Dark Winds, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, and Irish Blood

26:24Oh, I see. See? Yeah, Boyd. And you've actually seen it 18 hours ago. Yeah, in the middle of going to a football match. I can only apologise for not fitting in perfectly. I can't encourage this new form of communication via DM. What's your answer? I mean, clearly, the best historical event would be my heroic struggle to get tickets to the Taylor Swift era tour, which I recounted over the course of 12 minutes on this very podcast. Wait, wait, wait. And a TV show should be made of that. In fact, I pitched it at the time. You know, an episode... I pitched it at the time. An episode of Lee Mack's sitcom not going out was all about him trying to get tickets.

27:00Oh no, that was Oasis, not Taylor Swift, sorry. It's much the same. But it was a similar thing. And it was a very funny episode. Well, there you go, see? What are you saying? It would be really good? Yeah. See, you watch it. It would be quite funny. Which channel are you pitching it to? It's a good question. Probably ITV. They're not having a slice of it. No, they're not. Of your onslaught of abuse over the years. Fair enough. And also ad breaks. You know, that wouldn't be good. I'll tell you what I want to see. Is, I want to see, and this is going to happen, but I'm surprised I would an exec producer and announce it and moot it now I want to see the inside story of Zelensky going to the White House and being bullied by Donald Trump and his fucking useless AIDS remember James is getting twitchy people there that was such an extraordinary moment in history I think would it be called you've never even said thank you yeah it could be called that yeah well done it's I just think it's almost underestimated just how nuts that whole scene once it was like something out of an insane TV drama that you would absolutely reject for being far-fetched and over the top but that is also just one of a number of things which feel sort of comedically over the top politically true but I think that for me is standout because it was televised it was televised live and I really want to know what happened before, during and after I couldn't watch it my cringe would just be I wouldn't be able to deal with it It's horrific seeing the news footage.

28:27To see it then dramatised, it should be like salt in the wound. And I bet there will be one though, because it's such a ripe... Do you think? Yeah, definitely. It's ripe for TV drama treatment, for sure. It's difficult though, because I think it's difficult to portray Trump dramatically without it veering too far and fast. Do you remember when Brendan Gleeson did him in the Comey role? Yeah, yeah. And again, because he has very distinct, almost cartoonish mannerisms and look, it feels like, how do you do that? Oh, it's hard. Well, say with Boris Johnson, right? It was really hard to do Boris Johnson.

28:57Was it Kenneth Branagh who did Boris Johnson? It's really hard not to make that feel like spitting image because he has a sort of buffoonish quality to it. Who would you cast as Trump? I mean, I'd try and get Brendan Gleeson again, basically. There was a couple of others. Sebastian Stan, obviously, did him. Yeah, did the young Trump, yeah. I think there was at least one other Trump performance as well in the similar time period. What, Ali Baldwin? I'm thinking of Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live, yeah. The guy who does him now on Saturday Night Live is amazing. Is he? That's him, actually, yeah.

29:24he's absolutely brilliant get him then yeah maybe get him yeah but that would that would definitely kind of add to the comedic nature of it for sure okay I went down a different route but I prefer your idea okay I wanted to see like more of the British Raj in India that period latter half if boy you'll probably recall this do you remember I was obsessed with Indian summers yeah of course Channel 4 it was about 10 years ago it was written by Paul Ruttman and it had a great cast Henry Lloyd Hughes Nick Esh Patel who else Judy Waters and I think Craig Parkinson is also I really enjoyed it and then it got cancelled after the second series so that's that's the period of time I would like to explore more from every like perspective yeah so if someone can action that that would be great or just bring back Indian Summers which is what I kind of want but I'm also backing your idea Boyd thanks but crucially not mine I'm a little bit less interested because I feel like I lived through it with you yeah you did you feel like so I've already given you spoilers is what you're saying yeah I know how it ends You know how it ends, there's no point.

30:24If not, I would be glued. Yeah, of course you would. Of course, yeah. Of course you would. Okay, brilliant. That was an answer to a question. If you want to send yours in, it is pilottv at empiremagazine.com. Now, we are going to be recording our Review of the Year podcast just before Christmas. So as we go out, we'll be recording it in just over one week. So if you would like to send in questions specifically for the Review of the Year special, do send them in and use the subject line R-O-T-Y which is an acronym for Review of the Year. Oh my God. Incredible. It's beyond parody. Yeah. And we will read them out on the show because we would like to know what you thought of the year, questions for the year, things, thoughts, musings, complaints, anything you want really.

31:11And we'll deal with it on that show. I'd urge you to not dwell on the complaints as much. But yeah. I mean, unless they're about K, in which case it's fine. Oh yeah, fine. Yeah. Okay, super. Fantastic. Let us move on then to this week's news. And I guess the place where I would start is the HBO slate that I went to the presentation of last night. Boydie was invited, but chose not to go. Oh, there's an Oscar game on tonight. I spend so much money on my Oscar season so I have to go to every game, I'm afraid. Yeah, and Kay wasn't invited. So, you know, it's... Hold on, weren't you not invited? You invited yourself.

