Battle far from over after Paramount and Warner Bros deal creates new global entertainment powerhouse “It feels like the calm before the storm,” says an executive at Skydance, the newly minted media empire formed from the megamerger of Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). “David has got what he wanted, but now there is a price to pay.”Earlier this month, David Ellison, Skydance’s chief executive, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/06/paramount-warner-bros-skydance-merger">sealed the $110bn (£82bn) deal</a>, creating a global powerhouse spanning two Hollywood studios each more than a century old, the TV networks HBO, MTV and Discovery, and news outlets CBS and CNN. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/24/skydance-employees-brace-change-megamerger-dust-settles">Continue reading...</a>

Battle far from over after Paramount and Warner Bros deal creates new global entertainment powerhouse

‘Cuts mean jobs’: Skydance staff brace for shake-up after $110bn megamerger

Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff spend most of their days thinking about the president’s follies for their podcast, Inside Trump’s Head. Someone’s gotta do itFor a couple of journalists who spend such an inordinate amount of time sloshing around the putrid inner recesses of Donald Trump’s mind, they come across as remarkably chipper.Michael Wolff, chronicler of the 45th and 47th president, and Joanna Coles, chief creative and content officer of the Daily Beast, are just about to record the 168th episode of their runaway podcast, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/inside-trumps-head">Inside Trump’s Head</a>. Now in its 15th month, the thrice-weekly show is attracting an expanding audience as it digs down into Trump’s unique blend of megalomania, narcissism and insatiable lust for fame. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/ng-interactive/2026/oct/25/inside-trumps-head-podcast">Continue reading...</a>

Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff spend most of their days thinking about the president’s follies for their podcast, Inside Trump’s Head. Someone’s gotta do it

They wallow in Trump gunk 24/7. They say it’s necessary

Dom Phillips warned that Jair Bolsonaro would make life more dangerous for reporters and the Amazon rainforest, and that his sons were even more extreme“Bolso shows all signs of fascism, as do his supporters,” the murdered British journalist Dom Phillips told me before his death. “His sons are all more extreme if anything.”These words were written in 2018 by the Guardian contributor shortly before the election of the far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil – a prospect that Dom viewed with dread. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/jair-bolsonaro-fascism-journalist-dom-phillips-predicted-brazil-future">Continue reading...</a>

Dom Phillips warned that Jair Bolsonaro would make life more dangerous for reporters and the Amazon rainforest, and that his sons were even more extreme

‘Bolso shows all signs of fascism’: the journalist who predicted Brazil’s future – and paid the ultimate price

BBC series deliberately uses ‘more organic’ shots to assure viewers animals are not AI-generated, producers sayThe <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/david-attenborough">David Attenborough</a>-narrated series Blue Planet III deliberately includes cloudier, less polished footage to counter AI fakery and assure viewers it is “authentic”, its producers have said.Nearly a decade after Blue Planet II shone a light on plastic pollution, and 25 years since the first Blue Planet aired, the hit BBC series is returning with more animal behaviour and cutting-edge technology, including the world’s first underwater CCTV camera – dubbed “stonefish” cam. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/24/blue-planet-iii-cloudier-footage-prove-authenticity-ai-boom">Continue reading...</a>

BBC series deliberately uses ‘more organic’ shots to assure viewers animals are not AI-generated, producers say

Blue Planet III features cloudier footage to prove authenticity amid AI boom

Campaigners call lack of progress ‘staggering’ as online regulator issues review of first nine months of new regimeLandmark online safety measures have failed to limit the proportion of children suffering harm from social media, the UK’s online regulator has admitted, in an assessment branded “staggering” by campaigners.The proportion of children being fed unsafe content that often left them frightened, confused and upset, was almost unchanged, according to an Ofcom review of the first nine months of supposedly strict requirements on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/23/uk-children-just-as-likely-to-have-suffered-harm-on-social-media-despite-crackdown-ofcom-online-safety-act">Continue reading...</a>

Campaigners call lack of progress ‘staggering’ as online regulator issues review of first nine months of new regime

