Film Club, Dreaming Whilst Black, and Murder Before Evensong. With Guests Aimee Lou Wood & Suranne Jones, and Jodie Whittaker

5 Oct 2025 · 1 h 59 min · 43 chapters

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In short

The episode of Pilot TV is a mix of TV/film chat and interviews. Main topics: what the guests have been watching (The Diplomat, Gen V, Peacemaker, American Murder: Gabby Petito, and a BBC doc about 1980s songs banned by the BBC, including Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax”); debate about watching scripted TV on big screens vs in bed; and a BAFTA screening/Q&A event for Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women (the hosts review the Q&A, not the show). Key claims/examples: “Relax” was effectively banned because BBC staff initially didn’t understand the sexual lyrics; the documentary includes Holly Johnson confronting the BBC producer who banned the video. Another example: Peacemaker’s sixth episode is described as a “game changer” with a major cameo and political resonance.

Guests and backgrounds

  • Aimee Lou Wood: actor; co-creator/writer Ralph Davis’s BBC3 comedy-drama Film Club, playing Evie’s mother’s daughter obsession with films.
  • Suranne Jones: actor; plays Evie’s mother (Suze) in Film Club; described as serious but high-energy, protective, and funny without knowing she’s funny.
  • Jodie Whittaker: actor; appears later in the episode to discuss Murder Before Evensong (Channel 5), where a vicar helps solve crimes.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Hosts and Guests Introduction

0:45 to 1:52

Meet the hosts and guests, discussing their roles and upcoming shows.

“I'm James Dyer, and welcome to Pilot TV.”

Discussion on Kay's Absence

1:52 to 4:00

Light-hearted banter about Kay's absence and her return.

“She is, if she's not been implying to me, so.”

Photo Shoot Antics

4:00 to 5:59

Discussion about the photo shoot for the podcast advertisement and related antics.

“There was a grudging, there was a grudging.”

Rabble Rousing and Boyd's Picture

5:59 to 8:10

Conversation about Boyd's picture and its representation.

“Out of all of those, the first one you decided on was a fudge?”

Sugar High and Chocolate Talk

8:10 to 12:43

Hosts discuss their love for chocolate and sweets, leading to a humorous tangent.

“What are you putting on there I don't know I feel like I should have some champagne.”

Boyd's Hosting Gig at the Palladium

12:43 to 14:00

Boyd shares details about his hosting gig and the pressure that comes with it.

“So if you had to average, what would be your lights-out time, on average?”

The Joys of Watching TV in Bed

14:00 to 16:57

Discussing preferences for watching TV on bigger screens versus iPads.

“I literally, if I want to watch TV, I'll watch it in the front room.”

Podcasts for Bedtime

16:57 to 21:58

Hosts share their favorite podcasts to listen to before sleep.

“I'm not quite there yet, but I haven't finished the season.”

Murder Before Evensong and True Crime

21:58 to 24:25

A discussion about watching true crime documentaries, focusing on Gabby Petito.

“But I have been watching, obviously, some murdery things on the Netflix, as you know, which is my chosen platform to watch murdery things because it is the best.”

Banned Songs and Music Censorship

24:25 to 28:00

Exploring the history of banned songs in the 1980s and their cultural implications.

“watch a lot of disney on the other side like i wonder what that does to the kind of chemical makeup of your brain.”
Show all 43 chapters

Exploring Censorship in Music and Media

28:00 to 29:10

Discussion about music censorship and societal reactions to provocative art.

“But to see this show, to see a young Holly Johnson, you know, in his 20s, kind of giving it, brilliantly answering back to these idiots from the BBC who have banned it, it's fascinating.”

Pop Culture Icons and Their Impact

29:10 to 31:00

Analyzing the influence of pop culture figures like Madonna and Boy George.

“I'm just going to read them quite quickly.”

Documentary Recommendations

31:00 to 33:25

Recommendations for new documentaries, including Rob Brydon's country music journey.

“We all know Rob, obviously, from Gavin and Stacey, etc.”

Insights into Military Memoirs

33:25 to 34:39

Discussion about a new series based on a memoir of a gay man in the military.

“I mentioned it the other week, it's on Netflix.”

Sally Wainwright's New Show and Q&A Experience

34:39 to 36:24

Insights into Sally Wainwright's new show and the experience of attending a BAFTA screening.

“obviously because it's heavily embargoed.”

Behind the Scenes of Film Club

37:14 to 42:04

Amy and Suranne share insights about their roles and the creative process behind Film Club.

“Welcome, Amy and Saran, to Pilot TV Podcast.”

Exploring Film Representation in Storytelling

42:04 to 45:00

Discussing the importance of film in personal connection and representation.

“it began and you know i think during covid it's so interesting you were like writing it then because that's when I came to a realisation that what we did as actors, as entertainers, as storytellers is important.”

Character Development and Mental Health Themes

45:00 to 48:04

Examining the characters and mental health themes in the series and their portrayal.

“And what did you make of the concept, the whole idea of people's obsession with films and kind of how that plays out in the series?”

Filming Experience and Character Contrast

48:04 to 51:08

Sharing the experience of filming and the contrast between different roles.

“We watched the whole thing, but he was like, this is so you.”

Friendship and Collaborative Dynamics

51:08 to 53:11

Talking about the friendships formed during the filming process and watching each other's work.

“No, but I kept messaging you for every episode.”

Discussion on Future of the Show and AI in Acting

53:11 to 56:01

Debating the potential for the show to continue and the implications of AI in entertainment.

“We should probably move on to this week's news.”

AI in Podcasting: Insights and Challenges

56:01 to 58:31

Learn about the experience of creating an AI-generated podcast and its reception.

“Every single day I say it really infuriates me.”

Young Frankenstein FX Show Announcement

58:32 to 59:38

Discover the upcoming FX show based on the classic 'Young Frankenstein' and its cast.

“oh Zach Galifianakis how do we say his name?”

Nicole Kidman's Career and Personal Life

59:39 to 1:02:12

Explore the intersection of Nicole Kidman's successful projects and her personal changes.

“She's had a lot of, when you say banger after banger after banger.”

Jodie Whittaker and Suranne Jones in 'Frauds'

1:02:13 to 1:03:44

Listen to Jodie Whittaker share insights about her role in 'Frauds' and working with Suranne Jones.

“No, she doesn't have them, obviously, as she's stated.”

In-Depth Conversation with Jodie Whittaker

1:03:45 to 1:10:05

Dive into a detailed discussion with Jodie Whittaker about her latest projects and experiences.

“And specifically, I said to her, I'm interviewing Jodie Whittaker on Wednesday.”

Exploring Complex Friendships in Heist Genre

1:10:05 to 1:14:02

Discusses the dynamics of lifelong friendships and their portrayal in female-led heist narratives.

The Fun of Filming Unique Scenes

1:14:02 to 1:15:49

Shares insights on filming a swimming pool scene and the challenges of choreography.

Behind the Scenes of Doctor Who

1:15:49 to 1:17:44

Jodie Whittaker reflects on her surprising return to Doctor Who and the joy of revisiting the set.

“it feels real though it feels totally real and that's what I loved about them was like you know you'd want to go on a night out with them but I don't know if I'd want them on my like who to call and a disaster.”

Visual Themes in British Dramas

1:17:44 to 1:19:23

Discusses the use of color and visual storytelling in British dramas and how it impacts character development.

“It's got that kind of dry, it's a bit reminded me of sexy beast.”

Jodie Whittaker's Career Reflections

1:19:23 to 1:23:32

Reflects on Jodie Whittaker's experiences in her acting career and the impact of creative women in the industry.

“Yeah, she's really interesting, that character, and that whole set-up is fascinating.”

Exploring the Magic of 'Dreaming Whilst Black'

1:24:01 to 1:27:13

The hosts discuss their deep appreciation for the series and its characters.

“so I'm going to turn to you Steph as a former Empire editorial assistant And this level of nerdery should have been awkwardly, painfully familiar, I would say.”

Character Dynamics and Relationships

1:27:14 to 1:30:03

The hosts analyze the relationships between characters in the show.

“It feels like you've been let into this lovely little world, which is, I was so happy to be there.”

Cultural References and Viewer Experience

1:30:04 to 1:35:34

The conversation shifts to the show's cultural references and its appeal.

“the whole, it's a classic Will They Won't They, it's a bit like the Soulmates idea, you know, the Brett Goldstein film on at the moment that is brilliant.”

Future of 'Dreaming Whilst Black' and its Broadcast

1:35:35 to 1:38:02

The hosts discuss the show's broadcasting details and its future.

“But I'm not sure whether they knew she'd been cast in The White Lotus, which was a huge deal.”

Exploring 'Dreaming Whilst Black'

1:38:02 to 1:40:18

Discussion on the show 'Dreaming Whilst Black' and its character Quabina.

“I'm telling you now, It is six episodes of falling deeply in love with, and Amy Leward as well, with these two people, with their communication, with the whole family, but mostly with Nabhan.”

Johnny Salmon's Unique Storytelling

1:40:18 to 1:43:11

Analysis of Johnny Salmon's storytelling style and its commentary on industry challenges.

“Then they rightly commissioned a full series, and the full series went out a couple of years ago now and was absolutely great.”

Family Dynamics and Cultural Commentary

1:43:11 to 1:46:20

Discussion on family dynamics portrayed in the show and cultural commentary on identity.

“So there's a scene where you go to her place of work and she's there with two of her work colleagues and they've been asked to pitch.”

Transition to Murder Before Evensong

1:46:20 to 1:48:46

Transitioning to the discussion of 'Murder Before Evensong' and its premise.

“Yeah, what I'm surprised about is because there are really excruciating moments, right?”

Analysis of Murder Before Evensong

1:48:46 to 1:51:32

Critique of 'Murder Before Evensong', focusing on its cozy crime elements and character development.

“So, finally this week, we have Murder Before Even Song.”

Discussion on Thursday Murder Club vs. New Show

1:52:00 to 1:53:36

The hosts analyze character development in 'Thursday Murder Club' and compare it to a new show.

“this is what I was going to say in my opening gambit is it's better than the Thursday Murder Club.”

Debate on Enjoyability of Cosy Crime Shows

1:53:36 to 1:54:52

A lively debate ensues about the merits and flaws of the cosy crime genre, particularly the latest shows.

“We've done this before and I have, if I say I'm going to, we've had this before.”

Upcoming TV Shows and Recommendations

1:54:52 to 1:56:20

The hosts discuss upcoming shows like 'Celebrity Traitors' and other noteworthy releases for the week.

“I was like, oh, this is a bit creaky and clunky, but in the end I enjoyed it.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:07On Pilot TV this week we are nerding out over films, sorry Kay, with Aimee Lou Wood and Nabhan Rizwan in Film Club on BBC3, catching up with Adjani Salmon's latest exploits in the second season of Dreaming Whilst Black, also on BBC3, and finally solving crimes with a vicar in Murder Before Evensong on Channel 5. Plus, we have another deluge of guests this week, as Amy Lewood and Saran Jones join us on the show, and Jodie Whittaker does as well. Star-studded. Star-studded. What a line-up. What a line-up. It is particularly starry. Stellar. I thought so. I'm James Dyer, and welcome to Pilot TV. You're a central guide to every show that matters.

0:49And welcome to U2, my two co-pilots. U2. Boyd Hilton. No, not the band. No. Just U2. That would be something, wouldn't it? Boyd, of course, who has taken time out of his busy schedule of being wrong about Alien Earth to come and join us on the show. So that's nice. And Steph Seelan, editor of Criminals Periodical, who is with us for the last time before Kay returns from her weird cult thing. Okay, right. It's not a cult. She was just unplugged for a while. That's it. That's a bit culty, isn't it? It does sound a bit culty. It's a bit culty. Like Nirvana on MTV, she was unplugged. Yeah, she was, yes.

