Pilot TV

It’s absolute anarchy this week as we manage to begin the podcast first with a debate about proper podcast nomenclature and then with Kay and Boyd fighting over what does and does not constitute and illegal review. But bear with us and we promise the podcast proper does start eventually. And a good thing too, because Aldis Hodge and Ben Watkins join us to talk Cross (22:16) — though not to get cross — and Rebecca Hall drops by to talk The Listeners (49:12). Elsewhere, we give BBC1’s The Listeners the full review treatment (1:06:36), plus spice things up with Dune: Prophecy on Sky Atlantic (1:15:48) and discover whether Michael Schur and Ted Danson’s new comedy, A Man On the Inside (1:31:22), can hold a candle to The Good Place.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 12 hours early, with a second weekly show, and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

The Dude himself, Mr Jeff Bridges is one of our guests on this week’s show (27:27), talking about the return of The Old Man on Disney+. He’s joined by Steve Zahn, who drops by to talk about Silo (1:39:49) as its second season drops on Apple TV+. And speaking of which, we dig beneath the surface of that show (1:20:49) to find out whether its encore performance can live up to its sparkling debut, plus we take a trip back to the Troubles for IRA drama Say Nothing on Disney+ (1:31:23). But that’s not all, because in a rare convergence of the spheres, we actually review…. an animation (1:06:19). But not just any animation, because Netflix’s Arcane is back, back, back and even James is excited about this one.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 12 hours early, with a second weekly show, and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

Comedy legend Billy Crystal is our guest this week, not to talk about comedy, though, but rather psychological thriller Before on Apple TV+. Plus, we have an espionage triple bill for you this week as we delve into the world of assassination with Eddie Redmaybe and Lashana Lynch — both of whom are also guests on this week’s show — in Sky’s The Day Of The Jackal, heading to Afghanistan with Jeff Bridges — a guest on next week’s show — for season 2 of The Old Man on Disney+, and getting another dose of Prime’s Citadelverse in Indian regional spinoff Citadel: Honey Bunny.

Richard E. Grant joins us on the show this week (1:00:00) to talk about The Franchise, which we reviewed last week, plus Ben Wheatley joins drops by to talk about his satirical back comedy Generation Z (00:24:58), which made its debut on Channel 4 on the weekend and which we also review (1:17:01). We head off to France to battle terrorists in Paris Has Fallen on Prime (1:25:51), and we take a harrowing look at life with a serial killer alongside Anna Maxwell Martin in Until I Kill You on ITV (1:35:29). Plus there’s talk of hanging out at Robbie Williams’ house, getting the bejesus scared out of us by Sean Harris, broken penises, interviews derailed by football and an awful lot of zomzies (sic).

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 12 hours early, along with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

Captain Nemo himself, Shazad Latif, joining us this week to chat Nautilus on Prime Video, and Felicity Ward is also a guest on this week’s show, chatting about her role at the forefront of Australia’s take on The Office. Elsewhere, we head behind the scenes of a blockbuster superhero movie in Sky Comedy’s The Franchise, and recline on Jason Segel’s couch in season 2 of Shrinking on Apple TV+. But don’t ask Kay about any of that as there’s a significant chance she’s not listening.

Eighties bonkbuster Rivals arrives on Disney+ this week and our very own Kay Ribeiro gets under the covers with star Aidan Turner to talk all about it. Plus, Lennie James takes on a decades-spanning role in Mr Loverman on BBC1, as a septuagenarian finally coming out of the closet, and Boydy got to chat with Lennie all about that. We also take a look at series 2 of The Devil’s Hour on Prime, which proves a delightful surprise to James and manages to utterly destroy Kay. Listen and find out why.

We invite Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal onto this week’s show to talk about Spanish-language boxing drama a Máquina on Disney+. But that’s not all, as we pillory Kay for daring to take some time off, James is lambasted for his egregious (if entirely oblivious) queue-jumping, and there’s some seasonal spooky chat about the best TV-based horrors. As well as reviewing La Máquina, though, we also take a look at starry Apple drama Disclaimer with Cate Blanchett, and Sweetpea on Sky Atlantic, in which Ella Purnell gets in touch with her inner sociopath.

It’s a crime special this week as not only do we delve into Ryan Murphy’s latest bowl of depravity in crime drama Grotesquerie on Disney+ but we also have Crime Monthly editor Steph Seelan standing in for Kay, who’s still on her meditation retreat (if you worked with James and Boyd, you’d need one too). And while we have Steph among us, we take the opportunity to delve into the best British crime shows and get her professional take. Elsewhere, we return to Pierpoint with Industry series 3, which finally makes its way to BBC1, and catch up with the second series of Showtrial, which does likewise.