Online safety laws have failed to protect children in UK, Ofcom admits

Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham join William on sofa for special edition to celebrate prince’s Earthshot prizeThe Prince of Wales has braved the chatshow sofa, making a surprise appearance on The Graham Norton Show.In the pre-recorded show, to be aired on Friday on BBC One, William made a surprise appearance in a special Earthshot prize edition to promote his environmental initiative, which has an annual awards ceremony due to be staged in Mumbai, India, next month. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/23/prince-william-graham-norton-show">Continue reading...</a>

Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham join William on sofa for special edition to celebrate prince’s Earthshot prize

Prince William makes surprise appearance on Graham Norton show

Vertical dramas are a global phenomenon made in bite-sized addictive chunks to watch on phones. But Channel 4 has made a slow-release syrupy tale in five parts – without tension or actual drama Vertical dramas – that is, short-form content made specifically for phones – are big business in 2026. They are particularly popular in countries such as China and India, and the global market is expected to be worth $26bn by 2030. It makes sense: much has been made of the double-screening epidemic, and of people scrolling so much that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/17/not-second-screen-enough-is-netflix-deliberately-dumbing-down-tv-so-people-can-watch-while-scrolling">Netflix has to remind them what is going on on their TV screens</a> every few seconds. Why not just cut out the middleman and ditch the telly bit altogether?
 
 
 Enter Channel 4, which has released its first vertical drama on social media in the UK. It’s described as “a bold, character-led series” that explores “the friendship, ambition and lives of a diverse group of intelligent young women”. The Guest List is made in partnership with the skincare brand Sol de Janeiro, and episodes are around 90 seconds to two minutes in length. The microdramas that have gripped Asia are camp and cliffhanger-heavy – one producer described them as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251107-soap-opera-on-cocaine-how-vertical-dramas-flipped-hollywood">“soap operas on cocaine”</a>. The Guest List is less cocaine, more Coke Zero: sweet, syrupy, probably not bad for you but not especially good either. Anodyne. Sort of like watching the adverts before a YouTube video, instead of pressing the skip button at your earliest convenience.
 
 
 Part of the issue might be that many of these bite-size dramas release all their episodes at once, and viewers could watch 100 instalments in a day (if that sounds a lot, consider that a TikTok or Instagram user could devour many hundreds of shortform reels in 24 hours). Channel 4, however, is airing just one episode per week. If the idea is to get viewers addicted, surely 90 seconds every seven days will not cut it. Besides, I’m three episodes in and I barely know who is who. Will it be a month before I find out? There are also a mere five episodes in total; while this is the broadcaster’s first foray into the format, it does feel rather slight.
 
 
 That is not to say it isn’t fun. Episode one follows Amaka (Jadesola Odunjo) who – according to the publicity bumf – is “a PR guru who is bold, energetic and impossible to ignore – just like [the Sol de Janeiro perfume] Intense Mist Cheirosa 62”. It opens with her inviting friends to an exclusive boat party on the Thames ... only to have her phone snatched by a thief. She commands a passing rickshaw driver “Follow that bike!”, as she mourns the loss of “every client, every influencer, my press contact … my bank card”. (Could our reliance on our phones perhaps be bad?! Very meta). With barely 30 seconds to go and Amaka now arguing with the rickshaw driver who has realised he won’t get paid, I am hooked. Nothing else really happens, truth be told, but it could have. There is youth. There is possibility. There is excellent eyeshadow. There is a woman telling Amaka that the Thames is now a 45-minute walk away.Next week’s episode finds finance intern Bella (Felicity Ali) on a work call, being patronised by her boss. She messages her mates: she won’t have time to go home and get changed before the boat party. A text pings from one of them: “ambition is your dress code”. Yes, girlboss! She fashions a dress out of a blazer, and uses her tie as a belt. (Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out.) Meanwhile, the episode due for release on 4 November is perhaps the most relatable for me – Mika (Mia Ito Smith) racing to collect her parcel from the corner shop then squatting in an aisle so her neighbour doesn’t see her in her sweatpants.
 
