Imperfect Women, A Woman Of Substance, and The Other Bennet Sister. With guests Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri

25:55It's really, really good. It's actually that I thought was the most harrowing, actually, the third season. But yeah, really good. So for more reviews from a decade ago, Please keep tuning in to Pilot TV Podcast. Which 20-year-old show are you going to assail next? Who knows? Who knows? Maybe I'll go even further back. Did you... I don't know if I mentioned this last time, but what's part of the reason why you ended up watching Broadchurch? It's on Netflix, isn't it? Did you mention this? The only reason I started watching it was because you, you literally, when we reviewed Under Saltmarsh, you said Broadchurch, of course, is the gold standard of British murder mysteries.

26:28And when you said that, I was like, you know what, he's absolutely right, and I never finished it. I need to address that. Do I remember that conversation? I noticed it is on Netflix. But it's on Netflix, yes. But that's not the reason. No, you, Boydie, you were my inspiration. What power I wield. God, we're on International Women's Week. Broadchurch, of course, being a spin-off of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone. Oh, God. Okay, let's move on to this week's listener question. And this week's listener question is going to be something slightly different. It is our International Women's episode. Therefore, Steph, we are going to pass over to you to choose a question or indeed make up a question.

27:03The mic is yours. I was asking some of my international women upstairs what kind of question they'd like answered on the podcast. And they gave me the following information. And then I asked Boyd about it and he was like, I don't know, but I'm just going to, I'm going to give you all these questions. Just to be absolutely clear, you decided to ask a man. Yeah. I did. Steph, as it should be. Steph. No, I asked my dear Caroline upstairs and several other women and then I also asked Boyd because I don't want to see Boyd's little frustrated face if he doesn't like the question. You've let the side down.

27:46I'm sorry. Okay, so, right. It feels like women are having a golden moment in peak TV, not just acting but producing and directing. Why do you think this is? Carries on. Can you carve out a Mount Rushmore of female-led TV shows? Or who are the greatest female TV characters of all time? Choose to answer one or all of those questions. That's a lot of options there. Because I'm a woman, I've given you choice. Well, thank you. What would you class as a female-led show? Are we saying female leads or are we saying female showrunner, female creative team? What's the criteria? I'm going to say, I'm going to mix those last two and say, female leads and the greatest of all time female let's have the greatest of all time female leads let's have that TV show female leads are we talking individual leads or do we want so like Sex and the City it's a woman fronted show right it's not show run by a woman but it's a woman fronted show I'm not talking like ensemble I'm talking individual so I'm obviously going to say Jessica Fletcher right one woman so obvious yeah right female she's one of the greatest female leads of all time that's what I'm going to say it has to be an individual so it could be like Helen Mirren do you know what I mean like prime suspect it could be that okay so it needs to be also that's her versus the patriarchy so it works on two levels in so many ways right so yes so it has to be one female fronting that show okay not an ensemble cast and it has to be a lead role like so for example It has to be a lead role.

29:24Oh, okay. Why? I'm up for discussion because I'm flexible. I'd go for, because obviously he's going to talk about it, but I'd go for CJ in the West Wing. It would be my absolutely obvious number one choice. It is an ensemble. She's one of the leads. Yeah, but she's one. But is she a lead or is she one of the leads? Or is she part of an ensemble? She's a dual lead. Is this allowed in your twisted world? It is allowed. It's allowed. Is it? I think it's allowed. It's borderline. It's borderline. Great character. Can you not think of another just female? I'll give you loads, But honestly, I think CJ in the West Wing is the greatest female character in the history of television.

30:00I pretty much do think that. Wow, okay. I wouldn't pretend to say that I could name the greatest female character in the history of television. Okay. But I would say one of my favourites would be Buffy. I would put Buffy up there, just in terms of Buffy the Vampire Slayer being such a sort of seminal show. But then also, if we're talking like sort of almost like pushing feminist representation in television. Xena Warrior Princess, weirdly, is a really good one for that. Her and Gabriela, who became like absolutely iconic during the 90s. So let's answer both. Not a great show though. Let's do ensemble and female lead then because obviously this could be a nice discussion for us, right?

30:36So if we were saying, so CJ's going to be, I'm going to allow her to be in your like female character. Or Mount Rushmore, the Mount Rushmore female characters. Best female characters. Best female characters. Okay, so she's in there. I think you have to have Jessica Fletcher because why wouldn't you and you're having who played Jessica Fletcher Angela Lansbury so I'm just talking about the I'm so angry with you right now Angela Lansbury and also I temporarily forgot the name which is why I thought you did I was looking at you thinking what's wrong with me James so who would you say female character best of all time a single female character has the best of all time I could say one of my favourites okay Mount Rushmore this is your Mount Rushmore oh okay so basically you're saying I just need to nominate a person yes I wanted to query your choice before you did anything else why?

31:34am I right in saying like Damages is like one of your all time favourite TV shows oh god oh listen Glenn Close yeah she's where's Patty on your Mount Rushmore that's what I want to know oh my god I have to yeah I mean Damages is probably my favourite you know aside you know Murder, She, Right Side Damages Damages is a massive trailblazer and people it never gives it like has a reverse narrative it never gets the credit and I don't understand why it's never up there when people talk about their greatest shows because she and Rose Byrne in that as well there's two dual female leads and they're just both incredible I'm so glad you brought that up because yeah actually she would be I'm getting two choices because it's International Women's Day so you can have one that's difficult I feel like Buffy might be my choice, but I also feel like I don't want to be tied down to it.

32:27Okay, well, no one's going to tie you down. This is just an exercise. This is just a podcast. I'm taking this very seriously, because obviously Boyd, he's stolen CJ, and someone like Ainsley Hayes isn't going to work, if I'm going to have a take. Although, would I go with Amy Gardner from The West Wing? I don't know. No, probably not. It would obviously be CJ, but I can't have her. would I go with Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica no again probably not this is difficult I thought you would go for Julia Louis-Dreyfus absolutely I would Elaine it should be my second choice Elaine would be number two for sure the difficulty with this this kind of question is that because people complain that we only he only talks about the West Wing because we will pick the characters from our favourite shows I only talk about Simon Feld and Kerr which is so true and so I've fallen into that trap which is why I went for CJ before he could in the West Wing just to mix it up a bit but we do talk about the same programme so I'm trying to think of one who's not from those really obvious programmes that are bang on you know who I did absolutely love is and it's very topical because hopefully you should be in soon is Elizabeth Moss do you remember Top of the Lake China Girl that is so well both two seasons of Top of the Lake the first season is one of my is one of the greatest one of your favourite shows of all time it's so strange you should talk about that because I was only thinking about that this morning and not being able to remember the name of the show Top of the Lake is absolutely phenomenal absolutely brilliant phenomenal she is stunning she's a revelation in that and of course Helen Mirren you're absolutely right would be up there but I feel that they're quite similar like in the history in the pantheon of female detectives they're like the two for me the two greatest ones and obviously she I think they admitted paying homage to to what trailblazer Tennyson was as a character and Helen Mirren was as an actress but yeah those would be my strong candidates I think James, come on.

34:17Give us a woman. You're trying to pin me down on something, aren't you? So many options. So many thoughts. I mean, I'm trying to pick something that isn't one of my favourite shows. So I don't want to do West Wing, Battlestar Galactica, any of those sort of shows. So those are off the table, right? So you're just going to recognise them for their performance. Right, okay. It doesn't have to be one of your favourite shows. Also, Boydie, I thought that in your running would be Michaela Cole in I May Destroy You. Yeah, it would be. She's absolutely brilliant. But I don't think... It's a one-off show, I guess.

34:44Okay. It feels less impactful. You feel like it needs to have an enduring relationship with the character. Oh, do you know who else I love? Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder. I love her character. She was good. I mean, you're talking about female-fronted shows, all of the Shondaland stuff. Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, all of those. Very sort of female-fronted. Scandal, of course. Yeah. Kerry Washington. Kerry Washington, who are we going to be talking about a little bit later on? She's very, very good in that. Yeah. Gilmore Girls, another female-centric show with great characters, also very well written.

35:09Anything Lisa McGee's done, but Derry Girls being front and foremost. But now when you're not naming individuals, He's just trying to get away with it. I am. I'm trying to duck the question. But I mean, I did say as well, we'll talk about Ensemblecast, so, you know, we can forgive him for that. Okay. I'm just going to say like five hours if we do both categories. Okay. Well, it is International Women's Week. Do I pick Kate Winslet? Do I put her up there for Mare of Easttown? Oh, yeah. She's a potential. She is a potential. Although, again, that's a one-off. That was a one-off. Oh, okay. We've got a new rule.

35:37A new rule. We're not allowed one-offs. It's actually not a rule. Although it's a returning series now, isn't it? so technically it's allowed what is Mare of Easttown yeah because there was discussion of actually that it might come back after all what's that this was announced shortly after we did all the task interviews remember we talked about task and there was discussion about how how task and Mare of Easttown take place in the same universe yeah but then it was announced that actually Mare might be coming back might we're going to need a number crunch on that this is like you've done this before we're going to need a number crunch yeah you've done this before where you've kind of announced that something has been confirmed and it wasn't ever confirmed and then it's an official announcement like a year later and you go oh see I was right okay I just googled it very briefly this with Brad Inglesby and he didn't give anything away but apparently Kate Winslet has confirmed a strong likelihood for Mare of Easttown season 2 with filming potentially starting around 2027.

36:22So I don't think it's officially going ahead. I mean, that is, if that's true then I fully, that's very exciting. That is exciting. Why wouldn't you? I'm amazed that it's taken this long to bring it back. Why wouldn't you? I suppose, can I just answer why wouldn't you? I think Mare of Easttown is so near perfect that that's why you wouldn't. because obviously second season is such a risk. People always say that. I know, but it's such a risk with something like that. It's not that much of a risk because when you've got people of that level of talent, I don't think it is that much of a risk. I think just the, yeah, but the case, you're being like, I don't know, I think it's a massive risk.