There’s an ever-so-slight mix-up this week over whether a prestige BBC drama about tennis coaches should be masquerading as a Spanish language show about pirate ambulances, but that particular wrinkle thankfully gets ironed out in time for us to tackle Apples Never Fall on BBC1, in which Sam Neill may or may not have murdered Annette Bening. Plus David Mitchell and David Mitchell star as a pair of twins in Ludwig, also on the Beeb, and Sophie Turner takes a turn as godmother of crime Joan Hannington in Joan on ITV1. Also, now that the embargo has lifted, Boyd and Kay are able to review A Very Royal Scandal and James once again gets into the reasons why he wasn’t bewitched by Agatha All Along.

Ruth Wilson is our guest on the show this week, talking about A Very Royal Scandal, which comes to Prime Video this week but is also heavily embargoed so we can’t tell you about it on this week’s show. Luckily, she can! Plus, we’re all up in The Penguin’s business this week as that spinoff from Matt Reeves’ The Batman lands on Sky Atlantic and Now. Agatha All Along… is also embargoed, so we’ll be tackling that on this week’s Pilot+, but that does mean we have the bandwidth to return to Channel 5 for The Wives and, to properly send James off the deep end, we give the Frasier reboot another chance over on Paramount+. It doesn’t go well. All that and we also find the time for an emergency Emmys drop-in, discussing this year's winners.

It’s a special quarantine version of the pod this week as James, still struck down with Covid, feebly attempts to host the podcast while Boyd and Kay stay as far away from his lurgy as humanly possible. But despite a minor case of plague and an absolute dearth of telly this week, the team manage to hit the tracks for real-time train-based thriller Nightsleeper on BBC1, shagtastic educator drama The Teachers on Channel 5, and a trés Français fashion drama La Maison on Apple TV+. All that and you also get to hear how Kay’s boozy leaving drinks went and why Boyd now wears a t-shirt with her face on.

James returns from his Taycation this week, but don’t fret because to make up for that we have Gary Oldman on the show this week discussing the joy of Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses, and Eve Hewson chatting The Perfect Couple on Netflix. And speaking of Slow Horses, the arrival of Season 4 on Apple TV+ is cause for much celebration and is one of three triumphant returns this week, alongside Colin From Accounts, which finally makes its way to BBC2, and ITV’s The Tower.

James is still absent while he devotes every waking hour to recovering from the Taylor Swift concert, so Boyd and Kay are joined by all-round legend Sophie Butcher, who recently compared Dating Naked UK and Love Island to Claire Denis’ masterpiece Beau Travail. Up for review this week are season 4 of Only Murders In The Building on Disney+ (we will not be doing a spoiler special for this season, though, due to public demand), plus French series Sambre: Anatomy Of A Crime on BBC4, and the new fourth series of ITV1 crime drama Grace, starring John Simm. And yes, Grace episodes are 90 minutes long. Apologies all round. As for the guests we have the lovely comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan discussing their Rob & Romesh Vs series on Sky Max and NOW. Just to underline that James is away this week… 

We made it! 300 episodes (not counting the many episodes of Pilot+ or the spoiler specials) feels like quite the milestone, even if we weren’t able to do a live show because James has tickets to see Taylor Swift. He did manage to drag himself away from Eras Tour prep (those friendship bracelets don’t make themselves) to drop in and join Boyd and Kay for the 300th show, though, despite being on holiday. Could it be because Boyd and Kay both refused to watch yet another Walking Dead show? No comment. We do, however, get a run down of Dead City on Sky, as well as round two of Pachinko on Apple TV+, We Might Regret This on BBC2, and the return of Sherwood on BBC1, and on the subject of Sherwood, the creator and writer of the show, James Graham, is this week’s guest. Plus we have a few of you on as Well, leaving us testimonials to mark our threehundredieth birthday. Hooray!

We can’t review Paramount+’s Stags this week as it’s embargoed, but that didnt’ stop star Nico Mirallegro dropping by the pod to talk about the stag do from hell. Elsewhere, we can’t lie, this week is somewhat anarchic. Kay and James are sleep deprived to the point of delirium and even a well-rested and thoroughly perky Boyd can’t stop the good ship Pilot from taking on water and coming perilously close to capsizing completely. Still, between bickering about the olympics, exploring the etymology of Strictly Come Dancing and some minor controversy about how to pronounce a rather important name, we still manage (somehow) to review Vince Vaughn’s crime adventure Bad Monkey on Apple, Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey’s dysfunctional family drama Daddy issues on BBC3, and Sam Neill’s Aussie legal drama The Twelve on ITVX. Frankly, it’s a miracle we got through it all!