1:20And other bands. They have also had. That was the one. I felt that that was the iconic one. Definitely. Who else would you say? Definitely. I very much enjoyed the Pearl Jam unplugged. Actually, yeah, the time, but come on. No, you're absolutely right. Yeah, I'm really tired. I don't know how you guys do this. It's like four shows. That was exhausting. As well as like holding down like an actual job. Kind of a job. I'm really tired. We've been doing this for seven and a half years, Beth. Yeah, you must be really tired. Yeah, I could do with the sleep. It's definitely true. So anyway, yes, Kay, beloved Kay will be back.

1:51Kay will be back. I've messaged her, she's fine. She is, if she's not been implying to me, so. Yeah, because she doesn't like O3D. She actually loves me. Well, I mean, also, it's been a bit contentious. I think I can share. I can share this. We've had a little bit of discord, a little bit of friction over, wait for it, the new print ad going in Empire Magazine to advertise this podcast, where we all did a photo shoot. You may remember this. Let's just say some prima donna model antics have been involved about whose pictures are and are not acceptable. Okay, I'm just going to take this on, okay, because for my dear friend Boyd.

2:23So, Boyd and I were, like, having a bit of a chit-chat this morning. You're a rabble rouser, you are. You rouse rabble. Well, I am, because Boyd is a very handsome gentleman, and I just want him to be represented correctly out there in the media, okay? And when I saw the picture of you three, who I dearly love each and every one of you, you looked fantastic. Disagree, but carry on. Kay looked her sensational self, and Boyd, frankly, looked fucking terrible, okay? Okay, first of all, had you seen the picture of Boyd that I put up on my Instagram of him eating cake, you would know that that was a terrible picture, and this one is not.

2:57I didn't think you could take a terrible picture of my beloved Boyd. It doesn't do him justice, and I just think it should be changed. Thanks, yeah. It is a weird picture of me, I have to say. It isn't a good picture of you, though. I'm doing something very strange with my hands. Yeah, but your glasses are down to where the top of your eyes are. I need to get new glasses, to be honest, because these slip off quite quickly. No, I love the glasses when they're sitting correctly, but when they're down here where your eye line is That's a detail I have to say that even I didn't notice See what you've done You've got in his head Yeah That's what you've done Yeah Rabble rouse You've roused the rabble It's because I love you and I want you to look your best So you're saying I look hideous in the photo that people are going to see shortly when they're publicising this podcast you're saying I look absolutely hideous I'm just saying it doesn't look like you It doesn't look like you You don't look hideous but it just doesn't it's just not representative of your beauty and handsome face.

3:53And look, we haven't even heard from Kay yet, but I guarantee she's not happy. I think we did hear from Kay. Yeah, I think she did reply on this. There was a grudging, there was a grudging. Hold on a minute. Kay is, Kay hates every, ever since I've known Kay, which is like a billion, trillion years, she's always hated every single photo of herself. She's just not that kind of lady. But I will say, the picture that is in the magazine for the advert is her good side. It is her good side. She insisted on that. Yeah. So we have not used the bad side. She doesn't have a bad side. Oh, no, no. That's why she's no longer going to be sitting there.

4:26She says she's got a worse side. Her left side is her bad side, apparently. Oh, I've never noticed that. I think she has. She's beautiful. She looks great and everything. But again, once again, Boyd, you do not. So you should get that sorted. I should qualify this for all of you listening. If you're wondering why we're a little bit hyperactive and hyperactive? It's not even a word. Hyperactive, a little bit sort of juiced up. It's because of this, really. Because look at this. Look at this. Look, if you're on the camera, if you're on the YouTube look at this hold on this is a lot of Cabrera's chocolate which Steph Steph brought into the studio which reminds me of when Alan Partridge got hooked on Toblerone oh my god it's so easy to do that it's so easy to do yeah one of my favourite things is to have like you know the Toblerones that you can only get on holiday but you can't now because you can just get them every time the massive ones and then just eat them like a biscuit with tea oh my god I have one every Christmas true story do you every Christmas I get the biggest Toblerone money can buy like monstrous like you could beat whales to death with.

5:22Milk chocolate flavoured or white chocolate flavoured or dark chocolate. Oh my God, no. How would you even suggest such a thing? That's vile. Okay, good. I'm glad to hear that. Wait a minute. But do you have them in normal stores? Because in my experience, you can only get the really giant ones in the airport. No, no, no. Like Sainsbury's will have them around Christmas. Like the big monster ones. Because have you ever tried to have what I would call the snack one and eat the snack one? It's really painful to eat because... It's bumpy. Yeah, it's really hard to like... It's really difficult. I wouldn't even attempt it.

5:51No, you shouldn't. You shouldn't. Just to steer us vaguely back in the direction of what we were talking about, what I was saying is we're all on a sugar high because you've plied us all with chocolate. Well, I had a Freddo and some buttons and it was delicious. What did you have? I just had a fudge. Boyd had a fudge. Out of all of those, the first one you decided on was a fudge? Yeah, I need, you know. I had one of literally everything. Of course you did. What does that tell you about us all? And you're probably just losing weight somehow. It's very strange. Yeah. I'm hosting a thing on Monday, the Palladium.

6:18London's Palladium. Right. Now, Boyd, what could you possibly be hosting at the London Palladium? He says, holding up a visual cue for those of you on YouTube. I'm going to hold it too. This is a book, a hardback book, which is written by Ruth Jones and James Corden, and it is called When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between, and you helped make this book, didn't you, Boyd? I did, yeah. I helped out with it, and I wrote the introduction. Oh, did you? Yes. And so they'd be doing two shows on Monday, this current Monday. as this comes out today, at the Palladium, London's famous Palladium, a matinee and an evening thing where I interview them about the book, etc.

6:57Why have you not invited me? Because I don't want anyone I know to be there. Although the only thing is someone told me this morning they're going to be there. Oh, we're going. You really don't want to come. Why don't you know what you're doing? Well, I think it's sold out. So, what? Why don't you want anyone? Because it's too, as to the stress, isn't it? It's bad enough. I've got hostings. I can't have come in the green room. Do you know how many people are on the Palladium? it's about 2 ,500 people that's just like an average pilot live show what are you talking about what's going on you're like amazing why are you having any level of self-doubt because it's I've hosted as any listener will know I've hosted Q &A's obviously you're big in the hosting game but this is different this is thousands and thousands of people just to be clear you've got this one because Kay turned it down obviously the reason I bring it up the reason I bring it up and thank you very much for plugging the book James is because you're talking about sweets having sweets I get a rider So in my dressing room Get a rider Yeah I get to pick You know what sweets and drink And what did you choose Do you know Can you put on your rider One pint sized friend Called Steph for company I could do I've picked like They called me on the hop Because she said This was in a Zoom meeting And the organiser said Oh and what do you want You know Do you want snacks In your dressing room and stuff I was like Oh my god You're so big time So they called me on the way So I've been thinking about it really And yeah So So they're waiting for a response What are you putting on there I don't know I feel like I should have some champagne.

8:14No, no. I think we've already cracked it. Ask for one of those giant, great, fuck-off airport Toblerones. Oh, my God. Ask for an airport Toblerone, some kind of salty snacks. That's what you need, don't you? Well, I've got carnies salt because of my blood pressure, so... I'm not sure the Toblerone would help with that, to be fair. No, no, no. I don't eat a lot of chocolate either, if it can be helped. But, you know, as a treat to myself, I will get some stuff in my dressing room. Well, as we know, you love Caramac, so I'm assuming you're going to have some Caramac. Can I refer everyone to page 315 of said book, which begins?

8:44A huge thank you to lovely Boyd Hilton for helping us with this book and for his immense support over the years. Oh, you are supportive. That's nice, isn't it? He dropped this on my desk and said, here, don't say I'll never give you anything. That's what he said. Well, yeah, it was true, though. So how long is this thing going to be, the hosting gig? How long is the show? The show? It's going to be about at least 90 minutes. It'll be like, yeah, with an interval as well. It's going to be great. It's like a film, Boyd. Or is it a one-off theatrical, balladium dramatic event? It's a one-off theatrical, balladium dramatic event.

9:16I'm doing ones in the New Year in Wales as well, two more, right? Wow. In Cardiff and Swansea, I think. He's on tour. There's one of them that's like 4 ,500, 5 ,000 people. I mean, it's just the sheer number of people that is quite daunting. You can do it. I'm impressed. I'm very impressed. I know that you'll be amazing. You can command 4 ,500 people. It's funny. How would you feel if I got a seat in the front row and I had two cards and one was a picture that had a picture of Cosmo Jarvis and said Cosmo Jarvis and the other one was a picture of James Cosmo and underneath it it said James Cosmo and I just held them up ultimately to make sure that you didn't forget.

9:50You would. Well, a couple of times when I've hosted a Q &A I've thought that James was in the audience and he wasn't. He has. That happens quite regularly. Boyd hallucinates me when he does Q &As. It's true. That's really terrifying. Yeah, I did one with Ricky Gervais once and I'm just absolutely convinced that James was there. Were you there? Were you there? Secretly. Were you? stop fucking with him leave him alone he says he wasn't there I say I wasn't there but listen if anyone is coming along who answers this podcast then please I hope it's not a complete disaster stop it like stop saying that stop doubting yourself it's going to be brilliant like come on self-fulfilling prophecy it's going to be fantastic maybe by the time it gets to the evening performance I'll have been sacked and I'll have got someone proper in okay what is going on what is happening why are you so down on Boyd I'm joking he's being self-fulfilling okay be nice to Boyd is what I would say and also please let me have a copy of your rider because that is so exciting yeah I want to see it too I'll put it up on the Instagram now we should talk about what we've been watching and I'm going to begin oh okay and I'm going to tell you what I've been watching Boydie finally is The Diplomat oh yes because it all kicked off a little bit during last week's podcast when I found out live on the podcast that you had screeners for the third season of The Diplomat and I did not oh okay so this is when you on air message Netflix like a Spoiled child.

11:06Apparently, like a wazzock. And I know this because one of our listeners left that comment on the YouTube page. Quite right. James, what a wazzock moaning about not having access to screeners live on the podcast. What a great word. That is a great word. Is that that person's word? No, no, no. It's an old word. It's an old school word. I haven't heard it for years. Back to the 90s or 80s. Yeah, I would say 80s. 80s. Well, I was born in 81, guys. You're wazzock. So I'm practically about it. I'm reading Ben Elton's autobiography at the moment, Don't ask and I'm sure it's a word that he uses actually when he was doing stand-up etc.

11:40back in the 80s Wazzik I'm looking it up so I'm apparently a Wazzik and an entitled Wazzik at that for demanding diplomat screeners and you just realise this now? no I mean not really but you got them I got them I got them and I was pulled away from episode 4 this morning when I had to get the train into work I was very upset about it obviously I can't say anything about it but I will say oh please excuse the state of me I seem to have some gourmet burger on my shirt so how enigmatic but I of course will not be reviewing it because it's embargo the irony is I have not had time to watch them hey yeah I still haven't oh that makes me feel much better yeah so because I've been so busy doing things doing busy things so now that's good so you've watched four episodes I've watched well I'm literally I've got two minutes left of the fourth episode so I'm very nearly done that there are eight this season I believe there were six last season I was very upset about that so it's a longer season and all eight of the hour all eight of the hour James, what time do you go to bed?

12:36Too late. And I get up too early. No, I go much later than him. Yeah, literally, he's like a vampire. It's not a competition. Okay. Come on, everybody. But we know this. You do. So if you had to average, what would be your lights-out time, on average? I am actually trying to go to bed earlier because it's, again, part of my blood pressure thing. Okay, do you take magnesium? No. I take pills. Oh, for your blood pressure. Which just work very well. Straight up every night. The drugs do work, by the way. Yeah, I take magnesium before I go to bed and it really helps me go to bed. But it's rare, I would say it's rare, traditionally, I go to bed before kind of 12.31.