36:56It is a risk because it is perfect. And Evan Peters was so integral to how brilliant that show was as well and obviously, spoiler, he doesn't quite... Don't say it. People haven't watched it. Oh my God. People say I'm the spoiler. He might not be available You are on account of his busy schedule and other commitments. You are the new spoiler. Spoiler. Wow. I'm sorry. Okay. Are you not going to stump for Olivia Benson? Again, Olivia, but that's a hard, that is, yeah. Not Taylor Swift's cat. No. Crucially, I mean, Mariska Harkite's character. I do love her, but she will never ever, she won't be, she would never be Angela Lansbury for me as a female detective.

37:36Come on, James, give us one woman. One. I want something that's off the beaten track Veronica Mars might be one that I would pick Veronica Mars are you joking? I am not saying it is the greatest performance I'm just saying if I had to pick someone to go on the Mount Rushmore I'm trying to find someone a bit left field why don't you just pick Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana for God's sake I mean if you want you can totally have Miley on there I think you've gone off the rails have I? Buffy's fine because Buffy's an iconic character. Thank you. But I'm not sure if Roderick or Marge. But I do talk about Buffy quite a lot.

38:13So I feel a little bit like, you know, it's a bit too obvious. Okay. Have you got any not obvious choices that you'd like to share with us? Liz Lemon from 30 Rock. Oh, no, you're talking. That's a good one. Bang. That is a great one. Liz Lemon. Yeah. Which coming from someone who doesn't get comedy or like comedy is quite extraordinary. Do you watch 30 Rock? I've dipped in and out of 30 Rock. I think she's fantastic in it. There are other characters in it that I find less funny. You can name them, that's fine. They don't listen. They might. They're all subscribers, Steph. They're all subscribers.

38:45There is a character I don't like, isn't it? And I'm not talking about Baldwin either. Baldwin's great. I think it's the peak of Baldwin's career. Oh, it's absolutely the peak of Baldwin. Alec Baldwin, by the way. Alec Baldwin, that and Boss Baby is absolutely the peak of the career. That and Boss Baby. I'd say 30 York is even better than Boss Baby. That's controversial. The scenes between Liz Lemon and him are gold. Absolutely gold. 30 Rock, yeah. Okay. That's a good call. Yeah, well done. So what we've got? We've got... Right, so we've got... Tina Fey. Yeah, so you're having Tina Fey, you're having CJ, and I'm having...

39:20Jessica Fletcher and all. That's fair. Can I have Dana Scully on there as well? No. Oh, yeah, Dana Scully. It is great, but you can't because you've only got one choice. I see. Okay? She can be at the bottom. Right. Of the mountain. Okay. Yeah. Wow. I think we've done it. Well done. Well done, you guys. I think it's four hours. There we go. Okay. Fine. That was a question from Steph's colleagues. Yes. But if you would like your question addressed on this podcast, then the email address for the time being is pilotTV at empiremagazine.com. Time now, apparently, for this week's guests.

39:57Boydie, would you like to introduce the recording? Yeah. Which I haven't been sent yet. Okay. Assuming, oh my God. Assuming this happens every week. Boyd, have you got the audio for this? Yeah, it's on my home computer, sorry. And then Boyd, having a booming social life, will forget to send it to me for like three days. That does happen a lot. It's not your fault you're so popular, honey. I mean, what can I do? All right, Boyd, so we have an interview. Yes, yes. I spoke to Ella Bricoleri, who plays Mary, in The Other Bennett Sister, and Ruth Jones, who plays Mrs. Bennett, her mother. And together, I interviewed them with the ICA in London, you know, the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

40:31Oh, how fancy that. Is that where they do ballet and opera? It's mainly visual art, to be fair. so no anyway they were both absolutely brilliant and we'll be reviewing the show shortly as well on this very episode and we're using an omnidirectional mic which is FYI is this your way of saying so if it sounds terrible that's the reason why yeah basically and the wonderful publicist Ian Johnson is recording it for me and hopefully will send me the audio file at some point yeah Ian if you could chuck us the audio that'd be great yeah so here we go Ella and Ruth welcome to the Pilots Review podcast Thank you.

41:06How are you both? Really happy, actually. Are you? Yeah. I'm really excited. I feel the same way. Yeah. You've got the premiere of The Other Bennett Sister tonight. Yes. As we sit here now. Did you know the whole idea of this story? Did you read the book? Did you read the novel? Were you aware of the concept, the very clever concept of Janis Hall-Lewsby? I've never heard of it. No, I didn't. I thought you were probably produced other than... No. No. I read, when I was off the part, I did then listen to the audio book of The Other Bennett's Sister by Janice Hadlow, which is, you know, it's a big, thick book.

41:44It's like David Copperfield. It is, yeah. But it was a great, I've really enjoyed listening to it. But then you have to be careful with an adaptation, I think, because obviously you can't, when you adapt a novel for screen, you can't have everything in it so there were going to be certain things that were not in the tv script um but it did give you nice elements of background as well that were quite useful i thought yeah i find it really useful reading it i had i hadn't heard of it honestly um and had not read it prior to getting part i hadn't read pride and prejudice or ask getting apart i hadn't seen any of the adaptation so i did all of that in the like space of a week um that's a lot of work you gave yourself They're both reading the thick books as well, as you say.

42:31But I did find it really helpful. I think it's hard to know, isn't it? Sometimes you have to, when you get the part, you're like, do I watch how other people have performed this? Do I read all the material? Or is that actually not going to help me at all? Because in so many ways, really, you have to take the script for what it is. Yeah, exactly. Disregard anything else. Yeah, because it has to stand on its own, which Sarah's scripts actually do. Yeah, because I think Mary is, she is different, slightly different in the scripts to how she is in the book. I think she's got slightly more agency and a bit more bite, I think, in the adaptation.

43:11Yeah. But I still just find all, I tend to just find it really helpful to gather all the information I can because then it's like, I don't know, just knowing all those little bits of detail, I think, just help you flesh it. a bit better than, you know. It's like making a beautiful meal, isn't it? Yeah. The different little herbs and this, a little bit of that. Yeah, exactly. We should say, of course, you're mother and daughter in the show. Yes, yeah. But it's one of the least – she's not a kind of warm matriarch, is she, who you play. She is quite horrible, I think. I can use that word. Yes. Certainly to Mary throughout the whole thing.

43:53Absolutely. And the irony is not lost on me that this series is being launched on Mother's Day. Was that a very clever schedule? No, actually. My mum always tells me it's not called Mother's Day, it's mothering something. Because she said there's lots of ways to mother. But Mrs. Bennett is certainly not the epitome of maternal love. I think, you know, forgive me because Elle has heard me say this before, but she was a kind of a businesswoman in lots of ways, Mrs. Bennett, an 18th century estate agent, if you will, who had five properties to sell and one of them won't shift. but it comes from it sort of comes from a good place in her that she wants for all her daughters to be looked after and in that day and age you know you as a woman you could not inherit you had no financial independence you had no independence you couldn't just decide to be a single woman really and live your life it's shameful yeah yeah you had to marry so yes she is quite a monster but and i'm not making excuses for her because she's also completely narcissistic and quite cruel but she did essentially at the heart of it want mary to be okay just like i asked to do i don't think it's helpful to see her as this like arch villain of peace do you know what i mean because that's not actually i think our show um um it makes you know it's quite good at showing how complex it is it's not that um and i think she shows her love i think she does love her daughters and i think she shows her love in a very practical way but it's like that whole love language thing isn't it like that's not how you receive i'm not going to receive loving that way um i want to be nurtured and very wants to be cuddles and told that she does have something to offer and mrs bennett's never going to do that Your reaction shots when your mother is being really horrible to you are, you feel heartbreaking.

46:04It's heartbreaking, yeah. I think it's, but it's like, you know, it's just like a universal thing of like, I think even people in their like 70s and 80s still, if they do have parents around, like you just want to make your parents proud of you. Just all you want is to be proud of you. Absolutely. Don't you? Absolutely. And I think that also that Mary, in reaction to the way that she was treated by her mother, I'm sort of speaking for you now, but I think Mary as a character absolutely had to, she couldn't be beaten down by this. No. So in a way it sort of made her, yeah, well actually I am going to be my own person.

46:43But it's such a long old journey to get there because it's, you know, that's all she's known. especially if you I mean you're so influenced by your family aren't you but especially when you're like you're living in a tiny village and don't really know anyone outside that who else are you going to be able to believe and listen to you know was it great fun though playing a woman who is capable of being that kind of ruthless oh yes ruthless uh ruthless germs yes um I think yeah it It was great fun because, of course, if you have a character who comes out with these awful lines, I mean, some of the lines were just so joyous.

47:20Like when she disapproves of Mary dancing with Mr. Sperry with the dance. And she says, you have stood up with him three times, which was absolutely a no-no. But the fact that she says, his father has a shop with a bell. And you think, I mean, you know, they're awful, but those things should matter. But on the other hand, they're really funny. So, I mean, she is undoubtedly one of the best parts I've ever played. I loved her. I loved her. Of course, Alison Steadman played her, didn't she? In the… Yes. And have you spoken to her about this? Yes. Well, Alison and I, we were at, I think, well, we were at, this sounds really pretentious.

48:11We were at an awards set, of course, for getting Stacey. And I told Alison then, I said, oh, guess what? And it was still very hush-hush. I said, can you play Mrs. Bennet? And she, I mean, Alison's just a joy and she was just so happy for me. So I'd be interested to see what she thinks. I did say to her, she's not anything like yours, really, which is great to have that opportunity. And Olivia Colman's playing her for Netflix, isn't that? Yeah. I mean, you are in a kind of starred role. It's going to be a Mrs. Bennet fest. I mean, yeah, I can't wait. And again, because the joy of the other Bennet sister, of course, is that you've kind of just changed the angle from which you're watching this story of Pride and Prejudice and you're seeing a different family dynamic and different family relationship.

49:00And yet, if you're familiar with Pride and Prejudice, that makes it even more enjoyable to watch the Bennet sister. And how was it having Ruth Jones as your mother and not just that Richard E. Grant as your father? Yeah, well, I was very lucky, wasn't I, really? I've been really, really lucky. I loved working with Ruth for so many reasons. She's a comedy agent, obviously, so I would find painting those shades of light and dark I think were really important because there is so much cruelty in it. It feels very cruel so I think it's important to give it levity as well and we had moments where we were able to do that which was really lovely.