Like an episode of 24, we’re racing against the clock on this week’s show. But the imminent threat of being thrown from the studio by Jack Bauer didn’t stop us from dimension hopping with ITVX’s Slip, digging up a relic with Company You Keep on Alibi and heading up to Scotland for some criminal shenanigans with Irvine Welsh’s Crime, now on ITV1. Plus Boyd waxes lyrical about the Olympics, Kay asks about Summer shows and the practice of ‘raw dogging’ gets a full examination — not the kind you think!

We have vampires AND zombies this week in an undead double bill (Kay was thrilled) as well as people hurling themselves to a watery doom. More specifically, we tackle the second season of Interview With The Vampire on BBC2, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on Sky Max, and Totally Completely Fine on ITVX. But that’s not all, because we pull out some Paramount+ recommendations for those looking to drop into that streaming service (assuming you’ve forgiven them for cancelling Halo!), reel off some comfort watches for maternity leave and crunch some stats over recent streaming figures. All that while Boyd beams in from his holiday in NYC. Now that’s dedication.

Champion of the green team Ser Gwayne Hightower aka Freddie Fox joins us on the show this week to fill us in on the latest developments in House Of The Dragon, plus we dissect this year’s Emmy nominations, which saw Shōgun and The Bear (*cough* not a comedy *cough*) leading the pack. Elsewhere, we take a look at Apple’s Gilliam-esque reimagining, Time Bandits, head into police training with ITV’s Piglets, and experiment with the latest spin-off in The Good Wife franchise with Elspeth on Sky Witness.

Stars of Apple’s Lady In The Lake Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram join us on this week’s show despite a few technical hiccups. Plus we end up unearthing a cold case in BBC1’s very pointed Jenna Coleman police drama The Jetty, welcoming Danny Dyer back into the family with Mr. Bigstuff on Sky Max and getting our sandals on for some gladiatorial action in Those About To Die on Prime Video. All this despite Kay being stuck at home and having to beam into the studio via the wonder of modern technology, braving the sweltering heat of her office to do so (there’s a whole window drama, you have no idea).

Most films and TV shows are shot entirely out of sequence, so we went full Method on this week’s podcast and decided to record the entire show out of sequence to see what it’s like (and because we had an appointment with Rapman, but that’s another story). The result? Anarchy. And possibly madness. Still, amidst the carnage, the discussion of a Pilot OnlyFans, and the cancellation of another of James’ beloved shows, we still found time to tackle Apple’s darkly comedic robot drama Sunny, and two BBC2 shows: Michelle de Swarte’s Spent and Istanbul set police drama The Turkish Detective.

We may not have been able to cover The Bear last week but fear not, because our food order arrived in time for this week’s show and our take on The Bear’s third season is finally ready to go. Plus, not only do we fall under the spell of Prime Video’s My Lady Jane, but stars Rob Brydon and Anna Chancellor stop by to share parenting tips from this anachronistic alternate history. Not enough? A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder lands on iPlayer and speaking of murder, we manage to do exactly that to this week’s listener question.

We may not be able to review Netflix’s Supacell until the next Pilot+ but that didn’t stop the show’s creator, Rapman, from dropping by to talk all about his Black superhero saga. And while we’re talking about things we couldn’t review, there’s a whole debacle about The Bear (a Bearbacle?) that plays out this week, so if you’re joining us to find out what Carmy and the gang have been up to, you may be disappointed. We do join Hugh Bonneville for Douglas Is Cancelled, however, and head off to Spain with Eva Longoria for Land Of Women. So there’s that, at least.

We’re dancing with dragons on this weeks shows as two of the stars of House Of The Dragon join us on the show: Matt Smith and Fabien Frankel. Plus, we take a look at WWII family drama We Were The Lucky Ones on Disney+, renew our gym membership with the second series of Peacock on BBC3, and head out into space with Lena Headey for the arrival of space lighthouse sci-fi series Beacon 23, which arrives on Disney+. All that and Boydy, who hosted the screening of the Inside No.9 finale (he may have mentioned it) provides his definitive list of the best nine episodes of the show.