13:13Oh, that is pretty late. So I'm normally a lights-off at midnight kind of guy. And I'm trying to bring it forward to 11. I'm trying to bring it forward to lights-off at midnight now. But what time do you get up? That's the question. I get up at probably around seven-ish. Okay. Yeah, seven, seven. What time do you get up? Six, around six. Oh, yeah, no. Okay, so you're basically having like six hours of sleep. No, really, because it's just all related to you increasing your watching time. That's why I'm interested. How long do you get to watch stuff? But then people say, okay, so I got in a conversation with someone recently about watching TV in bed, the pros and cons of.

13:47I have not watched television in bed since I was about 14, 15 years old. Wow. Yeah, it's just not a thing that I do. But do you have a TV in your bedroom? No, because I've never needed one. Do you watch your iPad in bed, though? No. I literally... You don't watch your iPad. You don't do like the iPad lay. No. I don't do that. I literally, if I want to watch TV, I'll watch it in the front room. Yeah, I'm saying that. Because why would I... You two are so civilised. But I'm like, I'm like, this is like watching TV on your iPad when you live in an IMAX. It's like, why would you ever... Well, not everyone has as big a TV.

14:24No, but I mean, look, I don't have as big a TV as Boyd. But I'm just saying, if you have like a big living room TV, like a really nice TV, why would you voluntarily watch something on a piddly little screen? Okay, because I don't think everything needs to be watched on a big screen. Respectfully disagree. Hold on a minute. Well, if, no, because, okay, I hate to say this but if everything needed to be watched on a big, big screen then everything would be shown in cinemas and you wouldn't, then you'd be like, you know, you wouldn't have to watch stuff on TV. I'm going to go back to this debate again.

14:49That is, I mean, kind of intriguing logic, yeah. I would 100 % watch The Diplomat in cinemas. Oh yeah, same. But I think, but I agree with you, so like quiz shows and maybe even with all due respect would I lie to you your favourite and one of the greatest quiz shows of all time you can watch that you do not need to watch that on like a whatever inch but I think any scripted you know show right yeah this might be it because I only watch scripted TV maybe that's the difference but also when you're in bed you're really close to the screen so it's actually quite big relative do you know what I mean also you're very small and I'm very small so relatively an iPad is a bit like an iMac to you yeah but it's really cosy watching some stuff in bed especially if it's scary stuff and you're like, you know, nestled down.

15:31No? Well, I have a special blanket. Oh, do you? I do. Oh, God. I thought you'd want to know about this. Have you got a weighted blanket? No, it's quite thick, so it's quite heavy. It's not actually weighted. It is, and this is true, it's a sea blanket from my beloved sea. Oh, you absolutely. I got sent a sea. So imagine Bubba Voss from sea wrapped in a fur. It's not real fur, I should say that. And I got sent that, but there was like a sea press made out of the way out. Have you been sent I love it. Talking of freebie things, freebie gift things, have you been sent the thing that Leo wears in one battle after another that they're sending out?

16:11No. Yeah, they're sending out a dressing gown, roughly with the design. And you've got it. Well, do you know what's really... You haven't got it. This is going to be beyond entitled. Which one of you is going to get it? No, no, no. She asked me for my address to send me this thing, and I still haven't got it. And the film came out on Friday. It's been intercepted. The torturous post system where I live is responsible. But yeah, I've seen people wearing their Leo-style dressing gown, which I really want. Extraordinary. Are you going to get one while C? I mean, I now feel that I need one to watch TV in, but I still want my C blanket.

16:40So, can I just ask, just out of general interest, so when you've finished, both of you, once you've finished watching things, you decide it's Betty Buys now. Yes, Betty Buys. Betty Buys. And then you just go to bed and go to sleep. Yeah. That's it. No, you know, well, I brush my teeth first. I listen to podcasts when I go to bed that's what I was interested in what do you do I have stuff playing Boyd he takes me to bed every week yeah do you which podcast do you listen to as you go to bed I do listen to Empire after it's come out on a Friday I listen to you know I listen to quite a lot it's Frank Skinner who's hilarious on which used to be on Bauer Radio actually isn't anymore and who else do I listen to I listen to the political ones quite a lot the American political one which I forgot the name of God Save America yes thank you God Save America which goes on for hours God Save America they have to be quite so you know people complain about the big ones too long I like them being long to make sure you can go to sleep so the good reason of the Empire one because Chris Hewitt can't say no to a fucking interview and there's like four interviews in every episode that helps me because I get like a two hour podcast that is very true and God Save America is generally about an hour and a half sometimes boarding on two hours I like to listen to Dateline podcast the Dateline podcast before I go sleep which is just they do like a they do like a rerun of the whatever an episode it's been on and it's absolutely brilliant and they do a Dateline Weekly thing but loads of women and probably men listen to like you know murder podcasts to help them go to sleep of course I don't understand that but I do know it's a thing it is a thing it's really a thing now I'm going to I'm going to drag this podcast kicking and screaming back to topic this is indulgent can't talk about the dip Matt I have been watching Gen V has to be said of Boy Spin On it's really good it's really good like it's a lot better than I actually thought it was when I and I think I liked it when I watched it but it's a lot of people have been saying it's better than The Boys at this point.

18:26I'm not quite there yet, but I haven't finished the season. It's good. You haven't finished the season because you've got an earlier better buys time. That's right. You've got more exploding heads and anuses. Well, someone crawled out of someone else's bum in an episode. You're watching a programme where someone crawls out of someone else's bum? Yeah. Yes. I mean, that happens a lot in The Boys. A lot of self-reflection should be happening. I mean, look, that's what I'm watching. But the other thing I've been watching is Peacemaker. The much maligned on this podcast Peacemaker. Why? The sixth episode, which was...

18:59Well, you were there. I know, but why are you watching it? That's my question. Because it's great. And you're all wrong about it. Did you love it? I wasn't here. You reviewed it without me. Oh, it's terrible. It's fabulous. I'd watched five episodes, because they made five episodes available to press when we reviewed it. And then the sixth episode came out. And it's a bit of a game changer. First of all, there's a big cameo in it, but there's a whole thing happens, a thing. Yeah, I've been reading about this. And it's wild. People, not just James, but people are saying that it's really good. People are saying it's really good?

19:33Yeah, and they're saying it reflects the political situation, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, and all of that. So it's quite outspoken and bold and daring. So I might go back to it. Okay, well, I did only watch one episode. I didn't dislike it. It just felt like it was a bit try-hard and was trying to do what, funnily enough, the boys was doing with its over-the-top orgy scene and all of that. So I was just like, it just feels a bit gimmicky. But if it settles down into being what you're saying... The orgy scene was way too long. Like, that scene was way too long in that episode. It just felt... It felt...

20:03You just felt left out is what you're saying. It felt gratuitous, but equally, it didn't bother me, but it just took me out of the story a bit, but from the sound of it, it's... Oh, okay. I will, however, say that the song and the dance sequence in the titles is vastly inferior in the second season. Oh, I find that annoying, yeah. Yeah. The song was much better for the first season. So I love the titles. I rarely skipped it for season one. I always skip it for season two. Opening song title sequences are also a bit like the other version of that that I think I was talking about with the cool, big...

20:31The Smash Cards. Smash Cards. Yes. Smash Cards. That's a pilot pass reference. But yeah, Smash Cards are a thing. For those of you who don't know, we're saying the kind of Stephen Knight-esque stylized bam, bam, bam, in-your-face title cards. Info. Info cards. We have called them Smash Cards. This is a new name that we have for them. Yes. Yes. Yes. On the subreddit, while we're talking about title sequences, there was a whole thread about is the morning show music slash title sequence the most annoying on television? To which I would argue, yes. Yeah, that's a very good point. It is terrible. Oh my God, do you think it's annoying?

21:00No, it's not. I really like it because it's got a bit of a Mad Men feel and I like it. It's trying to be Mad Men, isn't it? But it's not. It's just kind of like a little bit jazzy, a bit clinky-plonky and a bit... Clinky-plonky! It's trying to be kind of stylish animated but it's not. if compare it to Severance which is one of those incredible style singers beautiful it's trying to get that vibe on there but it just doesn't work it feels cheap it does go on for a very long time but it does give you time to make a drink and then settle down to it get ready for the ludicrous dialogue that Jen-Anne and Wiesel are about to spout stop leave my beloved Jen-Anne no I love it I enjoy it I love I've been watching that is one of the things I've been watching funnily enough so I'm fully in favour of it but it is absolutely preposterous speaking of things that go on way too long let's get back to this podcast Steph do you want to tell us what you've been watching?

21:43Yes, obviously, well, I have to say I haven't been watching that much because as we'll come on to later, I watched the whole season of something we're going to be reviewing and I'll get deeply into why I watched the whole season. I wonder what that could possibly be. How did you get through every episode of Murder Before Evensong? That's extraordinary. It's not Murder Before Evensong. But I have been watching, obviously, some murdery things on the Netflix, as you know, which is my chosen platform to watch murdery things because it is the best. Right, so have you guys watched American Murder, Gabby Petito?

22:13So do you guys know, you know about Gabby Petito? No, no. Is she in Deep Space Nine? How can you not know about Gabby Petito? Have you, you've not heard? Okay, so she is a girl, a blonde American girl, who along with her fiance, Brian Laundrie, they got a van and they were doing this whole blog across the country, van life they were calling it. Then she went missing, Brian Laundrie flew home and there was a huge search for Gabby Petito who went missing. It was a massive, massive case a couple of years ago. Right? Okay. Anyway, Brian came home alone, right? And nobody could get access to him and nobody would talk to him and where is Gabby Petito, right?

22:57He had murdered Gabby Petito and he was just in his house and there was all these people like, tell us where Gabby is, tell us where Gabby is. Her remains were found in the desert. he had strangled her to death then he went missing he had been in the house he went missing and his remains were found this kind of three this three part documentary it was so eerie who murdered him? he murdered him he murdered him he took his own life and he was found with a backpack and you know a letter and all this kind of stuff and there was lots of controversy because his parents had been helping him and blah blah blah and obviously they couldn't say straight off but it was quite clear that he knew he said he'd left her but obviously he hadn't he'd actually murdered her anyway it's really eerie because the whole thing is done it cuts with interviews with her parents um but it's also it's got because there was so much social content that she'd done so many videos it's it's really eerie to see them together and they were like really in love but then you then friends come in and go yeah but he was a bit strange and he he had a bit of a dark side and then it's all leading up to actually what happened yeah but he's a bit murdery but when you when you start watching you're like oh they seem so like they stay they seem so happy together yeah they're both two very grim things but really again worth a watch sorry james i your viewing habits terrify me yeah but they're really different because as you know i have to watch a lot of disney on the other side like i wonder what that does to the kind of chemical makeup of your brain.

24:32It's like you go from serial killers to Moana and you have to kind of juggle these two mindsets. Yeah, I know. I don't know. I don't know how I do it, but I do it and I do it for you. Thank you. So you don't have to. Thank you. I also appreciate that. Boydie. Yes. What twisted shit have you been watching? I've not been watching twisted shit. I think it's very untwisted, the shit I've been watching. There's a great documentary that I watched live on Saturday night on BBC Two just passed it's now on iPlayer obviously as everything is and it's banned in the 80s moments that shook music and it's about how in the 1980s which I lived through because I am old enough there were loads of songs that ended up being banned mainly by the BBC so the classic song was Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax right that was banned it was banned it was banned on the BBC what's hilarious about it was why?

