Euphoria, Big Mood, and The Miniature Wife

25:03You can now email us at postbag at pilot tv pod dot com. That is postbag at pilot tv pod dot com. To be fair, the old one, pilot tv at empire magazine dot com, goes to the same place. So if you want to keep using that, it's fine. But we have an all new email address. Why has that come about? Was it just you wanted to do another administrative task? It's a thing that I just felt compelled to do. Do you want to know something else? Letters at pilottvpod.com also works. Letters? Yeah. It's your letters. In case people forgot postbag. Interesting. So we now have multiple things that all go to the same mailbox.

25:35This is fascinating. Let's move on. Let's move on. Elliot, that was your question. I'm so sorry. No. Elliot says, After the recent discussion of the Counting Crows documentary by James, yes, I was wondering if he's listened to Across a Wire, live from New York. it's a live album of theirs and with more reflective stripped back versions of songs like Mr Jones and Round Here even changing the lyrics of some songs seems like it would be a good accompaniment to the themes of the documentary they do that a lot with their live stuff if you've ever seen Canter Crows live they mix up the melodies and change them up I saw them at Shepherds Bush Empire in the 90s and they did that and it was good anyway that's not the question he said his question is do you have any examples of when your favourite songs have been used in TV shows and whether this was a good or a bad thing.

26:22Personally, I love when the version of Have You Seen Me Lately from the above mentioned album was used in the bear. That is a good moment. On the other hand, Jeff Buckley's last goodbye being used in the last episode of Sex Education didn't sit right with me, even though it's one of my favourite songs. Maybe sometimes great songs feel like an easy way out for shows. What's our listener called? This is Elliot. Oh, yeah, duh. Yeah.

26:46I think of loads of examples of when I think they're really good when it really works okay okay each of these can be one of your favourite songs yeah they are all among my favourite songs the bear is one of the best things about the bear are its needle drops yes it's what's the best bear needle drop my favourite bear needle drop is season 2 episode 1 I've mentioned it before I'll mention it again Bruce Hornsby in the Range the show goes on which is one of the it's not only one of my favourite songs it's one of the best songs ever it's up there with Tiny Dancer, Elton John I just think it's almost similar it's got a similar kind of west coast piano based I can't think of it I need to listen to it the vibe is kind of similar in a way and it's just deployed right at the beginning to kind of show shots of Chicago you know in the way it's beautifully filmed.

27:43It's just kind of setting the scene, really. And the show goes on. It just all fits brilliantly. And I listen to that song pretty much every other day. Because it's one of your favourite songs. It's one of my favourite. And it's in one of your favourite shows. It is, exactly. Then I think classic ones. Sometimes you have to look up one of these questions. But there's so many that will always be in my mind. and I think in the office in the UK office the final Christmas special the final episode deployed Alison Moyet known as Elf in Yazoo her band Yazoo back in the day back in the 80s and the song Only You and it's playing in the background in the kind of disco of the office and then you get back for good as well on top of that another take that another all time classic so you've got two of the best songs ever in the one within about five minutes of each other in the Office finale.

28:39And this is a really obvious one. It's probably the most prominent needle drop of, I would say, the last five years in television. Okay. No, you can't think what I'm going to say? Well, if this were still the noughties, I'd have said it was Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek or Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah, but it isn't. In the last five years, it is Running Up That Hill. Oh, you sure? Yeah, fair enough. And I seriously think that that song transformed the show to some extent. I think it broadened out the base of the show. You know, I have no scientific proof for this apart from actually I did see the Duffer brothers talking about it in the build up to the last season because they kind of had it again in the final season.

29:18But that scene... Wait, do you mean broadened the fan base? What do you mean? Broadened its audience. I think people who wouldn't normally watch that show or shows like it kind of quite fantasy based, you know, which James is always using you as the example of people who's closed-minded. A hater. Apparently you hate sci-fi and fantasy, but I think you look like Mike. Frothing at the mouth. Copenhagen, now you put that as an example. Did you watch it? No. I watched the first episode and enjoyed it. So I just think it is an absolute legendary use of that song and it worked brilliantly in every way.

29:51It is actually woven into the storyline, woven into the plot. Because it's totemic. And it is absolutely 100 % one of my favourite songs of all time. In the top 10, I think. and I love Kate Bush at some point can you release your top 10 Boyd's List I want Boyd's top 10 songs shows movies totally life experiences everything yeah whatever you want so yes that is I think that is the most influential and went back to number 1 in fact I think it went to number 1 for the first song so then it only got to number 2 when it originally came out in the 80s running out of that hill and it's just it enlarged the fame of that song and of Kate Bush and of the show it just everything about it was magnificent The bear one you mentioned is the incorrect answer because the best needle drops...

30:38A classic retort. Exactly. You're just wrong. Two needle drops from the bear I would mention are... They're all from season two. Season two has the best needle drops from the bear, I think. But season two, episode 10, the Pearl Jam's animal plays when they're doing the service in the restaurant. I love that song. That's from Versus, second Pearl Jam album. It's brilliant. I think that's a great example. But of course, the best one appropriately is from the very best episode of The Bear, also season two, which is, of course, the episode Forks. And it is love story by Taylor Swift when Richie is driving in the car.

31:11And you know it's true. You know it's true. Oh, God, it's so predictable. I don't know why I didn't see that coming. I think that's fabulous. So that's a big one for me. What else would I say? There are a lot of songs that I'm obsessed with now that I wasn't necessarily when I watched the show, if that makes sense. Yes, because that was going to be my answer. Right. I wasn't going to answer the question. You were going to do your own thing, of course. Well, no, because I couldn't really think of, because I don't have like just two or three specific favourite songs of all time. I just, you know.

31:41You don't have a list. I don't have a Boyd definitive list. So instead, I just listed a couple of songs that then got in my head and I couldn't get them out when the show was on, which was last year with Rivals and Christa Berg's Lady in Red. Just could not get that out of my head because there was this big scene with Rupert Campbell Black and Taggy and it was just like extraordinary. So yeah, that lived free in my head for quite a while. And then also, and it is bringing up shrinking, I'm sorry for people who hate it, but A Thousand Years, which I believe was part of the Twilight soundtrack and is by Christina Perri, they had it in this recent season and it was so emotional and brilliant.

