Stephen Dubner, the journalist and bestselling author behind the Freakonomics franchise, is launching a self-financed television-style talk show called "Better in Person", with new episodes appearing every Tuesday from 14 July on the Freakonomics Radio Network YouTube channel. The show marks a notable step for Dubner, who is moving in front of the camera and betting that audiences want depth and substance at a time when much of the media is optimised for speed and spectacle.

The first season runs to 10 episodes, with Dubner inviting guests into his New York City home, though some conversations take place elsewhere, such as a chef's kitchen, a bookshop or a basketball court. Guests span architecture, business, literature, sport, music and food, and include architect Bjarke Ingels, novelist Harlan Coben, Barnes & Noble chief executive James Daunt, comedian Gary Gulman and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jennifer Egan. Produced independently and shot with six cameras, the show will be available on YouTube and as audio on podcast platforms, drawing on the "Freakonomics Radio" audience of 2.5 million monthly listeners.