49:40And also Ruth was just so sensitive and kept apologising to me. It's like, thank you. I could handle it, it's fine. it's fine um but um i think i just felt very i felt very grateful and humbled for the whole the way that everyone approached it really because everyone you know when you have like big big names doing your show you you can't expect them to like you think maybe they won't care about it as much as i can maybe they'll just come in and do that bit and then but like everyone approached it in that everyone cared just as much as i did we all approached it in a really detailed like fastidious way and I was so yeah I was just really humbled by that I think it and I think it was um prolific throughout the whole production wasn't it it was with the the care that went into the costumes the makeup the production the settings um it was just everybody you just got a feeling that everybody cared yeah yes yeah and how was it for you being um Richard E.

50:40Grant's life how was that how's the bomb well it's funny because i've i've known richard for some time and we've done um i'd interviewed him at a book festival uh we have the same agent but we'd never actually worked together uh so yeah it was it was great because i think the casting of this couple as a couple who now you know i think my my take on it was that back in the day they had a really active, vibrant sex life and had all these babies. And then it just, they didn't really have anything else in common. And so it turned to a real bitterness, you know. And I love that we've got some scenes where you can hear them arguing in the background in another room.

51:27And so Richard was great on that front because he's so sardonic and he's so able to get that real dry arch intolerance of his wife. And she, by the same token, was very frustrated by him and that he wouldn't do more, you know, because Mrs. Bennet is incredibly proactive. Yeah, it's very passive, isn't it? He's just sitting there reading his paper. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I thought he played that brilliantly. The two of you together, such a brilliant bit of casting, I think it's like, it's fantastic. It really is, isn't it? Yeah, it is. Now you have to do this scene where you have to play the piano and sing kind of badly.

52:05Now you are a musician and a singer, and I know you have got a very good voice. How was that for you having to, did you have to kind of like. It's really embarrassing because it's like, yeah, I thought, you know, I thought like, you know, I can hold a tune at least. So it's going to be really difficult for me to sing badly. It's going to be really like, you know, I have to throw my demotivist. Honestly, that is genuinely out of my point, Sam, because I was like so nervous. I was like I just led into the nerves And we were just sitting there And it honestly it wasn't even like a hat to eat To put that on And when you see it you'll see how shameful that is Because it's really bad isn't it Well you see It's a little bit like Drunk acting It's very tricky to get the right Balance to sing badly When your character demands that Because you can Run the risk of sounding like you're trying to be funny.

53:01Whereas now I've discovered that you really were singing like that. I was going to say, oh my gosh, you did that so brilliantly. I just let myself... You were doing your very best. ...means control. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. I'm not an operatic singer. So, you know. Yeah, fair enough. Fair enough. Now you've both been in, obviously, a long-running, huge call, the midwife, just finished its most... I know. ...kind of finished for a long while, right? Gavin and Stacey. So when you're in a long-running show like that that you're so associated with, do you look for roles that are completely different to the ones that you've just been doing?

53:36Or do you just look for projects that excite you and have… Listen, I just do what I… I still feel very lucky that anyone wants to employ me. So I tend to, you know, I get offered something. It's very unlikely that I'm going to go, oh, no, I don't think I can do it. I mean, I think I've just been lucky that the parts I've been offered I have wanted to do and they have been different. And so, you know, this year I did the last year, I did the Netflix series, which I really loved that character because she was quite enigmatic and was the first time I played a private detective. Then you go, I went from that to playing Mrs.

54:16Bennett, which was fantastic. I mean, people are, I guess, I'm always going to be associated with Nessa, which I'm very happy with because I'm, you know, gosh, she's done me a lot of favours. I know, but I'm still going to say 10%. But, yeah, so I always think I'm not a terribly ambitious actress. I always say the same thing. Do you? Yeah. Yeah, I'm just sort of like kind of grateful to get a job. She regularly does it with her hair. Do you know what I mean? I was like, I've got no ambition. I'm just happy to be doing it. I'm just so happy to be doing it. Because it's like, for me, I've always said this, acting is like playing.

54:58I just want to have fun. I want to enjoy it. And that can be doing a really emotional scene. I mean, Ella and I have got an incredibly emotional scene in the last episode of this. But it was still, oh, just so joyous, wasn't it? Yeah, it was such a lovely day. It was like we were performing a little play. We had time to do this like two-hander that kind of just went in these different directions. And days like that on set, you're just like, this is why I'm doing this job. Yeah. I just love it. Absolutely. And I just, I'm the same as Ruth. I just want to carry on working. I think it's not, you know, you want to do lots of different things, don't we?

55:30Yeah. Kind of the fear of doing, it's nice to be able to. To have variety. Yes. That's exactly. Like I think if I was offered a part as a Barry Island arcade worker in a leather skirt and a black bob, I'd probably turn that down. I've got to have that idea. How annoying. Okay. Fair enough. Fair enough. What about, Ruth's obviously has written the whole co-written, Kevin C. Would you like to write stuff as well? I would. I would really, I'm writing something with my partner, but he's a writer. But I'm like, it's so, it's new territory for me. So I'm like learning whether I'm any good at writing with another person.

56:07I think I, like, I think sometimes why, yeah, because she's like your partner partner. Yeah, see, that brings all sorts of levels. Yeah, that's interesting. Yes. But we're very aligned with our tastes and what we write. But he likes to sit and write together. And I don't know if that's the best way of working for me. Well, it's interesting because I'm writing two things at the moment. I'm writing with James and I'm writing with Steve Spears. And we have completely different ways of working together. So with James, we've sort of basically carried on as we always did with Gavin and Stacey's, which is we'd sit in the room, we'd sort of map out generally what the episode would be.

56:46And then we would sort of act it out. We'd sort of improvise it and write it down. But with Steve, we do a very clear sort of overall episode outline. And then we do a very clear scene by scene. And then he will write the first draft. I will do the second draft. Really? I'll sit back and forth between you. Yeah, because I don't think Steve says I couldn't sit in the room. No. and right not in a horrible way but you're I don't know I feel like you your inhibitions go up maybe and you're kind of always thinking this is really shit yeah whereas you're free when you're by yourself yeah how what's going to which of those projects is going to come first do you think in terms of filming the project that's called Better Later for BBC we film that in June oh great and then we film The Choir which is the project called June with James in the autumn, but that would be like for six months.

57:45Who knows when? I imagine Better Later will come out first, but I don't know. I don't get told these things. Fantastic. Well, congratulations on the other best. It's fantastic. Washington's TV CEO is brilliant. Thank you. Cheers. Thanks a lot. Okay, I believe it is time now for this week's news. Does anyone have any news as I desperately try and get my phone out of my pocket, which has the news stories that I saved on it? I don't know why I'm putting my hand up, but I do have some news. Okay, you'll be interested in this, James. Miley Cyrus is returning as Hannah Montana. Is this just a go on my Mount Rushmore?

58:18It's a bit Veronica Mars adjacent.

58:23On the 24th of March, 20 years to the day since the show launched on the Disney Channel, she's going to have a little go. There you go, an anniversary special. So that'll be good. I've never seen Hannah Montana. You've never seen? Oh, okay. Actually, it's quite a good show I have to watch a lot of that anyway so that is happening also the morning show a female led show in its fifth season Jeff Daniels has been added to the roster and he is playing a self made billionaire I saw this story and you know what I thought I thought hasn't he already been in it no and you're like oh no that's the newsroom yeah yeah that's right yes the newsroom terribly flawed but I love it of course because it's I am very excited there's a picture of him at a desk and he looks very menacing.

59:12Is that from the newsroom? Are you sure? Yeah, are you sure? Show me the picture. Oh, it's on your computer. Okay. I'm going to... No, I think that is from this. Yeah, I don't think that's not unusual. What do you think? It doesn't look unusual. It's quite unusual to have a publicity shot this early in the process, but yeah, it looks like it. Okay, well that's very exciting. Other things to talk about, and obviously James will be thrilled about this, Boyd and I talking about this. So, there's been a lot of axing on Strictly, a lot of pro-dancers' ax. Obviously, they've still not made any announcements about who is going to be the new presenters.

59:51obviously Tess and our beloved Claudia gone, gone on to new pastures. But this week, ahead of the 2026 return, four professional dancers have been axed. Gorka, Luba, Michelle and Nadia have all gone. Well, you've successfully, James's eyebrows successfully raised higher perhaps than I've ever seen. Have you ever watched Strictly? Of course not. Of course he hasn't. Strictly's really good. I'm sure. It is. and that's about dancing oh you don't care about I mean I don't watch the dancing dogs I'm definitely not watching the dancing humans you don't watch the dancing dogs this is what I'm saying I'd watch Crufts before I'd watch Strictly oh same yeah why wouldn't you just watch Crufts do you know what my level of disappointment with you today is so high so Boyd have you got my question to you is any inkling on who is going to be the new presenter as you walk in those circles and also what do you think it means that they have axed some of these beloved pros I have absolutely no idea about Axie and the Beloved Prose.

1:00:54I don't really have any great knowledge of Strictly from that point of view. I don't really... The only reason I ever watched Strictly is because it's Claudia. I mean, I would watch anything from Claudia. Because Merriman Boyd does hate ballet, so it probably extends he probably hates dancing generally. Yeah, that's true. Back in the day, I did watch... Really early on, I watched Strictly for various reasons, and I used to go on the Strictly It Takes Two show on BBC Two. Famously, I must have mentioned this before, on the podcast I've been listening for the last seven how long have we been going?

1:01:24too long eight years I did one of the Strictly It Takes Two episodes and Donny Osmond was the other guest and it was my birthday and Donny Osmond and they gave me a cake with a picture of me and Donny Osmond on it together and Donny Osmond picked me up and did like a dance with me at the end like a slow dance a slow dance with Donny Osmond on an episode of Strictly It Takes Two that is so sweet yeah so I haven't really paid that much attention since then to the dancers I don't really care who's answering on it, to be honest. Well, let me tell you, the fact that Gawker's gone is a huge blow. I know, yeah, I get it.