We have a guest double bill this week as Danai Gurira drops by to talk about taking up Michonne’s sword again in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, and Sam Spruell also joins us to talk all things Fargo. Plus we put Jake Gyllenhaal in the dock in Apple TV+’s remake of 1990 Harrison Ford thriller Presumed Innocent, House Of The Dragon roars back onto Sky, and Under The Bridge takes a look a girl violence when it arrives on Disney+. All that and we share with you the details of the great Pilot TV marriage proposal that never was…

Eric star Benedict Cumberbatch and creator Abi Morgan both stop by this week to chat all things Eric, which recently debuted on Netflix. Plus, this week’s slate includes Channel 4’s adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams’ novel Queenie, BBC1’s drama about a gay couple navigating the adoption system in Lost Boys And Fairies, and another jaunt into biographical fashionista territory with Becoming Karl Lagerfeld on Disney+. And the team put their heads together to figure out who their ideal timelord companions would b

We Are Lady Parts is back, back back! And to celebrate, writer and creator Nida Manzoor is on the show talking to Helen O’Hara. Plus Vicky McClure is also with us this week, chatting Insomnia on Paramount+. Meanwhile, James gets to zombiesplain his little socks off as we tackle the latest Walking Dead spinoff, The Ones Who Live, which brings Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira back into the fold, and Steven Knight’s The Veil comes to Disney+, putting Elisabeth Moss on mission as an MI6 agent trying to crack a possible terrorist.

Trying returns to Apple this week and not only are we reviewing it but Rafe Spall and Esther Smith are with us on the show to talk all about it. Plus we’re up all night with Vicky McClure in Paramount+’s adaptation of Sarah Pinborough novel Insomnia, and ITV gives us a dose of witness protection Tasmania style in Bay Of Fires. Elsewhere we unpick the recent TV BAFTAs and have a little fun with Spotify’s AI chapter headings.

This episode marks the Pilot TV debut of Empire’s very own Sophie Butcher, filling in for work-shy slacker Kay who’s STILL on holiday. Sophie shares with us some of her favourite shows, plus we finally pin Boydy down on a definitive (laminated!) list of his favourite films so he can’t keep attaching that label to every one he talks about. Elsewhere, we’re delving into competitive teenage athletics in The Gathering on Channel 4, seeing Ian Rankin’s Rebus get reborn on BBC1, and seeing if there’s still some life in the clone saga in Orphan Black: Echoes, which finally lands in the UK on ITVX.

We have TWO special guest this week. The first is the star of Dark Matter and all-round screen legend Jennifer Connelly, who joins us to discuss that series. The second is Swindon native all-round Pilot legend Beth Webb, who jumps back in to the show to cover for Kay, who’s on holiday. As well as getting ourselves back into quantum superposition for Dark Matter on Apple, we also tackle the final series of Inside No. 9, the fourth series of The Young Offenders and the new RTD era of Doctor Who, plus James has a lot to say about a certain kissing scene that appears to have traumatised him since last week.

Martin Freeman and Tony Schumacher — the star and creator respectively — join us this week to chat The Responder, which returns for its second series. Plus, we investigate some Tudor crimes with Shardlake and some cold war espionage with Spy/Master. None of which can prepare you for what Boyd’s been watching this week, which not only sees a surprise sprint for the finish line with a show he’d been behind on, but a rather unexpected ‘factual’ show, that dovetails with this week’s listener question to see a podcast far more concerned about measurements than it has any right to be.

Big ‘Dris himself joins us on the show this week, talking to Kay about Sonic spin-off Knuckles, which comes to Paramount+. Elsewhere, we’re back on the Baby Reindeer beat again this week, seeing as we made such a shambolic show of reviewing it on last episode (in fairness, it wasn’t entirely our fault), and now that everyone’s talking about it, we though it only fair to give it a proper viewing. Plus we revisit The Big Door Prize on Apple, and head off to hang out with the druids in The Red King on Alibi.

Walton Goggins and Lesley Sharp join us on this week’s show. Not together, of course, because the former is with us to chat Ghoul life in Prime Video’s Fallout and the latter is here in her capacity as head of MI5 in ITV’s Red-Eye. And speaking of Red-Eye, we review that show, which sees Richard Armitage on the flight from hell, as well as Glaswegian BBC comedy Dinosaur and the return of Belfast police drama Blue Lights, also on the Beeb. Plus we record our first proper podcast in the new studio, run through our (somewhat belated) 100 Greatest TV shows list, and dispense with a listener question in record time.

Sometimes we at the Pilot TV podcast are the very embodiment of calm, dignified professionalism. This is not one of those times. An early recording prompts unfettered anarchy this week as the team go full Joanna Page, cover a postbag slot we’ve done before and only half review one of the shows (we had our reasons). But all of that’s okay, becasue Star Trek Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green joins us on the show to talk about her final voyage, plus we watch Kate Winslet become a dictator, Jill Halfpenny turn into the lodger from hell and (almost) see a show about a stalker. Absolute chaos.