31:43Look, Boydie, the details are not important of how I got there. Let's just get into this, okay? So yesterday, now James, knowing how much I love the comeback, right? Sends a picture to the group chat and I'm like, what the fuck? Like, what's going on? What am I looking at right here? And he's like, oh, you know, just hanging out with my friends and then saying it was the HBO presentation. And then I was like, oh God, I was furious I'm not invited to that. And then his answer, to be fair, neither was I. I invited myself. I mean, that's not entirely inaccurate. Yeah. Was it amazing? It was, it was, I must admit, Lisa Kudrow, that was a surprise.

32:17Yeah. But yeah, no, they had Ira Parker talking about Night of the Seven Kingdoms. Sam Levinson was up there talking about the new season of Euphoria. Lots of things. Sure, great, great, great. But what do they say about the comeback? It's coming back. I know that. Anything else? Any details? Well, yes, there is a detail that she's Cherish. Cherish? Is it? Valerie Cherish. Valerie Cherish, that's it, yes. You shouldn't be allowed to this kind of thing. I'm so sorry. By the way, this is an incredibly exciting detail that is about the one that I hope you're casting. Yes. Yeah. Well, so there are a few casting things, yes.

32:49definitely. There is an exciting casting thing, but also the premise of it is that she has got a new sitcom. It's very exciting, and obviously historically she has been, and I know this from my years of watching The Comeback, a show I've never seen. Oh, God! Apparently, the level of cringe in The Comeback almost dwarfs all other cringe. I've heard that it is like A-grade cringe, so I couldn't, I wouldn't survive a single episode. 110 % cringe. But the point is that she clashes with the writers, doesn't she, a lot of the time. She is starring in a sitcom written entirely by AI. It is the first sitcom written by AI and that is the premise of the show.

33:22But the big star announcement came was that Andrew Scott is going to be in it. Yes. Andrew Scott's going to be in it. As a studio head. Yeah. Yeah. Brilliant. It's incredibly exciting. So exciting. And we don't have any kind of idea of when it's going to be on or... I'm not sure that's been officially released but I don't think you're going to have to wait too long. It'll be next year. Yeah, I think it'll be. Yeah, yeah. First Q1 or 2 next year. Q2 might be my guess. We should go for the podcast. We should. But she should be in character as Valerie. that would be the best oh my god can you imagine well now that she and I are obviously close friends we can probably make that happen yeah yeah you should interview her yeah I should really number one fan can you imagine yes I can but we saw clips from obviously Night of the Seven Kingdom so I may or may not have well I have because I've said it on this podcast I've seen a few episodes of that already and the new series of House of the Dragon we saw some footage from that as well we saw a clip from the new Richard Gad show Half Man with Jamie Bell that was exciting really want to see that that's a BBC co-production it is a BBC co-production it's showing on the BBC here in the UK By the way, the fact that it's premiering in March has been made public.

34:19Oh, it has been made public. Yeah, okay, March. It's March. Coming back in March. Cannot wait. Did they explain, by the way, more pertinently, what's happening with Sky Atlantic's HBO shows? They did not as part of the presentation. Any conversations I had around that may or may not have been off the record. I feel like we can't trust him, because you know how he loses interest halfway. Yeah, that's true. It might have been. So you did ask, what's his name? Casey? thing ahead of HBO. Yes, the CEO of HBO. The CEO of HBO you chatted to. Well, there were conversations about it. They have an ongoing relationship with Sky.

34:52Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's quite technical and detailed. Right, but people are assuming wrongly, and I've mentioned this before. Well, that everything's going off Sky. No, it's not at all. Guys, sorry to interrupt. Tonight, we are having our unofficial pilot podcast, Christmas Party at the Sky drink. So we can ask them then. Let's get fact-finding. But it is true that they're carrying on. staying on Sky but also HBO Max will be I think bundled with Sky and you'll be able to pay to have it as part of Sky HBO and Sky have not severed ties and gone their separate ways they're not cutting us off no so do not panic and there's lots of good stuff coming up on HBO what kind of snacks were there?

35:28well I came in quite late so I had to stuff eight pieces of fried chicken in my mouth in the cards it was about five seconds not only did he invite himself he was late and then I ate all the food mouth full of chicken while he was HBO got the dire treatment. So the head of HBO Max, one of the most powerful people in the world. With like chicken bones hanging shoes. It was like, they were boneless, you know, deep fried. It was nice with the sauce. But yeah, I literally went in and headed straight for the food, which was very good. I'll tell you back to say you went in and headed straight for Carsey Blows, or is it lamest?

36:03Casey Bloss, I believe. Carsey Blows. Although, listen, I'm going to swiftly, have you finished? Yes. I'll move to something else with blows in it. a Thousand Blows Series 2 trailer. Yes, there was a trailer. See? Smooth. Yeah. Trying to get us out of the chicken bones. A trailer that debuted exclusively on the Empire website. Well, there's also... Oh, did it? Very good. There was also a screening and premiere of it the other night as well. Oh, okay. Well, I didn't go to that, but I did watch the trailer. And I've said I'm very excited because it's a dawn of a new era and Mary is back. She's looking to reunite the Fawlty Elephants.

36:35Sugar is languishing, but not for long. And Hezekiah is out for revenge for the death of his brother. Spoiler. No, it's in the trailer. And we all loved, I believe, the first series. Yes, although I didn't finish the first series. What? Yeah, I didn't finish it. Oh, shame on you. I know. Something to catch up over Christmas. Yeah, I'll do that while you're watching Stranger Things. But yeah, I think Stephen Knight will be back on form. I'm excited for that. Yeah. Yeah, there is another John le Carre project coming up. Did you see this? Which I think we should all be thrilled about for various reasons.