32:21And actually then, last night when I was Googling it, I saw there's a video of all the cast in a studio singing it. and she popped by as well and so anyone who's a fan of shrinking check out that video but yeah that song as well I thought was very touching I'm a sucker for a kind of a classical arrangement of a pop song you know which Bridgerton does very well but also Westworld did extremely well with those kind of piano versions of songs but if I'm going to pick one of those I would get one that I think you would approve of Boydie from The Leftovers the piano arrangement of The Pixies Where Is My Mind which I think it's used a few times on that show but the one I remember it from is the International Assassin episode from season two.

32:59But that's great. And it is from French pianist Maxence Cyril. Of course. Yeah. Which of course you knew. But what we were talking about is the ones that kind of stuck with me were from the Normal People soundtrack. So Matroma by The Say, Dogwood Blossom by Fionn Reagan and Berlin by Ryex were three of them. And also there is a dance remix of Hey Now by London Grammar which is the one that plays in the first episode of Win the Nightclub. That's a banger. Love that. What else have I got? Don't Stop Believin' by The Sopranos. I mainly know that song from Glee randomly. Do you remember because that was the first season song that they were sang on Glee?

33:39So that's, I think, and that, I want to say, did that predate the Sopranos finale? I think it did. So that's kind of how I knew that song. But I liked that when it turned up in The Sopranos and we talked about that with David Chase during my incredibly awkward interview. Two others, Fade Into You by Mazzy Starr, which is in American Horror Story, but also Into Dust by Mazzy Starr, which plays in Boyd E. True Detective Night Country. At the end of that, do you remember that? Really well used when they're in the, yeah, I'm not going to spoil what happens in Night Country. James, you know what you should do?

34:07Because you're in this like administrative mood, you should put together a Spotify playlist of all these songs before pilot listeners. That is actually true. I probably should have done that. Some of us still use Apple Music, Kay. Okay. Just saying. Boyd's got a tattoo and he's being putt. That's it. He's in the pocket of big Apple Music. I think that's most of them. I would say the Cranberries are used quite a lot in Derry Girls. Oh, yeah. Zombie in the season one finale, where it transitions from, I think it's Madonna, isn't it, to Zombie in slow motion with the dancing. That's cropped up like two or three times recently as well, I think.

34:36I'm sure I watched something the other day that that is in. I can't remember what it was, obviously. And I think Dreams is the one that plays in the actual finale of the final season. Yeah. But yeah, the Cranberries get a lot of play time in Derry Girls. And I think that's probably speaking, I suppose people will be expecting me to say something West Wing related. but you know unless you're going to go kind of like dire straits from two cathedrals which I'm not a massive dire straits fan so I'm not going to do that but I will say I knew I knew Ronnie Jordan's The Jackal before it was on the West Wing so I can say that Fair enough I wanted to mention Ronnie up there I forgot it's also used in It's a Sin of course it was used in It's a Sin before it was used in Oh right yeah in Stranger Things so and they had to get permission from Kate Bush and everything Did they?

35:20Yes Well I suppose they would have done wouldn't they? Yes Did you David Chase one of the things that he enjoyed most about The Sopranos was dropping the songs he actually that's genuinely the part of making that show he enjoyed the most was picking the songs and dropping them in I think it's a really like important massively important thing I think half of the reason why I love The Bear so much is how his music taste is exactly I could have reeled off six or seven other songs that were all contenders for my favourite songs of all time he uses an Elvis Costello song no one ever uses Elvis Costello songs things like that so yeah it's almost made by the needle drops and there's one coming up in the song we're about to review I will mention just to keep you on your toes is that?

36:03yes yes a needle drop and a name drop we'll get to that too yeah okay okay that was this week's listener question if you would like to send in a question and please do send them in for Pilot Plus that would be good and for this very podcast as well I like that I have two little folders one for Pilot Plus and one for the regular podcast and I can kind of like try and discern whether one is a plus question or a regular pod question. So maybe have that in your head when you send it in. But the email address is, of course, postbag at pilotTVpod.com. Isn't that exciting? Kate's excited. I'm very excited.

36:34Yeah, I thought you were. I'm very excited not to be triaging it. Good, good. I'm sure you are. I don't know how this ended up back on my plate, but here we are. Okay, let's move into news. What news do you have for me? Nobody wants this Series 3. They've named some new... On my list, carry on. Nobody wants this. this is the thing James I saw this and I was like I don't know if we need another series is the truth of it I mean if it's better than the second one I'm in but I struggled through that second series me too we've discussed this haven't we well anyway they have got some new cast members named three of which are Sarah Silverman who's going to play a rabbi Rabbi Eden if you will who is a warm quirky teacher of an intro to Judaism class and a supportive presence for Joanne and Noah then also Andrew Rannells as Sebastian.

37:21So that was going to be Joanna's nemesis in conversion class. Just two of the nine names mentioned. Will they have learned proper mic technique? Will they start using headphones? All these questions and more will be answered. Will they be less annoying? Who knows? Who knows? This is what, there's a horror film, an A24 horror film called Undertone, which is about podcasts that kill you. And I, there are many things about that film to love, but the thing I loved the most was they, proper headphones, mic technique, like these, I believed they were podcasters. Yeah. that's why you hate this show isn't it because of its continuous flying in the face the contempt they have for actual podcast production it's a disgrace shocking I was going to do that news story as well and I just I think it's good news all around because both Andrew Reynolds who's famous for girls he was brilliant at girls remember he was Lena Dunham's mate the best mate yeah he's fantastic and he's good at everything and Sarah Silverman is a goddess for me she is someone who should be in everything and she should be doing her own I don't know why She's one of your favourite actresses.

38:19She's one of my favourite actresses. The top ten list coming for that, when I put all this together. I absolutely love her. So her coming into something like that is very good news. Maybe you'll elevate it. Single-handedly, she will elevate it, Kate. I promise you now. Fingers crossed. She's that good. There you go. Did you see the Peaky News? No. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Jamie Bell is replacing Shifty Barry Kogan as Duke Shelby in the follow-up series to Peaky Blinders, which takes place 10 years after the film Peaky Blinders, The Immortal Man, which was set during the Second World War. So this is 10 years after the war ends, and it's now Jamie Bell.