 
 I’m quite intrigued to find out whether the girls make it to that party, but the thought of waiting weeks to find out is the antithesis of what vertical dramas are all about. Releasing the episodes so far apart – refusing to hijack our eyeballs, glue us to our phones and make us cancel all social plans for the foreseeable future – just isn’t the microdrama way. Until Channel 4 is willing to give us the entire Guest List cinematic universe, this feels more like a gen Z Boots ad than the future of British television. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/oct/24/channel-4s-new-social-media-drama-has-90-second-episodes-and-its-as-enjoyable-as-watching-adverts">Continue reading...</a>

Vertical dramas are a global phenomenon made in bite-sized addictive chunks to watch on phones. But Channel 4 has made a slow-release syrupy tale in five...

Channel 4’s new social media drama has 90-second episodes – and it’s as enjoyable as watching adverts

Redundancies come after paper was bought in June by European media group Axel SpringerThe new owners of the Daily Telegraph have made large numbers of staff redundant, telling them the title will be transformed from a newspaper “into a global, AI-powered premium media and intelligence business”.In an all-company briefing and email on Friday morning, staff were told the title would rely increasingly on technology, data and AI to “reinvent the reader experience”. Newsroom insiders said they expected as many as 100 people to lose their jobs. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/23/telegraph-job-cuts-axel-springer-owner-promises-turn-paper-ai-powered-global-business">Continue reading...</a>

Redundancies come after paper was bought in June by European media group Axel Springer

Telegraph cuts up to 100 jobs as new owner promises to turn paper into ‘AI-powered’ global business

Celia’s guffs, Richard’s gaffes, Claudia’s glorious knitwear – The Traitors has become the most successful show on the planet. The creators and the queen of the castle herself talk exploding pirate ships, becoming evil and Barry the owlIt all began on a Dutch trading ship in 1628. No, really. When the Batavia set sail from Amsterdam, it crashed and the shipwrecked survivors were left stranded on a tiny island off the coast of Western Australia. As mutineers eyed the Batavia’s stash of silver, shipmates, friends and families turned on each other. About 100 people were brutally murdered, making it one of the most violent chapters in maritime&nbsp;history.Nearly 400 years later, in 2015, creative entrepreneur Marc Pos had a lightbulb moment while reading about this “adult Lord of the Flies” atrocity. It gave him the idea for a reality TV show – the game of trust and treachery we now know as The Traitors. It was originally envisaged to take place on a boat, with banished players jumping overboard into the sea. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/oct/23/traitors-bbc-making-of-inside-story-worlds-biggest-tv-show">Continue reading...</a>

Celia’s guffs, Richard’s gaffes, Claudia’s glorious knitwear – The Traitors has become the most successful show on the planet. The creators and the queen...

‘I always think my head will fall off when Traitors turn on each other’: the inside story of the world’s biggest TV show

The closure of former WH Smith stores around the UK is sobering on many levels. The publications they sold were there to be perused, to broaden horizonsTowards the end of the 1970s, the brief but spectacular career of those punk rockers and folk devils the Sex Pistols was followed by The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle, a rather tawdry drama-documentary. It recast their rise and fall as a huge scam, summed up by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://prfmlorain.com/punk-icon-malcolm-mclaren/">a slogan on a T-shirt</a> worn by their former manager Malcolm McLaren: “Cash from Chaos”.Back then, that motto was a neat representation of his personal brand of cultural mischief. But the culture always takes unexpected twists and turns – and 50 years on, an almost-identical maxim seems to be defining the fate of an increasing chunk of the British retail economy. While Andy Burnham pledges <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/25/burnham-pledges-extra-210m-regenerate-high-streets">to restore life to town centres</a>, a private equity outfit is busy buying up national retail chains and then shutting down scores of their outlets, while seemingly operating in line with its boss’s most celebrated <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ft.com/content/6b803a58-8940-47ae-bdb7-ff480e48d058?syn-25a6b1a6=1">quotation</a>: “Where there’s chaos, there’s opportunity.”John Harris is a Guardian columnist <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/25/as-a-young-man-magazines-were-my-window-to-the-world-that-wonder-will-be-lost-when-all-the-shops-have-gone">Continue reading...</a>

