TV Makers

From Love Island , I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Sabotage to University Challenge and even Countdown , have you ever wondered who decides which presenters, judges and celebrities make it onto our screens? Ashley Golder sits down with Micky Van Praagh, Director of On-Screen Talent at Lifted Entertainment - a role that even her closest friends struggle to define. Micky de...

How do you lead a global production group through one of the biggest periods of change the television industry has ever faced? In the first episode of Series 5, Ashley Golder sits down with James Burstall, CEO and Founder of Argonon, to discuss what it takes to lead a global production group, manage multiple production companies under one umbrella, and identify new opportunities in an ever-changin...

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to make large-scale, high-stakes television drama - this is the episode. To close Series 4 of TV Makers, Ashley is joined by the co-creator, executive producer and lead director of Hijack, Jim Field Smith, and Director of Photography Ed Moore. It’s a double finale! TV Makers X Hijack!  Season 1 trapped audiences at 35,000 feet. Season 2 moves undergroun...

Are you worried there’s a shift happening in TV - and you might be missing it? Are you quietly questioning whether the traditional production company model is still sustainable? In this episode, I sit down with Ed Taylor, Co-Founder of Honey Bee, to talk honestly about what running an indie looks like right now… and what it may need to become next. With longer commissioning timelines, tighter broa...

What does access actually look like on a TV or film production and how can we do better on our own sets, for everyone’s benefits? In this episode of TV Makers, Ashley Golder is joined by Leah Rachel, an access coordinator working across TV and film, supporting deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent cast and crew. Leah pulls back the curtain on what access really means in practice, from the everyday de...

In this episode of TV Makers , Ashley Golder sits down with Andy Harrower , CEO of Directors UK , for an honest conversation about the real state of the TV and film industry and what’s being done behind the scenes to protect freelancers. Andy offers a clear-eyed look at where the industry finds itself heading into 2026: a prolonged commissioning slowdown, growing insecurity for freelancers, and an...

In this episode of TV Makers , Ashley Golder speaks to Mirusha Jegatheeswaran , an ITV Support Engineer working across high-output television at ITV Studios. Mirusha’s role sits at the heart of broadcast production – keeping studios, systems and post-production running smoothly so shows stay on air. But her route into television wasn’t a traditional one. She entered the industry with zero broadcas...

Ollie Waton , sound supervisor and audio specialist, pulls back the curtain on the invisible decisions that keep live television on air - and why the best sound work is often the work nobody notices. From arena-sized music performances and live Premier League matches, to high-pressure comedy specials and long-running observational documentaries, Ollie explains what really happens when things don’t...

Andy Mundy-Castle -  Founder of Doc Hearts, and director of BAFTA-winning White Nanny, Black Child ,  joins TV Makers to unpack the real craft of documentary storytelling and what it genuinely takes to run a purpose-led indie in one of the toughest TV markets we've ever seen. Andy shares how his background and lived experience shaped his filmmaking: stories rooted in truth, crafted with cinem...

John Comerford, Head of Naked West, lifts the lid on how iconic legacy shows like Grand Designs, Escape to the Country and Great British Railway Journeys stay relevant after decades on air - and what it really takes to future-proof long-running television in a digital-first world. From leadership lessons learned across an impressive career, to keeping Kevin McCloud, Michael Portillo and the team b...

Channel 4’s Senior Commissioning Editor and Business Operations Lead for Digital, Laura Marks, reveals the insider rules behind digital commissioning, what most producers get wrong, what Channel 4 really looks for and how to create digital gold in a post-linear world. From understanding the “minus 10 seconds” rule for thumbnails to balancing data with gut instinct, Laura breaks down how her team c...

What happens when a podcast refuses to play by podcast rules? To kick off Series 4 of TV Makers , I sit down with Anthony Smith - Director of Trailers for The Diary Of A CEO - to uncover how a show once told it had “no right” to build a full-scale production has become one of the biggest podcasts in the world. Anthony takes us inside the trailer strategy that’s helped drive that success - from the...

True Crime, Tough Calls, and the Role of the Series Producer For the Series 3 finale of TV Makers , we're joined by Award-winning Series Producer Zoe Hines, behind some of Netflix's biggest shows including the acclaimed, I Am a Killer . Zoe lifts the lid on what it really means to lead a high-profile, ethically complex documentary series—discussing everything from legal and editorial res...