38:57I didn't see this coming. I knew that this was... Wait, is that because Baz is busy? What's going on? I think it probably is because he's very busy. Yeah, he's very in demand in Hollywood, and, you know, he's just done that Crime 101 film he's really good in. It could be that. It could be, I mean... It's a big commitment. Is there a big age gap between the two of them? I don't know. I genuinely don't know how old Jamie Bell is. Oh, actually, well, having said that, Jamie Bell is probably at least a decade older. Yeah. Barry Keogh is probably around 30s, early 30s. So he does need to skip forward 10 years.

39:24Yeah, so it makes sense from that point of view. I've just, of course, seen Jamie Bell in Half Man. Yes. Richard Gertz Half Man, as previously mentioned, which I cannot possibly go into any detail of, because it's in... But it's very interesting. But it's very, very interesting. And he is so, so interesting in it. And he can do... He does... He's Scottish. He does Scottish. And very convincingly, I think. Is this Bell? Jamie Bell, yeah. The Bell. Bell man. Crucially, not James, the Bellend. No, exactly. Well, but Jamie Bell gives good Jamie Bellend, as we found out in Shining Girls. Exactly. So I think he's actually going to be good as Duke Shelby, who is a Bellend.

39:56Oh, fine. Yeah, right, completely. And he's a semi-Bellend in Half Men, but we'll get to that. So I think it's a good choice, is what I'm saying, bottom line. What do I know? But I think it completely makes sense. I'm not wild about the character of Duke Shelby. I think Barry Kogan is actually, you know, he's very good. I don't think he had a lot to work with in the film. I don't think the character had a lot to him. Well, I think he, I really like, to start with, he was like, just a complete psychopathic idiot, right? And then he kind of, and then too quickly, I think the floor... He was quite inconsistent.

40:28Yes, I didn't take part in the, if you had to put that out, The spoiler special. I believe it is up there. You were invited? No, no, no, I was invited. Literally, Kate, I was about half an hour's notice. Yeah. Yeah, there was like... James. Not me, it's Chris. nothing to do with me Chris Hewitt master of the Empire podcast obviously because it was a film quite rightly yes the Peaky Blinders film asked me to take part and I was literally was like are we doing it in an hour's time I was like no okay busy man anyway did you discuss I'm sure you discussed the very problem one of the big problems with the film is he very quickly Barry Keoghan's kind of changes within about five seconds and you're like oh so yes in what way in the way that he starts as a complete bellend absolute psychopathic villain killing people left right and centre doesn't give a shit and then kind of suddenly he does give a shit like you know he completely does a reverse ferret yeah he's not the most fleshed out character I would say so that's the issue I think but presumably you know Stephen Knight by the way I know he's even busier I know he's even busier I do think like him and Jack Thorne having some kind of competition absolutely it's yeah incredible so anyway I wonder if he's finished the James Bond script yet we shall see we shall Jamie Bell Jamie Bell Duke Shelby thumbs up from me yeah thumbs up from Boydie and Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things is going to be in it as well yeah who's good Charlie Heaton was great in industry this season yeah as the journalist yeah he was fantastic in that so all round good casting news as is you must your ears must have pricked up when I saw this which is Alien Earth casting news I did see that yes Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones fame and just just the fact that Alien Earth Season 2 is Gathering Peace from Noah Hawley etc.

42:14Speaking of needle drops speaking of needle drops I can't believe we didn't think of Alien Earth Alien Earth had spectacular needle drops at the end of every episode and it was very kind of like 19th sort of grunge coded as well so I think every single and they used Animal in that as well so oh my god I can't believe I forgot that but they used a ton of stuff I really really loved all of the all of the I had issues with the last segment of Alien Earth but I still think it was brilliant. Without spoilers. We went through this a lot. Don't you remember? Because I didn't like the fact that the alien was suddenly in broad daylight.

42:48Spoilers. I suppose you can say that. It's fine. I'll allow it. Thank you. I said it all the time. Yes, you did. You didn't like it. It's like the alien was in corridors. The combination of corridors and aliens. No, corridors was okay. Darkly lit corridors where the alien should be. So, hang on. It's when it's in broad sunlight in the day, in the middle of this fucking... That's why I didn't like it. So your complaint was there weren't enough corridors. Yeah. Jesus Christ they weren't dark enough I'll give you my top 10 list of movie corridors oh god yeah no but generally all round it was pretty great I did really enjoy it yeah with great needle drops with great needles some of my favourite songs exactly that could be the day of my memoir some of my favourite songs just gone full partridge yeah Himesh Patel is going to be in the X-Files reboot oh yeah which is interesting that's good news but crucially though, he is going to be teaming up with Danielle Deadwiler.

43:41So it's a kind of station, what's it, was it Station 11? Yeah. Station 11 reunion. Yeah, that is good. That is interesting, yeah. Station 11, a show that I watched, I think, all but the last two episodes of and never finished. I don't think I finished it either. And it got everyone, it was everyone's show of the year, it's amazing. It's quite slow. It was quite slow. Whisper it now. I'm sorry. I never made it to the end. Intentionally slow and creepy. James' decrepit old voice. Thanks. Anything else in the world of news? This is news to me that this was happening. But it is. And it's another casting thing.

44:21All of these stories tend to be casting things. But Sarah Paulson, to no one's great surprise, is going to be in Ryan Murphy's next series. And Ryan Murphy has now got to the point, so he's doing American Horror Story season 13, which I did not know was happening. 13? 13. and that's by the way in between all the other shows like The Beauty which has a great needle drop in it sailing Christopher Cross I'll get to him later but yeah they're doing American Horror Story 13 which is going to be some kind of sequel to the Coven season American Horror Story which was one of the best seasons and it's called The Supreme Rises which made me laugh because I thought it was Supreme but I'm wearing a Supreme jumper right now you are but the cast for this latest season is like a it's like a Ryan Murphy reunion of every actor he's ever worked with constantly.

45:11Spoiler, is Sarah Paulson in it? Sarah Paulson's the headline story. She's the headline story. Joining Jessica Lange. Lange? Lange. Lange. Lange. Okay, so everyone, Evan Peters. Evan Peters, who was in The Beauty and I interviewed him for that and I made the point that his whole career could be just being in Ryan Murphy shows because he's in so many of them. I'm sure he liked that. Yeah, he didn't mind. I don't know, maybe. Who can tell? Angela Bassett Kathy Bates Emma Roberts Billy Lord Leslie Grossman etc and this is quite exciting Ariana Grande he always loves a bit of stunt casting and Ariana Grande who's been in she was in Scream Queens remember Scream Queens I think it was a one season wonder that he did she was in that but this is her first big acting thing I think for quite a while fans of hers wow series 13 unlucky for some not for Ryan Murphy's bank balance exactly And those cast members.

