Beat the Scroll - The Content Marketing Podcast · Wander

Off-Screen TV Legend Ramy El-Bergamy on How to Build a Future in TV & FILM 2023 - Part 2

May 17, 2023·16 min·1 clip

A TV industry veteran's brutally honest take on why talent is finally calling the shots

Ramy starts by saying ideas can come from music, culture, newspapers, and just about anywhere people are paying attention. He wants to know what his mum's watching and what his little sister's watching, because both matter. He and the hosts dig into The Repair Shop and why it lands so well. They separate the mechanics of the show from the enjoyment of watching it. The emotional pull of ordinary objects is what makes it feel special. Wonder comes up next as an example of work that felt fresh and worth paying attention to. Ramy points to the North East setting and the sense that the people behind it were using their own voice. The conversation also touches on the commissioning side and how much people there seem to like him. That opens the door to a bigger point about relationships in the industry. You have to understand the company you are in. You have to build trust with people. You have to connect with different kinds of talent and actually get access to them. None of that happens quickly. Ideas can take 18 months or more to move, and by then people may have left the company. A project can still be alive after the original team has gone. Ramy says that can be hard to get your head around if you do not know the world. The hosts agree that television can be too short term focused. They call that dangerous. Then the mood eases and they start comparing notes on what they are watching. The Apprentice gets a lot of love. Succession is held up as gold. Love Island, Traitors, and The Masked Singer all get a mention too. The chat stays loose and familiar, and it ends with the sense that good TV work comes from watching widely, staying curious, and giving ideas enough room to breathe.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how TV ideas survive long enough to get made.

The episode tracks how TV ideas move toward a commission, with Ramy El-Bergamy treating the process as a mix of borrowed instincts, family habits, and the influence of what people actually watch.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want the inside track on how TV ideas actually get commissioned?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Beat the Scroll - The Content Marketing Podcast