37:11one of the reasons being Charlie Hunnam's in it he's one of do you like Charlie Hunnam? you like Charlie Hunnam less so in Monster but yeah yeah oh yeah exactly although he he was really good I mean he did his best you know with the Ryan Murphy madness of that show he is in it Matthew McFadden is in it oh big fan yeah Daniel Brühl Brühl who's always very good he's in it and Devrim Lingnau and this is a it's called Legacy of Spies and it's a co-production with MGM Plus and it's all about, it's written by Stephen Cornwell, who is, I believe, John O 'Carri's son and it's an eight-part drama and it is all about, it's set in the shadow of the newly erected Berlin Wall as Alec Lemus watches his last agent shot dead by East German sentries and for him, Senior British Intelligence Officer in Berlin, the cowboy's over but he faces a huge new challenge and in the background is George Smiley of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy fame.

38:15So it's a kind of Tinker Tailor adjacent story. Yes, I'm very, very, very excited about that. You know something we didn't discuss on this podcast was that Lena Dunham's Too Much got cancelled. Oh. That's big news, huh? It's not coming back, it's true. Right. She has said, she was quoted, I think, roughly as saying she didn't necessarily intend it ever to be more than one season. Oh, okay. So, was it cancelled or was it just a limited series? Yeah, or was it mutual? Stop trying to bring shame on her. Well, yeah. But I didn't ask for sure about that when I intuited last week. Well, it's not coming back either way.

38:52No, I know. Yeah, indeed. It was too much. Best news. It was too much. Too much of a good thing. Yeah. And second season would have been too much. So that's the thing. The other thing, God of War, the God of War game, Ron D. Moore's God of War, God of War based on the series of video games which I love, is apparently a two-season order which is exciting and one of the Shogun directors is doing the first two episodes but we're going to get two seasons of God of War. I still want to know who they're going to cast as Kratos. Christopher Judge will get the fuck out, I say. But I'm, yeah, very excited about that particular one.

39:20They also, we didn't talk about this the other week, that they'd announced a Far Cry... You know he's excited, he's sped up. Yeah, I have. A Far Cry TV series. I'm in two minds about that but then I'm also in two minds about the Far Cry games in general. So, we'll see. What are those games? They're very Ubisoft-y. They're very kind of like... Ubisoft has very specific formulas for a lot of their games, but it's like going to camps, clear the camps, collect this, go to this. They're quite bitty. But the plots and the settings, there's no consistent narrative. They're all standalone. So I don't know what, if any of the past stories will make their way into the series.

39:53So I really have no idea what this game will be other than it will probably involve a jungle because most of their games do. See, that was me showing a bit of interest. Pretending to. But yes, I appreciate it. Now for some Disney Plus news. they've announced they're going to make Mosquito, which is from acclaimed screenwriter Tony McNamara. And apparently it's a sardonic look at young couples' relationship, starring Nicholas Holt and Daisy Edgar-Jones. They play Kate and Ed, who play Kate and Ed, a recently married couple whose secrets begin to reveal as daily life chips away at the personas they present, apparently.

40:30And it's all started by an intrusive Mosquito. Now, Boydo, you know how the Mosquito is my nemesis. Oh, yeah. Any particular one? Dengue fever, 2020. 2010, rather. You got dengueed? Really? Yeah. I didn't know that. 2010. Oh, my God. That doesn't sound fun. No, it wasn't. Boyd went through it very much with me. Literally or just vicariously? Vicariously. Right, okay. James, I was in isolation in a hospital. Were you? And everything. Blood sent to the tropical disease unit, everything. So, quite a history of... I was writing my Jake Gyllenhaal interview from my hospital birth. That's how... Wow.

41:02Yeah. So, it was a bad time. and all caused by a mosquito. But anyway, yeah, so that's on Disney+. And we'll star Nicholas Holt and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Finally, maybe. Boyd Hobes. In the tortured reading and press releases section, the ITV has announced their drama, The Lady. Did you see this, Kay? Yes. Not about the magazine. No, not about the magazine, called The Lady. This is from the producers of The Crown, Left Bank Pictures, and it's a gripping four-part drama. We'll be the judge of that. charting the extraordinary rise and fall. I'm trying to, you know, make the press releases more exciting.

41:39The extraordinary rise and fall of Jane Andrews. Who's she, James? Do you know who she is? Who's she, Boyd? Jane Andrews. She is. She worked at Buckingham Palace and she was a young working class girl who became Sarah Ferguson's dresser. Yes, indeed. Wife of the disgraced Prince Andrew. Now, no longer, now just Andrew. Andy. Andy Mountbatten, Windsor. So it's kind of like a Buckingham Palace set And this woman, Jane Andrews, is going to be played by the great Mia McKenna-Bruce, who is an excellent actress who won the EE BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2024. Crucially, she got dismissed from Buckingham Palace.

42:13She lost her job and then she went on to... You say, I've left out the crucial bit. Yeah, she went on to murder someone. What? Yes. I mean, he's buried the lead. I mean, that's quite a thing to miss out. Yeah, and went to prison. And yeah, it's the story of that. She was Fergie's dresser. Oh, by the way, she also got sacked and murdered someone. He was dwelling on the clothes a bit too much. But anyway, so yes, I think it will probably be gripping. And I'm going to wrap up with some news that I think will excite James. Your Friends and Neighbours news. Yes. Series 2. Yes. It's confirmed. It's going to be on April the 3rd on Apple TV+.