25:26because they relatedly realised James No, I'll tell you why. No, but he's got a point because it wasn't initially banned at all. Oh, okay. So he doesn't understand, he does not obviously listen to the lyrics. Well, we're about to get into that. I remember George Michael's I Want Your Sex, which is called I Want Your. He was banned as well. Yeah. Okay, carry on, apologies. With Relax. It came out, it was a big, they were a big cult band, they were on the tube, if people remember, and they got a massive response and people, they joined Trevor Horn's then new record label ZTT and it was a big thing, loads of publicity, but the song itself, was phenomenal, right?

26:00Brilliantly produced, incredibly catchy song, Relax. But it was clearly a sexual, the lyrics were clearly of a sexual nature. Sorry, James, you're going to get shocked now. Go on, carry on. He didn't know this. Right. But what was interesting is the BBC bigwigs didn't realise this either. So it got to, it came out, it got to number one, they weren't on top of the pops, they made a video, which the video was banned by everyone, because the video is quite rude if you've ever seen the video. Although by today's standards, it's completely... oh my god it's nothing it's not Miley Cyrus twerking but then basically Mike Reed who was on the Breakfast Show at the time and his producer suddenly played it and suddenly went oh hold on a minute what are they singing about?

26:40like relax don't do it when you want to come can you just look at James James still doesn't know James is like what's wrong with us I have to be honest while I vaguely know the melody I don't know any of the lyrics to that song at all relaxed I mean I can guess from what you're saying there's a lot of talking of clearly sexual things. And they literally suddenly decided there and then they won't play it anymore. And basically, it went to the big brass of the BBC and they all decided they weren't going to play it either. And it was effectively banned. And they didn't go on Top of the Pops after that either.

27:11So every single person at number one, went to number one, in the era of Top of the Pops, was always on the show. That was just the way it worked. And then suddenly they weren't because they'd been banned retroactively. But what's brilliant about this documentary is they get the people involved. They have footage of, there was an amazing moment when holly johnson the lead singer of frankie goes to hollywood confronts the producer the radio one producer live on air on this show with the preposterousness of him suddenly banning it and holly johnson points out well you've only just banned it because to start with you weren't listening to and you didn't know and he holly johnson kind of denies that the lyrics are section which is a brilliant complete lie because he knows for the where they are and and they have this tete-a-tete and it's fascinating it's like an incredible i mean i'm obsessed with the 80s anyway, the greatest decade of all time in general for pop culture, music, everything.

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28:01But to see this show, to see a young Holly Johnson, you know, in his 20s, kind of giving it, brilliantly answering back to these idiots from the BBC who have banned it, it's fascinating. And what was their kind of response when he... They were like, oh, it's too rude, it's too rude, I'll protect the kids of today. Do you know other examples of things that were banned? The Queen song, where they do the video, they're in drag, right? Oh, right, yeah. I want to break free. I want to break free. In the video for that, they were all in drag and that was banned because drag was considered so shocking but the people couldn't take it.

28:33Look at now. Now you can't move for fucking drag. What happened to Salt-N-Pepa? You can't move for drag. Were they banned as well? Yeah, they were banned. Madonna is in it. Oh, Madonna. I remember the sex book was quite a good job. Yeah, sex was a job deal and that whole album that went along with at the time. It's a really brilliant hour-long documentary about stuff like that but just reminding you about how, in a weird way, the way they dealt with these things was quite kind of, it was quite kind of decent. They didn't just pretend that they made the right decision to BBC. They were actually answerable to, you know, people and the band.

29:07James, I'm just going to, right, these are the lyrics. I'm just going to read them quite quickly. Because your innocent face is just, relax, don't do it when you want to go to it. Relax, don't do it when you want to come. Relax, don't do it when you want to suck it, chew it. Relax, don't do it. what I would put to you is it's not exactly fucking cryptic is it so that's the point but was it just that at the time people just didn't do that kind of thing so they just they couldn't even compute that that's what it was about kind of yeah I mean you're right actually and I mean similarly because there's a lot of stuff about how you know there were a lot of gay acts you know I mean obviously Frank goes on being one in terms of Holly Johnson and Paul was it the dancer and soft sell there were loads of bands that dealt with sexuality but people kind of ignored that element because they didn't really want to deal with it so Boy George, a culture club famously did an interview everyone knew he was gay but he did this interview where he said you'd rather have a cup of tea than have sex and that was what people took from him so it was an intriguing era where people were just like oh no no we don't want to deal with all of that but these are brilliant pop acts they're completely sexual but we don't want to talk about that other stuff whereas to be fair one of the embracingly refreshing things about Frankie, Holly Johnson in particular that they kind of did they did confront it and they did but the video is astonishing in fact for him to kind of claim that he says the government because he's got a dirty mind I think is how he puts it but then you watch the video you push the video it is rude I mean it's clearly you know it's clearly what's going on is saucy shall we say so that documentary is fantastic we should have a like a slot every week which is called like James discovers and it'd be like something that everybody else knows that you have no idea about I mean that would be there's a lot to choose from yeah That'd be a good slot, though.

30:53You're right. Another BBC documentary that's just started is Rob Brydon's Honky Tonk Road Trip. Oh, that's right up my alley. This is Rob. We all know Rob, obviously, from Gavin and Stacey, etc. But absolute legend. This is just a documentary, three-part documentary, about his love of country music. And I love country music as well. Who doesn't? Who doesn't love country music? Probably James. Yeah, James. He goes to Nashville. he meets great acts and singer songwriters and he just immerses himself in the culture of American country and western music and it's an absolute joy to see him I mean Rob's just brilliant in everything I love him in general but he's a really good he's just such an engaging funny presence in this type of show so yeah Rob Brydon fans can I I want to ask if you'd watched something that I really wanted to watch but haven't had a chance have you watched because I obviously love Romesh Ranganathan of course he's Can't Knock the Hustle is that good yeah of course it'll be good yeah okay I'm gonna watch that next he does a bit because you know that's like his stand up mixed with inspirations for his stand up because I listened to his pod the other day when he was talking about it I was like there's one bit in that show which really got to me and I was like oh my god he's completely got me and that is where he talks about middle aged white guys in their 50s wearing football shirts and I was like oh my god it is a travesty it's just it's what it says we're all you know you're basically like overweight middle aged white guys walking around going yes I am fit to play for Arsenal you know like yes oh my god this is really shooting me and I look great and I look just like a footballer it's brilliant he really taps into is he an Arsenal supporter he is a big Arsenal fan I thought he was yeah oh I love him so much and by the way he does I've seen him I've seen him bumped into him in the street where he's wearing an Arsenal top so he does do it but he brilliantly takes the piss out of how funny because it's become completely like right now more than ever people are wearing guys are wearing football strips yeah my brother My brother is slightly aging.

32:48He's an Arsenal supporter. He wears his football top all the time. Oh my God, yeah. I'm always faintly horrified by it. It has to be said. Oh, well, it's now like complete pop culture. Yeah. Just general. Shall I start wearing them? Yeah, I think you should. Who would be your team, honey? Oh, I mean, I'd definitely be a Spurs supporter. Do you know what their full name is? I mean, I'd go along with that. He would be a Spurs supporter. I shall, from now on, whenever we do a live show, I'm going to wear a full Spurs kit. Liam is a massive Spurs supporter. Is he? I can borrow his. Yeah, you can. Okay.

33:16Problem solved. Yeah, so, Rob Ryan's Honky Donk Road Trip. I've watched another show we can't review that's Embargo, which is called Boots. I mentioned it the other week, it's on Netflix. It's based on an actual memoir by a gay guy who joined the American military in the 90s when it was banned. He weren't allowed, talking of banned is my theme of the week. Yeah, he is. He weren't allowed to be in the military. This is about the Marines, if you were gay. Was he openly gay to the people that knew him in the military? Not really, just to his best mate, no. Okay. But it's as much a gruelling look at, it's quite topical, because you know Hesketh, the current American Secretary of State for war, right, or whatever it's called, he gathered all the military yesterday, and they had to listen to him pontificating about this shit, and how soldiers should be soldiers, and you know, you've got to get people who are overweight in the military, should be thrown out.

34:06And this series is about the gruelling training and the way people are treated when you join the military and what you have to go through. And it is absolutely, it's quite shocking because it's based on the two memoirs. I always find that kind of crazy when they're like, it's just to say, look, I know that you potentially want to give up your life, your country, but you're just too fat. So, you know, for people to even like, it's just like, this person wants to, like, it's madness, isn't it? And they do, funnily enough, they deal with that very issue because there's two brothers in it, one who is overweight and another guy who is, and they clash the way they, their relationship, one of the best things about the series.

34:38It's a real, obviously because it's heavily embargoed. But it's a real shame that it's heavily embargoed because it's an interesting series that we should be reviewing. And finally... Let's say, for example, there was a show this week that maybe didn't deserve to be reviewed. I don't know, we could have slotted that in. Oh, controversial. Interesting. Interesting. Just put that out there. Finally, another show that we can review for embargoes is Riot Women, which is on this Sunday. Sally Wainwright's new show. And again, I'm not going to review it. But what I will review is the screening and Q &A.

35:09because I went to the BAFTA screening last Friday. Did Kay do anything? No, Kay Host is another separate one a while ago. I think the one Kay Host did was for the women in TV group. Okay, because I remember her talking about it. Yeah, she did do a thing. She had a really good conversation with Sally Raine, right? Absolutely. And I think she's interviewed Sally Raine for our podcast. She has, yeah. It should be running soon. But I was really impressed with, you know, I'm quite obviously a harsh critique of Q &As. Not one's the Kay Host. She's great. No, Kay's amazing. But in general, sometimes they do go awry.

35:37But this one was hosted by Anna Foster. who is BBC, she's on Radio 4, she's at BBC. So she's a professional. I mean, you might expect her to be good. Unlike us. As you all are. I know, but she was so good. She was absolutely brilliant. And it didn't look like she had notes either. She seemed to be doing the whole thing off the cuff, which I can never do in a million years. Maybe she had an earpiece in. She didn't. That's what's known in the business, going full Hewitt. Right, yes, exactly. Yeah, Chris doesn't do any prep at all, does he? He kind of doesn't need to. I don't think it shows, does he?

36:05Well, I definitely have to do prep. But she was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. And the whole cast were there. And the way Sally Wainwright herself talking about the evolution of the show was fascinating. So I'm not reviewing the show. We'll be doing that hopefully in the next episode. But I am reviewing the Q &A and the event. And it was very good. Okay. Well, we're approximately Chex Notes three weeks into this episode of the podcast. So shall we move on? I'm so sorry. I feel... Do you know what? Well, I did say to James what time do you go to bed? And then half an hour later we found out. Yeah.

36:40It's extraordinary. It's definitely stuff salt. Anyway, let's have our first guest, assuming they're actually even still with us. It's Amy Lee Wood, who won the Saran Jones custody battle this week, leaving Jodie Whittaker sadly on her own to talk to Boyd Solo a little bit later on. But Saran also co-stars with Amy Lee Wood in Film Club as her somewhat cringe but very well-meaning mother. And she's dealing both with her daughter's silver screen obsession and her ongoing agoraphobia. This is Amy Lee Wood's show, we should say, which he co-created with Ralph Davis. And here's Amy and Saran versus Boydie.

37:12Camera's rolling. Camera's rolling. Rolling. Welcome, Amy and Saran, to Pilot TV Podcast. It's been about a month since we've had you on, Saran, as you remember. Yeah, I do. Yes. I keep seeing lots of people coming in, yeah. Yeah, I bet. But is that accidental listening that all your projects suddenly end up on TV roughly at the same time? No. I mean, I can't believe it, because then I've got frauds coming out. I'm doing a junket for frauds. I might see that. So no, it feels like I went away working for three years And then now they're out within like a month of each other So no, it feels, if you don't like Saran Jones, don't watch But if you do, it's like a Saran Jones celebration Which everyone does So everyone's having the time of their lives Yes, 100 % In fact, I was going to ask you, getting Saran to play your mother in film club That's a massive coup, isn't it?

