Over the Christmas break, watching Love Actually offered an unexpected moment of reflection. It evoked a Britain of two decades ago – confident, outward-looking, and culturally assured.

For a long time, the BBC didn’t really have to explain itself. It was “for everyone” and that answer carried weight. Most people accepted it. Today, it doesn’t land in quite the same way.

In recent years, pop culture has been spilling into our cities in increasingly physical ways. What once lived on the big screen and within fan communities, now appears on pavements, high streets and public spaces.

After another whirlwind year of global headlines, political shifts and cultural comebacks, the media landscape feels more fluid – and more fragile – than ever.

When the government unveiled its shortlist for the next wave of new towns - Enfield, Greenwich, Tandridge among them - the imagery was familiar: families cycling through green corridors, children playing in sun-lit parks, and young households finally finding the homes they’ve been priced out of elsewhere.