Recorded on the ground at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, this Cannes special closes the current series of TellyCast before the summer break. Host Justin Crosby meets three guests working at the point where advertising, entertainment and technology now converge.

Jason Day, Head of EMEA at Luma AI, explains how the company is unifying multiple video and image models into a single creative platform, why he believes the technology has moved ahead of consumer expectations, and how brands are building AI capability in-house rather than outsourcing it. He also discusses Luma Agents and the Moses drama series produced with Wonder Project and Amazon Prime.

Will Scougal, EVP of Brand and Commercial Partnerships at ITV Studios' Studio 55, unpacks Double Date Island, the TikTok-first dating format built with Tinder and OMD. He sets out why ITV Studios is bringing broadcast-grade IP and creator craft to brands, and why production groups are still rare at Cannes.

Emma Hardie Commercial and Brand Director at Aardman, marks 50 years of the studio with a look at how Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit and a forthcoming Pokémon series translate into brand partnerships, gaming, Roblox and live experiences, from a Japanese farmhouse recreation to Feathers McGraw tattoos in China.

TellyCast returns in September, with the Digital Content Forum taking place in London on 5 November. Explore the back catalogue of more than 270 shows, plus recent content from the studio and events, on the TellyCast YouTube channel.

What does it take to build one of the UK’s most successful branded entertainment franchises?

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Mark Rivers, co-founder of Cold Glass Productions, the company behind the award-winning Dish from Waitrose podcast and video series.

Mark shares the remarkable story behind the show’s growth from a bold business plan into a billion-view entertainment brand, why Cold Glass doesn’t think of itself as a podcast company, and how premium digital entertainment is reshaping the production landscape.

They discuss:

• Why podcasting is now an entertainment business, not an audio business
• Building Dish from Waitrose into one of the UK’s biggest branded content success stories
• Creating different edits for YouTube and Spotify audiences
• The importance of quality in an increasingly crowded podcast market
• Working with A-list talent including Dave Grohl, Emilia Clarke and Louis Theroux
• Why distribution strategy should be developed alongside creative
• Cold Glass Productions’ new original series Outside In
• Subscription, Substack and the future of creator-led media businesses
• How TV production companies can learn from digital-first entertainment brands

If you’re interested in the future of podcasts, branded entertainment, YouTube strategy or the convergence of television and digital media, this episode is essential listening.

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What does it really take to build a production company for the creator economy?

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by production strategist Bryony Hopkins, founder of BRYONY Ink, whose career spans the BBC, LADbible Group, Strong Watch Studios and FlightStory.

Bryony has spent years designing production systems for creator businesses, broadcasters and digital-first studios, helping teams make premium content on lean budgets without sacrificing quality.

The conversation explores why traditional TV production models often struggle in digital, how creators are building media companies, and why operational excellence is becoming a competitive advantage.

Topics include:

• Building production infrastructure for digital-first studios
• Why mindset matters as much as production skills
• Creating more content from every shoot day
• Scaling creator businesses sustainably
• The future of duty of care in the creator economy
• AI tools transforming production workflows
• Why TV professionals have valuable skills the creator economy needs
• Protecting creators while producing ambitious content
• The professionalisation of creator-led media businesses

Whether you’re a TV producer, production executive, creator, commissioner or studio founder, this episode is packed with practical insights into how production is evolving in the digital-first era.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Peter White, Executive Editor at  Deadline⁠, for a wide-ranging conversation covering the biggest issues facing the global content business.

Peter shares his perspective from Los Angeles on the changing fortunes of Hollywood, the impact of YouTube on traditional television, the future of late-night programming following Stephen Colbert’s departure from CBS, the economics of streaming, and why production companies need to rethink how they make and monetise content.

The discussion explores major industry developments including the Paramount-Skydance deal, the rise of creator-led content, YouTube’s growing dominance in the attention economy, the future of unscripted television, and whether vertical drama is genuinely the next big thing or simply the latest industry fad.

Peter also explains why he believes the next generation of media talent will emerge from YouTube rather than traditional television, reveals why Deadline has expanded into live events, and shares his thoughts on the future relationship between creators, broadcasters and streamers.

A candid and insightful conversation about where television, social video and the wider creator economy are heading next.