38:03Was that always your plan all the way that it would be Saran Jones playing your mother? I was saying it was Saran from the beginning, from the first moment that we had the idea, Ralph and I, we started and I said, it has to be Saran. Like it has to be, because it was her voice that when I was writing the lines, it was your voice was in my head for years and years and years. And then when she said that she read an early draft and was like, yeah, I want to do it. And I was like, oh, I really can't believe this. But I was saying the moment when I first heard the words come out after like five years and we were on set, it was magical.

38:39It was magical. But it was always surreal. Yeah, brilliant. It was a dream. And for you to do a comedy again after a while, I think, how did that feel? And did you feel like, you know, you kind of got the tone of it from the off? Because she's a very intriguing, eccentric, I think one could say, figure. Yeah, but I never thought that she was eccentric. Like, in a way, like, because you'd be laughing at, like, things I was doing. But Suze is quite like she's she has fun, but also she's quite serious. Courage of conviction is quite something. So she doesn't feel like she's that she's in her own Suze bubble.

39:16So to be honest, I was like everything she did was just with a bit of gusto. And she loves life. And she did it for like 100 percent, like for love for her family. Big protector. So I had a lot of fun playing her, but sometimes I go, what are you laughing at? Honestly, and we'd all be like crying. I think that is always what is so funny, isn't it? Because the characters don't know they're funny. This is high stakes series. And the way that I think that the mother and daughter have a lot in common here, which is that film club is so high stakes. They're both living every day like it's a five act Arthur Miller play.

40:00it's even though it's like actually things uh in this just the house and the garage and they've got this little world but to them it's big it's all big and it's big feelings it's the feelings that are so big yeah so let's go right back amy so where did this what was the kernel of this idea where did it come from and you know why had you written stuff before did you always want to write stuff or was it putting this particular idea that you wanted to i always wanted to write i actually didn't ever really want to be an actor i always wanted to be a writer and then the acting came about as a way to make friends and that then took over but I was always more kind of in love with writing and Ralph and I met at drama school and we on the first day we met we said oh we're gonna write something together one day because we just had an immediate kind of secret language and so then yeah and then it's we met 10 years ago and it's been five years since we first came up with the idea it was lockdown and obviously no one could experience the world in the way that we're used to everyone was confined into these their own little worlds and so the way that we all were kind of experiencing the world was through film and tv and we needed it more than ever and we needed books more than ever we needed stories more than ever and so the idea kind of came from that need like let's explore the need for film like the the real kind of and it's it is evie's lifeline it is her it's hope it's her way of staying kind of you know in the world it's her way so so yeah it came from that and also i think everyone just knows what it you know when you just have that we really wanted to write about people who have a bit of a fanatic obsession with because it's such a it's such a fun thing to write as well just people who love something so much and then like the whole question was is it the films they love or each other and that was kind of where it began and you know i think during covid it's so interesting you were like writing it then because that's when I came to a realisation that what we did as actors, as entertainers, as storytellers is important.

42:21Because I think before that I used to be like, well, you know, we're not saving lives and kind of like bat it off. But actually it became so important to people to be able to have a connection to say, oh, that's me. And that representation of being able to then talk to someone else and say, have you seen that film? It's like something that we do every day. It's so clever. Yeah, it's really fun to see people's obsession with films put on screen and turned into a kind of celebration of that almost, isn't it, I think? And how did you choose the film? I've only seen the first two episodes, but it feels like there's a film per episode.

43:00There is a film. So we've got Alien and The Wizard of Oz in the first two. Did you have a list, you and Ralph, of what you wanted to do, or you kind of knew somehow that these were the films? Well, we kind of decided them through what Evie, through Evie's mindset in each episode. So in the first, we wanted to really introduce the idea that life right now for Evie feels like a space mission. So Alien was, you know, she feels like she's in peril, just like just walking to the shops. So that was kind of the perfect film for that opening episode. Because also we've been talking a lot about courage and success and how for some people just where they're at, a success is just getting out of bed that day.

43:48So for Evie, it just felt like that kind of Sigourney Weaver hero. It would be heroic if she could just make it past the bin. It's shot so beautifully, though, because from in her head to reality, Catherine's done such a beautiful job. It just looks fantastic. Yeah, it's incredible because it feels, obviously, I presume BBC Three budget isn't necessarily, it's not going to be up there with, you know, the White Lotus or anything, but it looks great. And the ambition is there, isn't it, to show these films being played out in these scenes. And what was amazing was everything in the garage was made by art students.

44:24I think it was in like Manchester Uni. So it, because they wanted it to look great, but also like it has been, you know. Made by her. Made, yeah. So it was all that kind of stuff, like getting really clever and industrious with things and resourceful was really fun because it felt like what Evie has to do every week. And Fiona, your makeup designer, was like just amazing. Like, because some of the looks like throughout the episodes are really big things to achieve. And she was frantic at some point. Yeah, she was. But she pulled it out of the bag, Fifi. You're brilliant. Yeah. And what did you make of the concept, the whole idea of people's obsession with films and kind of how that plays out in the series?

45:11You know, I've never been a huge film buff. So to me, I like certain films that really speak to me, but I'm not like... I was watching your Criterion Closet, actually, the other day. And you're just like, your knowledge is like so superior. I'm like, oh, I like what I like. But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? It's what speaks to you. So it could be any film that speaks to you. I love The Wizard of Oz. But I feel like what really drew me to it was the characters. So it was, yes, the film club is gorgeous, but it was the mother-daughter relationship and the touching on mental health and family and, yeah, all of the emotional intelligence within it.

46:02The mental health stuff is really interesting, is it? Because you kind of subtly deploy it. You're not quite sure. There's a reference to you, your character, not wanting to go out for six months and having a wobble. Exactly, which is a brilliant word. And then we see you kind of having your date, in quotes, in the second episode where you kind of allude to things that not, you know, distressing things that you might have been through. But it's very lightly played. It was that kind of, to get that tone all along, did you talk about that and how, with Ralph, and how are you going to establish the tone?

46:30Yeah, we kind of, you know, life is always tipping between comedy and tragedy. Just every, like, if you're sobbing with your best friends two minutes later, you could be hysterically laughing. So it's like, we wanted to find that. And, you know, there's more stuff that as the series goes on, you understand more about where these women are at and everything like that. But we wanted it to feel like life where people don't just come in and talk about their stuff. You know, actors do quite a lot. But, yeah. But like, you know, people who are just trying to, like we say, trying to survive and live their lives and just do their best.

47:14you know it so we wanted it exactly what you said we wanted it to kind of leak in like it kind of comes out sideways and it kind of oh we just learned a little bit more about what might be going on when they don't know because they don't know they don't know so we as they learn more about what's going on so do the audience like so it's it's yeah because they don't know we they don't they're just it's life's just a bit overwhelming right now and yeah and They need to untangle it and start to go into the feelings. Do you think that this show, do you have influences on yourself? Could you have come up with this show, you know, before you did Sex Education, before you did the things we now know you're very famously for?

47:56Or would this have been the same show if you'd have written it, if you hadn't done any of those other things? It's funny because I showed it to my best friend the other day and it was so nice. We watched the whole thing, but he was like, this is so you. And he's known me since I was 20. So before anything, and he was like this. Oh, that's interesting. Oh, I see. Yeah. So I think probably a lot, I think we were talking before about I've worked with these amazing writers and I feel like I've like seen how they all approach things differently. And I feel like I've absorbed really helpful things. but I think the whole kind of, I think it maybe always would have been something like this.

48:40But you never know, do you? Because you don't know what, and sometimes I said it, what's so amazing about it is that you don't know what it's about until after it's finished. Yeah, yeah. You don't know, you just like writing it. And that's why it's so hard to pitch TV shows because they're like, what happens next? I don't know yet. I need to work that out. I need to work out, you know, and it comes whilst you're doing it. And then when you watch it, you go, that's what I was. Oh, that's what I meant then. That's what I meant. And that's what I was trying to tell myself. Yes. But it's only after.

49:10So it's kind of trippy. Yeah. Yeah. How long ago did you film it, by the way? How does it fit into the different schedules of the shows that you've done? You'd just finished White Lotus. I'd just finished Hostage. And then we both did that. And then I went off to do Frauds. You were doing all the press for White Lotus. and then went on to do The Idiots after that. So it was, for me, it was like such a beautiful, warm, light relief because a lot of my characters can be heavy and I was producing on both of the other shows. So I got to just turn up and say the lines and watch her have all the stress on this one.

49:53And to go from playing the Prime Minister to playing a... It couldn't be more of a contrast, could it? No, there was less Prosecco on Hostage. There's a lot of Prosecco. There's a lot of Secchi. very very dry though very dry thin glass which now I get I really get that it has to be you can't have a sweet for supper no no no no no absolutely and for you so you were doing press for the white and you knew that was a massive phenomenon does that give you a boost of confidence for this do you take anything from that I think it actually made me more nervous because the stakes felt higher because it was like doing this very vulnerable act at the same time as more people know who you are you know it's like toxic town that just kind of come out as well so yeah yeah so they came out and it all just felt a bit like don't look everyone stop stop just go you know like being perceived on quite a big level can be scary we were just talking about like having to just connect to yourself and like it's hard to do that when things are amazing but but big and so I think it kind of made me maybe have a bit more pressure and also been living in a hotel for seven months with the same group of people just before I did it so a lot of doing this show filming the show was me coming back into the real world which felt quite easy but like it wasn't your real world it was Evie's it was Evie's world so I was like how do I because it took a long time to get used to being back in England back in kind of just every day and it was the perfect thing because it was it was like a hug and it was like home and we had fun we had a lot of fun so have you become friends during this process so you know straight away it was straight away yeah and do you watch each other's stuff like do you have you watched Hostage I've not watched Hostage yet but I am going to watch Hostage I have watched Toxic Town and I have watched White Lotus.

51:54They were quite good, weren't they? Brilliant, I was going to swear then. No, but I kept messaging you for every episode. I was like, and now this is going on like you didn't know what was going on in White Lotus. Do you know what just happened to you? I've just been honest to God. Yeah, and there's a lot that you did go through. Would you like this to be, this feels like, by the way, this feels like a kind of unique idea that you've brought to the screen. It's quite different to anything I think I've seen, certainly recently. Would you like this to be an ongoing returning show? Is that in your...

52:26I think what I like about the ending, which you haven't seen yet, is that it could go... It could be a very... It could just be that. It could be a standalone thing. Or it could go on. But I think it's nicely kind of undecided. And Saran, I am interviewing Jodie Whittaker on Wednesday for your show, Frauds. What do you think I should ask her? What could you ask her about? Just being up in the mountains. It's broad, but God knows what she'll say. That's the last question. Congratulations. I loved it. It's great. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. That was Amy Lee Wood and Saran Jones. We should probably move on to this week's news.

53:15What have we got? Who wants to go on the spot first? Boyd. Okay. my news is that it actually touches on a show that we haven't been able to review as well which is Monster the Ed Gein story that's right we haven't because Netflix said we're not putting out any screeners of this in advance it arrives this Friday sorry it would have arrived on Friday in fact by the time this comes out but we couldn't review it but I have read features about the show from American the big American showbiz sites and publications like Variety and Hollywood Reporter and Charlie Hunnam who plays Ed Gein is on the cover of Variety and there's a big interview with him which is quite interesting but we haven't seen it yet and I'm furious about it because I'm fascinated to see it I'm quite furious about it I'm furious I know because I keep because what they keep doing is putting these amazing posters up everywhere and it looks so exciting looks really striking and interesting yeah but all I'll tell you so the news that I take from it I don't know whether to do this in news or in other stuff but is that the guy who wrote about it for Variety said the result is the year's most daring TV performance from Charlie Hunter really rooted in a painful just barely recognisable humanity and apparently the first scene is quite shocking in itself I won't spoil it well people have seen it but anyway apparently from the description of the first scene this is going to be a wild ride from the Ryan Murphy production team and the whole Ryan Murphy factory I mean anything less would be wrong though from him that's true that is true so that's yeah I consider that to be a new story that people think it's really good even though we haven't been allowed to see it okay good to know there is a new story that I wasn't sure I was going to bring up on this podcast because I'm definitely going to bring it up on the Empire podcast.