1:01:56But as for who's going to host it, I genuinely don't think they've decided yet. They really need to. It's not until, you know, six months or whatever, is it? But I'd be surprised if it's not something like Ryland and Zoe Ball. Something like that. That keeps ticking away in my mind, that duo. Something like that. Like, yeah, a big female star presenter and Ryland. Someone had Ryland. but who knows I mean you know I've absolutely no inside knowledge on that whatsoever okay that's my news did either of you see the trailer for The Testaments no which is the Handmaid's Tale follow up yeah Handmaid's Tale spin off right indeed based on the book I didn't realise so it's set quite a while after the end of The Handmaid's Tale so Gilead spoiler for The Handmaid's Tale is still around but has I guess changed in certain ways and Plum is the colour of choice this time around.

1:02:51But from the trailer, I was like, hmm, interesting. It didn't look quite as overtly misery porn as the original series, but I'm assuming it kind of goes down that route. Well, that's interesting because I think, I remember, I haven't read the book. I've read the Hammer's Tale original book. Yeah. But that ends with like season one of the show, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. But I remember reading the reviews of this book and people saying that it wasn't quite as relentlessly miserable. as the original but there was more kind of lightness and whatever. Purpleness. Have you read a lot more purple?

1:03:26No. The Testaments. But it's interesting, yeah. I mean, you know, it's a huge undertaking because the original was like, what, six seasons of Handmaid's Tale? Now concluded. Now concluded, yeah. So I'm fascinated to see what they do. I think they can't make it, it has to be different tones, isn't it? Yeah, you would have, I mean, Handmaid's Tale was a really good show. I never made it, I got to, what, halfway through the second series, but I found it so, it was like self-harm. Like, just watching it, it would make me so miserable watching it. I just couldn't keep doing it. I totally agree with you.

1:03:58The Hammer's Tale, I absolutely, I loved the first series, but it's so fucking depressing, isn't it? It's just, it was hard to get through. It was a bit of a slog. Yeah, misery porn is exactly what it was. So I didn't, I haven't finished. I mean, I think I watched a lot more of it. You know, I remember getting up to season four when I interviewed Elizabeth Moss. I appreciate the brilliance of it and it absolutely is brilliant. Yeah, I think it was fantastic. And when I'm really super upbeat, I'm going to go back to it, right? When I can see a long amount of time. Maybe when International Women's Week is over.

1:04:29Yeah. You know, you can turn your attention to it. Yeah, but it does, it is an undertaking. It is a mental undertaking, isn't it? Yeah, it is. You have to really be in a great place. You need to steal yourself for that show. Somewhere sunny and, you know, just, you know, with a cocktail and just really living it up. you know you need to balance it all don't you because it is it's a real like oh god let's get down to all this terrible thing that's happening i just i genuinely remember this was a scene that i came into the office and i just like this was god it must have been well however many years ago like seven eight years ago and i sat down and this was when terry was was editor of empire and she was like what on earth is your face and i just i just turned around and i just watched the episode and I think it's from the beginning, I want to say season two, where Aunt Gladys, whatever, it's not Aunt Gladys, is it?

1:05:19Aunt Lydia, that's it. It's Aunt Lydia, isn't it? That is for sure. It's not Aunt Lydia. It's Aunt Lydia. She handcuffs one of the handmaids to like a gas hob and then like turns it on. I remember that, yeah. And I was just like, I genuinely, that was the thing that pushed me over there. I just can't deal with this. I cannot have this in my head. So, yeah. I'm kind of, I'm with you, I'm with you. You know how I hate to be with you by now. Let's all have an open mind, though, about... No, absolutely, let's have an open mind. Which apparently is a knockabout comedy. Which brings in a new colour of plum.

1:05:54Sorry. Be gone the burgundy. Burgundy? It was kind of just red, isn't it? Red, yeah, just, yeah. You're saying it's burgundy now? No, it's now plum. Oh, plum. Yeah, they've gone full purple. It's plum. It's not that subtle. One's red, one's purple. it was more of a darker red oh my god can we please not pull out pantones at this point this is movie news not like colour coordination movie news there's not even movie news god it's what's the other thing TV that's it TV news this is such a shambolic podcast right From which is starring your namesake Boyd Sheriff Boyd that is a show that I have persevered with and there's been a trailer for the new season of Gone now when the last season of Gone oh my god can we start calling it Gone No, it's called From, it has gone, as in season two is gone, but season three is not gone, but it is From.

1:06:42Gone is that show that we reviewed. Right, exactly, and that's not this. So From, From, From. See, we talk about generic titles. See, yes. This is a generic title. We have that in the session, yeah. Yes, don't call your show From. Gone is the David Morrissey ITV drama, which is excellent. It's like Gone, From, here, there. Can we just have proper titles? Yeah, bring back proper titles. Proper titles, thank you. Anyway, Carry On. Anyway, From is coming back for another series. Sheriff Boyd dealing with the kind of monster. because they're stranded in that town and they can't get out. I felt a little bit in the last season that this show had gone off the rails a little bit.

1:07:14It feels like they're in that freewheeling writer's room makes you up as you go along territory. I could be wrong, but that's what it feels like to me. So I wasn't going to go back to it, but I'm back in now. I'm going to go back to it and see what happens. I remember we reviewed the first series, didn't we? We did, yeah. It was quite maverick. It was quite maverick, but it gets increasingly batty as it goes along as these things tend to. I get confused with From and Evil. Evil was like another one. Evil's the Mike Coulter procedural. Yes. But again, one of the better network procedures around.

1:07:43Yeah, surprisingly good in the end, wasn't it? Yeah, it was decent. Supernatural procedural. All these one-word titles. It is getting silly, isn't it? A little bit, yeah. A ban on one-word titles. Right. I was going to mention the Royal Television Society Award nominations are out this week. And the Royal Television Society Awards are, I would say, second only to the BAFTAs as an important. on the team. Yes, except Mrs. Brown's boys is more likely to win. No, no, no, you're confusing with the National Television Awards. You're right, I am. No, the National Television Awards but the National Television Awards voted for by the public.

1:08:15Yes. And that's where they went wrong. Yeah, the RTS Awards are not voted by the public. The RTS Awards are voted by the likes of me in juries of TV experts. And Kay Ribeiro, I believe. And Kay Ribeiro, yeah. She's on board as well. Crucially, I was not invited. Do you know why? One day. You do know why. I do know why. Egregious. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, Adolescents got the most nominations. Of course. With six nominations. And Slow Horses, Big Boys, Code of Science, he's got three. I'll just mention a couple of categories. I know James loves it when I go through all the nominees in any of these.

1:08:49I do so enjoy it. All the things. Please go through it in full. No, I'm not going to go through it in full. But Comedy Drama includes Big Boys. Oh, yes please. Favourite of the podcast. Dreaming Whilst Black. Yes, please. And Juice. another favourite I think of this very podcast comedy performance female Jordan Gray in Transaction Catherine Parkinson in Here We Go Lucy Punch Amanda Land and Philippa Dunn from Amanda Land and Amanda Land dominated I love Lucy Punch yeah comedy performance female Ajani Salmon from Junior Ross Black John Pointing from Big Boys Oliver Saville Changing Entity plays Alan Carr in Changing Entity is brilliant and Steve Coogan who you may have heard of as Alan Partridge I mean you can't beat that can you you don't like Alan Partridge it's not that I don't like Alan Partridge I struggle with the cringeness of it oh yeah I remember it's because he is Alan Partridge when he's hosting this show it's so ill aha that's the problem yes yeah it hits too close to home drama series you'll like these drama series Blue Lights yes yes come on Blue Lights Code of Silence slow horses yes and The City is Ours I mean The City is Ours they're filming season 2 of that at the moment it was a really good show not to be confused with We Own This City which is a different show that is correct whoa and then I'll just mention leading actor in dramas female Rosalind Ellis for Codes of Silence Erin Doherty for A Thousand Blows Nigess Rashidi for Prisoner 951 and Tamara Lawrence for Get Millie Black and then lead actor male Anthony Boylan House of Guinness Bobby Schofield in Unforgivable Malachi Kirby in A Thousand Blows and Stephen Graham you may have heard of him in Adolescence and finally the limited series single drama Category Adolescence itself Forget Millie Black I thought the law and what it feels like for a girl which was excellent okay well I enjoyed that thanks me listing things Boyd reading lists is definitely a highlight of this podcast it's got the very Morgan Freeman-esque quality does he?

1:10:41does he learn? yes he absolutely does it's the Oscars this Sunday it'll be over by the time this comes out but I could just read loads of lists if you want in advance of that you'll have to do that on the Empire podcast I volunteer to go on Empire podcast speaking of films Idris Elba is shooting the new Luther film there's a picture of him on set with the tie and the coat I personally love the fact that the first Luther film was so insanely stupid I enjoyed it that they're doing another one it was so stupid it wasn't enough that it was that stupid and it goes in a different direction at the end as well there's a whole set piece in Iceland isn't there just decided to have a Scandi noir but Luther anyway is the kind of having that you know Ruth Wilson's character in Luther does make it to use a Boydism a demented doesn't it And I believe she's back for this film, isn't she?

1:11:30Do you know what? I can't remember where we left things with Alice Morgan. I thought she was dead, but she's died several times. She's never going to die, that character. Never. Never. I think she's back for this sequel, but I may be right. I may have invented that. No, I think she is. I think she's back. In disappointing news, Netflix's three-body problem, which I adore, is having reduced episode counts for the coming of the season. And this is an interesting question. so it's just been reported that season 2 is going to run for 6 episodes instead of the 8 of the first one and season 3 might have even fewer episodes except I thought we already knew that I was pretty certain that because at one point it was like is it just going to be films are they going to do them but no they are going to do them a series but I thought we already knew that but it's being reported as news so I'm repeating it here I thought we already knew that as well absolutely 100 % yeah but okay alright well it's been confirmed there you go okay any other news or are we done I think we're done did you can I just say did you watch Ryan Gosling's SNL monologue I know how much you love SNL I detest SNL I know you hate SNL but I would hope that you would still watch clips somehow how good Boyd was Ryan Gosling's SNL monologue featuring Harry Styles it was great they're on a roll with SNL because they've got Harry Styles next week by the time you listen to this it'll be out and last time they had the guy from Heated Rivalry yeah is that what it's called yeah he did rivalry which was they're right on it Connor Story what's interesting thank you what's interesting is SNL the UK version yes 21st of March so that's not in a couple of Saturdays time yeah they assembled the writers room I they have not announced who their first guest host is are you it's not me I mean I think Harry Styles would be perfect but he's doing the American one right so he it needs to be a big star I wonder who they've got are you going to go to that taping no I feel like they'd invite you.