In this episode:

• Is Hollywood really in crisis?
 • Why YouTube is winning the attention war
 • The future of late-night television after Stephen Colbert
 • The Paramount-Skydance merger and industry consolidation
 • Why production companies must reduce costs
 • Creator-led content versus traditional TV models
 • The rise of YouTube-first entertainment
 • Why Peter is sceptical about vertical drama
 • How Deadline is adapting to a changing media landscape
 • The future of TV, streaming and social video

TellyCast is the podcast exploring the future of television, social video and the creator economy.

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What happens when two experienced television producers decide to leave the traditional TV industry and build a digital-first business from scratch?

In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Pete Campion, Co-Founder of IndyStudios, to explore how he and former BBC producer Matt Ramsden have made the leap from broadcast television into the creator economy.

Pete spent more than two decades producing large-scale international factual series, including the hugely successful Gold Rush franchise. But as the economics of traditional television became increasingly challenging, he saw an opportunity to apply those storytelling skills to YouTube, digital channels and AI-powered content.

The conversation explores the realities of building a digital-first production company, why TV producers should have confidence in their storytelling skills, how Indie Studios is developing original YouTube channels, and why AI is creating entirely new opportunities for factual storytelling.

Pete also discusses audience behaviour on YouTube, the importance of owning intellectual property, collaborating with creators, working with brands, and the lessons traditional production companies need to learn if they want to succeed in the new production economy.

Elsewhere, Justin and Pete discuss the future of reality television, duty of care in content production, the opportunities for experienced TV producers in social video, and why storytelling remains the most valuable skill in any medium.

Whether you’re a producer, creator, commissioner, studio executive or media entrepreneur, this episode offers a fascinating insight into how one production company is navigating the transition from television to digital-first content.

Key Topics

• Building IndyStudios after redundancy from traditional TV
 • Why experienced TV producers are moving into digital-first content
 • Gold mining channels and niche audience strategies
 • Working with creators and athletes
 • The opportunities and risks of AI-generated storytelling
 • Legends of Gold and AI-powered factual content
 • What TV producers can learn from YouTube creators
 • Audience-first storytelling versus commissioner-led development
 • Duty of care in digital production
 • The future of independent production companies

Episode Highlights

• Pete’s journey from Gold Rush to founding IndyStudios
 • Why “storytelling will win” regardless of technology changes
 • How AI is unlocking previously impossible factual stories
 • Building owned IP instead of relying on commissions
 • Lessons learned from publishing on YouTube
 • The biggest mindset shifts TV producers need to make
 • Why collaboration is essential for traditional indies entering digital

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Naomi Channell, Head of Podcasts at Curve Media and creator of some of the UK’s fastest-growing true crime podcasts.

Naomi shares her journey from a 20-year career in television production to building a portfolio of hit podcast brands that now attract more than a million monthly listeners across audio and video platforms.

The conversation explores how Naomi developed her first podcast around the Stuart Lubbock case, why empathy and trust have become central to her approach to true crime storytelling, and how Curve Media has embraced podcasting as a serious digital-first business opportunity.

Naomi also reveals how shows such as The Affair and Totally True Crime have found audiences on Spotify, discusses the realities of podcast monetisation, and explains why TV production companies should be thinking about podcasts, communities, live events, books and platform licensing as part of a broader IP strategy.

If you’re interested in podcasting, digital-first content, social video, audience building or the future of media businesses, this is an essential listen.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Andrew Eastel, Managing Director of Middlechild Productions, for a fascinating conversation about how traditional TV production companies can adapt to the digital-first production economy.

Andrew explains how Middlechild launched the hugely successful Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh YouTube channel, why factual producers may be better placed for social video than they realise, and how TV indies can build long-term IP businesses beyond traditional commissioning.

The discussion explores YouTube strategy, digital monetisation, brand partnerships, broadcaster pre-sales, connected TV viewing habits, audience behaviour, and why producers should think like entrepreneurs when building social video channels.

Andrew also reveals how Middlechild’s new digital division Wildchild is developing future-facing content brands in areas including pets and survival, and explains why digital-first production could eventually create more stable long-term work for freelancers.

This episode is essential listening for anyone working in TV production, social video, YouTube strategy, digital-first content, or the wider creator economy.

