TV Show and Tell

Our special guest is Jack Seale, who writes about TV, radio and film for publications such as the Guardian and the Radio Times. He reveals the inner workings of how - and why - TV reviews are written. Justin and David discuss the pros and cons of live television, and how to handle the tricky issue of managing high-profile presenters. Plus, the regular format news and another 'Four Minute Format'.

Graham Stuart is the Managing Director of So Television, the independent production company that he founded with the chat show host Graham Norton 25 years ago. He talks about how he made the transition from sports presenter to running things behind the scenes, and how he keeps his business relevant in a fast-changing media landscape. Justin and David discuss emergencies - both the 'freelance emergency' announced by the trade union BECTU in the unscripted sector, and the effect that real-life emergencies can have on a show's production schedule. Plus, there's all the usual format news and another attempt at devising a 'Four Minute Format'.

Luke Shiach has series- and exec-produced quizzes, comedy panel games and other formatted entertainment, including 'Celebability' for ITV2, 'Quizness' for Channel 4, 'A League of Their Own' for Sky, and 'Comedians Giving Lectures' for Dave. In a highly entertaining and candid interview, he explains how he builds consensus between the various stakeholders to keep the show on the road. Sometimes that's literally so, as he's also involved in the touring live podcast show about football, The Overlap. David and Justin discuss pacing and how to rescue a failing reality show. And stick around for the NEW feature at the end - 'Four Minute Format'.

'The Format Doctor' Justin Scroggie reports on location from MIP TV in Cannes. What are the hot ideas of the moment and, as real-life meetings continue to evolve after the pandemic, what is the overall feel of the market? Additional music: Liborio Conti.

Matt Edmondson's career has spanned children's TV, roving reporter roles and presenting for BBC Radio 1. He's also developed his own formats, and found unusual outlets for them in the form of board games. Justin and David discuss the benefits of skilling up, and divulge their top tips for getting through a studio filming session unscathed. Plus there's a bumper crop of news, and a highly curious pair of titles in 'Fake or Format?'.

Phil Gurin is a writer-turned-producer who's gone on to work in a huge range of entertainment sub-genres, from beauty pageants to business formats, quizzes to stunt shows. We discuss his role as chairman of format rights body FRAPA, and why he's setting up a new distribution company. David and Justin chew over whether criticising popular formats misses the point, and discuss what's the best practice for looking after contributors. Justin has food on his mind in the news section, and it's David's turn to play quizmaster in 'Fake or Format?'.

From early on in her career, our guest Dawn Airey has been marked out as a talent in scheduling and commissioning. From a regional ITV station, she held high-profile posts at BSkyB and Channel 4. We also discuss what it was like to set up Channel 5 - the UK's first new channel for 15 years - from a blank piece of paper. David and Justin list the many and various ways that things can go wrong in a TV studio, and broach the dreaded subject of 'getting cancelled'. Plus all the usual news and views.

With traditional TV channels often having an average viewer age of over 60, and new media on the hunt to feed their spectacular growth, how can you build a bridge between the two? TV 'futurologist' Sandra Lehner talks to us about her work in navigating the future, from the metaverse to NFTs. In a long-awaited catch-up, Justin reports back from the Content London conference, and he talks to David about the various forms of 'fandom'. Plus all the usual news and features.

Contestants and contributors - where do they come from, and how are they selected? Our guest Andy Mallon is a casting Executive who has over a decade of experience finding people for quizzes, reality shows, dating shows and factual entertainment formats. Justin reports on the state of the streaming industry, while David recounts a recent trip to Manchester. Plus all the usual news and features.