Pilot TV

In our final regular podcast of the year, we speak to the legendary Nicola Walker (26:53) about The Split: Barcelona, as well as Harlan Coben and Nicola Shindler (1:28:19) for Netflix’s Missing You. Plus, we go all festive and sift through some of the great telly coming your way over the Christmas period, including A Ghost Story For Christmas (1:44:29), The Christmas episode of Doctor Who (1:49:06), and the latest season of Steven Knight’s SAS: Rogue Heroes (1:55:26). We also find time to open Santa’s sack and answer your questions in a bumper Christmas postbag, before signing off for a little chocolate-assisted R&R. 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.

In an unexpected turn of events, Pilot TV’s set visit to the new third (and fourth) season of Apple TV+’s Silo resulted in a sit down interview with both Rebecca Ferguson and the big Apple himself, Tim Cook (27:24). Never one to miss a chance to wax lyrical about Foundation, James cornered the Apple CEO to discuss the streamer’s penchant for brilliant nerdy sci-fi. Elsewhere, we review BBC1’s latest Strike instalment, The Ink Black Heart (1:19:03), and speak to star Holliday Grainger while we’re at it (1:00:45), plus we catch up with Kaley Cuoco’s serial killer podcast in the second season of Based On A True Story on Sky (1:31:19). 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.

We were delighted to be joined in the studio this week by friend of the pod and Black Doves creator Joe Barton, who heroically braved Euston traffic and his post-premiere hangover to make a triumphant return to the podcast, sitting in with us this week as we chatted everything from animation to comedy and the creative powers of the ‘Merrineum’. Elsewhere, we dabble in Tim Miller’s new video game inspired Prime animation Secret Level, and Netflix’s adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 Years Of Solitude.

We’re back in side the Agency this week as the stars of that show, Michale Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright, stop by to chat covert action (26:07). Plus, we continue the espionage theme with Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw in Netflix’s Black Doves (57:24), steal a monstrous amount of maple syrup with Margo Martindale in The Sticky on Prime (1:10:40), and end up watching Dalgliesh on Channel 5 (1:18:41) because everything else was embargoed. 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.

We have a quartet of brilliant guests for you this week as Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter join us to talk Taylor Sheridan’s new show, Landman, on Paramount+ (18:01), and Bene Gesserit sisters Olivia Williams and Emily Watson also drop by to chat Dune Prophecy (45:43). Elsewhere, we head deep undercover with Michael Fassbender for star-studded espionage thriller The Agency on Paramount+ (59:47), head up North for Middlesborough set sitcom Smoggie Queens on BBC3 (1:13:56), and experience the cuckoobong extravaganza that is Mrs Davis on ITVX (1:23:51), which almost defies description. All that as we attempt to dodge Kay’s lurgy as she spreads germs liberally around the studio. 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.

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!