46:05For sure. So anyway, it's on its way. And Ryan Murphy is even busier than Stephen Knight and others. So yeah. Jack Thorne. Jack Thorne. I've got some Mindy Kaling news. So Disney have announced that on the 2nd of June, her new series will be landing. It is called Not Suitable for Work. And it's apparently about five work-obsessed 20-somethings striving for professional success. and if they have time, personal happiness in Manhattan's most glamorous neighbourhood, Murray Hill. NSFW. So you'll be watching on the Northern Line. And it will star Ella Hunt, Avantika, Will Angus, Jack Martin, Nicholas Devourney and Jay Ellis and many, many more that I'm not going to read.

46:50So yeah, that's exciting. Everyone loves a bit of Mindy Kaling. Okay, that is it for news and let's move on to this week's reviews. And first up this week we have, well, it's a euphoric day because after a four-year absence, Sam Levinson's Euphoria is back on Sky and HBO Max. Four years in the real world, of course, but five years in the universe of Euphoria. And, of course, that means it is no longer a high school show. This isn't 21 Jump Street. None of them can pass as teenagers. So Rue and Nate and Jules and Cassie and co are all now out in the big wide world. It's not going entirely to plan, I think it's fairly safe to say.

47:29Boydie how euphoric were you that this is finally back well I was very excited actually that it was finally back because I'm a big Euphoria fan as I'm sure listeners if not you James will remember no I don't remember but yes I believe you there's no reason why you should keep tabs on it's one of your favourite shows well if you ever provide us with your list Boyd how are we going to know well it would have been in my list for top shows of the year when they came out I think I loved Euphoria I thought it was you know when it started it was like the most extreme wild daring dare I say it bold of all teen dramas it made skins look like something out of c-bibes basically um rampant drug use obviously zendaya's playing a kind of drug addict slash dealer in a way um and then you know it's it's it's attitude towards sexuality and gender and sex itself was extraordinary um and it just felt it kind of felt very much of the moment you know kind of very up to date in terms of like how young people in america particularly conduct themselves and what you can and can't say and that whole language of of talking about of people's individual individuality and their labeling people and all of that just it just felt you know absolutely on the button and it had this incredible cast and um it was kind of sam levinson directed it brilliantly like a very showy director i remember i remember season two episode one started with this extraordinary tracking shot and it had this kind of moment of extreme violence he loves his violence his gore his bloodletting all of that as much as he does nearly as much as he does rampant nudity throughout the whole thing do you remember in season one there was a scene where Jacob Elordi's character went into the dressing room and there was like about 30 penises that's what I remember oh my god yes this is what I remember you talking about yes I remember exactly yeah penis a loser dick a lopalooza whatever anyway it was so all of these things right all of these things made it really special.

49:23It was very focused. It was very well written, I thought. It was compelling, gripping. It was like mixed thriller with teen drama and romance, and there were kind of interesting threads, like Jacob Alder with his dad being secretly gay and having this, well, not relationship, but it was just... That was the late, great Eric Dane, wasn't it? Eric Dane tragically died earlier this year, and he was back in the show. It's really moving, actually, because you can tell there's something not quite right with him in the show and he passed away sadly recently so anyway this is all my way of saying I loved Euphoria both seasons one and two this is a fucking disaster oh my god I'm sorry I was not expecting you to go there oh my god it's like I remember the build up to this show I think about I would say about six nine months to a year ago maybe a year ago the stories went around in the in the kind of showbiz press that variety and I reported that in the show they were having trouble getting everyone together because now of course Jacob Elordi, Sidney Sweeney, Zendaya are massive stars.

50:29They're among the biggest, most so after film actors in the world right now. And they're all back in this show. But there was this story around that everyone was having trouble with the scripts that Sam Levington couldn't get all the stuff together. There was a bit of a shambles. At one point there was even rumours they were going to cancel this season entirely and just not go ahead with it because it was proving difficult. Because they had the strike, they had everything. There were so many problems going on. Lots of problems to deal with, et cetera. Creative and, you know, kind of planning, for planning reasons.

50:58Anyway, this is such a mess. And it's so sad. It's so, it really, I'm really crushingly disappointed by it. Because it's difficult, you know, when you've got a high school show, as this was, about, you know, teens and students, you've got, the precinct is there. It's a natural area to which to set the show, the school. And then, you know, there'd be lots of stuff in and out of the school, and they'd be going to events and parties and things like that, but you just felt grounded and focused on a tight-knit group of characters who are all at the same school, and they're all doing things related to that school, like putting on the school play was one of the Maud Apatow's characters did that.

51:35They handled that really well. Now they've all left. What you've got is a kind of unfocused melange of characters who suddenly don't seem to have any of the things that drove them in the first two series happening to them anymore. You know, Zendaya's working in a strip club. Of course she is. And, oh, my God, one of my big tropes that annoys me in male-driven or TV dramas created by men with a very male gaze, and this bloody hell, this has a male gaze, is season three. I mean, season one and two, you could discuss it because there was probably as much male nudity as there was female, with the aforementioned penis test in that.

52:16in that shot. This time around, half the cast are young women who are spending almost all their time in this show with hardly any clothes on, if any clothes on. And that includes Sidney Sweeney's character, et cetera. There's a lot of shots of all of these women, states of undress, close-ups of their bodily parts, et cetera, which I found really uncomfortable. They're really taking to a new level, partly because half of it is set in a strip club where Zendaya's character works. And it's such a cliche for me. It's such an old trip to have scenes set in strip clubs. I just find the whole thing, and this has taken it to a whole new level because half the whole fucking show is set in a strip club.

52:53So that annoyed me. Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi's characters are engaged to be married. He's got a massive, they're living in this ludicrous house, unbelievably massive mansion. She's doing OnlyFans and he's kind of annoyed by that. It's trying to be very current, you know, certainly particularly with the OnlyFans thing. but I've now got three I think at least shows where we've got OnlyFans related storylines coming up one of which you mentioned already and so that does so on one level it's like oh yeah you're dealing with something very current and new but actually everyone's kind of dealing with that all together already and what you're saying about it nothing particularly interesting it's just I cannot I cannot exaggerate how much of it to the extent to which it's a mess it's just rambling seems to go on too long it opens with Why do you think this has happened?