54:52I'm going to get your take on it. Well, is it? That's the question. And I want to talk to you about Tilly Norwood. Oh, yeah. I want to see what you guys think of Tilly Norwood. I think it's a load of old shit. Really? Yeah. You know who this is? Tilly Norwood is the hot upcoming actress who happens to be completely digital. Yeah. She's a fictional AI actress. This to me reminds me of cryptocurrency. Yeah, because that went away, didn't it? Well, yeah, but the thing is, people have now lost millions by dealing with cryptocurrency and they've been taken to the cleaners and some of them have been robbed, effectively, of money because they got involved in this thing that no one really understands, right?

55:34And I think AI is a thing that still no one really understands. But people are going like, if we don't do something involving AI, then we're going to be left behind. Left behind what? Oh, God, if I hear that one more time. You have to get, you have to, you have to work with AI. That's what everyone's saying, you have to work with AI now. Because otherwise, yeah, you will be left behind. What? Well, are we going to be left behind if we don't have fake human beings being turned into actors by AI? No, we won't. It's just absolute bullshit. it. Every single day I say it really infuriates me. We should say that we do have an expert in the room here because a monthly magazine did actually put out an AI podcast.

56:10So yes, last year I was tasked with getting on board with AI and making an AI voice generated podcast. Now we did that and we put out eight episodes of this AI generated podcast and I don't think you could tell. The scripts were written by my deputy Lisa. So it was... And so the scripts, the AI didn't write the scripts at all? The AI didn't write the scripts at all because we tried that and it didn't work. So we were working out, you know, a load of sort of things that were wrong with kind of AI technology. But yeah, I... Did it get loads of listens? No. But it got enough listens that I think people didn't realise it was an AI.

56:55Was it read by Tilly Norwood? No, it was. I don't know. Weirdly, I just had this conversation upstairs, I'm just adding a puzzles page to my magazine, right? And the puzzles page is generated by AI. But we just had this conversation, didn't we? We did, yeah. And the heat editor, Caroline, she said, the puzzles have always been generated by computers. Not always, but you know. But she was saying, AI, we just call everything that's done by computers now AI, don't we? Which is true. We do kind of now call everything A. Back to Tilly Norwood. Okay, so are you telling me that this person is completely computer generated.

57:31So I think what kicked this off is that the creators of Tilly were shopping her around for representation in Hollywood, like trying to get her an agent. It's fucking ridiculous. And off the back of that, which let's be honest was deliberately provocative. Kind of. It has caused a lot of people in the industry to now react on the record to how disgusted they are by this. Well, she's got that face that came out the other day, like the perfect AI face that everybody likes. that's what she that's what she looks like doesn't she yeah oh my god it's so crazy so they were shopping her around oh and and they've put her in loads of films they've put her in like loads of there's loads of images on here where she's been inserted into like films so obviously her digital fake resume yeah why what's the fucking point that's what I meant about the crypto thing people don't even know why they're doing what they're doing like why would you need representation it doesn't make any sense it's idiotic the whole story is fucking stupid well thanks for it there you go you know it really annoys me okay well sorry Tilly an uplifting nice exciting story I'll give you which is that I mentioned this a couple of months ago when it was rumoured this project to be happening but now it's been confirmed officially and very young Frankenstein is going to happen it's an FX show it stars Zach Galifianakis Kumail how do we say his name?

58:52oh Zach Galifianakis how do we say his name? Zach Galifianakis oh Kay would have been so proud I know, yeah. I don't know why I always get Zach Galifianakis right, but I don't know why. Sorry, say that again. Zach. Zach G. Zach Galifianakis. Yes. Kumail Nanjiani, Dolly Wells, among the excellent cast being put together for this clear spin-off from one of the funniest comedies of all time, Young Frankenstein, the Mel Brooks legendary, absolute classic. Carrie Ells is in it as well, from Robert of Men in Tights, another Mel Brooks thing. Exact plot details have been kept under wraps aside from the fact that the pilot is inspired by the Mel Brooks Gene Wilder film Young Frankenstein that's all I need to know I'm fully on board with that one yeah I don't care oh of course you don't because it's a classic comedy exactly yeah do we have any other news it's been quite a light week for news no I have no news but can I just pose a question so yes like Nicole Kidman is getting divorced right yes I heard that she's divorcing so you heard that right do you think that her recent incredible success with all of her amazing projects because she has not, like, she's done banger after banger after banger after banger is why she's having to get divorced.

1:00:03She's got too big for him. No, maybe. She's had a lot of, when you say banger after banger after banger. She has found, right, she has found a space for her face. Like, a space for her face? No, like, you know how her face is incredibly Botoxed, right? So she can't move. Allegedly. Allegedly. She has denied this, I believe. Nick, Nick, Nicole, come on, babes. Let's be real. Nikki babes. Okay. But she has found role upon role where the requirements are for her to have that aesthetic, okay? And she plays it perfectly and she does brilliant. And she's obviously an incredible actress. And I just find it fascinating that when her career has had this tremendous, like, I mean, she can do no wrong at the moment.

1:00:50Would you say that? she didn't get some of the TV what was the Nine Perfect Strangers has had some bumpy reviews that was alright it was alright but it wasn't it was kind of second season probably better than the first but it wasn't the university thing and what's the Netflix show I don't think Expats Lioness has got very good reviews and that's kind of she kind of cameos in that she's not really a major role well I suppose she's the boss person isn't she but what was the baby girl the big little lies obviously yeah brilliant brilliant the undoing the mad one I love that as well. The one where, last year's one on Netflix where she was, you know, there was the murder.

1:01:27Baby Girl. No, no, Baby Girl's the film. Yeah. With... The Perfect Couple. Perfect Couple. The Perfect Couple. You know, I always forget the name of The Perfect Couple because it's such a stupid name for that show. It's quite, yeah. It is. It's an idiotic name. With Liev Schreiber. The Perfect Couple makes it sound like The Bachelor or something, doesn't it? Yes, I know what you mean. But yeah, Liev Schreiber, thank you. Yes. That was, I enjoyed it, but that was, some people thought it was like she's doing the same thing again yeah but that's why I think it's so clever about what she's doing I know what you mean but yeah she does keep herself busy that's for damn sure well yeah isn't she also in this film coming out I think I'm seeing next week about the about abuse allegations at university and stuff is that oh yeah maybe yeah anyway anyway just I didn't have any news but I think it's an interesting point you know she's going to be in Scarpetta coming up as well isn't she oh yeah that's interesting Patricia Cornwell adaptation she's really cornered the markets of that kind of like that age of actress in that kind of role because she sort of plays as you're alluding to she does kind of play the same Nicole Kidman oh Nicole Kidman's in this scenario now oh she's in this scenario now do you know what I mean I feel like I'm being really disparaging towards her I'm not a little bit I'm sorry like look you know what whatever keeps you young would that be you know injectables or fillers wow injectables wow is that what they're called now injectables injectables yeah Yeah, when you have like...

1:02:48No, she doesn't have them, obviously, as she's stated. She just moisturizes. You're back jacking now, don't you? Yeah, she just... Talk about reverse ferret. She just moisturizes. Wow. Anyway. I've seen her quite close. I've been quite close to the girl keeping her face. Legally or... No, legally. Are you on a list somewhere? No, it was legal at a BAFTA event, yeah. And do you know what? I didn't... The thing to say is the top level A-lister gets the very best, don't they? Injectables. Yeah. allegedly no no no I'm not saying she what I'm saying is she didn't look like she did have that right she was perfectly natural to me I take it all back yeah so I was oh you know actually she was kind of incredible but not particularly injected injected with injectables dear god sorry James let's get let's bring it back to something to do with spaceships let's do that I'm going to wrap news potentially prematurely but also for my own sanity sorry James so we're going to need to move on now to well this week's second guest which is Jodie Whittaker who also stars with Saran Jones in which they play a pair of con artists Outerland won last very big score now you can watch Frauds now but you can also hear Jodie here chatting about it with the Boyd wonder apologies it's me again yeah sorry it is hi Jodie Whittaker welcome to the Pilot TV podcast hi Boyd my first my first bit wasn't recording so I can I can be mean again if you want for the record for your podcast I basically just went could you get any bigger earphones i'm wearing massive massive technically brilliant put up a selfie yeah headphones yeah i'll put up a selfie i'll put up a selfie yeah i look ridiculous it's true you don't look ridiculous you look you look like you're bringing in planes i am yeah on the sly i'm built bringing in planes yeah air traffic control is here is here how are you doing a couple of days ago i met up with i interviewed in fact that goes for us to say, the highly talented Sir Anne Jones.

1:04:47Oh, did she mention me? She did. She did. And specifically, I said to her, I'm interviewing Jodie Whittaker on Wednesday. What should I ask her? And she said, just say mountains.

1:05:01And then I go, there's you! Say mountains! Is that what was wrong with the mountains when you were there? No, the mountain is beautiful. The mountain is absolutely stunning. It's the, you know, the huge volcanic mountain in the centre of Tenerife. There's a tourist spot. It's absolutely wonderful. When you're up it from 7 a.m. to whatever, p.m., and you go through every type of weather, and I think this was the thing, when you location scout it, you go, oh, my God, it's so sunny, it's beautiful. But if you location scout it, you probably do like half an hour there. when you're doing an entire day you get torrential rain sunburn and then like gorillas in the mist kind of like thing and no bars on your phone right the amount of times i've stood on a rock and then i'm gonna signal it's like oh you're all right everyone knows where you are but what about all my whatsapp groups yeah but yeah it was brilliant and i absolutely adore her and I can't I mean I imagine when you were talking to her it could have been for one of a million jobs that well and is pressing at this moment it probably wasn't for frauds was it it wasn't for frauds that's why I'm talking to you instead for frauds exactly but yeah she's in a lot all arriving at the same time shall we say we should say yeah by the way all of this talk of the mountain and it's all in the service of filming frauds right you were filming if it was with the great saran jones yeah we weren't just on holiday and ten although a lot of it did feel like that it was did it oh that's good yeah it's amazing it was so beautiful i mean you know we let we were there from the beginning of january i was like oh so sad that it's cold in england so sad and i would sometimes like god it's rained in tenerife today and everyone's a bit like two fingers yeah so um but it was yeah it was um it was an amazing job because it felt so different and i think you know in saran's probably kind of slightly going a little bit loopy in what she has to talk about because there'll be like three totally contrasting jobs but what is really brilliant about broads is that because she's created it with anne-marie you know it it's a part obviously she's never played before and his characters that she felt they hadn't seen before so that's why i think you can tell there's just so much joy in the creation of this world and it feels very other it feels like red completely different and you know i've seen the first two episodes and I absolutely adored the look of it it's got a great tone to it it has a brilliant soundtrack I can see in your backdrop you've got a load of records and music stuff and like to me soundtracks and the use of music within television and film is so important and and I think that there it's it's feels really bold and you also have these characters that kind of not necessarily met before but have a familiarity to to be able to be realistic but they're so multi-layered and and you know and what's wonderful playing opposites around is that you have this friendship that covers all you know they're lionesses for each other and then they're two lions attacking each one it's like any given moment but her character particularly is so funny so even if Sam my character is just fuming there will be a one line a brilliant Anne-Marie one line that kind of flips the scene on its head and you know you see this love and this history between them that's very complicated absolutely yeah I was when I watched the first two as well and um what struck me halfway through I was thinking you'd really normally you'd expect Jodie to play the the Burke character and maybe Saran Jones to play the other character you're really like the third person to say this and i don't know if i should be offended that i should play the person who's just been released from prison it was absolute chaos well well i don't know maybe you know take it whichever way you want i mean no i'm absolutely no it is really what i loved about it being sent it was just i i'm so like i feel like what's brilliant about sam is it's so challenging because i'm obviously have no sense of i don't read a room i say everything I'm thinking out loud.