42:48And there's been a new name added to the cast in James Marsden, who's moving in. Apparently, season two, Andrew Cooper, played by obviously your friend of mine, Jon Hamm. That's right. he's going to double down on his life as an unlikely suburban thief until the arrival of a new neighbour brackets Marsden threatens to expose his secrets and places his family at risk. Bum bum bum Bum bum bum No, I really liked Your Friends and Neighbours. Yeah. I had loads of fun with that. Apple are also doing a prequel to Monarch Legacy of Monsters which is a show I did not keep up with. I'm less excited about that.

43:23Yeah, fair enough. But they are. Good Apple news. Pluribus has also been their most successful drama ever. Oh, yeah, I think it has. Yeah, it's been a massive hit for that. Is that after your spoiler special? Yeah, that's exactly what happened. 100%. Yeah. Well, that's news. We're done. Shall we move on to this week's reviews? Yes. Let's do it. Okay, first up this week, we have Dark Winds on you and Ilebi. Specifically, the third season of Dark Winds. You can tell other things were embargoed. But this is actually a really good show. So this is based on the Leaphorn and Chi novels by Tony Hilleman and stars Zan McLaren as Joe Leapborn, and he's a sergeant in the Navajo Tribal Police.

44:02This season is based on, and this is true, two novels, Dance Hall of the Dead from 1973 and The Sinister Pig from 2003. So quite the era straddler book-wise. But that's not why this particular season, let alone this particular episode, is exciting. This particular episode is exciting because it has what I would say is my nomination for the most meta in-joke of the entire year. Are you going to spoil this joke? Ah, yes. Too cool. The spoiler game. Because I consider this to be a spoiler. Oh, see, now this is tricky. Do you think it's a spoiler? I was going to mention it, but I actually agree now with Boyd.

44:40Yeah, we shouldn't. Just say there's an exciting cameo. I mean, part of me wants to say that it actually screened in the US months ago. But, okay, you're right. You're right. I probably now can't spoil the meta joke. There is a very meta joke in here. There's some fun gameplay. What I can say is this, because this was publicised when the actor died, that this is the very, very final screen performance of one Robert Redford, who is, it's not a huge surprise, he is one of the producers on this show. There is another famous producer on this show. If you don't want to know who it is, don't look it up.

45:12Yeah. But, yeah. It's an exciting, yeah. Yeah, there's a very meta scene with a good joke, I would say, that made me chuckle. A very good joke. Wow. I mean, that is a testament, right? It made James chuckle. it involves a game of chess that's not a spoiler he just can't leave it this is in me do you know what I'm going to be I've got to say is that a spoiler he cannot resist it I can't resist it I love this thing so much I really wanted to talk about it and you ruined it for me unbelievable or have you ruined it for all the listeners have I ruined it for all the listeners I haven't because I've not I've not said nothing about it it's fine it's just one rule for you one rule for us I agree now that was terrible and bearing in mind he edged around it we re-recorded it and he still could not resist mentioning details I mean it is the main reason to watch the show to be fair that's harsh because it's actually a really popular show it's really good no no no I just said the main I didn't say there were no other reasons yeah there are many reasons to watch it but this it is it's a great moment was it second third series third series yeah third series of Darwin it's a really good show I enjoyed this but obviously the problem for me is that I haven't watched the previous two seasons I don't think it matters no I don't think neither have I because I never finished season one but I've enjoyed That was a really good show, but you didn't finish season one.

46:27Hey, hey, hey, hey. I have a lot to watch. My sofa list is overloaded. The night manager doesn't re-watch itself, you know. Listen, you shouldn't have been a hypocrite about the spoiler thing, because now he's going to come to you for all episodes. Yeah, I'm primed. But, no, I enjoyed this. What did you guys think? Yes, I was surprised. Just a good analysis there, Kay. Don't come for me, otherwise I'm going to turn on you as well, James. I don't think you want both of us on your case. Exactly. I was surprised. I was expecting it to be. I remember vaguely reading about it and those exec producers are, it's a bizarre coming together of legends.

47:03We talked about this, I think, when we first reviewed it. It's wild that these people are producers on the show. We did talk about that and it's mad. But I'd kind of forgotten that element of it. I was expecting it to be a police procedural and quite clunky and basic, but it's not at all. Because it's a literary adaptation. Yeah, it's a really well-made, quite cinematic. It reminded me of True Detective. Yes, very much so. It's got that vibe of it where you're not sure, is there something kind of weirdly supernatural almost going on? It's got like parallel mysteries playing out at the same time, which hence clearly the two different books that's adapted from, which are decades apart, kind of welded together slightly clunkily.