Not only do we have a 3 Body Problem Spoiler Special with the showrunners now available over on Pilot TV+, but stars John Bradley and Benedict Wong also drop by this week to chat about the show. Elsewhere, we’re raging over the unjust and unforgivable cancellation of The Lazarus Project (for shame, Sky!), examining this year’s RTS awards, and explore our objects of televisual desire — not to mention reviewing this week’s shows, of which there are FOUR (because who needs to go outside?). Colin Farrell takes the gumshoe beat in Sugar on Apple TV+, Romesh Ranganathan’s back dodging his problems in Avoidance, Star Trek: Discovery takes its final voyage, and Steven Knight’s This Town takes us back to 80s Belfast (and Birmingham).

We’re all about the Bolsheviks this week, as Ewan McGregor returns to our screens for A Gentleman In Moscow on Paramount+ and drops by this podcast to tell us about his Muskovite adventures first hand. Plus, we explore the chaotic life of Nicola Coughlan’s character in Channel 4 comedy Big Mood and catch up with Diane Morgan’s similarly anarchic antics in series 2 of Mandy on BBC2.

Loki, Luther and We Own This City star Wunmi Mosaku joins us this week to talk all things Passenger, a supernatural mystery show coming to ITV on Sunday at 9pm. Plus we finally get to talk about 3 Body Problem in full and reveal whether Netflix’s new show from the creators of Game Of Thrones could crack Kay’s anti sci-fi armour. Opinions divide quite spectacularly on the other shows this week, specifically Kristen Wiig-starring period piece Palme Royale on Apple TV+ and Anthony Mackie-starring apocalyptic road adventure Twisted Metal on Paramount+.

Is there a Falcon in the house? Yes there is, in fact, because Anthony Mackie joins us on this week’s show to talk apocalypse survival, not listening to Taylor Swift, and of course Twisted Metal, which comes to Paramount+ next week. Elsewhere, James has a revelation about 3 Body Problem, Kay ponders the existential dilemma of slow-burn TV, and we get into this week’s slate, which includes the hunt for Lincoln’s killer in Manhunt on Apple TV+ and the return of ITVX’s The Dry. And then there’s Love Rat, a show on Channel 5 that might have been genetically engineered in a lab to give James a breakdown.

Julianne Moore pays a visit to the Pilot TV pod studio this week, chatting seducing monarchs in Sky Atlantic’s Mary & George alongside director Oliver Hermanus/ Plus we climb into the brain of Guy Ritchie for his Netflix spinoff of The Gentlemen, and get to find out what’s going on with Jen and Jizzlord in series two of Disney+’s Extraordinary. And it that weren’t enough, there’s some egregious questioning of Kay’s Whovian enthusiasm, which does not go unanswered.

There can be only one thing more exciting than James Clavell’s Shōgun getting a brand new TV adaptation on Disney+, and that’s a special Pilot TV/Empire crossover podcast recorded to mark the occasion! Join Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Nick de Semlyen as they get together to talk all things Japanese, Nick’s epic read of Clavell’s 1300 page book, and the pros and cons of ninja-themed restaurants. What’s more, James sits down with showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks to talk about bringing Edo-period Japan to life and the art of banging subtitles, plus he chats with star Cosmo Jarvis about taking on the role of ‘The Anjin’. Enjoy!

This episode is one for nerds and normies alike as we begin with an audit of the accessibility of sci-fi films and, unexpectedly, trainers. Bit that’s not all, because Fellow Travellers star Jonathan Bailey drops by to talk about that show with Boydy, and James finally gets the chance to hold forth on Shōgun, managing to explode Kay’s brain in the process (in English, not Portuguese). Plus we uncover a mystery in Prime Video’s Dead Hot and break James upon the wheel of BBC3 comedy with Things You Should Have Done.

Jodie Foster joins us on the show this week, to talk about the grand finale of True Detective: Night Country. We get properly into all the twists and turns of that show but don’t worry if you’ve not had a chance to watch the final episode yet, because we’ve put the interview at the very end of the episode with clear spoiler markings (PSA: all six episodes of True Detective: Night Country are available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW, or you can download them to own on digital platforms).

But she’s not the only guest on this week’s show, either, as Noomi Rapace also drops by to talk about Apple’s creepy space-set sci-fi Constellation as well — it begins with talk of whether anyone’s wearing trousers on the Zoom call and all spirals out of control from there. Elsewhere on this week’s show, we take a look at ITV’s Breathtaking, which recounts the front line struggles of NHS staff during the outbreak of Covid, and we also watch BBC1’s The Way, which sees civil unrest as steelworkers down tools in Port Talbot. Plus Kay has us lamenting those dearly departed shows that ended on cliffhangers that were sadly never resolved.