1:09:21And the kind of, the zero ability for walls. Whereas what I loved about playing Sam was this kind of hidden rage. I've definitely got that, but it's less hidden. But you know, that kind of, that kind of hugely protective shield she's built up for 10 years because this person who is, you know, the ultimate soulmate and the ultimate destructor for her is is back in her life and i think that it's like we meet them just to give context you know because people haven't seen it sat burt's just spent 10 years in prison for a crime they both committed but only one of them went down for and they are reunited but these are friends these are lifelong friends who are each other's family essentially you know not non-related family they are they they've had this very addictive friendship for since their late teens and i think it's brilliant to play people that have so much history but then also have this kind of this unfamiliarity because they've had this 10-year stint of a part yeah but what's such a brilliant observation though is is the contrast between the two of you right because you see so many i see so many friendships of people where there's one really big big character who's absolutely laying it all out there in front of you whether you want like it or not and and a kind of more um a quieter calmer but as you say with lots of reserves of anger probably within her but it's that's such a common relationship um interaction isn't it i think yeah and it really picks up on that so interestingly what i really loved about it as well because obviously within this genre it feels really unique to see it and follow it from these two women's point of view like you know in that sense it's a art heist tv show and essentially it's all women that are involved in the heist you know in that sense like the person there the person they're stealing it for is a woman you know the the collection of without it i mean maybe it's a spoiler but you do meet quite a lot of characters that will continue through and you know majoratively a lot of these characters that were mean are women and i think that that's so fascinating for this world but i also think what's great about a show centered around people who have got a kind of criminal past is that there is it's showing the slight addiction to that adrenaline so you know for sam she spent 10 years away from this world cut all contact with anyone in it hasn't committed anything and is essentially trying to you know re rebrand but the rebranding of that is living in absolute solitude by herself and not really facing the world and as much as she wants to suggest that that's a choice that she's happy with the minute Bert is back in her life and giving her this opportunity to enter back in I think Sam would say she's a kind of slight victim pulled into it but what's brilliant to play is knowing that that person is also an adult who is making those decisions for themselves selfishly and with a kind of intoxicating adrenaline that comes with you know that kind of behaviour and I suppose what's interesting for Sam is having to admit that she's missed it and she's missed her and you know often I've played a lot of like two-hander kind of roles but this feels a really brilliantly complicated and fun and challenging friendship Yeah absolutely and because what's interesting is as soon as she agrees as soon as Sam agrees to go along with the scheme the madcap scheme to steal this starly painting um she's loving it right you really have a good time you can tell like yeah straight back in yeah it's like i'm in jarred yeah yeah yeah and i think that that's what's great about their dynamic is we you know we're kind of told they're a duo and then you see that they are and as much as you what is brilliant is showing that thing of how some you can love and hate someone on such a fine line and particularly those lifelong friendships that it is not necessarily good for you to be friends but you can't live without each other either and i think that's what's great about it but then also in this world where we meet some other absolutely fantastic characters and nobody no none of the actors are short-changed in that way like everybody's role is so brilliant and also it's fun it really is yeah i mean i like obviously off the back of half of the stuff you've interviewed me over i'm like this was really fun yeah yeah exactly no i was i was gonna ask i was gonna say that that you know there's a real contrast between the the kind of gritty stuff that's you know very emotional where you're almost crying in every scene i know when i was reading i was like yeah yeah i mean you probably will have some i'm sure there was some emotion but there's a scene in the swimming pool by the way which is quite spectacular right let's just call it without spoiling it the swimming pool scene um which is hilarious and how was that to film absolutely brilliant because when do you get to do that yeah that's this is so weird because people like a swimming pool scene and without giving anything away yeah it was brilliant and i really enjoy things that have a kind of without giving anything away a stunt choreographer to it I really love it it feels like I'm a stickler for a rule and I really love the technical side sometimes of shooting where it's like you have to get that mark to that mark to that mark and obviously something like Doctor Who has a lot of that you know like you have to click that in there and make sure you're not facing the squid when it blows across the wall you know and there is a part of me that really misses those kind of things where you are physically as engaged as you are emotionally and that is a perfect scene for that and represents them both as well because it's cluttered yes it's not it ain't John Wick yeah exactly it feels real though it feels totally real and that's what I loved about them was like you know you'd want to go on a night out with them but I don't know if I'd want them on my like who to call and a disaster.

1:16:03Yeah. I fully, I mean, I fully love the extent to which Saran threw herself into this role, by the way. There's a scene where she's dancing, right? Yeah, absolutely amazing. What a tune anyway. Yeah. Also, I wasn't obviously there when they shot that, so I've only seen that in the edit. Right, I was going to say. Just that. It was such a beautiful scene. But also, it would be so funny because I turn up on set and I'd be like, oh my God, I'd wear that. And she'd be like, what? I'd wear a bird shirt. I'd be like, I love that shirt. and so there was just something so brilliantly you know different about seeing saran in that role as well i loved it and that's what's so amazing about it like you know she's very prolific in in in and is creating such interesting work but she's also creating it for other people to play the roles they wouldn't necessarily get to play either and certainly for me that felt like sam I'm, you know, like you say, I'm not necessarily your go-to for Sam.

1:17:00So that was such an opportunity for me and has been given to me by these other amazing creative women in the industry. Did they have you in mind, you know, Anne-Marie and Saran? They're not going to tell me if seven people turned it down and I was like 25 points. Everyone's going to blow smoke up my bum and tell me I was absolutely number one. Also, I don't care. Some of my favourite roles were someone turned it down or someone got like ill before. I've had loads of opportunities that definitely weren't, I weren't necessarily first choice, but then don't ask me, I still did it. So in my head, I am the only person in the world that was ever talked about Sam.

1:17:41But no matter what, even if I want, I owned it. Yeah, absolutely. A hundred percent. You're talking about the look. It does look amazing. It's got that kind of dry, it's a bit reminded me of sexy beast. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. It's such an amazing film, isn't it? Yeah, incredible. I've watched it really recently for something else. There was a reference for something else and that I'll maybe be interviewed by you for later down the line. I hope so. But I really, I've only just re-watched that recently. And yeah, that's great. But totally as well, it has this kind of like, it has this very, you know, this it kind of has this like orange kind of sense to it which you know with british dramas for me a lot of the time i associate kind of because i see things a lot in color i don't know if it's uh i don't know my my quirky little brain but i kind of associate color with certain things and i think that what something like broad church did really well was giving you this beautiful sunny backdrop with a horrific scenario whereas often that's gray dark blues like tonally you were given the mood whereas what's interesting is when tones kind of slightly clash with it as well and but i did think with frauds what's great about it is it makes it so heightened and actually these characters are so you know it's a certain type of person especially from the uk that is moving their life and it has this kind of for sam and burt it's it's what you're disappearing from and what you're leaving behind and i feel like we meet other british characters who are leaving something behind to have this life in spain and so that brings a lot of big personalities and a lot of color and a lot of sparkles in one of the characters yes yes that character is brilliant yeah yeah um when you're watching it back are you like when you're actually filming it are you aware of kind of what it's going to look like and is that all that i just felt i mean julie's such an amazing director and i felt that the when you're filming very often you can get a sense that may that it's going to have a kind of i don't know stylized the right word because i suppose in a way if you think stylized you'd go like you'd think oh you know you very much know when it's a wes anderson piece don't you know from the you know the the the way the shot's set and things like that and i suppose it wasn't it didn't feel necessarily like that but i certainly felt that we we were in kind of costumes and locations and you and and character cars and and things that felt kind of we were creating this world that was you know when you meet celine who's the person we're going to do the heist for yeah that set is not your usual way you meet that character and i and that feels very Anne-Marie.

1:20:40Yeah, yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, she's really interesting, that character, and that whole set-up is fascinating. Yeah, definitely. But then I must ask you, I don't think I've seen you since you popped up in Doctor Who for that wonderful moment. How was that for you? And it just is what a fun time. Well, do you know what? I was filming Frauds. Oh, wow. And so I flew in. So Frauds couldn't know, obviously, because no one can know. Yeah. So getting that day off was obviously, oh, I'm really sorry. It's like a pick-up on a job that I did like a bit ago or something in Cardiff. And also getting a wig fitting because I've got dark brown hair.

1:21:16Wasn't my wig amazing? It was fantastic. It looked like my hair. Yeah, totally, yeah. I know. And so all of that, but the flight landed because I was filming that entire day and then got like the 7 p.m. from Tenerife. I landed into Gatwick at about half past 12 and I got driven to Cardiff, got to Cardiff for about 4am, picked up at half six and got on set to say gobbledygook. So I was like, you know what? I've not missed this. And in my head I was like, oh, I definitely know my lines. And then as soon as I started speaking, I was like, oh. And what was so emotional was there was quite a few crew members I hadn't seen.

1:21:50I obviously was meant to be quite subtle and like led in quietly. I think I like leaned out the car window, two-handed waved, jumped on about 15 people. because a lot of people didn't know I was the character either because I was called Petrol in the script. Yeah. So makeup knew. So obviously they knew and costume knew, but there was quite a few departments I hadn't been told. So then obviously Narcissist Mane was like, I got structured at one point because I was mid-talking through something going on. But I absolutely loved it. It was so emotional because as I've made no secret, it's my happiest time on a job.

1:22:27I loved it. I loved all of my time there with every single person that was there who were like family and then to just revisit it and get to meet Shuti in all of his glory in his TARDIS in his amazing costume and get to do a scene with him was just beautiful and proper icing. but it is it's a gift that keeps on giving you just get to keep it never goes away and so you know you get like either that or you get to do a big finish you get to do these things doctor and i think that that is the most unexpected joy when you get offered the part you think that's it and then actually you know i'm still however many years out of it i'm still calling it on to 13.

1:23:07Quite right. It was such a brilliant moment. It was fantastic. It's great to see. And I love for words. It's really exciting. It's really fun. And congratulations. And speak to you again soon, hopefully. Yeah, thank you very much. I hope you have a wonderful day and probably meet in Saran again this afternoon for another press junk. Every day there's a Saran Jones show, let's face it. In a good way. Cheers, Jodie. Alright, take care, bye. Thank you. Bye-bye. That was Jodie Whittaker. time now for the reviews and let's kick off with Film Club which yes stars Saran Jones but we've already discussed this it is a show created by Amy Lee Wood and Ralph Davis and it sees Wood as Evie and she's this nerdy film fan who has weekly cosplay nights with her best friend Noah played by Nabhan Rizwan with whom she communicates largely in film quotes which as someone who works at Empire I've never felt more seen which is lovely so I'm going to say Boyd did the interview for this so I'm going to turn to you Steph as a former Empire editorial assistant And this level of nerdery should have been awkwardly, painfully familiar, I would say.

1:24:09So tell us, how did it make you feel, Steph? Well. This is the one that you've watched all of, isn't it? Of course it is. Yes, it is. I think this is one of the most special things I've ever watched. Wow. Right? I cannot say enough good things about it. So I watched the first episode and then, don't be shocked, I watched the whole thing in one sitting. Yes, Steph. I watched it one after the other. Six episodes? Six episodes. I could not stop watching it. The performances are magnetic. Amy LeWood is incredible. Be still my beating heart because Nibban Rizwan is, he is so gorgeous and his character is so lovable and charming without and he said so much with saying so little I just I fell completely in love with him and Amy in in this and I just wanted to be in their life be in that garage with them and find out exactly what happened so I watched every single episode in one sitting now for me who I would never normally do that that was this on your iPad in bed it was on my iPad I watched on my iPad in bed and I was so happy with it I think every scene has a reason for being there it's gosh saran jones is every character in its brain so saran jones who plays the mum suz suzanne they're so well fleshed out these characters it's just they're so brilliantly observed the sister everybody has a reason for being there and it all adds to the magic of this show which as you said before has been written and co-created by amy lewitt and uh ralph davis who plays Dominic in it.