The closure of former WH Smith stores around the UK is sobering on many levels. The publications they sold were there to be perused, to broaden horizons

As a young man, magazines were my window to the world. That wonder will be lost when all the shops have gone | John Harris

In his rogue new travelogue, the Hollywood star tees off, has drunken pub singalongs – but mostly just proves how tired he is of fameI’m suspicious of travelogues, which often feature celebrities in contrived situations, serving up a sentimental postcard of a place that is tantamount to a lie. I also hate how famous people are inexorably drawn to golf: a boring game historically predicated on a rancid mix of social exclusivity and extensive land ownership. So it was perverse of me to watch a show in which author Tom Coyne drives around Ireland playing various courses with his friend, actor Bill Murray. It’s the perfect intersection of none of my interests.I was, however, hooked by a strange promise in A Course Called Ireland’s introductory sequence. “This is not a show about golf,” it says. “It’s not even a show about Bill Murray.” This was immediately followed by a scene in which an Irish woman standing by the roadside misidentified the actor as&nbsp;Bill Cosby. OK, I thought. What&nbsp;are they teeing up here? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/oct/24/a-course-called-ireland-bill-murray-clearly-hated-making-his-new-golfing-show-but-its-extremely-fun-to-binge">Continue reading...</a>

In his rogue new travelogue, the Hollywood star tees off, has drunken pub singalongs – but mostly just proves how tired he is of fame

A Course Called Ireland: Bill Murray clearly hated making his new golfing show – but it’s extremely fun to binge

PM and the Liverpool mayor prove to be naturals at watching TV, with a genuine connection and sense of funOn nights like this a man can feel like he’s slipped through the looking-glass. I’m sitting on the sofa watching the TV, poised to make some gags about the prime minister and the mayor of Liverpool, who are themselves sitting on a sofa at No 10, poised to make some gags about what they are watching on TV.Life doesn’t get more meta. The saving grace is that this episode of Gogglebox is a charity special for Stand Up to Cancer. Andy Burnham has requested that any journalist writing about the programme makes a donation to SU2C. I’m happy to oblige. Cancer is costing me a great deal more than money. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/24/andy-bloke-appears-vaguely-normal-on-gogglebox-but-kemi-dodged-a-bullet">Continue reading...</a>

PM and the Liverpool mayor prove to be naturals at watching TV, with a genuine connection and sense of fun

Andy Bloke appears vaguely normal on Gogglebox – but Kemi dodged a bullet

In this week’s newsletter: Stalling subscriber numbers have led to a corporate bloodbath, but the streaming giant has an inherent quality problem that will be a lot harder to fixIn all the fevered hype around a certain <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/19/you-can-see-everything-elizabeth-holmes-nathan-fielder-lance-oppenheim">three-hour, form-breaking documentary portrait of a disgraced tech CEO</a>, another big Hollywood story this week has been relatively sidelined: the drama at Netflix, where sluggish subscriber numbers and a general lack of Wall Street enthusiasm has led to a remarkable spree of sackings. A thousand employees, or 6% of its entire workforce, have been laid off – including some very big names. Among a clutch of other execs, chief content officer Bela Bajaria – the figure most synonymous with Netflix’s tone and ethos over the past decade – has been fired. The company’s head of film, Dan Lin, has gone too. That shade of red on the streamer’s logo has never looked more bloody. You Can See Everything getting very messy indeed.We’ve been here before, of course. Netflix – giant, controversial, inescapable – is the sort of company people love to make grand speculations about. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/apr/20/netflix-shares-fall-losing-subscribers">Pencils were sharpened in 2022</a> when Netflix lost subscribers for the first time and saw its share price plummet as a result, before the company enjoyed a notable resurgence. Just as the obituaries written for the streamer were premature then, writing it off now would be foolish too. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/oct/23/the-knives-are-out-at-netflix-maybe-now-it-will-make-something-worth-watching">Continue reading...</a>

In this week’s newsletter: Stalling subscriber numbers have led to a corporate bloodbath, but the streaming giant has an inherent quality problem that wi...

The Guide #266: The knives are out at Netflix – maybe now it will make something worth watching

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There are numerous apps on the market that promise to do just that, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best ones to help you pick the right one for you.