You’ll have to have listened to last weeks’ Pilot+ to hear our review of One Day but fear not if you didn’t catch that, because stars Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall join us this week to discuss Netflix’s adaptation of the hit David Nicholls book. And speaking of turbulent romances, Alice And Jack comes to Channel 4 this week and sees Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough as a pair of star-crossed lovers. BBC1’s Kin, on the other hand, sees an entirely different kind of turmoil as the Kinsella clan go to war (again), and Channel 5’s Too Good To Be True explores the perils of unvetted employment (but does allow James to set up a terrible culinary pun). Finally, Kay’s postbag management takes a turn for the meta and we look at side-eye references in your favourite shows.

We may not be reviewing it till next week but Alice And Jack is winging its way to screens very soon and stars Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough — both of whom join us on the show this week to chat with Boydy. No one does awkward quite like Larry David so we're delighted to welcome him back to the screen for the 12th and final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm on Sky and Now. Plus Seth MacFarlane's Ted makes the transition to the small screen, we take a trip up north to see Scouse comedy G'wed, which lands on ITVX, and James nobly takes on the mantle of watching Halo season 2 so Kay doesn't have to get sci-fi on her.

We like to think of Pilot TV as the height of professionalism — a finely-honed product in which some of TV journalism's finest minds come together to share their wisdom. We like to think that. Evidence here to the contrary, though, as this one is an absolute shambles. James and Kay arrive unprepared, Boyd decides he'd much rather work with Helen and Dan, plus there's a whole thing about musicals. Honestly, it's a miracle we got through it at all. Still, we did find time to watch Black Cake on Disney+ (well, some of us), engage in some witchery with Domino Day on BBC Three, and catch up with Here We Go (again).

Acclaimed filmmaker Lulu Wang hops to the small screen this week with Expats on Prime and she dropped by the podcast to tell us all about it. Plus we witness Sofía Vergara breaking bad as a cartel boss Griselda Blanco in Netflix's Griselda, revisit London's '90s criminal underworld in Sexy Beast on Paramount+, and rejoin Vicky McClure's bomb squad in the return of Trigger Point on ITV. But that's not all, because the gang talk about the ups and downs of this year's Emmys (#justiceforBetterCallSaul) and Boyd and Kay once again try (and fail) to get James to care about The Traitors.

True Detective makes its long-awaited return this week with Jodie Foster in the lead. Is it a return to form for the series? Listen and find out (spoiler: it is). Plus we head down under for some Dickensian fun with The Artful Dodger on Disney+ and go Detectoring with Channel 5's Finders Keepers. The team also mull over hotel scenes, completely fail to discuss the Golden Globes and hear how Boyd got blanked by Phoebe Waller Bridge.

We're back! After scandalously taking Christmas off, (Boyd is still furious about it) Pilot makes a triumphant return to your ears this week, accompanied by legendary star of The Wire Clarke Peters, here talking about his new Channel 4 show Truelove. Plus Kay, Boyd and James run through their televisual resolution,s but also catch you all up on all the shows that aired over the first week of January. Beyond that, Jack Rooke's Big Boys returns to Channel 4, Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo arrive on Apple TV+ with Criminal Record, and Sophie Rundle gets swept away in ITV drama After The Flood.

Happy Christmas! What better gift to wake up to on December 25 than a Pilot TV Review Of The Year Special? Yes, we assemble live on Christmas morning* to bring you festive cheer, run through all the shows that mattered over the past 12 months, and reveal for you our Pilot TV list of the best shows of 2023. But that's not all! Because we also triage a special end of year postbag and Jamie Dornan stops by to talk about The Tourist, which returns to ITV on New Year's Day. See you all in 2024!

*In no way recorded live

Cider's mulling, turkey's turking, yams are yamming, and the Pilot TV podcast is getting ready for Christmas with this the LAST regular show of 2023. And, because this is essentially our yule send-off, Boydy runs through the vast array of shows coming your way between now and the new year, plus we review one of them: specifically, Mark Gatiss' latest festive frightener, Lot No. 249. We also head back to (Bernard) Cornwell country for the adaptation of his Warlord Chronicles, The Winter King on ITVX, and we find out whether Rick Riordan's Greek God saga lands safely on Disney+ with the arrival of Percy Jackson And The Olympians.