1:13:22Well, they haven't invited me yet. And I think I was still playing that night anyway. Wow. I'm washing my hair. I'm not going. Should we move on to this week's reviews? Yes. Let's do that. Okay. Yes, please God, indeed. First up this week, we have Imperfect Women on Apple TV. This is based on Araminta Hall's novel of the same name, but it uproots her story of a friendship thruple who are forced to question just how well they knew each other after one of the three is horribly murdered. and it relocated from the UK to the US. And this one stars Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Moss and Kate Mara and it is essentially Apple's answer to Big Little Lies.

1:13:59So, to tell us all about the show, we turn to our very own imperfect woman, Steph Seeland. Okay, thank you James for that delightful introduction. So, imperfect women. I love the way you describe them as a friendship throuple. I enjoy that. So, friendship throuple, three women who think they know absolutely everything about, opens on like a nice bar scene very six they're a mix of um uh kind of Kerry Washington's very highly successful business entrepreneurial woman um Kate Mara's got seemingly ancestral wealth as well as having married a very rich man and then you've got Elizabeth Moss's character who is a is a homemaker um she's got three kids and she's a lovely husband and she's delightful these three three women who've been best friends for years.

1:14:47There's obviously webs of secrets and lies between these three women. And it's not a spoiler to say that one of them is murdered. Okay? And then what unravels is the secret life of each individual woman and what has happened that's led them to this point. That's essentially it, isn't it? Would you say? Yeah. Yeah, that's what it is. You summed it up. I've summed it up. Well done. Yeah. I can't believe you think it's Apple's answer to Big Little Lies. Well, I mean, it's quite a reductive take. It's a group of women. But it's, yeah, it's a group of women. It's a murder mystery. Something's happening.

1:15:28All their partners are being involved. And it's like, and it's, you know, so it has a similarity. I am now going to say every kind of sci-fi show that you say is that channel's answer to whatever other sci-fi show. But also like a group of big names. It's not produced by Reese Witherspoon. so I guess that's something it has the feel of a show it does have the feel of it yes I did I enjoy this show yes I did enjoy it one of my problems I love Kerry Washington one of the problems I have with watching Kerry Washington is that every and especially in this role where she's somewhat she's really assisting the husband to try and kind of unravel the mystery is I just expect her at every turn to turn around and say it's handled do you know what I mean?

1:16:14her line from Scandal and I found that really distracting you didn't watch Scandal so in Scandal it's very specific it is specific but I did have that kind of problem because she's playing this sort of role of keeping everything together and being very much at the forefront of trying to find out what happened to her friend with the aid of Elizabeth Moss but there is something about the character she plays in this where I could not get away from Scandal in it for me. So I found that quite distracting. If you didn't watch Scandal, you won't. Did you watch Scandal? You think she brought big Olivia Pope energy?

1:16:48I think she did bring Olivia Pope energy. Did you? You obviously watched Scandal. I've seen Scandal, yeah. Yeah. So maybe, probably you won't agree with me, but we'll see. Anyway, yeah, it's good. Is it great? I didn't think so. It's kind of, for me, a sort of standard murder mystery with some great actresses, but I don't think it's a must-watch. It's a nice-to-have. A nice watch, not a must watch. Yeah. This isn't the must watch podcast. No, it isn't the must watch. It's okay. Yeah, it's just, it didn't blow me away in any sense. What's interesting is that these mega giant talents of recent times, Kerry Washington, Kate Mara and Elizabeth Moss, are in this show.

1:17:37And I know they're both exec producers, Elizabeth Moss and Kerry Washington, so that they're both kind of involved in the creation of it and etc and the you know producing of it picking the writer and the and the directors and all of that so i can see that as being a fun thing for them to do but the actual show is weirdly not doesn't feel like i've only i've watched three of out of eight i think it was a lot yeah three out of eight and so far i don't see what's so special about the subject or the script or the characters or the situation that makes it, that would have appealed so much to these mega talents.

1:18:15Yeah, it is exactly that. But having said that, I'm really enjoying it. Okay. And I think in the end, I probably will see why they've chosen it. I get the feeling there's going to be enough big twists and turns from, you know, it's taking its time, isn't it, as it's playing out over eight hours. and I think in the end it will be hopefully it will be it's like I'm giving it I'm giving it the I'm assuming that in the end it will have enough about it which is different and interesting and provocative and audacious for it to be worth carrying on with at the moment it's like I'm really enjoying being with these characters are you?

1:18:50yeah I think they're fun and interesting and a bit askew like Elizabeth Moss I mean I always come see I didn't I watched a couple episodes of Scandal and you know I think she's great in it and I think I like the fact that she's bonking the young guy the hot young guy from work and all of that, keeping that a secret. I think that's quite fun, the way she's kind of, has to grapple with, has to juggle all of that with the fact, with what's going on in the main plot. But Elizabeth, it's all about Elizabeth Mottomine. She's so good in everything. And she's embodying her character, who is the more, the less well-off, the less privileged, normal, in quotes.

1:19:24Obviously, they're all living in LA. She's got a pretty decent house and a nice husband. Seemingly nice husband, although I think he's got a little bit, I think he's going to, there can be secrets about him. I don't know for sure. But I get the Corrie Stoll character. I think there'll be stuff about him that isn't quite as great, pleasant as it is at the moment, three episodes in. But she gets obsessed. By the end of episode two, she gets obsessed with the crime and goes a bit bonkers. And I'm enjoying that because she does that brilliantly. She handles that kind of shift in a character when you find out more about her than you do in the beginning.

1:19:58I think she's already great. And I'm loving the property porn. I love the fact that Kate Mara's character, living with Joel Kinnaman, without the million layers of makeup that he's got in For All Mankind, by the way. Joel Kinnaman is in every show, by the way. He is in every show. He's in the Joe Nespo thing coming up soon, which I'm just going to be reviewing in a couple, maybe even next week. And he's in For All Mankind still, 95 years old. And he's in this as the really objectionable husband. He's very good in this. He's always good. He's good at playing utter twat, Belen. but their house is incredible right fantastic and then the house that Kerry Washington she lives in like a kind of 80s style loft apartment which is just a bit weird I know I think but intriguing I think one of the things that kind of irked me about this is is it it kind of seemed basic in the fact you've got three women and they've all got they're friends but they've all got very different lives one of them married well one of them's an entrepreneur and one of them's a homemaker and I I don't know whether I just thought that was a bit Homemaker's like American for housewives.

1:21:04Yeah, and I just, I just, I don't know whether... But she did a lot of charitable works and was on the boards of many different... I know, but again, that's exactly... I don't know whether I really enjoyed these kind of female, your life trajectory, like, I just don't know whether I... I think it was a bit rubbish to have them like... No, no, sorry. It's not rubbish. No, no, that idea, that's what you're saying. To have them having very disparate backgrounds. Exactly. So I've not read the book, but the book is a British book. So I wonder how tonally it's different. These three friends wildly straddle the class divide here in the UK, which would be, you know, if you're looking at people from different backgrounds, that's kind of what you probably do.

1:21:45I don't know. I think the class conflict element is key. I've seen interviews with them and with the stars, with Kerry Washington, et cetera, of this version, that that's part of what appealed to them about the novel is that stuff, differences in privilege particularly among the characters which I think they do transplant quite well to this setting to the LA setting. I think I found it a little bit that idea and again I haven't watched loads of them so as you say the unravelling of Elizabeth Moss character might keep me more interested because you know the whole it's always the quiet ones idea.

1:22:20And it becomes as the show goes on they focus more episodes are more focused on the individual characters characters so you see them from their point of view more that it starts kind of more generally. Maybe that's what I'm sensing there. I think the thing is for me it just didn't feel in any way special. There was nothing special about it to make me go you should definitely watch this because this is really good. This is why you were so offended when I compared it to Big Little Lies. Yeah because Big Little Lies is special but do you get do you know what I mean? There's nothing outstanding. I agree with you but I said that myself pretty much but I'm enjoying them being As I say, I'm enjoying being with them and watching them.

1:22:57Develop. And I think there are enough interesting twists and turns for me to carry on watching it. And I think in the end it might be more special than we suspect. Okay, James. I love the fact that they're playing with that three-way friendship dynamic because I think it's inherently interesting. I love what Mike White did with that in the most recent season of The White Lotus, the idea that when you have a friendship and it's three people, you will get little alliances and confidences and betrayals. And obviously in this, when one of them dies, it all comes out who she confide what in to whom.

1:23:28To whom? To whom. And, you know, not being funny, but, you know, it transpires in a certain way that, you know, Kate Mara and Elizabeth Moss definitely had a WhatsApp group and definitely called out Kerry Washington for using the word egregious overtly. It is very much like this podcast. It was implied. It was very implied. But I thought that was quite interesting about that Kate Mara had confided in one person about the person she was sleeping with and then she confides with the other one about something else and there's almost a little bit of one-upmanship about you know she's not you're not the only one she confided in and then also we're playing with the narrational aspects as well aren't we because we shift into different points of view it's like well how reliable is this narration so it's interesting and I think yeah Elizabeth Moss was definitely the most interesting character in that because there's you get the impression there's a lot going on with that character and she's really spiky at times as well like she has a lot of fun with it all of that said I know what you mean in the I thought this is good I'm enjoying it it's well produced, it looks nice, it's directed by Leslie Linker, Glasser, like it's, you know, it's really well put together.