53:42I think this has it opens with this long journey of Zendaya's character in this beaten up old car and there's an extended bit where she drives up this ramp to go over a barrier I think it's the US-Mexican border maybe or something yeah it's basically Trump's wall it's Trump's wall and alright you're saying something about Trump's wall I don't know what you're saying you're saying something and she's driving along this is the best thing about it is the needle drop of Christopher Cross's Ride Like the Wind which is brilliant apart from that and it takes like 10 minutes for her to negotiate this thing.

54:14It's like, already, we get the point. It's nicely shot. She's great, but it's just irrelevant. It just doesn't need to be there. It doesn't need to go on that long. And subsequently, almost every single scene, I've watched the first three episodes, by the way, which is what they've sent out to critics. Everything goes on too long. Every storyline is forced. You don't believe a word of it for a second. One of the great things about the first two scenes is even though it's dealing with quite extreme behaviour and people going through extremes of drug abuse and sexuality, etc. People were being blackmailed.

54:44There was porn blackmail and all of that. It really felt very grounded and focused. That's one of the best things about it. This is all over the place. It's the most unfocused, non-grounded thing I've seen in ages. And it's like Sam Levinson, the creator, writer, producer, he's got too much power. He can do what he likes. And he is doing what he likes. But it's just an absolute gigantic mess. and it's yeah I'm always speechless I know it's my job to come up with the right words but yeah I found it really annoying and irritating and unbelievable there's nothing worse than Boyd's disappointment yeah they've disappointed Boyd yeah it's I mean it's difficult for me because I don't watch Euphoria I've seen some of the I saw at least one of the specials I saw I think the first couple from season one we must have reviewed it yeah we reviewed season two as well I think and it's always been incredibly bold and what it set out to do.

55:38And it's a very impressive show. This, I think, maybe didn't jar with me as much because I haven't been following it all the way through. But it did feel very unfocused. And it felt, I wasn't quite sure where it was going. But I think Zendaya is so charismatic in that role as Rue and she inhabits it so naturally that she's very watchable. So that first episode in particular, which is a slight, slightly is not even the word, it's a very rambling exploration of what she's doing and where her life is at. and it doesn't really go anywhere. But I kind of went with it just based on vibes because I think she's very good in that and just seeing how her life has kind of inevitably turned out the way it has.

56:17She is the absolute reason. She's brilliant. And I agree. The starting scene, I was probably going on too long and everything, going over the barrier. But yeah, you're right. She's incredibly watchable and she's great, etc. The Elordi and Sweeney storyline I had no time for at all. No. No. No, it's just, yeah, exactly. Yeah, absolutely none. And where that goes is just, it's both kind of grotesque and just ridiculous. Yeah, I mean, there are still some shocking moments in this. There's a lot involving drug mulling. There's a whole scene involving that, including a dog, which I won't even get into, which is just somewhat upsetting.

56:59No harm comes to the dog. The dog is fine. There's a lot of animal. There's a pig section, yeah, which is grim. Pig section? Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, it's a lot. It's too much. You could almost subtitle this as, you know, Euphoria, it's a lot. And not in a good way. It's throwing it all in. Carry on, sorry. How many did you get? Just watched the first one. Yeah, but I thought it kind of, you get Adewali Akadnoia Akbaje is in the first one as well. And obviously he'll be in more of it too. As Rue's new employer. but that's yeah like that was an odd way to end the episode I'm not going to ruin it but the way it chooses to end it it's quite tense it's quite stressful but I also feel like I've seen that so many times before it seemed like an odd device to close out that first episode with I mean there's so many things you've seen before don't start Boyd off again look he's so sad he's so disappointed do you know what though this is the thing about I absolutely I'm going to watch the rest I will watch the rest in the hope it picks up at this point it feels like self-harm would yeah I mean verging on it but I'm fascinated to see absolutely I think and there's an element of it because there's a whole there's a thread which is like showbiz agents and actors and directors kind of being problematic and you think this is a semi-autobiographical thing from Sam Levinson he's a controversial figure and you know a lot of people think he's an idiot but you know that's unfair I think he did a brilliant job with the first two seasons but it's just all gone to hell in this one so far after three episodes that's all I can keep us posted though yeah Boydie is not impressed I'm annoyed that you we should say that you you haven't opted out of reviewing it you didn't get the no I didn't get screeners screeners in time so yeah I'm fascinated to know what you thought of it yeah but yeah it's it's it's a fascinating failure really fascinating failure wow I think it is it's a really interesting story I think yeah because because it is yeah because it's a really interesting show so you would have preferred for there to be no third series than this no I wouldn't say that because it's so it's so on one level there are so many things wrong with it that it's fascinating yeah it's extraordinary it's like you know if Martin Scorsese or Paul Thomas Anderson or one of those brilliant directors who clearly Sam Levinson is influenced by by the way it's got all of the Brian De Palme all the kind of classic, you know, American film directors that he's influenced by.

59:35So if any of them came up with something this shambolic, it's actually fascinating. So on one level, you know, yeah, it's so extraordinary that it's worth seeing just to kind of decide what you think about it. Anyway, I could talk about it all day. So I'd much rather it existed in its mad form than be boring and, you know, not unambitious and you know it's none of that it's not that it's just yeah it feels like it's a show that if they had been able to end it on their own terms shortly after the second season they probably could have done maybe but time had passed and it feels like now they felt they kind of could do another season rather than they should or needed to do another season to finish the story yeah it's yeah there is an element of that yeah but also I think he's just drunk on his own kind of like power and freedom to do what the hell he wants to do.

1:00:29Well, he's provoked the ire of the boys there, so... I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed. Oh, no, that's the worst. Euphoria, then, which is available on... This is on Sky Atlantic and now from today. Sky Atlantic, now, and HBO Max. And HBO Max, yeah. Wow, you can watch it anywhere. It's one of those, yeah. They really want you to watch it. Yeah, you have many, many options. Next up, we have The Miniature Wife on Sky Atlantic, based on Manuel Gonzalez's short story, and this sees Matthew McFadgen as a narcissistic scientist whose penchant for miniaturization takes a turn for the toxic when he uses it to keep his wife, played by Elizabeth Banks, from leaving, reducing her to about six inches tall.