We have a right royal podcast for you this week as Her Majesty Imelda Staunton and HRH Leslie Manville join us to talk The Crown with Boydy. Plus, Luke Treadaway stops by for a quick chat about The Serial Killer's Wife on Paramount+. Elsewhere, we embark on perhaps the most shambolic review in Pilot history as we try (and fail) to determine what series of Something Undone we're reviewing on ITVX. All this before we get back inside the TARDIS for the third of RTD's Doctor Who anniversary specials.

We're all about witches on this week's show as the very VERY belated Interview With The Vampire companion show Mayfair Witches makes its tardy arrival on the Beeb. Plus, Kay finally gets to wax lyrical about Smothered on Sky Comedy and we explore the spooky goings on over at Platform 7 on ITV. Plus we thrash out some of the most iconic scenes in all of TV, Boyd tells the tale of how he lost twenty grand to his local charity shop, Kay causes a seating kerfuffle and Gen V breakout star Lizze Broadway stops by for a spoiler chat about her role in Prime Video's The Boys spinoff.

Yes, the much anticipated Keanu Reeves interview lands this week as the man himself chats F1 along with racing legend Jenson Button. Plus former Doctor Jodie Whittaker joins us, though not for Tardis talk, but rather to chat all about One Night on Paramount+.

Elsewhere, Chris Hewitt drops by to mourn the cancellation of Blue Bloods, we ponder the question of whether adverts in shows add to the experience, and we review The Couple Next Door on Channel 4, The Doll Factory on Paramount+ and the triumphant return of Slow Horses on Apple TV+.

We have a veritable cornucopia of guests this week as Jason Isaacs and Laura Aikman join us to talk ITVX's Cary Grant series Archie, plus we give you a little snippet of our Doctor Who special as Russell T Davies stops by to talk the time lord's return. Elsewhere, we uncover hidden secrets with Jodie Whitaker in One Night on Paramount+, and check out Kat Sadler's sitcom Such Brave Girls on BBC3. Plus we mull over some of the most distinctive voices in all of broadcast television.

It's a BUMPER show this week so you might want to block out a good chunk of time for this one (sorry!). Because to celebrate the return of The Lazarus Project on Sky, Joe Barton dropped by the studio to join James, Boyd and Kay as a special guest host. But that's not all, because Brit Marling also pops up, talking to Boydy about her new whodunnit, Disney+'s A Murder At The End Of The World. Plus we get our kaiju on with Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters on Apple TV+ and find a shitload of cocaine on a beach with Daisy Haggard and Patterson Joseph in Boat Story on the BBC.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off co-showrunner BenDavid Grabinsi joins us this week to chat resurrecting Canada’s favourite son for an all new anime series. Plus we tear it up in 19th Century London with The Buccaneers on Apple, join the network wars in eighties Australia for The Newsreader on BBC2, and go on the lamb in an attempt to leave a life of crime behind with Culprits on Disney+. Plus, we say our proper goodbyes to Matthew Perry, do our best to mine some news despite a ridiculously early recording, and take a look at TV stars before they were famous.

This week the team travel back to WWII for Steven Knight's latest series, an adaptation of Pulitzer-winning novel All The Light We Cannot See on Netflix, plus we find out how Shetland fares with a brand new lead on BBC1. Finally, our long-standing inability to understand adult animation is put to the test when we tackle Invincible Season 2 on Prime Video, there's much discussion of the healing power of silence, and the team wrangle over their favourite Friend (in a segment recorded before the very sad news of Matthew Perry's death over the weekend).

Grey Worm himself aka Interview With The Vampire’s Louis de Pointe du Lac joins us on the show to chat all things undead now that the show has arrived in its entirety on BBC iPlayer. Elsewhere on the pod, there’s an unusual amount to toe-sucking discussion as we review Fellow Travelers on Paramount+. Kay gets the willies from spooktacular documentary The Enfield Poltergeist on Apple, and we take a trip down Lenny Henry’s memory lane in Three Little Birds on ITV. Elsewhere, Boyd works his way through the alphabet of shows (slowly), James bangs on about Bosch (you thought you’d dodged this last week - you were wrong), and all three muse on a conundrum that would see them forsake their favourite shows for good.

James and Boyd prepare to sacrifice their friendship on the altar of Peak TV this week as the pair attempt to review the final series of Breeders on Sky without killing each other. Meanwhile, Kay gets sucked in by a stealth sci-fi via Bodies on Netflix, and we investigate murder on the reservation in Dark Winds on Alibi. Plus the team play a little postbag roulette to keep things interesting and a challenge is set to find a horror show that Kay might deign to sit through.