1:24:28But I thought, but it's not like, it's not like I was like, oh my God, I'm now obsessed, I need to watch all of these. There's no oomph, is there? There's a little, a little lack of oomph. Yeah. I could have done with more oomph. I think there's enough oomph to keep going. Yeah. But you've watched, you've watched four. You have watched more. Three. And as Steph is very fond of saying, I don't think we can really judge it having not watched as many episodes. I hold my hands up to say that maybe if I'd watched four, I would have a different take on it, but I wasn't drawn in. I just, I don't know.

1:24:55Fair enough. I wasn't feeling it at all. Okay, well. Yeah. I'm wrong. Maybe you should. You are, yeah. I mean, bottom line, you're just wrong. But you agreed with me that it was unspecial to use a non-word. Yeah, but I think there's enough in it for me to keep on going. That's what I'm saying, yeah. I think there's enough. Okay. We're in a world where Big Little Lies is... Obsessed with Big Little Lies comparison. okay because you started it I did where would you say it falls I feel I need to watch the rest of it to answer that question okay because I think if you think about it even Big Little Lies part of the brilliance and I agree with you is absolutely a standout brilliant show in this world funnily enough we're talking about female led shows but it's the whole thing isn't it it's like everything about including the actual ending the explanation the final episode of the first series is incredibly good so it's all I can't separate that whole series from how it ends up.

1:25:50Something you've only watched part of. Yeah, okay. I think this has the potential to be up there with it. I do think it has the potential with this cast. I mean, it's totally elevated by the cast, these three brilliant actresses. And yeah, so I kind of have heartache. But I think with Big Little Lies it was, immediately, you enjoyed every episode whereas with this, I don't know whether you will. But you know what? Let's just, let's see. Let's see what the people think. Let's just see. Imperfect Women then, which airs on the Apple TV Plus. Boydy, when does it start? It's just what Apple TV needs to do.

1:26:22It is, that's true. But it's always going to be plus to me. Yeah, of course. Like Amazon Prime Video. Can I just also make the point that you know what is basically becoming an additional character in every single American show? Go on. Cornholes. Do you know what? I had the same thought because we had Cornholes recently. How are we back with Cornholes again? Cornholes in Rooster. Cornholes in Shrinking. Cornholes in Imperfect Women. and cornholes are everywhere. The DTF show. DTF, cornholes. That had cornholes. That's mad, yeah. Or maybe I'm thinking of DTF because we did that the same week as Rooster.

1:26:53Anyway, they're everywhere. Is there other cornholes in Rooster? No, there probably aren't. I'm thinking DTF. Cornholes. Yeah. You know, the beanbag throwing thing, by the way. Anyway, Disney, Apple TV, not plus, Wednesday the 18th of March, 2026. Good stuff. Next up, we have a woman of substance on Channel 4, and this is the latest stab at adapting Barbara Taylor Bradford's 1979 novel, one which Channel 4, of course, themselves did famously back in 1984, with Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr as Emma Hart, and Liam Neeson, Big Liam, was in that as well. This version, however, sees Brenda Blethen as Emma, with Jessica Reynolds as her younger self, and it tells this era-spanning tale of a former housemaid who pulls herself up by her bootstraps, mainly to have her revenge on the upper-class Fairley family who cast her out.

1:27:41and to tell us this tale of cold-blooded revenge and class war, we turn to our very own woman of substance, Steph Seelan. Oh, God, no. Oh, God. It's such a women's week. Oh, my God. Right, okay. I was like, I thought you were going to do a brilliant joke about Boyd being a woman of substance. Oh, can you, Boyd, you do it. No, no, this is International Steph Week. Wow. Okay, right. Women of substance. Okay, so... I don't know why he's doing this. I don't know why he's doing this to me. It's good, I can relax. Right, so... I'll just chill. Okay, right. so obviously we open and see with the brilliant Brenda Blethin in contemporary times and she's in her she's in her fancy car and is it contemporary times?

1:28:22it's more contemporary is it 60s, 70s? yeah 70s is actually okay this is why you should do it this is why you should like it's more contemporary than you know than it reverses than it flashes back to sure boy do you want to just can you do it? no you decide so you'll finish can you? go on no you can't do this again okay anyway and then the first episode basically is the story of you find out how you introduce a young Emma Hart who is working as a maid in a big estate and the first episode is essentially positioning her and the reason why she has wanted to to get the revenge on these this terrible family that have done her done her so wrong Jessica Reynolds plays the young Emma Hart and plays it fantastically and she is very poor and her family are very poor and it's juxtaposed with this very rich family.

1:29:11And Emmett J. Scanlon plays Adam Fairley who is the father in the house and he's also in everything at the moment, can I just say, don't you think? Oh, it's true. He is an axe that you cannot move for him. He's ubiquitous. He's been in everything for years. But he's really a lot in this more than he is normally, shall we say. He's really a lot, yeah. We're not going to get to. Yes, he is very much a lot in this. Anyway, so it's kind of got a bit of a... like it's a flashback isn't it it's very flashbacky is that a they intercut yeah they intercut it starts with her in the 70s and then in contemporary times in contemporary times and it flashes back to decades previously when she was a youngster and it keeps intercutting between her in the late in the in contemporary times and her story as she gets older and older and older and has her has her obsession it's a rip-roaring rampage of revenge like Kill Bill with more silver tea service.

1:30:09Very much so. There's a lot of tea. Very much so. I want to say that there's a scene in this. I really don't think it, you know, the book is... Are you referring to the sex cave? No, I'm not going to... I do enjoy the sex cave, but there's a scene in this which actually made me cry because I thought it was so incredibly beautiful and well done. And it is a scene featuring Will Mellor and Emma Hart's mother and the death of Emma Hart's mother. And it was so poetic and it was so incredibly beautiful. The scenic, it was just, it made me cry. It was so wonderful. If you're going to watch it for nothing else but this scene, it's really, really amazing.

1:30:54You know the scene I'm talking about. Boy, did you cry? I did not cry, no. It's a lovely scene. It's on the moors where they're all wailing. It's on the moors. They're wailing with... I'm just going to say, he takes his wife and she says it's time and then he takes her to the top of a hillside and they're all there together as a family and it's just really magical. It's beautiful, isn't it? It is lovely. It's a lovely, lovely scene. Okay, so yes, we've got illicit affairs. We've got maids and the men of the house and it is very racy in terms of sexy times. There is a sex cave, as a leading to.

1:31:36And there is a sex cave. Boyd, did you enjoy the sex cave? Wow. Well, I know this is a bonk buster, isn't it? It's trying to be, basically, the rivals of, you know, of a kind of period drama meets rivals kind of thing. Almost like Bridgerton-y, rivals-y. And even though they've already adapted this book in the early days on Channel 4, and it was their biggest hit ever at the time. Probably it might still be the biggest hit ever. It's a bit... I feel like I'm not sure... I was trying to find out when this was commissioned. And according to Wikipedia, Channel 4 announced it in 2025, which would definitely be post-Rivals.

1:32:19I just feel like this would possibly not have happened without the success of Rivals. And what's different, of course, is that Rivals is a very funny, entertaining, knockabout, bonkbuster. in which Rivals is a show in which in practically the first scene you see the hero's knob. So it sets the tone. And it's backhand. Yeah. Thank you. Whereas this is more melodrama. You know what it is? It's like Poldark meets Rivals. It's got that Poldark-y quality. Yeah, it has got a Poldark quality. Of kind of big, heroic, rich people. And it's on the moors. It's on the moors. It's dealing with Wuthering Heights, he was well-wuthering Heights, he was very topical.

1:33:05But it's quite serious in tone. It's definitely not. It is. It's like Dowerton Abbey. Oh, very good, God. It is good. Amazing. And I have an issue with that. So for me, if you're going to do a bonkbuster, kind of big, you know, raunchy thing with, as you say, the character losing your virginity in the cave, the sex cave, you've got to go full on. I think this feels to me like it's not full on it takes itself quite seriously that scene you talk about which is beautifully shot and acted and everything but it's quite intense it is intense so it's going for a different vibe tonal shifts well just its tone is a bit for me is a bit bleak when you then get to the kind of sex based storylines which reminded me again of Bridgerton it's quite specific and particularly when I was this was announced they could do a revival of this bonkbuster, famous at the time for being raunchy.

1:34:02That was why it did so well in the ratings, because it became a notoriously raunchy show. We should say, we should say, at 13.8 million viewers, the original Woman of Substance is still Channel 4's biggest hit. That is outstanding. And it was a massive hit because of the sex. It was all about the sex. And this is still all about, but it's very Emmett Scanlon-based sex. He gets the majority of the sex stuff going on, which I was not expecting, I have to say. And for example, the losing of the virginity scene, I think he's a bit, I thought it was a bit, you know, nothing-y. Not sold on the sex cave.

1:34:41I'm not sold on the sex cave. I'm not sold on the sex cave. You are not a sex cave fan. Maybe the Emmett sex thing was, you know we were having that discussion last part about the fact that we're seeing more male sexiness than we are female sexiness at the moment. Well, except, yeah, we certainly see a lot more of Emmett. of Emmett Scanlon and I love him he's great he is great it's quite fun to see him he usually does he usually plays in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast that's the classic Scanlon role he's very good at playing bearded wrong-un wrong-uns juicy wrong-uns in that show The Tower on ITV he was a wrong-un oh and the Harlan Coburn Michelle Harlan Coburn he's been in quite a few of the Harlan Coburns as a dodgy guy it's quite interesting to see him he's still a twat I mean he's like a privileged rip but he's the kind of remain rich, privileged guy who's got weird sexual things going on with his wife and his mistress.

1:35:32Who's actually a sister-in-law. And all of that is... It should be more fun than it actually is. It's not fun, is it? No. No, it isn't fun. And I lay the blame at that tone that is just a bit... It's a bit miserable for a bonkbuster. And actually, do you know what? It really comes to life when Brenda Blethenne arrives in the... In contemporary times. In contemporary times. Because you want to say present day, but of course it's not present day, it's the 70s. But her storming around her huge building in New York and all of that. And she has good lines, good dialogue as she shouts at her minions and all of that.