47:45Also the topical Mexican border, American Mexican border. border action which shows the effect that can have on you know kids and families and stuff which is very pertinent as you say and can't be can't be emphasised enough really but I you know it is a really good show I agree with you it's a really good show but that scene the aforementioned scene that you have conspired to spoil with yourself is just an amazing jaw-dropping moment it's a brilliant moment and I absolutely love Robert Redford not you know he's a I don't think you're going out on a limb there I'm not going out on a limb what I say but I I think it's just fantastic to see him in this kind of like unexpected farewell cameo I don't know it just seems really poetic somehow yeah this little moment so it works on lots of different levels yeah without spoiling it again but so that's why I said it's the main reason because I think it's such a great moment that it really shines checkmate to Boydo thanks see what he did there also Zan McLaren's really good in everything oh yeah he's a great character actor.

48:47It's really interesting seeing him here in the lead. But I think the subject matter is fascinating as well. The nature of the tribal police and the jurisdictional issues they have with everything off the Navajo nation. We do love a jurisdictional issue. We do love a little bit of jurisdictional wrangling. But yeah, it's one of these things where it's quite dense because you've got two quite dense crime novels rolled into one series. You do have to pay attention to it. And I couldn't quite pin down when it's set exactly. Yeah. Because it feels like it's set in the 80s, 70s? I couldn't think of that.

49:23It's kind of hard to say. It's kind of hard to say. But yeah, it's definitely... It's got to be at least 80s, isn't it? Surely. Well, I was just going on the technology used for the walkie-talkie, which looked like something from a very long time ago. But yeah, I'm not quite sure when it's set. But yeah, it's a compelling mystery. Two very different compelling mysteries running in parallel. But yeah, Darwin's good. Good show. Liked it. wouldn't normally you know review the third season of a show but but worth it for the scene that you nearly spoiled but worth it for the scene we nearly spoiled it was a worth did you hear how he said we nearly spoiled of course we as a group we are a podcast we are a three oh listen if anyone complains about it he'll blame me somehow yeah yeah that's right let's face it Boyd you spoiled it yeah it's true yeah oh dear Dark Winds then which airs on Ewan Alibi that's a good question Dark Winds season 3 yes hits you and Ali B, as you said, on Tuesday the 9th of December, a very important day, 2025.

50:21Yes. And I'm glad we were able to include it in this podcast. Yeah. Speaking of things, I'm glad we were able to include in this podcast. Next up, we have Irish Blood on Sky Witness, which sees Alicia Silverstone as Fiona Fox, who is not, who is not, as you might expect from the name, a character from Zootropolis 2, but rather an LA lawyer who travels to Ireland after her estranged father makes contact out of the blue. Now, you may be expecting me to tee up Irish blood with my pitch-perfect Irish accent. No. And okay, very much is. But I'm not going to. I'm not going to do that. Yes, because his knuckles have been wrapped quite severely.

50:56And any time he edges towards, tiptoes towards the Irish accent, I give him the Paddington Bear hard stir. Yeah, she doesn't like him. No. No. Nor do the listeners, more importantly. Also true. Yes. Kay. Yeah. Take it away. Okay. Okay. So, as you've said, Alicia plays Fiona Fox,

51:16a divorce lawyer, and she gets this message from her estranged father, and then it takes her to Ireland. And do you know what? I was really worried about this before I watched it. I don't know why. I just had the feeling I thought, oh, God, is it going to be one of those not particularly well-made or well-written dramas, and I'm going to be wondering why the hell has she done this and whatever. I was so pleasantly surprised by this because I thought it was really decent. I think James probably has a different opinion. He's smiling at me. But no, I thought... Maybe I'm just being friendly. I mean, we both know that's not true.

51:51But I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would and I think she is really well cast in this. So it starts with a flashback, of course, where it's, I think, 1993 and it's in LA and we get to learn about her family dynamics, her mum and dad getting on really well, crazy about each other, etc. you know any time a scene starts where it goes we were the perfect family you know it's never going to go well um and then cut to 30 years later when um we learn that basically her dad walked out on them on her the i think the eve of her 10th birthday um having rude yeah exactly having um more importantly forgotten to give her his present but also um had had a a huge domestic bust up with her mum and so she this has colored the whole of her life fiona's life it's why she's a divorce lawyer it's why you know a lot of her relationships don't work it's really affected her um i like that first of all that she describes him as a shit waffle i might add to my vocabulary by the way um and yeah and so she goes to ireland and she learns a lot more about her father and she starts basically piecing together that this puzzle that he's laid out for her and it's about that journey and what she discovers.

53:03And I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was good. I mean, look, is it like a prestige show that would we ordinarily... Actually, I think we might. I'm just asking a question and now answering myself. It's not the upper echelons, of course, of prestige TV, but I think it's an enjoyable show. I thought this was interesting because I know how you don't like supernatural shows. And I thought this was supernaturally terrible. genuinely I was eye rolling so hard through this there is a bit where Alicia Silverstone has a dream sequence where she dresses as a leprechaun and dances around the room and I was just like wait what what is this show when was that see you blacked out like you've blotted this out of your mind are you making it up no I'm not she has a dream sequence that descends into a musical where she dresses up as a leprechaun and she wakes up in the cab and she wakes up in the taxi and I was just like And we talk about tonal shifts.