There are numerous apps on the market that promise to do just that, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best ones to help you pick the right one for ...

The best apps for tracking your reading and discovering new books

The footage looks okay, as long as you're not seeking artistry, inspiration, or human interest.

Grok releases the first seven minutes of its AI-generated ‘Odyssey’

"That's a 12-year-old view of the world."

‘Cyberselfish’ author takes aim at techno-libertarianism as her book returns from the dead

"Despite massive investments and widespread hype around artificial intelligence, the technology has delivered zero financial payoff to corporate America outside of tech."

"Despite massive investments and widespread hype around artificial intelligence, the technology has delivered zero financial payoff to corporate America ...

AI delivers ‘zero financial payoff’ to most companies, Apollo economist says

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it.

TechCrunch Mobility: Blue-green is the color of autonomy

We compiled a list of all the hottest AI wearables, including Muse Charm, Bee, Friend, Plaud, and more. 

The hottest AI wearables and gadgets you should know about

Elon Musk reportedly ordered SpaceX to throttle Ukraine's Starlink access.

Starlink seems to be working normally again in Ukraine

The moment you realize the internet is "held together by glue and dreams."

Will AI expose the rickety infrastructure of the internet?

From Apple's repeatedly delayed Siri AI to OpenAI's messy "super app" launch, here's a look at the AI projects that shut down or missed expectations.

The AI graveyard: a running list of projects and startups that didn’t make it

Instacart might sell itself to a larger competitor.

Instacart reportedly discussed selling itself with DoorDash and Uber

Block said that the voice model can run locally on a MacBook M4 Max

Block’s new voice model sounds eerily human

Two critical bugs in the PHP web programming language, used by the majority of the internet, threatened to upend the internet — and it's unlikely to be the last major software scare.

Two critical bugs in the PHP web programming language, used by the majority of the internet, threatened to upend the internet — and it's unlikely to be t...

PHP-ocalypse: How two critical web bugs almost broke the internet

From retro cassette players and virtual notebooks to flight trackers and even a digital toaster, developers are finding creative ways to take advantage of Apple's first foldable iPhone.

From retro cassette players and virtual notebooks to flight trackers and even a digital toaster, developers are finding creative ways to take advantage o...

These clever apps show off the iPhone Duo’s potential

A new study found Grok's AI overwhelmingly recommends Republican candidates while OpenAI's GPT favors Democrats, with the two AI models disagreeing in more than 90% of nearly 500 election races.

A new study found Grok's AI overwhelmingly recommends Republican candidates while OpenAI's GPT favors Democrats, with the two AI models disagreeing in mo...

Forced to pick, Grok’s AI model chooses Republicans. OpenAI’s picks Democrats. 

The $400 Boox Palma 2 Pro is a smartphone-sized e-reader designed for people who want to read books, articles, and documents on a small E Ink display. 

The Boox Palma 2 Pro finally got me to stop reading on my phone

We created a list of the most notable AI agents that can live in your text messages, from general assistants to agents designed for families, travel, and work.

We created a list of the most notable AI agents that can live in your text messages, from general assistants to agents designed for families, travel, and...

Here are the top AI agents that can live in your text messages 

At TechCrunch Disrupt last week, two founders and a VC discussed how to not just gain an early following but keep one. 

Startups don’t need to go viral to win customers

OpenAI will cut frontier models off from the internet weeks after one of its engineers said that solution wouldn't work. 

OpenAI says it will no longer train its AI models on the live internet, citing “significant risks”

The robots, stomping their little feet and making tiny R2-D2 noises, sat, fell down dead for a "nap," and summersaulted on voice command. 

Hottest toy for Christmas? Nvidia CEO plays with adorable Microduck robots, 20,000 sell

Top investors from Iconiq and Sapphire Ventures, along with Rahul Vohra, the founder of Superhuman Mail, share the do's and don'ts for building hit products.

Top investors from Iconiq and Sapphire Ventures, along with Rahul Vohra, the founder of Superhuman Mail, share the do's and don'ts for building hit produ...

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