C21Podcast

Are we talking to you? Yes we are. The C21Podcast features discussion about the global content business, from panel talkshows to interviews with people defining the future of international entertainment. Listen here or subscribe to C21Podcast wherever you get your feed.

BBC Studios’ Jasmine Dawson, After Party Studios’ Joshua Barnett, Banijay NXT’s Naique Tanate talk YouTube and the creator economy

BBC Studios' Jasmine Dawson on how the UK pubcaster's commercial arm is evolving its YouTube strategy as the TV industry and creator economy increasingly come together [03:12]; After Party Studios' Joshua Barnett on building digital-first formats with the likes of The Sidemen and Nella Rose [22:15]; and Banijay NXT's Naique Tanate on the company's recent investment in an influencer-led professional football team [36:12].

11-20
48:43

C21’s Mark Rowland, Jordan Pinto and Nico Franks discuss the fall-out from the BBC-Donald Trump crisis; Ed Sayer on going digital-first with Legend Entertainment

C21's Mark Rowland, Jordan Pinto and Nico Franks on the resignation of BBC boss Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness over a deceptive edit of Donald Trump's January 6 Capitol rally speech, the implications for the international TV business and those now in the frame for the top BBC job [02:00]; and former Discovery Networks head of originals Ed Sayer on his new venture Legend Entertainment [22:30].

11-13
44:40

Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady talk Heated Rivalry; Sean Cohan on two years atop Bell Media; Margaret Schatzel and Nigel Marchant on new Sarah Snook drama All Her Fault

Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady on new, steamy ice hockey romance Heated Rivalry for Canada's Crave [01:56]; Bell Media's Sean Cohan on his strategy two years into the job and the broader North American TV market [20:25]; Universal International Studios' Margaret Schatzel and Carnival Films' Nigel Marchant on new Sarah Snook drama All Her Fault for Peacock and Sky's Now TV [40:07].

11-06
01:01:50

Protege’s Dave Davis, Luma AI’s Verena Puhm, Gennie’s Tejas Shah and Chelsea Durgin on how TV is embracing AI or not and why it’s impossible to stop the slop

With Nvidia becoming the first US$5tn company, Australia quashing AI copyright exemptions and Hollywood still reeling from Tilly Norwood, we hear from Protege's Dave Davis [04:21], Luma AI's Verena Puhm [15:04] and Gennie's Tejas Shah and Chelsea Durgin [30:30] about the latest developments in this fast-moving space, from swirling legal battles to the realities of industry uptake.

10-30
44:40

Dhar Mann Studios’ Sean Atkins, Electric Entertainment’s Dean Devlin, Infinite Studios’ Adrienne Lahens & Mehmet Bal talk creator economy-TV interplay, Tilly Norwood and more

Sean Atkins on Dhar Mann Studios' plans to build on its lead in the scripted digital content space and how the creator economy and traditional TV are merging [02:09]; Electric Entertainment's Dean Devlin on the firm's recent US$20m raise and industry consoliation [26:21]; Infinite Studios' Adrienne Lahens and Mehmet Bal on working with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment and the furore around AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood [36:00].

10-23
52:50

Mipcom 2025 pt2: Fox Entertainment’s Rob Wade, Mattel’s Robbie Brenner, Studio Lambert’s Stephen Lambert, ITV’s Ruth Berry and Banijay’s Johannes Jensen

In part two of our Mipcom 2025 special from Cannes, we hear from Fox Entertainment's Rob Wade about investing in vertical entertainment specialist Holywater [01:01]; Mattel Studios' Robbie Brenner on building on Barbie's success [13:05]; Studio Lambert's Stephen Lambert on what's next after The Traitors and Squid Game - The Challenge [28:22]; ITV Studios' Ruth Berry on working with YouTube [44:18]; and Banijay's Johannes Jensen on the challenges in scripted right now [53:45].