54:00There are so many tonal irregularities in this first episode that I don't think it... And by all accounts, from what I've read, it evens out a little bit as the series goes along. But this first episode, it's fucking all over the place. Like, is it a comedy? Is it a crime drama? Does it want to be Broadchurch? Is it a spoof? And I'm like, what is happening? And because her performance is ambiguous. Like, is it a comedy performance? Is it dramatic? Like, it's really hard to pin down. but the one thing I was absolutely sure of was I thought it was dreadful oh my gosh I didn't feel no I actually thought it was better than I thought it was going to be your expectations must have been very light oh I thought it was rubbish as well oh wow it's like I'll tell you what they're trying to do I think they're trying to aim for a kind of wryly funny crime drama basically in which she is the wryly funny heroine of the whole thing and she recounts various things to people with a kind of like wry grin and, you know, a little kind of sideways way of talking.

55:01Like the opening scene is her extemporizing to, I mean, almost a little, a joke that we've seen many times before in TV shows and films. But, you know, it's quite an amusing, but it's trying to be amusing, I would say, the whole thing. Trying? Yeah. But I do, I think her character is a bit like smug. You know what it is? She's a divorce lawyer and, you know, she could walk straight into the all's well cast. I mean, genuinely. And be just as irritating, in a way, as one of those characters in that show. I quite liked her assistant. She was fun in the office, in her office at the beginning. But once she flies off to Ireland, and that dream sequence is ridiculous.

55:42And then... I did actually black it out. No, no. No, no. Yeah, you were making tea at the time. Were you painting the ceiling? Absolutely shockingly awful dream sequence. It's rubbish. And then there's a scene in the pub but they all start singing and this guy oh yeah it's that whole fucking song I would get the idea we'd have to like five minutes of screen time taking up with this guy singing this song you're like okay right it is not good no I mean I just didn't care less I'm not recommend listen listeners I'm not recommending you seek it out but I'm just saying that my expectations I know what you mean that yeah expectations were really low but my expectations were pretty damn low but it's like you met them it was not I think same I didn't think it was going to be good I was unprepared for how bad it was it is an Acorn TV production right and Acorn TV is fascinating you know it's the kind of thing that the rest of the entertainment would do a whole episode on in fact they may have done one of the Acorn TV but it's this kind of subscription service like the streaming service they seem to specialise in cosy crime in what has become known as cosy crime now I'm not this is kind of on the edges of it but yeah it's cosy adjacent it's cosy adjacent but because of this Riley funny tone I'm talking about and all of their stuff has a similarly has a similar tone sorry it's a boogal come on no alright well I've got it here up here now I think it's owned by AMC like they showed Doc Martin for example that's a good example Doc Martin is a classic cozy crime right Martin Clunes having a fun time then what other shows are there Partners in Crime Foil's War these ones going back years and then more recently I mean they got involved with The Detectorist which is very cosy not really that much crime etc etc so yeah they kind of do specialise in that realm it's interesting well vaguely more interesting than the show well quite probably yeah I mean you're not going to carry on watching it are you no well I mean yeah there you go Irish Blood then it's on Sky Witness do you want to know when Hold on.

57:53Let me just ruffle through my information here. Boy, wildly unprepared for this week's podcast. Well, it's because we're all over the place in terms of what weeks we're doing. It's on Sunday, the 14th of December on Sky Witness. Oh, yeah, because it's on your calendar. Do you know how I know? Because it's on the calendar. It's literally on the calendar. Listen, we've banned that C-word and the other C-word after your last plus record. Yeah, that's fair. Although, to be fair to Boydie, he has entered some of the Christmas things onto the calendar. Note the word use of some. Yeah, some. Not all, some.

58:26A few. The bare minimum. I can already predict the next seven records we've got to do before the Christmas break, there's going to be a bust-up worthy of an EastEnders Christmas special. Let's see what we can do. Finally this week, we have the long-awaited second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. And by long-awaited, I do largely refer to the 12 to 16-year-old demographic for this is a YA series. But it is kind of YA royalty because these are based on the hugely successful series of books by Rick Riordan and starring Walker Scobell as the eponymous hero, who's the demigod offspring of Poseidon.

58:58He's also mates with the Cyclops. We're getting ahead of ourselves. Now, the first season of this aired back in 2023, so it's been a while, but they are beloved by fans of the book, certainly more so than the films from the 2010s were. Isn't that right, Boyd? Yeah, the films were shit. Yes, they were not good. So the question I have for you, Boyd, is this show, Zeus, worth the squeeze? God Wow Do you read these books? Because you're He's still chuckling I am chuckling He's a self-chuckler He's a total self-chuckler Because you're You're Mr. Fantasy Are you YA fantasy? I've read some YA fantasy And some of it's actually very good But no Because this is I would say This is the younger end of YA So this is almost This is the kind of Older children I would say Yeah Harry Potter Because Harry Potter isn't YA It's a kids book And I would say The Rick Riordan books Are probably more kids books Than proper YA Although grown adults love the Homes books.

59:48And that's fine, there's nothing wrong with reading them. No, I'm not judging them. I don't judge adults who read Percy Jackson. Guys, James has sanctioned it. I've sanctioned it. It's okay. I have to say, my attitude to the Percy Jackson whole thing, like the books, the films, which I dutifully sat through, and this show, is, I'm just being honest, is like, it's just so much like Harry Potter, that it's like, even to the point where half-bloods and, you know, Because it's basically like two guys and a girl. And instead of going to a wizarding school, the demigods go to Camp Half-Blood, which is like a camp for people who are like children of gods.