1:01:12Kind of honey-eye shrunk, well, you, essentially. This has been described as the War of the Roses meets Ant-Man. Would you say, obviously Ant-Man fan that you are, that this is an accurate assessment? I'm guessing so, yeah. I mean, as you say, Matthew McFadden is this kind of self-obsessed scientist who creates this gizmo that can reduce things in size. And it's primarily he's doing it to, he calls it agriculture biotech or something. I mean, it's one of those things where you have to just not think about it too deeply, just accept that he's got this machine that will shrink things. and the thing is I would say I don't think he does it intentionally he doesn't intentionally reduce his wife it's an accident that's the whole thing you have to bind to is it?

1:02:00it starts off being I think it starts off being an accident is it? I think it starts off being an accident I don't think it is I think yeah we can't really spoil this let's just say it happens I would question whether it's an accident I think there's an element of alright fine well this impulse let's say what James is yeah actually maybe I actually can't remember I watched this so long ago and now you've come to mention I can't remember whether it's deliberate or not I think it starts off nudging something and then maybe it's intentional yeah I was with you I didn't I came away with it I think I came away I think it was accidental I am absolutely certain it's deliberate but I think it's an impulse I think it's just like oh like it's just done because he has a yeah we won't spoil it if we haven't seen it let's just say it doesn't matter at this stage it doesn't matter yeah she's shrunk yeah she's small she's small she's little and the whole thing is is that we kind of it's a way of exploring their relationship because prior to this Obviously, there's the requisite flashback.

1:02:52And then we see the dynamics, which are very toxic. It's a dysfunctional relationship. They're constantly at each other's throats. And he's seeing it as a kind of last chance saloon that if this can work and you can get investment, then they'll get loads of money. They can go away. Maybe they can salvage this relationship, the marriage. But as we've just said, it goes badly because he shrinks her. and you know what I think it does a good job of is painting a picture of this awful marriage and the fact that he is like a narcissist and emotionally unavailable and he prioritises his career and his happiness over hers the arguing and the bickering is a lot I would say that is it reaches a crescendo and you know you kind of want to shrink yourself but you know I think you know it's doing I liked what it's enjoyable I mean she is feeling shrunken in her life and reduced by him then she gets physically reduced I can see what they're doing there metaphors yeah exactly he's leaving no room for her and soon there's like plenty of room because she is miniature so my whole thing is and also it does pose that eternal question I'm sure you guys you know does size really matter right which it will answer in time but while I enjoyed the first episode and I think Banks and McFadden have great chemistry even if they are squabbling non-stop is okay we get it she shrunk now it's going to be like how do they rectify that how do they get on and the funny you know situations that will arise from that I get it but this is I believe 10 episodes yeah talk about something that needs shrinking don't yeah so this first episode yeah it's enjoyable I got to the end of it I was like oh okay yeah great maybe the second episode I can get because then I'll be like okay what happens another eight after that No, I just, this is stretched too far.

1:04:47I mean, as you say, it started off as a short story. A short story. Emphasis on short. Short, small. They have not shrunk the story. They've elongated it way too long. And so I, honestly, like I love the actors and it's kind of a funny premise, but it's not enough to sustain, you know, me watching it anymore, but also the length of time it's been given. Kate is out. I'm out. Boydie. Honestly, the disease of extended seasons of shows like this is getting out of hand. This is at best four parts. I'm sorry, maybe five. It's a 90-minute film is what it is. Maybe it's a 90-minute film, indeed, yeah.

1:05:28I think James is right. I watched a show the other night that had so much story and character in it, 5.45 an episode, it's brilliant, perfect. Ten, oh, God. Ten, Boyd. This thing is insane, whoever decided it should be 10 episodes. They should be fired. Take that back. I don't want anyone fired. But, you know, it's like... I think that's Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner. Oh, my God. Was it made for... Are they half out? 45. Yeah. The first episode, I want to say, about 38 minutes. Best part of 40 minutes, yeah. Some of them hit 45, believe me. I've queued up. There's just... It's a one-joke, one-note idea, which is explained in the title.

1:06:08And everyone's fine. Actually, well, having said that, I blame the directors, but Matthew McFadden's working at a too high register for me. I was going on about registers. Yes, with big mistakes. You're very sensitive to it at the moment. Yeah, I am a bit, for some reason. But funnily enough, because she shrunk down, of course, she has to shout, you know, literally to get attention. And he shouts back. So there's a lot of shouting at each other. But even when she's full size, they're at each other's throats. I was going to say, he also shouts too much in the lab. the kind of highly stylized, rather unbelievable scientist he's working with, and as are the investors, who are also kind of ridiculous and unbelievable and heightened.

1:06:50So there's a whole, yeah, Jack James has already... Yeah, my silly alarm went off very early on with this one. No, I'm with you in this case. But the whole concept is silly, right? But you can execute a fantastic or even silly concept, but you can do it seriously or seriously within certain bounds. there's a version of this story that would be ten times better if it was just the whole it's an absurd premise so do it realistically yeah I was so frustrated that's what I expected I have to say before I watched the second of it I hadn't seen any track I think Matthew Faddy you know it's going to be it's a fun interesting idea The Incredible Shrinking Woman the classic films in like the 50s and 60s and they were all you know giant cats you know the cat attacking the poor you know six inch high person All of that is like intrinsically should be fun or interesting or whatever.

1:07:39But because you've got the concept, and then you've decided that the tone of this thing should be extreme and over the top as well, it just doesn't work fundamentally. No, you don't need it. You don't give a shit about anything that happens in it. Maybe we're in our absurd over-the-top era. Maybe that's what's happening. Maybe, but I'm with you. I think pick one. Take a mundane situation and make it absurd. That's funny. Take a ridiculous situation and treat it seriously. That's also funny. But taking something absurd and making it more absurd it's exhausting it's exhausting and it's insufferable two exhausting shows in a week it's exhausting and because of the length it's a marathon but yeah I keep coming back to that that is like I really want to know what did they think it's a short story it's not even adapted from a novel the clue is in there there's the clue when you adapt something from a short story there's a very simple idea you can explain in one sentence and you'd end up making 10 episodes of TV about it something has gone horribly wrong.