We reach Boiling Point this week with Philip Barantini, who joins us to talk about his chaos in the kitchen series of the same name. Plus, after a year of waiting, Interview With The Vampire finally makes its way to British screens on BBC1, letting us take our first steps into Anne Rice's Immortal Universe. Brie Larson takes a stand against institutional sexism in academia in Lessons In Chemistry on Apple TV+, and Mike Flanagan returns with his final Netflix show in Edgar Allen Poe love letter The Fall Of The House Of Usher. All that and we take The Hollywood Reporter's top 50 TV Shows Of The 21st Century list to task and Boyd finally gets the respect he deserves.

Crime is in the air this week, so who better to draft in than the queen of crime, Steph Seelan? Steph holds down the fort for Kay (on holiday, typical) as we find trouble at the gym with Mrs Sidhu Investigates on Drama, a villainous Peter Mullen after his money in Payback on ITV, and a teen drama about reintegrating into secondary school life with Everything Now on Netflix. Plus Morven Christie drops by to talk to Boydy, and we mull over the most magnetic actors on screen (who are then placed into a bucket, for reasons).

Murder is the name of the game this week, as the gang try to decide which fictional TV detectives they'd like to unpick their own sticky ends, plus there's a disproportionate amount of public transport discussion (sorry). Elsewhere we're in the kitchen for the TV sequel to 2021 movie Boiling Point on BBC1, exploring true crime murders in Yorkshire via The Long Shadow on ITV1, and returning to a life of crime with the latest series of Brassic on Sky.

We bid a fond farewell to Laurie Nunn's Sex Education on Netflix this week as Otis, Maeve, Eric and the gang depart Moordale for good. But as some things go, others arrive and Nabhaan and Mawaan Rizwan's Juice launches on the BBC, and insomniac comedy Still Up makes its debut on Apple TV+.

Elsewhere Boyd and James have a screener-off, Kay fails to choose an original song and battle lines are drawn for the next Cultural Exchange.

Emma Appleton joins us on this week's show to talk all about Paramount+'s The Killing Kind, and James gets a potted football primer from Boydy as we dive into the second season of Welcome To Wrexham (though the revelation that it's fine to be offside as long as you're not actually doing anything might have broken him). We also join Jenna Coleman on a homicidal/romantic road trip in Prime Video's Wilderness, and catch up with Domina on Sky. All in an episode that proves to be rather more boob-oriented than you might expect...

Rosamund Pike joins us this week (well, several weeks ago in reality, as the interview took place before the strike - but you get the point) to talk The Wheel Of Time Season 2, and Johnny Flynn jumps aboard to discuss The Lover. Meanwhile, Love & Death sees Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons embark upon the most well-planned affair in history (with mixed results) in Love & Death, and we go full banana crackers with Apple’s The Changeling. Plus Boyd and Kay once again attempt to induct James into the ways of reality TV by ranking the best reality shows of all time (and outlining how a Pilot TV Race Across The World would play out). It didn’t work, but you have to admire their persistence.

Ruth Wilson is our guest this week, chatting to Boyd about The Woman In The Wall. Plus James gets to geek out to spectacular effect when he talks to Warrior creator Jonathan Tropper, who not only created the show Banshee but does a little 'Banshee' for us as well. The team also takes a look at the BBC's new off-beat series The Following Events Are Based On A Pack Of Lies, as well as tackling a couple of returning series in the form of ITV's The Tower and BBC3's Starstruck. Plus we mull over the best single seasons of television and ruminate on the enduring appeal of Friends.

HANDS! CORNER! BEHIND! Those three words can mean only one thing: one of our favourite shows, FX's The Bear, is back for its second season, and that's an occasion so momentous that the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have once again joined forces to wax lyrical about it (in association with Disney+). Join Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Kay 'The Bear' Ribeiro as they talk about what they loved about the first season of Christopher Storer's Emmy-nominated comedy-drama, look ahead to season 2 (all episodes are now streaming on Disney+, fact fans), and talk about food, music, and Taylor Swift tickets. Enjoy!

Hands! Corner! Behind! No, we're not trying to activate The Winter Soldier — these phrases will make sense to you once you've watched the excellent new comedy-drama, FX's The Bear, the first season of which is now streaming on Disney+. It follows Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a highly-rated and extraordinarily-talented chef who swaps being a rising star on the New York fine dining scene for the relentless grind of running a sandwich shop in Chicago, bequeathed to him after the death of his older brother. And in this latest crossover episode of the Empire Film Podcast and the Pilot TV Podcast, in association with Disney+, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb get their teeth into The Bear, talking about its intensity, its humour, their own relationships with food and fine dining, and much, much more. It's a pod so good we give it three Michelin stars. And that, friends, is definitely a recommendation. Enjoy!