1:00:30So I'm very, and I've just got to be honest with you, I'm very cynical about the whole exercise. It just feels like Harry Potter kind of light. But if you somehow manage to ignore that, which I think I managed to do. So now, I enjoyed this first episode of this season quite a lot. I thought actually it was pretty decent. We reviewed the first series, didn't we? Yeah, I remember watching it. Yeah, we watched the first episode of the first series. Has this taken like a slightly more comedic turn? It feels like this episode... Well, I think it's tonally consistent. Is it? Yeah. You know, he's a tonally consistent.

1:01:04I know, that's why I'm asking him. I know, because I can't remember. So for example, Cyclops, which they get loads of sight gags out of the fact that Cyclops has only got one big eye and can't... Is that okay to have so many? Well, I think they're... Poor Cyclops. Yeah, I think it's fine. But it's definitely played for laughs, right? The whole Cyclops situation is played for laughs. I don't remember anything being played for laughs that much in the last season. But having said that, I only watched the first episode. I could barely remember it because it was so rote, kind of basic fantasy. Wow.

1:01:30For YA fantasy stuff. But I enjoyed this more than I did. And Timothy Simons is in it now. Yeah. From Nobody Wants This. Sasha. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. Very good. And yeah, I thought the new characters were fun. I just thought just the tone of it was more amusing and played for laughs than it had been before but you claim it's all tonally consistent so what do I know I think it's consistent certainly people were saying it's actually got a darker tone to it but I certainly didn't find that oh it didn't seem dark at all no it felt more humorous to me but I think it's like the first season was also humorous so it wasn't a huge yeah oh okay fine I'd forgotten the humorous nature I think maybe you're right in that the first episode of season one maybe had a slightly more earnest edge to it.

1:02:13But I think this season as a whole, it had some lols. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I have to say I didn't dislike it at all. I enjoyed it a lot more than Irish Blood, that's for sure. And it's pretty, you know, it looks like it's had a lot of money thrown at it and it feels pretty epic and all of that. So they're trying their best. I don't know how big the first season was, but I'm not sure if it's really, is it that you're saying it's huge so this is based on what I want to say is the second novel Sea of Monsters but they're hugely popular books and by all accounts the people the Jackson Hive the Percy Jackson Hive not the Jackson 5 no not the Jackson 5 I don't know if the Jackson 5 watch a show they may do it's very hard to say well not all five of them anyway but this this has gone off the rails a little bit sorry it's a really funny title funny we've broken K by all accounts The Jackson Hive very much enjoy it and it's true to the books and it does all these things so I think if you find yourself in the 10 to 15 year old age bracket and you're a big Percy Jackson fan I think this will deliver everything you want and it maybe is the Jackson 5 stars I don't know but it is I would say if you're not already a big old Percy Jackson stan I'm not sure there's a huge amount here to offer adult audiences to be fair it's much better than the films by the way as well so much better Yes, but that's a Loeb article.

1:03:39That is a Loeb article. I think it's a really decent first episode. I'm not part of that, you know, that made-up hive that Joe's just created. I'm more of the Jackson 5. Yeah, I personally was surprised it was recommissioned because I thought it might go the same way as Chaos, which obviously the Netflix, Jeff Goldblum thing, obviously that had a lot more money thrown at it. Well, that was very adult. Yeah, and this obviously captures the youth market. Yeah, exactly. But I was sort of surprised. You've Greek myths. But also the other thing I would say is like, and I imagine if you're a signed up fan, then this will not be relevant to you.

1:04:14I found it quite confusing of who everyone was and I needed a family tree, right? Keeping a track of who's a son of who, who's a goodie, who's a baddie. Do you know what I mean? So actually I think an accompanying document would have been helpful, personally. Not up on your Greek mythology is what you're saying? Yeah, no, very much not. So yeah, I enjoyed it, but I won't watch anymore. No, absolutely not. yeah I think it skews a little young for us yes but there wasn't a lot of option this week this week hasn't been a great I mean actually I suppose Dark Winds but other than that it's like yeah but you're a massive Irish Blood stan so you know oh no listen the other thing I wanted to say about Irish Blood Ruth Codd from Tracers the Tracers is in it which Boyd didn't mention I thought he would well sorry yeah Boyd you didn't mention it either we moved on we just got covered that about an hour ago and you suddenly thrown thrown it into the mix.

1:05:08I just haven't glanced down at my notes. I also made a note of the fact that I love the name of the cliff walk called there's an area and it's I thought it was made up and I looked it up Bally Bunyan which is a great name anyway. Are you coming for the Irish again? I'm not. I'm celebrating the Irish's name for this cliff walk. I've detected mockery. Look, don't try and get me in the like, you know, he's not doing his Irish accent because enough people The Emerald Ayer is being directed at you now. That's all I'm saying. No, I love the name Bally Bunyan. anyway you're right Ruth Coddy's in it and it's in Bally Bunyan and it reminded me I can't stop I keep thinking of Irish Blood English Heart the Morrissey song so you know there you go you're on your own there yeah anyway Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 Disney Plus Wednesday 10th of December to save Boydie trying to find it I found it it's there it's all a bit slow-mo with you today wow see this is what happened tonight is the Pilot TV Christmas party yes oh well James I've got a warning for you so we are we're recording now then I'm off to go to a meeting and then when so when I see you next yes I will have changed my top that's fine but crucially for you I need to warn you that I will be wearing lipstick now oh no this has going to upset me if you recall last year I appeared wearing lipstick and exactly your response was oh my god I don't like it I don't like it I don't like the change because we should clarify this Kay when she's not at parties never wears lipstick ever yeah so it's it's just I don't recognise you And to be fair, I wasn't insulted by...