Post-production is an ecosystem of constant decisions for an ever-changing goalpost… so what does it take to run post at a major broadcaster like Sky? This week on TV Makers , I sit down with Adam Downey , Director of Post Production at Sky, to find out how he keeps one of the UK’s biggest post departments running—smoothly, sustainably, and at serious scale. We talk tight schedules, futureproofing...

Publicists! Often portrayed as the mysterious force behind the scenes—crafting hype, dodging scandal, and spinning gold from a well-placed quote. But how much of that is myth, and what does brilliant PR really look like in today’s TV landscape? This week we’re joined by Gem Pinkney , Director of TV at Multitude Media and a master of the campaign game. From knowing which assets will actually cut th...

Talent Agents! — cloaked in TV myth as orchestrators of extravagant demands, from bowls of blue M&Ms to first-class travel for their star clients. Let’s separate fact from fiction and uncover what really goes on in the world of talent representation! This week we’re joined by Alex Segal, Managing Director of InterTalent, one of the UK’s largest talent agencies. With over a decade at the helm,...

You survived to ’25! And as your reward, here’s a brand-new episode of TV Makers ! Kicking off the year, I welcome Kimberly Godbolt, co-founder of Talented People and all round media advocate, or as some like to call her, the “ Friendly Disruptor.” Kimberly shares her expertise in spotting top industry talent, what she looks for in standout CVs, and how hiring managers can sharpen their interview...

If you missed last weeks full Christmas Special Episode, go back and give it a listen. But for those wanting pure TV Makers interview, this is the standalone interview with Will Becher, the Supervising Animator for Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Premiering on BBC One and iPlayer at 6:10 pm on Christmas Day!   Supervising Animator Will Becher joins us to reveal the artistry, challenges, an...

Welcome to a very special Christmas edition of TV Makers ! We’re adding a sprinkle of festive magic as we go behind the scenes of Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl , premiering on BBC One and iPlayer at 6:10 pm on Christmas Day. Supervising Animator Will Becher joins us to reveal the artistry, challenges, and meticulous craftsmanship that go into bringing these beloved characters to life. Bu...

Siobhan O’Donnell is an exceptional Floor Manager with decades of experience working on some of the UK’s most iconic television moments. Siobhan shares jaw-dropping anecdotes, from the time she had to literally crawl past dthe Queen to get to the Prime Minister, to wrangling the Teletubbies on set, and even the nerve-wracking moment she had to tell Cilla Black that someone forgot to press record....

Unlock the potential and support for your next project with ScreenSkills! Emily Gunn, HETV Engagement & Projects Manager for the South and Midlands, is here to guide us every step of the way as to how ScreenSkills could help you us navigate this industry and come out on top.   Emily works across engagement and training for HETV freelancers across the UK, supporting the growth and expansion for...

Award-winning multi-cam and fixed rig Entertainment Director Abigail Dankwa is a powerhouse you need to know, learn from, and listen to! With BAFTA and RTS awards, a Grierson nomination, Directors UK board member,  recognition as a BAFTA Breakthrough, Edinburgh Festival’s Ones to Watch, and Broadcast Magazine Hot Shot, Abigail’s journey to The Director’s Chair is nothing short of incredible. In th...

Emile is a BAFTA-nominated and SAFTA-winning Commissioning Executive at UKTV, who is at the forefront of factual and factual entertainment series on channels like Dave, W, Yesterday, and Gold as well is UKTV's digital platform "U". In this episode, Emile is exceptionally open and candid in sharing insights into his role as a creative executive producer, what exactly a commissioner d...

Edinburgh TV Festival SPECIAL!  In a 2 part special, we hear from some incredible attendees at the festival and get their insights on what they’ve taken from TV’s must attend event of the year and where our industry is going for the next 12 months. Across the two parter, you’ll hear from: Rowan Woods, the creative director of this year’s festival and what's planned;  Kimberly Godbolt of Talen...

Edinburgh TV Festival SPECIAL!  In a 2 part special, we hear from some incredible attendees at the festival and get their insights on what they’ve taken from TV’s must attend event of the year and where our industry is going for the next 12 months. Across the two parter, you’ll hear from: Rowan Woods, the creative director of this year’s festival and what's planned;  Kimberly Godbolt of Talen...