10-17
01:08:00

Mipcom 2025 pt1: Donnie Wahlberg and Sonequa Martin-Green talk Boston Blue; Luca Montezemolo and Manish Pandey on Seeing Red; Mackenzie Crook and Gill Isles size up Small Prophets

MIPCOM: From Cannes, Boston Blue stars Donnie Wahlberg and Sonequa Martin-Green give the lowdown on their new CBS cop drama [02:22]; Ferrari legend Luca Montezemolo and director Manish Pandey discuss their new feature documentary Seeing Red about the Italian icon's life [20:12]; and Mackenzie Crook and Gill Isles talk teaming up again after Dectorists for new BBC comedy Small Prophets [43:03].

10-16
57:45

Mipcom 2025 preview; International Format Awards gold winner Phil Gurin; BBC Studios’ Sumi Connock; Waiting for the Out scribe Dennis Kelly

C21's Clive Whittingham, Jordan Pinto and Karolina Kaminska look ahead to Mipcom and MipJunior 2025 [01:44]; outgoing Frapa chair Phil Gurin reflects on receiving the International Format Awards Gold Award and more [26:10]; BBC Studios' Sumi Connock embraces AI [45:04]; and scribe Dennis Kelly on penning Waiting for the Out for Sister and the BBC [58:06].

10-09
01:10:40

YouTube and kids’ TV: the BBC’s Patricia Hidalgo, Cake’s Dominic Gardiner, JAM Media’s John Rice and 9 Story’s Alix Wiseman dissect the dynamics

As YouTube's influence on the TV industry grows, with its impact keenest on children's media and entertainment, the BBC's Patricia Hidalgo [02:32], Cake Distribution's Dominic Gardiner [12:54], JAM Media's John Rice [26:54] and 9 Story Media Group's Alix Wiseman [39:28] discuss the challenges and opportunities in dealing with the world's biggest video platform.

10-02
51:50

The fallout from ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel decisions; ITV’s I Fought the Law; MultiChoice’s Nomsa Philiso on the Canal+ takeover and more

After ABC pulled the plug on Jimmy Kimmel Live but then enraged US president Donald Trump by reinstating him, C21's Jordan Pinto discusses the ramifications [02:26]; Hera Pictures' Liza Marshall and Charlotte Webber on new ITV drama I Fought the Law [19:50]; and MultiChoice's Nomsa Philiso on what Canal+'s takeover means for the African media giant [38:20].

09-25
53:35

UK animation special: Sean Clarke, Oli Hyatt, Sueann Rochester, Richard Gordon and Britt Gardiner debate the future of children’s TV

As K-Pop Demon Hunters becomes Netflix's most popular movie of all time and YouTube increasingly steals younger audiences from TV, the UK government is exploring what can be done to help UK animation fight back. Aardman's Sean Clarke, Blue Zoo's Oli Hyatt, Wild Child Animation's Sueann Rochester, Jam Media's Richard Gordon and Locksmith Animation's Britt Gardiner discuss.

09-18
55:10

Content Canada continued: Fox’s Prentiss Fraser, Blink49’s Adam Steinman, ITV Studios’ Mike Beale, Fremantle’s Michela Di Mondo and Fifth Season’s Ava Knight

From C21's Content Canada, Fox Entertainment Global president Prentiss Fraser details her growth strategy and sense of the international TV business right now [02:25]; Blink49 Studios' Adam Steinman, ITV Studios' Mike Beale, Fremantle's Michela Di Mondo and Fifth Season's Ava Knight discuss the dynamics shaping the present content funding landscape [21:00].

09-11
51:50

Content Canada: Blue Ant’s Michael MacMillan, Amazon MGM’s Brent Haynes, Corus’ Rachel Nelson and Bell’s Carlyn Klebuc talk strategy and opportunity

From C21's Content Canada, Blue Ant Media's Michael MacMillan discusses the company's recent move to go public via a reverse takeover of Boat Rocker Studios and the state of the international TV business right now [02:27]; Amazon MGM Studios' Brent Haynes, Corus Entertainment's Rachel Nelson and Bell Media Carlyn Klebuc spell out their commissioning priorities and coproduction opportunities [24:04].