1:36:07And she's trying to rescue her company and everything. So I liked all of that. I wanted more of that, really. And less of the kind of slightly surprisingly miserable period stuff. I think it does damage the quality of it that it intercuts, actually. Did the original, I haven't seen the original adaption, Channel 4, did that do, is that device? I think that device is, I think that's in the book, and I think it was in the original TV show as well, I don't remember it that well, but I've got a feeling it does intercut. And I'm happy with the intercutting, by the way. I just need more of Brenda and less of the others.

1:36:45I feel like maybe I would have been happier with it if it was more linear, actually. it was a more linear narrative and I just saw that part usually I have that issue with you know that I did with the Nicole Kidman see I had the opposite thought for you like much as I love Brenda Blethen I couldn't care less about the 70s stuff I was much more invested in the period setting yeah so I wanted to stay back in that that's what I'm saying like I think I would have been more happy if it was yeah you stayed in that setting because then I thought every time you really got into that then Brenda Blethen popped up and she was a bit cross you know what I mean yeah Yeah, she definitely is a bit cross a lot.

1:37:19So what did you think of the... Like I said, fine. I thought Jessica Reynolds was really good as the young Emma Hart. I was quite taken in by that upstairs-downstairs story. It doesn't have the texture of something which is obviously more committed to that tapestry, like Downs and Abbey or something like that, but it's not that kind of show. But the Downton Abbey thing was genuinely something that I was thinking of when I was watching it. I was like, this is quite heavy. And I don't mean like heavy, oh, it's a weighty plot. It's just the tonally, it's just quite leaden. And I just thought, because this is essentially a sort of a period set shag-a-thon, it's not having enough fun.

1:37:59And Rivals, I liked, I didn't watch all of Rivals, but Rivals was very much focusing on the fun. Absolutely, yeah. And this does take itself very, very seriously. And I don't think that's necessarily like a, you know, it's not a problem. but it just means it doesn't skip along in the same way that it kind of could have done. But I enjoyed the period stuff. I kind of obviously know, broadly speaking, where the plot is going. So I'm open to watching more of it and seeing where it goes. I think the genre they're going for is melodrama, and that tends to take itself seriously. It's almost part of the whole point of a melodrama is that you have a lot of kind of vivid stuff going on, which can often be to do with sex and relationship, and elicit romances, right?

1:38:47But at the same time, it's not trying to be ultra-realistic. But equally, this is trying to be a little bit more self-serious than it needs to be, I do think. And the cast is great. It's got a great cast. You've got people like, you know, Lenny Rush is really good in it as part of that family. Oh, Lenny Rush is fantastic. He's great. Oh, God, there's a really devastating scene when they're trying to get to the mother's deathbed. Yeah, I agree, yeah. And there is, who did I want to mention? Will Mellor. Olivia Wainwright. Wilfield from Gavin and Stacey who is he was the guy on the on the you know what happened on the fishing trip with Rob Ryden right and he's the horrible nasty head of the servants he's like Mr.

1:39:25Carson yeah he's Mr. Carson but really nasty really horrible he's a bellend Mr. Carson yeah he's a bellend Mr. Carson so but I go back to my I think my issue at the end this is going to sound really basic but if you're going to do a bonk buster the bonking has to be slightly more vivid and yeah than it is in this so far you know So, you wanted more vivid bonking, so you're disappointed by the sex scenes. You need the Emily Atak heaving bosom kind of, you know, oopsie kind of, yeah. Well, it doesn't have to be comedic like that. Don't go full Barbara Windsor. No, but it does a little bit. You know, we're living in a world where you've got Bridgerton, you've got Rivals, you've got other things.

1:40:04Vladimir. Vladimir. There's a lot of sex around on TV. There's a lot of sex around. And if you're going to remake a show that's renowned for its sex scenes, literally that was what got 30 million viewers excited about, you end up with this. So far, it's a bit disappointing. Well, I think they're going to be upset. If it remains their highest watched show ever, this is not going to be that, is it? This is not going to surpass that. It seems doubtful. Absolutely not. I mean, it can't. We live in a different world now anyway. Yes. Yeah. I mean, if it gets, you know, three, four, five million viewers, that'll be a triumph.

1:40:40I don't know whether it will. I'm not sure either. We'll see. But Brenda Blethen is a huge pull. Let's just say that, isn't she? She is a pull. She's fantastic. Oh, yeah, great. She's great. But, yeah. A Woman of Substance, then. Channel 4, starting on the 11th of March, which is today as we record. Yes. Which would have been last week as we go out. Yes, correct. Yes. That's how time works. Finally this week, we have The Other Bennett Sister. And this is another period drama, but this one based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, which reimagines Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of the perennially overlooked Mary Bennett, played here by Ella Brucker-Leri, with Ruth Jones and Rich D.

1:41:21Grant playing Mama and Papa, or Mama and Papa Bennett. You've obviously already heard from Ruth Jones and Ella Brucker-Leri in our maverick gorilla interview that we just dropped in randomly. But here to describe this literary romp through Regency England is the other Sealand sister, Steph. Love it. We're celebrating International Women's Week by personal duty. Boyd, please do. No, I'm going with a joke. It's not International Boyd Day. It's a good joke. Yeah, I like it. Okay. Fans of Pride and Prejudice will be thrilled to know that now you'll get to see, as James has already said the story of Mr Darcy through the eyes of the sort of genius sister Mary okay so you get to see everything that's happening around all the balls everything that you know about if you know anything about Pride and Prejudice and Mary standing on the sidelines and her sort of mistreatment by her mother played by Ruth Jones and how she decides to change the course of her life because her mother believes that she's not going to marry well and she is symbolising her being the other Bennett sister and she decides that she's going to just be an intellectual and basically it's Mary's story isn't it Boyd?

1:42:54We know she decides to because she wears glasses and the glasses turn out to be a key They are key, yes. And her mum, Ruth Jones, is absolutely furious that she's going ahead with wearing glasses. And not only that, the optician she gets glasses from is a potential lover interest. And Ruth Jones is brilliantly furious for the whole idea of her mingling with someone who owns a store. With a bell. With a bell, yes. Which Ruth points out in my interview, our random interview, that she very much enjoyed. I think it's really hard to imagine anything better than whatever you choose as your favourite Pride and Prejudice adaption.

1:43:36Whatever you choose, it's really hard to imagine anything better. So that's why I think this is incredibly clever. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Ruth Jones is remarkable as Mrs. Bennet. She is a Mrs. Bennet I didn't know I needed, but I'm so happy. and Richard E. Grant as well as Mr. Bennett, they've both done something that I didn't really think was possible. I mean, I'm sure you're going to say no, but I'm a massive fan of Keira Knightley. I'm a massive fan of that Pride and Prejudice. So I didn't think it was possible to get a better Mrs. Bennett and Mr. Bennett. And not that they say they're better, but they do bring something else.

1:44:18and they bring something else magical to those roles, which I didn't think was possible. They're great characters, though. They're great roles. They are great characters, but they've been played by incredible actors already. So you think, oh, okay, well, is it just going to be another one? No, I think Ruth Jones brings something else to that role, which is, for me, the massive pull of this. She is the pull of this. She really is for me. She's great. Yeah. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like this view. I really like seeing that main narrative be on the outskirts of Mary's life. Yeah, it's clever. It's really clever.

1:44:58It's really clever. Because it takes the idea that among these five sisters, she's kind of like the runt of the litter, isn't she? And is treated as such by her own mother, which I was, you know, when I was talking to Ruth about it in the now notorious guerrilla interview, that just how horrible she is is pretty no holds barred because she kind of like completely is completely active in the lives of the four other sisters in finding them potential husbands and you know sorting out the issue with the house that they're living in and getting someone in because they need to stay in that house and there are whole issues surrounding that but she's incredibly dismissive and cruel really emotionally cruel to Mary who is brilliant also Ella Bricoleri is brilliant in that role she's been in Call the Midway for years she's just got an incredible look about her and the scene where she plays the piano which I also got in the interview the scene where she plays the piano she sings badly and everyone's embarrassed for her and she perseveres she wants to do another song she's so good in it and it's hard because you know she's playing a character who's put upon but I think she gives us a real I think apparently the TV version she's slightly feistier in this version than she's in the novel she's a true heroine in this but that whole idea that she's the invisible one she's almost the invisible woman with her all her sisters and her parents is really well done it's a great idea it is a great idea Janice Hadlow's book Janice Hadlow was head of BBC2 by the way before she became a best-selling novelist that she is now because this is a really hugely popular book I think they've done a brilliant job and you're right the casting is genius.

1:46:42Richard E. Grant and Ruth Jones together are fantastic and he spends most of his time reading the paper and just every now and then commenting on what's going on, commenting on his ludicrous wife and kind of trying to maintain some level of civility with poor Mary as well and it's just it's really well done, it's really brilliantly cast there's other kind of guest appearances by actors who are brilliant in it as well and I loved it, I thought they of Gretchen. Yeah, it's just, it's rare that you get a chance to enjoy such a beloved tale from a different perspective. And they've done it and they've done it to great effect.

1:47:18It's wonderful. Are you a general Austin fan? Are you mainly a Pride and Prejudice fan? Like, where is your... I would say, generally, I mean, Pride and Prejudice is my favourite. And I will, I have watched all Pride and Prejudice. Crucially watched there, the word. Yes. No, obviously, I read Pride and Prejudice. Oh, obviously. Yeah, of course. It's basically Colin Firth coming out of the lake in his... Matthew McFadden for Steph. It is Matthew McFadden for me. It really, really is. I loved... I actually worked at Empire at the time that Pride and Prejudice came out. You did? And I can remember all of you being really shitty about it.

1:47:57I don't remember. Yeah, you were. Was that International Women's Day? Yeah, and I was like, it's International fucking Women's Day. No, and I really loved it. I love Keira Knightley. in that role yeah she's good oh thank you on behalf of Kieran Ike I said thank you as a representative yeah but yeah it is rare as I said Olivia Colman's playing the playing who changes his role in the Netflix adaptation which is coming soon oh is she I think it's Harry Lorty I think I may have got that role now I have to look it up no you do have to look it up yes but this is a lot of fun I can't say that I'm an Austin aficionado really does that shock you I don't understand you I really don't understand the Downton thing It's such an anomaly in your kind of dismissiveness of this kind of period drama.