1:06:37I mean, every other woman would be insulted by a man recoiling in horror. But I knew that would have, like, his nervous system can't cope with that. So I'm giving you a six-hour warning there. Thank you. I didn't know this. Yeah. I basically went to the bathroom, just got changed, put on a bit of makeup, walked up, and said, oh, I'm ready. Like this, he went, oh, no, I don't like it. Yeah, I don't like change. And physically recoiled. Oh, my God. So, yeah. Boyd also will be wearing lipstick tonight. Yeah, but you won't recall from that. But that will be fine. It's like his weekend garbs, it's fine.

1:07:03The thing is, I think it's the equivalent of me and Boydie turning up wearing wigs. If we turned up with hair, you'd have exactly the same response. Actually, I mean, that is a ridiculous example. I'll tell you what it is like. It's when Boyd takes off his glasses. Oh, I don't like that either. And I find it very disincompting. It is upsetting, isn't it? And I actually say to him, please, can you put them on? Do you own contact lenses, Boydie? No. Good. Okay, good. Nor should he. Nor are you ever allowed to. Yeah, exactly. Okay, fine. Well, that's what we're having later. Well, primed and ready for the radical announcement that Kay may well be wearing lippy.

1:07:34Boyd, you're taking the piss, but genuinely, if you had to be on the other end of James' reaction, which was very startling, I thought it's a public service announcement. Thank you for warning me. The trigger warning is appreciated. So you can't react like that because it will then be upsetting to me. I can't notice. Are you putting general other slap on as well? Okay, full outfit. It would be like the skirt that I'm wearing, my leather skirt, a different top and some lipstick. That's it. Okay. Yeah. And some heels to really throw you off. I will be dressed as such. All clothing, model's own. anyway trying to make an effort for our Christmas party at Sky thank you for hosting us yes thank you for hosting us Sky are unaware that we've co-opted their annual Christmas party as ours because they have games they have prizes and yeah I mean will I be able to snarf quite as much fried chicken tonight as I did last night who knows we'll find out we're in public now we're together where was the venue for the fried chicken by the way it was it was a place in right off of Walker's Court called the Underbelly oh I know where James then filled his underbelly well I did actually yeah with food okay also on also on yes what also is out what's that you say Taylor Swift the end of an era coming to Disney Plus you are absolutely right and that is on Friday the 12th of December as we should say is the Revenge Club on Paramount Plus which is embargoed and we can't cover that either stop taking all of Boyday's jobs no no it's fine I'm saying he's had difficulty navigating the magazine this week I'm helping out no well yeah because there's stuff that's in the magazine Play for Today I think the last one of those special measures is on Channel 5 Thursday at 9 o 'clock oh I haven't seen that one not a game show not a game show indeed can we just say because it is the last one congratulations to 5 for resurrecting that and it's such a great service to all the production writers everyone what they've done with that so yeah Man vs.

1:09:17Baby the new Rowan Atkinson and I'm going to say show we're going to be reviewing that on Pilot Plus let's have an open mind open mind please James has insisted if he couldn't review Taylor Swift then he would review As I said, it's a slow week. But we may also find time to do a Stranger Things spoiler discussion on Pilot Plus this week. Boyd and James will, yeah. Which Kay will listen to. We may. That's optimistic. I'll listen. Yeah, Man vs. Baby. It's the finale of Neighbours on Thursday the 11th. Yeah, it's gone again. It was cancelled. This is the final finale. Yeah, this is the final finale.

1:09:52You say that, he'll be back. Rob and Ron vs. you went on about earlier, Kay. That's on Scummets. went on about yeah didn't discuss but went on about yeah went on about everyone should watch that Skymax yeah everyone should watch it and that's about it yeah okay brilliant what is our pick of the week uh Dark Winds it is Dark Winds yes agreed Dark Winds and the most meta in gag of the year which I absolutely will not spoil here stop banging on about it thank you very much for listening to this week's podcast I know it's been a trial uh if you'd like to subscribe and you should please do so Pilot Plus you can do that empire.supportingcast.fm and also follow us on the social medias that'd be great Cara Barrow Boyd Hilton James C.

1:10:38Dyer Pilot TV Pod and leave us a 5 star rating on whatever platform you so choose we appreciate that and if you want to send us cakes do that too why not yeah because coconut cakes in particular what you need after all that chicken is definitely more food and more cake that is true I wonder if there is more cruise cake in the fridge because there was some in the fridge last night I might go via the fridge then fantastic Now, on next week's show, I mean, at this point, I don't even know what we're covering, but next week, there is the new series of Fallout lands on Prime, which is exciting. The, I want to say, final season of Emily in Paris.

1:11:09Oh, I watched the first episode. I forgot to mention that. Did you? It's embargoed, probably, so I'll talk about it next week. Okay. And Amadeus comes to Sky Atlantic, and we will have Paul Bettany and... Yes. Will Sharp. Will Sharp. Paul Bettany and Will Sharp will be on this very podcast to talk about Amadeus. Amazing. Fantastic. Well, until then, we have a Christmas party to prepare for, and I have some lippy to apply. Pilot out.