09-05
50:20

Expectation’s Peter Fincham, Red Planet Pictures’ Alex Jones and Tim Key discuss The Chelsea Detective, Death in Paradise and the forensics of ‘cosy crime’

Former BBC One controller, ITV director of television and co-founder of independent producer Expectation, Peter Fincham [01:02], and Red Planet Pictures co-CEO Alex Jones and executive producer Tim Key [20:02] discuss The Chelsea Detective, Death in Paradise and the growing appeal of 'cosy crime' as C21 investigates the genre.

08-07
49:40

Locomotive Global’s Sunder Aaron and Rarefied Studio’s Kalpana Malviya discuss India’s $6bn content opportunity; Pernel Media’s Samuel Kissous on financing The Au Pair

Sunder Aaron [01:46] from Locomotive Global – producer of Netflix India Ray Donovan remake Rana Naidu – and Kalpana Malviya [12:11] of Rarefied Studio, discuss the Indian marketplace and US$6bn content opportunity it presents; while Pernel Media's Samuel Kissous [24:51] details how recent 5/Canal+ drama The Au Pair was put together and explores current programme financing.

07-31
46:30

The intrigue behind CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the financing of Irish-Australian drama Mix Tape

After CBS cancels The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as parent Paramount Global seeks approval for its US$8bn Skydance merger, C21's Jordan Pinto dissects the story [02:26]; and Mix Tape exec producer Marc Lorber reveals the intricacies of financing the Irish-Australian drama and broader funding opportunities in the present economic environment [18:40].

07-24
41:10

Feeling festive: a Christmas special with Ampere’s Rahul Patel, Hallmark’s Darren Abbott and Happy Accidents’ Louise Oliver

Ampere principal analyst Rahul Patel [01:24], Hallmark chief marketing officer Darren Abbott [07:58] and Happy Accidents senior VP of international sales Louise Oliver [24:57] prepare for the festive season as C21 investigates why Christmas begins in July for the TV industry, exploring the latest trends shaping holiday programming and feelgood TV movies.

07-17
45:50

Greg Childs at the Children’s Media Conference; Plimsoll’s Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters for ITV; SkyShowtime’s pan-European content strategy

Children's Media Conference editorial director Greg Childs reacts to news of a UK inquiry into kids' TV in the era of YouTube [01:52]; Plimsoll's Karen Plumb and Andrea Jackson talk ITV's Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters [14:42]; and SkyShowtime's Monty Sarhan and Edyta Pytlewska-Mele detail the streamer's content strategy [29:56].

07-10
56:22

Jack Bender, Benjamin Cavell and Michael Wright talk new MGM+ Stephen King thriller The Institute; Uzo Oleh on making Beth for Channel 4 and YouTube

Director and exec producer Jack Bender, creator and exec producer Benjamin Cavell and MGM+ chief Michael Wright discuss new Stephen King thriller The Institute [01:38]; and Uzo Oleh, writer and director of Beth, reflects on making Channel 4’s first digital original drama commissioned for YouTube and its own linear and streaming channels in the UK [29:10].

07-03
53:52

Off the Fence shocker rocks Sunny Side; Aurélie Reman, Caroline Behar and Cecilie Olsen reflect; a look back on Sheffield DocFest

As news of Off the Fence going bankrupt sends tremors through the documentary sector and speculation over PBS's future continues, C21's Clive Whittingham speaks with Sunny Side of the Doc director Aurélie Reman [19:54], France Télévisions' Caroline Behar [29:55] and ITV Studios' Cecilie Olsen [39:45] in La Rochelle and contrasts the event with last week's Sheffield DocFest.

06-26
50:02

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