1:48:42I don't know that I'm dismissive. I actually quite like a period drama if it grabs me. There's something about Downton. Downton has a sense of humour that just really tickles me. Like, it really does. It has a very dry sense of humour that I enjoy enormously. Remind me how many Bridgertons you've watched. None. I've watched the first episode of season two, the first episode of season three, because we covered them on this podcast. We didn't do season one, because it came out on Christmas Day, I think. I think going along with your watching things beginning with B, you should start to watch Bridgerton.

1:49:11If only because they have like harpsichord covers of Charlie XCX and stuff on the soundtrack. Oh my God. Yeah, and Billie Eilish. They do an incredible Billie Eilish cover. Yeah, sorry. Anyway, carry on with this. Let me just say, correct myself, it's Jack Loudon, not Harry Loudon. Oh, I see. I see. I could get ladies out, but I don't mind. You know, I found out. In fact, Emma Corrin is Elizabeth Bennett. It's got a really good cast. Darren Cormack's in it. Rufus Sewell is Mr. Bennett. Rufus? Yes, and Olivia Colman as us. I did get right, it's Mrs. Bennett. I love Rufus Sewell in a period of time.

1:49:41Rufus Sewell is fabulous, yeah. But anyway, carry on. It's a lot of fun. I did like it. I wasn't, you know, possibly quite as in love with it as you were, but I was like, this is absolutely good. It does exactly what it wants to do well. It has a really nice thread of humour. Ella Bricolari has excellent face acting and I always appreciate that. Her reaction shots, and she has many of them, I said that before in the interview, funnily enough. because there's always because this show a lot of it is people talking about her in front of her and so you always have this sort of long suffering like stiff face like it's interesting how they negotiate the luxism of the story as well really because she you know basically what they're saying is she's the ugly sister and it's you know it's quite interesting but I think they navigate that very well because she's well glasses will do that apparently once you've got a pair of spectacles yeah they do the glasses and they kind of They'd ruffle up her hair, don't they?

1:50:33And then, you know, that's what passes for... So the fact that James isn't wearing glasses, and I am, in the bald, middle-aged guy, does that make him much sexier than me? Clearly. Absolutely not. There is none more sexy than a Boyd Hilton. Thanks. I was grasping for that, obviously. You know you need to grasp, my friend. The Other Bennett Sister. Yes. Which is on BBC One, Boydie. When? Started on Sunday on BBC One, and we'll carry on Sundays. and I think the episodes are only half hour long. I think they're showing them in double bills so it's like, okay. Yeah, they are. So it's like, oh, okay.

1:51:09What else is out this week? What have we missed? Well, what else is out this week? Let me just... Now I can ruffle. Customry Russell. I can rustle. Yeah, you can rustle away. Well, you're not going to mention it so I will say for our animation-loving listeners that Invincible Season 4 lands on the Prime video on, I believe, Wednesday the 18th. Do you know what? I actually did preview in Heat. Did you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm shocked. Yeah. Shocked, I tell you. Jury Duty Company Retreat is on Amazon Prime Video. Prime Video, it's just Prime Video, it's not Amazon. And this is the spin-off of Jury Duty.

1:51:38Yeah, you remember Jury Duty was that really clever show where one guy on the jury was a real person. I love that show. And it's James Marsden is the... James Marsden is a genius, It's brilliant. James Marsden's... Oh, God, James Marsden is so good. Who's in this one? Is there a quote-unquote person in this one? I don't know if there is. I don't think there is, actually. There can't be because they'd sniff it out. Yeah, you would, wouldn't you? I think this time it's all about, it's not a jury situation either, this time it's all about a company's annual retreat, as the title suggests, and somewhere in the middle of it is a temp worker who's caught in the middle of a corporate takeover and that temp worker is the real person.

1:52:13So he's surrounded by actors playing this company, you know. Oh, okay, so they might not sniff it out then at all. Well, not sniff out the whole story, but I don't know if there's a famous person in it. I don't think there is a famous person in it. Oh, oh. Yeah. Okay. But still, no. I want there to be a James, but James Marston was saying, James Marston is amazing and he's in the new season of Your Friends and Neighbours. And he's really good in that. Ant-Man does not age as well. No, no. He's fabulous. He's like, what's his face? Ant-Man. Yeah, he's fun. He was at the Apple thing I went to in Santa Monica.

1:52:43Of course he was. Did you go to an Apple thing in Santa Monica? Last one, Laughing, is back. You remember that huge word of mouth phenomenon? Oh, yes. All the comedians gather together and see which of them can stay longest without laughing. It's a brilliant format. it was really good first series but the cast I know the comedians they've got together for the second series are unbelievable hit us with one of your sexy lists David Mitchell Diane Morgan even James likes Diane Morgan I do yeah and he's a hater of comedy Romesh Ranganathan heat favourite Maisie Adam Mel Gedroik of Mel and Sue fame Alan Carr the actual national hero Alan Carr Bemisola Okumelo absolutely brilliant wow Sam Campbell who's very good and Bob Mortimer back as the winner trying to defending his trophy so that's very good that's on when you say it was on Thursday Prime Video Comic Relief is on Friday I should mention that there'll be some sketches funny sketches in that Dermatt's done a funny sketch with Alison oh has he?

1:53:39and Nan is doing his back the character played by Catherine Tate Catherine Tate yeah she's co-hosting it the Madison the aforementioned Madison oh that started on Saturday sorry that's that Yellowstone spin-off James for Madison oh Deadlock Deadlock remember that? yes yes Australian dark comedy whodunit type thing That's back for a second season on Prime Video on Friday. And that was a quite good show, actually. Oh, Borders came back on Sunday. Do you know what my... One of my favourite things about when Boyd does this at the end is as he's turning the pages, his level of surprise of the things that he has written about is so...

1:54:12Because I don't remember. I've heard about ages ago. Oh, my God, this show's... Oh, I wrote that. Oh, God. It's pretty... No, it's endearing. It really is. Oh, I've always wanted to be... Do you know what I mean? It really is. No, I love you so much. Right, Borders, the really good show. You're kidding! Yeah. Shut up. We love you so much. Stardust on Sunday. That'll be on iPlayer. All of it. It's really good. Created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor. It's about the black kids who go to the school, the privileged school, as scholarship students. Oh, okay. And they have to face the racism of society. Oh, delightful.

1:54:44Which is a really good show. I want to watch that. Really good show. The Marlowe Murder Club is on Wednesday, which is like a cosy crime show. Oh, no. No? No? Hard no. Oh, you hate cosy crime. Hard no for cosy. Okay. that's on you and drama on Wednesday at 8 o 'clock I think that might be about it but well other than I'm going to do it again now that puts an end to the shock and awe of TV's TV's also on Friday the 20th on Netflix by order of the Peaky Blinders the movie Peaky Blinders the immortal man is it TV it is a movie and it lands on the Netflix on the 20th the last episode of the Empire podcast by the way was slightly marred for me by the fact you had loads of people wanging on about the Peaky Blinders film who hadn't seen the show.

1:55:25You've seen every episode of the show. I know, but crucially, I couldn't make any of the screenings of the film. However, do you know where I'm going directly from this podcast? I'm going directly to a screening of the Peaky Blindies movie now. So I am going to see it. And we should discuss it on this podcast either on Pilot Plus or on the main show because it is germane to what we do. It's germane. Germane. Not egregious, but germane. Totally germane. That's right. Okay, right. Brilliant. What's our pick of the week? Oh, Ben and Sister. Other Ben and Sister. Yeah, no, there's nothing. Don't disagree.

1:55:56I guess that's the one I'm going to choose then. Okay, super. Right, well, we hope you have enjoyed this female-friendly episode of the Pilot TV Podcast as hosted by Steph Seeland. It's not been very female-friendly. It's been very put on the spot, you know, mean. No, I put you in the spotlight, Steph, in the spotlight. All right. You know what I'm going to do directly after this? What? I'm going to text my friend Kay. Oh, I bet you will. So, oh, unbelievable. It was an egregious episode of the podcast. I hated it she's egregiously not done a leave her alone okay if you do not subscribe to Pilot Plus and you would like to understand the in-jokes that we so rudely bring into this episode then you know feel free to subscribe it's not very much and we'd appreciate it thanks very much we will be back in your ears next week what is on next week not being funny there is a lot on next week because HBO Max launches next week so you've got the comeback season 3 you've got The Pit season 1 and the beginning of The Pit season 2 we can dedicate the whole podcast to that.

1:56:52What else is happening? Bait is coming to Prime. Daredevil Born Again comes to Disney+. Oh, my God. Joe Nesbo's Detective Hula, as it is pronounced, not whole, also comes to Netflix. Oh, my God. There's so much happening. Something Very Bad is going to happen on Netflix. And that's the name of a show, not a prediction. Why are you two talking? You're like talking at the same time. It's kind of weird. You're very cheeky. I know. I think I had a session with those on your head. It really has. It's elevated me. It's elevated my station. I'm looking down on you two. I was slightly interrupting. Now carry on.

1:57:29And the new season of For All Mankind. Yes. Lands on Apple. It does. A very busy week. I don't know what we're going to do because it depends on the embargoes. You haven't even mentioned, but Martin Clunes is in the one-off Channel 5 drama, The Downfall of Hugh Edwards. Oh, the film, the film, The Downfall of Hugh Edwards. It's not a film. It's a one-off drama. Oh, is it? Martin Clunes is Hugh Edwards. Fascinating. It's not on the calendar. Just saying. I'll put it on the calendar. Okay, brilliant. Thank you so much for listening. We do hope you enjoy the show and we hope you've enjoyed this International Steph Day.

1:57:58Oh, God. Special installment of the Pilot TV podcast. I'm sorry. Fuck the patriarchy. Pilot out. I hate you. That was really funny.