1:08:35So it's just a massive misfire for me. And I have no interest in watching one more second of it. No, neither do I. Me too. I barely got through this first episode because I thought the characters are, both of them, detestable. I hate spending time with them. They're deeply, deeply irritating. All of the other characters are basically caricatures. They're massively heightened, completely unbelievable, and also very irritating. I tell you who steals the show. Sorry. Also, sorry, last thing. I know this is probably a silly thing to say, but because in that first moment you know she shrunk so you're just working towards this point so do you know what I mean so it's like irritating thank you for my I knew there's something else I wanted to say two more things I wanted to say one is on that point this is the ultimate example of a show that does not need to start with the thing starting in the middle and then flashing back because we know what's going to happen in the title in the title so just build up to it chronologically it would have been much better more interesting how we get to that point just also the cold open where we start with her small and then it goes back to however many weeks earlier the I'm doing it the compositing is shocking oh my god you're right James you are right I meant to say that as well sorry the effects are just oh they look terrible the whole thing rests on the visual effects and they're terrible and they're awful they're just awful is it just me no no no even I and I never pick up on that stuff also to the point where I also possibly thought it was unfinished who knows you know is there a note saying but no I don't think there are I think this is no I think that's just the show anyway the final thing is Sean Clifford still she's good as her agent yeah she's funny she has some funny moments and I would rather have seen an entire series about her and her job as a book agent.

1:10:05Not enough to warrant 10 episodes. No, no, no. But she came out of it, you know, fine. But even Oti Fagbenly who plays her sort of like boyfriend, again, just so heightened and so annoying. Yeah. Yeah, I really kind of hated every minute of this. Which is so shocking to me because it's Matthew Mathadien, right? Oh, I know. It's really, yeah. I should love this. And yet. I'm sure it was fun to make. Well, I'm not sure but I'm guessing it was fun to make. You know, they're both really talented. That's the poster quote, isn't it? I'm sure it was fun to make. Boyd Hilton. Not fun to watch. Yes, fun to make, not fun to watch.

1:10:41A miniature wife then, which is on Sky and Now. Now, I believe. Now. We couldn't review it last week because it was embargoed. Now we know why. Now we know why. Yeah, it is on Sky now and now, now, now. Great. Finally this week, we have the return of Big Mood on Channel 4, which is Camellia Whitehill's show and you will recall at the end of season one or you may not if you didn't watch it but if you did you will know that Maggie and Eddie's friendship imploded with a complete no contact break this is of course Nicola Coughlin who played Maggie who has bipolar disorder and Lydia West who plays Eddie and they've been friends forever except now they are not and having not seen each other for an extended period the two find themselves under bridesmaids if you will at the wedding from hell Nicola Coughlin described described the vibe for Series 2 as Indie Sleaze.

1:11:32So we turn now to Pilot TV's sleaze expert, Boyd Hilton.

1:11:38Kate laughing too much at that. It's really where you laugh, sorry. James has been on quite a good form recently. By the way, a lot of people were talking about the poem. Oh, the poem. The poem was excellent. Yeah, this morning someone showed me her name and was like, oh my God, the poem. I was like, yeah. I give him credit for that. Oh, yeah. To even be asked to do it. Yeah. That's a weird discovery. I don't know what Nicola Coughlin means like that, really. Indie sleaze. Indie sleaze, yeah. I mean, indie, I get, but it's all that. It's a vibe, boy. The first series of this was critically acclaimed.

1:12:09I think it was Channel 4's biggest comedy since Derry Girls, essentially. Didn't it win like a Best Comedy Award the year that it came out? I think so, yeah. Didn't you host the thing for this? Am I right? No? No. Oh, okay. A rare instance where Kay didn't steal that one from you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, just taking a speech. Just carry on. Can I get you something to eat? Do you need a burger? Are you hungry? Yeah, I am. Anyway, yeah, no, I think you're right. It was critically acclaimed. And I think, I remember the first series really being impressed by how it does mix comedy and drama and emotion.

1:12:42And I think it's one of the most successful attempts at doing that. So, you know, a lot of comedies these days, that we sound like an old twat, are neither out-and-out silly sitcom style, which, of course, is James' favourite, or kind of like more what's your favourite show the Apple show the Harrison Ford Apple show Shrinking Shrinking which is like character based you know kind of believable real characters saying funny stuff right with heart with heart yeah definitely and dealing with a lot of stuff serious stuff so there's people with you know Parkinson's there's people going through bereavement etc those things and this this does that very well as well and I think actually it mixes both so I think there are some moments where, for example, the character of Ryan, Luke Featherstone, who still was the show, he gets all the funny lines, right?

1:13:30He's their best gay mate. He is intrinsically funny and has great timing and he's given lots of pop culture references. There's a reference to Heat, by the way. There is. In episode one, which is like... I'll say the line, actually. What is the line? The line... So they're basically being lectured by the wedding organiser. Flopsy. Oh, she's the brilliant name, Flopsy. she is the sort of maid of honour from hell she's hilarious she's very funny and she's explaining that the bride did a pre-marital juice cleanse on the night to which Nicola Coughlin's character says I will never forgive Heat magazine for what it did to us and I thought that was quite and I think it's I don't think it's I think it's fine I think it's a funny reference to Heat magazine but there's loads of pop culture references like that throughout the whole thing but handled in a very skillful way, I think because people, I think people do trade in, converse in that way with, you know, maybe not to the witty level this has, it's a slightly heightened dialogue.

1:14:34But I think overall, the balance between the comedy, the one-liners, the believable stuff, and the bottom line emotional undercurrent of the whole thing, which is a really interesting question about, can two best friends deal with the fact that one of them has absolute diagnosed mental health issues, which inevitably put a strain on said friendship. And does the other person in that friendship, do they have a right, if you like, not so much morally, but as a friend, to kind of abandon them if it gets too much for them? Do you know what I mean? I think that seems, that dilemma, if you like, that fundamental kind of decision by the key characters is fascinating to watch unfold.

1:15:19I think it's a genuinely kind of, because they haven't seen each other, as this season starts, they haven't seen each other for ages, they're kind of estranged from each other, and it's how they deal with that, the forms of the emotional undercurrent of the whole thing, and it's quite funny as well, it's played for laughs at the same time, and I think it's all down to the writing and your two leads, both of which are really good, I think the dialogue is excellent and believable and funny when it needs to be funny. I think both Nicola Coughlin and Lydia West who by the way first started in Russell T Davies' Years and Years that was her first big role she's brilliant they're both fantastic completely authentic believable real naturalistic performances and they're dealing with some really good interesting so I think it's a really good show I thought the first episode I only watched the first one I think it opens with a double bill doesn't it?

