bn acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, C21's Jordan Pinto assesses the impact [01:30]; Royal Television Society CEO Sophie Jones on next week's London convention and tumultuous times for the industry [21:30]; former Wheelhouse exec Ed Simpson on his new creator-focused venture Wonderloom Media [36:28].

AI 'actress' Tilly Norwood talks about warnings that the tech might wipe out humanity, how it's set to transform film and television, her creator's comparisons with sexually transmitted diseases, upcoming movie and more [01:17]; plus The Gurin Company's Phil Gurin on the other threats and opportunities facing TV formats [20:38].

Former TF1 boss Gilles Pélisson [01:30], these days president of Unifrance, and Federation Studios' Guillaume Pommier [24:30] weigh French broadcaster-US streamer relations and tumbling TV exports revealed at Rendez-Vous in Le Havre; Babylon Berlin creators Tom Tykwer and Achim von Borries [36:20] reflect on the show's fifth and final season.

C21 news editor Clive Whittingham looks back on last week's Edinburgh TV Festival where YouTube and the future of the BBC dominated discussions [01:24], while comedian Jacquis Neal – host of US streamer Dropout's format Crowd Control – was among those taking part in the Fringe and riffs on how internet comedy is evolving [27:21].

RTL Netherlands creative lead Ralph de Beurs reflects on the present and future state of unscripted TV, as part of our C21Formats100 series [01:50]; Finite Films AND TV's Amy Gardner and Paddy Hughes on working with Channel 4 and North Sails and the branded entertainment renaissance [21:32]; and Pure Flix co-founder Michael Scott on his new faith-based media venture EKKL [42:39].

Former Amazon MGM Studios unscripted chief Barry Poznick reflects on how the TV formats landscape is changing as YouTube continues to grow and on his new venture Idea Maze Entertainment [01:49]; and The Sidemen's Shannon Royal discusses the YouTube collective's recent World Cup collaboration with the BBC and with Amazon Prime Video on culinary competition show SideMenu [28:44].

Pantheon Media Group and Velvet Hammer Media's Jennifer O'Connell on the present and future state of the TV formats market, featuring as part of our C21Formats100 profiles [01:26]; and National Geographic's Tom McDonald on new docudrama Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston, and his current commissioning priorities [24:33].

Signal. Stream's Wouter van der Pauw on how the Dutch digital-first formats house behind Let's Play Ball is developing IP on YouTube before bringing it to TV and opening its processes to third parties [01:33]; and 12 Years a Slave's John Ridley [23:13] and Lost's Carlton Cuse [37:30] on the present state of the scripted market in a post-strikes streaming era, with microdrama and sports sucking up...

Fox Entertainment Studios' Allison Wallach on working with BiggerStage in Ireland and why the Masked Singer maker is doubling down on its use of overseas production hubs [01:28]; and Red Pony Pictures' Beliban zu Stolberg [14:39] and AI filmmaker Esther Gronenborn [35:35] on why they believe the European microdrama scene will diverge from the burgeoning Chinese market.

Arrow Media's John Smithson and Northern Pictures' Karina Holden on their new ABC and Amazon Prime Video film Rolf Harris - Primetime Predator, and the complexities of funding documentaries right now [01:25]; and Allied Global Marketing's Adam Cunningham on the questions execs are asking about the future of the industry behind closed doors, but rarely raise when up on stage [23:33].

SUNNY SIDE: From La Rochelle, C21's Clive Whittingham assesses Sunny Side of the Doc 2026 [01:18]; organiser Aurélie Réman on how the event was saved but now faces new uncertainty [20:39]; Zandland's Ben Zand on the challenges traditional documentary makers face as YouTube takes over TV [32:05]; and Pernel Media's Céline Payot Lehmann on the growing use of AI and sailing down the Nile with David S...

From the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco, Michael Hirst on his experiences of writing, including together with his son on new Amazon Prime Video drama Bloodaxe [01:50]; Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Mummy star John Hannah on his new 5 drama Benidorm is Murder [25:28]; and former YouTube EMEA originals chief Luke Hyams says the platform's successor may be just around the corner [45:...

From Seriencamp in Cologne, actors Helena Zengel, Lucas Gregorowicz and Luise Heyer on the present state of German TV drama and their new series Westend Girl [01:50]; The Difference Machine's Elena Lyubarskaya on using AI to generate TV, vertical entertainment and immersive experiences [12:14]; media strategist Bo Zhang and writers Kerstin Höcker and Rahel Dietze on how microdramas are catching on...

Mr Nobody Against Putin producer Radovan Síbrt on the Oscar-winning documentary's impact and the battle over public broadcasting in his native Czech Republic [02:05]; Yellow Dot Studios' Staci Roberts-Steele on tapping into OnlyFans to tackle climate change [20:38]; Ample Entertainment's Ari Mark on why unscripted prodcos need to embrace self-funding, rights retention and direct audience engagemen...

ESPN's José Morales and Ben Webber on the Disney-owned sports network's approach to documentary-making in a crowded marketplace [02:01]; Seed AND Spark's Emily Kelleher-Best on how indie producers are increasingly self-funding projects and why microdrama is not the answer [18:31]; director Mike Barker on transitioning from The Handmaid's Tale to The Testaments [42:10].

Former Channel 4 acquisitions and copro consultant Crispin Leyser gives the inside line on this year's LA Screenings from consolidaiton concerns to the hottest new shows and David Ellison's charm offensive to buyers at Nobu [01:50]; 3Vision's Jack Davison crunches the numbers on US studio programme sales [18:20]; and Ozark creator Bill Dubuque discusses his new Peacock revenge thriller M.I.A. [32:...

C21 North American editor Jordan Pinto and Cveintiuno co-editor Pina Mezzera look ahead to this year's LA Screenings where the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery is top of mind [01:50]; Talpa Studios' Jasper Hoogendoorn, NBCUniversal's Hannah Mabruk, All3Media's Nick Smith, Sony Pictures' Laura St Clair and ITV Studios' Mike Beale on what it takes to make a format succeed in to...

SeriesFest's Randi Kleiner on the state of the US independent production sector with the event underway in Denver, as this year's Upfronts and LA Screenings near [01:40]; Story Kitchen's Dmitri M Johnson and Dallas Dickinson on why video game adaptations are so popular right now [20:19]; and House Productions' Theo Barrowclough and Fearless Minds' Jolyon Symonds on bringing Charlotte Regan's Mint...

From Create London, The Sidemen's Victor Bengtsson, Banijay's Alexia Laroche-Joubert, literary influencer Jack Edwards and Electrify Video Partners' Claire Geddie discuss the creator-led business models transforming entertainment [01:53]; and from Content Europe in Lisbon, Shaw Rocket Fund's Agnes Augustin, content strategist Adina Pitt, Animation UK's Kate O'Connor and Boat Rocker Studios' Gia De...