Key Topics:
• The success of Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh on YouTube
• Why TV producers still have valuable advantages in digital
• How broadcasters may increasingly acquire digital-first IP
• Building long-term content brands beyond commissioning
• YouTube as a search engine and connected TV platform
• Monetisation strategies beyond YouTube ad revenue
• Why producers need a business model before a format idea
• The future of factual TV and digital-first production

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Spotify is no longer just an audio platform. Video podcasts are now at the centre of its growth strategy — and according to Spotify’s Rowan Collinson, they are rapidly becoming one of the most important opportunities in the digital-first production economy.  

In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby speaks to Rowan Collinson, Audience Lead at Spotify, about why video podcasts are exploding, how creators are building entire IP ecosystems around shows, and what traditional TV producers need to understand about succeeding in social video and podcasting.

Rowan explains why podcasting is becoming a natural entry point for TV indies moving into digital-first content, how Spotify’s Partner Programme creates new revenue opportunities, and why genres like comedy, true crime and interview formats are thriving on the platform.

The conversation also explores data, retention metrics, creator monetisation, the rise of vertical video, Channel 4’s move into Spotify video podcasts, and why the future belongs to always-on content brands rather than traditional six-part TV commissions.

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Recorded live at How to Make Money in Digital on April 20th 2026, this episode of TellyCast features Tim Taylor MBE, the creator of Time Team, in a candid conversation about bringing one of the UK’s most beloved factual formats into the digital-first era.

Tim shares the inside story of how Time Team moved from traditional broadcaster funding to a fan-supported model on Patreon, and what that shift has meant for production, audience relationships, and creative control. From building a global community of supporters to balancing YouTube reach with subscriber exclusivity, this is a rare, practical look at how legacy TV IP can be reimagined for today’s social video landscape.

The conversation also dives into the realities of scaling down production teams, the challenges of converting audience attention into paying fans, and why staying true to the core DNA of a format is critical when evolving it for digital platforms. Along the way, Tim reflects on what producers can learn from Time Team’s journey, including how to test ideas with audiences, monetise catalogue content, and navigate a world where data, community, and storytelling increasingly intersect.

If you’re a TV producer, content creator, or media executive looking to understand how established brands can survive—and thrive—in the digital-first production economy, this is essential listening.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby speaks to Timothy Oh from COL Group, one of the biggest players in the booming micro drama business.

As the company behind platforms including ReelShort, Timothy explains why short-form, vertical storytelling has exploded in China and the US, why it is now starting to spread across Europe, and what it could mean for broadcasters, producers and content businesses in the UK.

The conversation explores why micro drama has already overtaken the Chinese box office, how companies are making tens of millions of dollars from series costing a fraction of traditional TV budgets, and why the next battle will be fought over monetisation, IP and audience ownership.

Justin and Timothy also discuss why British audiences may need their own version of micro drama, why the current content often feels too “cheesy” for UK viewers, and how broadcasters could reinvent familiar brands and soaps for a vertical, mobile-first world.

Inside this episode:

– Why micro drama has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in global entertainment

– How COL Group built a global micro drama empire

– The role of apps including ReelShort in driving the market

– Why UK broadcasters and producers are starting to pay attention

– How data, testing and constant iteration drive success in social video

– Whether micro drama will eventually move onto platforms like YouTube, TikTok and streaming services

– Why the future of digital-first storytelling may depend on creating local content for local audiences

If you want to understand where the next wave of social video and digital-first entertainment is heading, this is an episode you do not want to miss.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Matt Campion, co-founder of Spirit Studios, for a deep dive into how one of the UK’s most established digital-first production companies is building for the future.

Matt explains how Spirit evolved from an early digital production business into a multi-strand content company spanning originals, podcasts, branded content, YouTube channel management and new vertical video formats. He talks through Spirit’s revenue model, why digital growth demands a different mindset from traditional TV, and why building platform-native IP is a long-term entrepreneurial play rather than a quick fix.

The conversation also explores how audience data shapes development, why production companies need to think beyond single commissions, and what the next generation of super indies could look like in a world where content brands need to live across YouTube, podcasts, social video, streaming and linear.

Justin and Matt also discuss the rise of micro drama, the reality of making money in digital, the value of owning IP, and what legacy producers still misunderstand about the digital-first production economy. To close, Matt gives his take on the launch of Saturday Night Live UK and what it says about risk, ambition and the future of entertainment.

This is a sharp conversation for anyone working in TV, digital production, podcasting or social video who wants to understand where the content business is heading next.

If you work in production and want to understand how the digital-first economy really works, this episode is for you.

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