1:16:06yeah and it's really funny I think agree with everything you say I think also from the point of view of the observations about a middle class wedding in their 30s and how that all pans out but also the fact that Nicola's character has been reduced to being a junior bridesmaid and her feeling of hurt about that because she considers herself to be in her stable girl era. She's managing her meds and she's feeling good and also she's on tenterhooks because she's waiting to see if Eddie will turn up and she does and so it's that awkwardness and pain of their estrangement and how they're going to get past that if they can at all.

1:16:45But I think what Camilla Whitehill does so well is this sort of excavating and exploring of, you know, a female friendship and the difficult conversations that go unsaid and the resentments that can build, irrespective of the mental health issues, that can go unsaid and that can build over time and when there's a codependency and when one, you know, is in a different place to the other and decides to break free, invert commas, and seek independence slash put in some boundaries and how hard that is. And I think she does it really, really well. And also I've heard from people who watch it who have experienced, you know, like either bipolar or mental health issues that also she, you know, she does that in a very authentic, real way.

1:17:30It's very, but with edgy humour. I really enjoyed it. I think it's great. It's really well written, like really, really well written. And I think that comes across in each scene. It took me a while to get back into the tone of it because sometimes it verges onto the heightened side, which isn't always for me. But actually with this, because the writing's so good, you kind of go with it. The character of Flopsy was a lot, but also genuinely funny, also the best name ever. And there's a whole thing about a Surrey wedding. This is what I'm saying, isn't it? The observations of these sort of Surrey middle-class weddings that happened in the 30s and the expectations.

1:18:07and yeah. I find this fascinating though because Camilla Whitehill who wrote this, created this, is Nicola Coughlin's best friend and she has written a sitcom about a toxic friendship with Nicola Coughlin. I'm like, should we be reading into this? What is this? But yeah, it's a really well written, really well realized show. It's very good indeed. And Rupert Everett is in this season, this second season. Is he? Yes. He's not in the first episode. He's not in the first episode. Okay. I mean, that's a good thing. Rupert Everett, being in your series can only be a good thing. Indeed. I forgot that they were best friends.

1:18:40That's right, yeah. I remember going to a screen. I might have even hosted a screen. For season one. That's hilarious if you did. I may have done. But I might have just attended it. But yeah. I remember distinctly that the creator was very funny. She's very funny as well. As you can tell from this, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Big Mood. Series 2 then, which lands on Channel 4, Wemboidy. Thursday, the 16th of April, 10pm, 2026. looks magnificent and what else is out this week well there is you will be delighted to know channel five it's got a new um uh thriller and this one actually has got i would say a very interesting cast because joanna scannon's in it as is um and it's written by sally abbott who's a good writer and paul matthew thompson's in it from ridley um and it's called miss girl and it starts today monday and it runs all across the week at nine o 'clock in at the same time unlike the killing thing.

1:19:34The murder. It's at a consistent time each day and not just randomly on whenever they could fit it in. So that's on. What else? Well, Margot's Got Money Troubles which you guys will be reviewing on Pilot Plus I believe. Correct. That starts on Apple TV on Wednesday, the 15th of April, 2026. Beef, season 2, which is a completely new story. So Beef is an anthology show. It's an anthology. Which is a different beef that gets out of hand in each season. And this one is back on Netflix on Thursday. And this one stars Katie Spenny, Charles Melton, Oliver Isaac, not Oliver. Oliver Isaac, yes. And Carey Mulligan.

1:20:14That is a good cast. And I have seen some of this and it's fascinating. Is it stressful? It's quite stressful. I think you'll be fine with it. Bergerac. I knew there was something that Katie hosted and it was definitely Bergerac. It's on the 16th. You and Drama on Thursday the 16th, exactly. 2025 and then of course the murder line which is on basically at some point on some day really anyone's guess well that started on Saturday and is on at some point throughout the week for sure yes I think that's probably about it what is our pick of this week? big mood yeah it kind of is isn't it? it has to be surely yeah okay right that is it for this week's show if you would like to get in contact with this show the email address of course is It's postbag at pilottvpod.com.

1:21:04Yes, I am unduly proud of having sorted that out. You can follow us on the social medias at pilottvpod, at Boyd Hilton, at Kay Ribeiro, at Steph Seelan, at James C. Dyer. These are all of our various handles. And of course, we are still soliciting five-star reviews on whatever podcast platform is your favourite. Only five stars, though. We will accept. Nothing less. On next week's show, I don't care what you're doing because I'm not here. That's the spirit, James. What a bellend. Yeah. But there are some things going on next week, we should say. So on next week's show, we will very likely have Kush Jumbo and Peter Capaldi on talking about Criminal Record, if you are indeed reviewing Criminal Record next week, which I assume you will be doing.

1:21:48There's quite a few other things, like there's Mint on BBC, there's Kevin on Prime, Unchosen, on Netflix, as we've mentioned. What else is there? The new Stranger Things Tales from 85 spin-off will almost certainly be embargoed. Animators. Yeah, it is animated, so sorry. And Halfman comes next week to BBC One. Well, it comes to iPlayer. Interesting. Interesting debate about what week we should do that. Well, maybe we'll do it on the BBC One week. Maybe. Maybe we won't. Who knows? I don't care. I'm not going to be here. So you're on your own. Unbelievable. Lazy. I'm not sure this is the right vibe, James.

1:22:18It's fine. I'm checking out. Shoddy behaviour. Yeah. He mentally checked out a long time ago. I mean, that's true. But I'm actually bodily, physically checking out this time. Are you going camping with your mates? I am not going to go camping. I might watch some more episodes of The Boyd The Boyd? Wow I thought that was a joke Wow It's a Freudian slip there That's what it is I might be watching The Boys but I'll be thinking of you He's obsessed He's just got some cameras set up in your place and he's just not going to be watching his screens It's probably just harking back to the days when I used to watch The Boys with Boyd's email address across the middle of it Now I get my own so it's slightly different Anyway on that note it is goodbye from me it is goodbye from The K and it is goodbye from The Boyd they will see you next week I will see you the week after Pilots out