1:25:58I don't know how they came up with this. It seems like a really kind of just quite simple concept to this couple of friends who were at university. Poor Amy Lou Wood's character, Evie, has developed, after being quite functional, has developed agoraphobia. Now she's back at home with her mum and her sister and being looked after by them and her boyfriend, Josh. And they all seem kind of to be helping her through it, but in some ways sort of kind of complicit with having her in the house and sort of maintaining a certain way of her being. And it's about her breaking free. And obviously there's, what's that brilliant actor's name from adolescence?

1:26:39Owen Cooper. Owen Cooper's in it. And even his, he's in every episode, but just for a few minutes. And even the part he plays is just like the local kid. It's brilliant. Cycling round on his face. Yeah, it's just, it's so... I didn't recognise him. It's so magical. It's just, it made me cry. It made me laugh. I think this is one of the most, if this doesn't win some kind of award, I'll be really surprised because, and I think everyone who watches it will have the reaction that it's just, it's special. It feels special. It feels like you've been let into this lovely little world, which is, I was so happy to be there.

1:27:21I can't say enough good things about it. and also I am deeply in love with Nabhan. Like, I'm actually... You know, he did our live show. Yeah. He came to our live podcast. What do you mean? With his brother. What do you mean? Both of them were the ones we had both of them. When for the first series of Juice, we interviewed him on stage at our pilot TV live event. Yeah, I'm going to just say again, you never fucking invite me to these live shows. You're always automatically invited. If you just, you know, it's a given. Okay, well, what you're saying is, me and Nabhan could be... Well... I love him.

1:27:51Maybe, yeah. Like we could be best friends. I love him. I love him. Oh God, Amy Leward. I have to admit, I never watched White Lotus. You surprised me. Yeah, because do you know what? It just seemed like a lot of work. Oh my God. I just couldn't take, and then everything started going on about Walter Goggins and I just couldn't fucking hear Walter Goggins' name anymore. Walter Goggins. Exactly, there you go. Walton. I was like, I just, that was started to, that ruined it. Me and Zach Glyphanakis. But that's just started to aggravate me and I was like, and then everyone started talking about it a bit too much and I was like oh I can't be doing with this do you know what I mean though yeah but you're missing out on a brilliant show you just got to watch it especially with she is phenomenal in it I watched the first season but okay well that's the thing so I hadn't been brought into the Amy Lou Woodverse and I'm very happy to be in it in this way bad sex education you didn't watch no okay interesting no I love her yeah she's absolutely brilliant no and I apologise Amy because you're a sensation she did a brilliant interview don't need me to tell you that she did a brilliant interview this week apart from the one with me which is not brilliant it just is but and I didn't ask her but there was this whole controversy when SNL Saturday Night Live I know I know took the piss out of her teeth yes outrageous which was absolutely insane yeah I don't know why they did that because I love SNL quite rightly but she brilliantly I think it was a BBC interview she talked about how pleased she was with herself for standing up for herself good for her because it was like reminded of when she was bullied back at you know back in school but she's beautiful she is brilliant in this and she is just a fantastic I loved interviewing her she was so she's so is she nice in real life oh god She comes across like...

1:29:21She's completely authentic and fun and engaged. Yeah, that's what she seems like. Yeah, the two of them together, Sir Anne Jones and her, Sir Anne Jones is perfectly cast as her mum. And what a refreshing... Oh, God. We've just seen Sir Anne Jones playing the Prime Minister in the brilliantly preposterous hostage. And now you couldn't get a role. She's this kind of eccentric, kooky, over-the-top... There is nothing Sir Anne Jones can't do. Accurate. There really is. There's absolutely nothing. But it's brilliantly cast. I really like the boyfriend as well, who, Josh, yeah. Because he's a, played by Adam Long.

1:29:52He's a nice guy trying to do his best and he's kind of like helping everyone, helping like man about the house type of thing. And yet, clearly she's obsessed with Nabhan Rizwan, the Nabhan Rizwan character who, in a seeming, the whole, it's a classic Will They Won't They, it's a bit like the Soulmates idea, you know, the Brett Goldstein film on at the moment that is brilliant. But you don't get it immediately because she's like, he's like my brother. Yeah. That's what she said. And his name is amazingly in it, Noah Amin. so his person Noah Amin Noah Amin which he's yeah carry on but that is so well drawn I think it's so subtle because you're not you're like is this even a thing you know they're really genuinely just best friends can you be just best friends to attractive you know attractive man and a woman who've got so much in common and they both love film I genuinely like the way they speak to each other and the familiarity in the shorthand melts your heart doesn't it it's just magic also just the fact that because it's two people who obviously there's a thing between them that's part of it How many have you watched?

1:30:52I've only seen the first one I've only seen the first one Oh my god please watch all of it I had the different amount to watch what can I tell you but genuinely I loved it I loved it I thought it was wonderful but also it's the shared passion point that they love these films and the fact like and obviously Alien is one of my favourite films not as good as Aliens obviously Boydie but still very very good the fact that they they quote the film to each other consistently all the way through that first episode and genuinely and I can judge about this at the beginning but I've worked at Empire for a very long time Way too long We do communicate like 80 % in film quotes and some of them are really fucking obscure as well Yeah And unlike Amy Lee Wood you're not funny Yes Indeed and she manages to make it funny but I love that and I love this idea that they love this thing and so they have this instant shorthand and I genuinely find this is that I have found it when I have been with my kind of like outside friends I've said something and they look at me blankly and I've realised oh that's for my empire people they will not understand what I'm talking about because I've made some reference that just falls completely flat and I just think there's something about having people in your life who love the things you love and therefore understand your shorthand and your references James you have outside friends well not so so yeah so I really loved that about it I loved this and I thought they were so charming and so lovely it's so enchanting this show is just it really is magical I'm so sad that Kay's not here and I know she will watch this she's made a bed she can line it she's going to have two weeks off lazy it's like such it restores your faith it's just and it's I think it's just so beautifully simple it's such a simple idea I've only watched two episodes oh you're giving it such a treat no no no but what I love I love the fact that first of all when the Bumarri's one is wearing the alien the chest the chest which you can get which I wore as a fancy dress costume about five years ago well he's made that one I think that's a homemade one well it looked pretty similar to the one I've got I believe it was a stocking with teeth but yeah no no anyway let's not later on that point tell me this though because we touched on this in the interview I think she kind of wanted to hold back on what other films because there's a different film each week is right the main thing so The Wizard of Oz and Alien are the first two then what other ones does she do but she doesn't want me to tell you no don't tell you that's my interpretation She might have just forgotten to tell me when I was...

1:33:16No, I think it's a surprise. No, because it's really... I can't tell you because it's so integral to how it ends up. The film that they've chosen is like an extra character. It's a metaphor for the episode. Yes, exactly. I get it, okay. I'll watch it myself. How dare you try to make me upset, Amy Newwood and the barn. But also, I only had two episodes available to me before I interviewed them, which is, anyway, but now they're all there, I will watch them. But I, I can't, I've never heard you being so positive about anything in life. I honestly, I'm, this is, this is, no, no one got murdered either.

1:33:55It's extraordinary. Well, like I said, for me to watch something, for me to watch something in one sitting, because I could not bear, but not even not that I couldn't bear, it's just that my level of enjoyment from watching this show was just. But you know what's great, is why I'm saying, what my reaction to, because I had them to watch in time for my interview with, with them and I thought this is brilliant and special I love it but I wasn't quite sure if other people would I wasn't quite sure because it felt quite partly because of the whole thing it is very movie geeky I mean I do love film and if you're not tuned to that but this is an interesting point that you brought up and I was thinking this when I watched it I was like I don't know whether Kay will love this or not getting I was partly thinking about that I think she will love it do you know why because she doesn't watch films or like films but you know what Kay is Kay is very, Kay loves a kind of an interesting relationship story.

1:34:49And there's so much in this. I would be shocked to my very core if she didn't think this was absolutely incredible. But I wonder if she'll like it as much as you did, because I think all the references will be lost on it. I mean, I love film and obviously I started at Empire. And so I, you know, and I know she generally doesn't watch film, but I think the films that are in it are so iconic. Although she's never, I know she's never seen it. We know she's never seen Alien. We've had this discussion. She's never seen Alien. No, exactly. She doesn't watch films. This is the interesting one. She doesn't like horror, scary horror stuff.

1:35:18Or films. Listen, this is what's interesting about this because it's no accident this is BBC Three, right? Think about it. This is fucking two huge stars now. And granted, when they commissioned it, they probably weren't quite as huge stars because I think it was probably before... I think she made this after The White Lotus. But I'm not sure whether they knew she'd been cast in The White Lotus, which was a huge deal. Before it aired. Yeah, it's only before it aired. Yeah, of course. But, you know, this is two true stars. And it's really, you know, BBC One Friday night at 9.30 after Alan Partridge should be the story.

1:35:48It's been shown late on BBC One, by the way, as all things are now. And it'll be on iPlayer. But it's definitely on BBC Three for a reason because it feels culty and quite, you know, and for a specific audience, rather than just a general thing that everyone will go, oh, I love this thing. And I think that's partly what James is saying about the ultra nerdy way in which they dive deep into these films that they love. and that's what we all love about it here in this room right now. I mean, yeah, that's true. I hope people love it. But also, I love the... Just the relationship between these two people.

1:36:19I know what you're saying, and I suppose I didn't really think about the fact that I obviously just love... I love film anyway. But I still think, aside from that, just Sir Anne Jones' character is brilliant. I think you might be right. It's like, you know, when I see a film or something set in the world, I don't know, set in the world of wrestling or whatever, and I don't know any of those wrestlers, it doesn't bother me because you kind of think oh okay I don't know the details but I still but they don't speak exclusively in wrestling references no that's true but the whole thing is about relationships the relationship between her and her mother the relationship with her and Noah the relationship with her boyfriend the relationship with her sister I mean and also if Nabhan Rizwan doesn't come out like everyone is going to be in love with him you're obsessed with him you really are because I watched this on Monday have you watched Juice?

1:37:03no and then I looked him up on Instagram right and I was like oh my god oh my god not only is a very snappy dresser so you're stalking him full on we've always used because he's he's a big star of that as well because isn't that one about what did that win yeah his brother who's a comedian and he's got a sister as well yeah I'm fully into him but like in this I think he's going to break out into a whole other place because he's in chaos isn't he as well yeah I said about that yeah not for me I just didn't like that that show was kind of a disaster and cancelled I think he's gonna like for me I feel like Like, you know like when Regé John Page in Bridgerton, and everyone was like, oh my God, like actually felt like they were in love with him, right?

1:37:47That's how I feel. I feel like me and Nabana, I feel like I'm in love with him. Okay. We should, I mean, this is almost, certainly this episode will be submitted to the court at some point during Steph's stalking trial. So we should be very careful what we say from this. I'm not going to be the only one. I'm telling you now, It is six episodes of falling deeply in love with, and Amy Leward as well, with these two people, with their communication, with the whole family, but mostly with Nabhan. Yeah, all right, baby reindeer. Right. It's on BBC Three, Wemboidy. BBC Three, Tuesday, the 7th of October, 10 o 'clock, 2025.

1:38:25It's also repeated later in the week on BBC One, I think, late. Oh, yeah. on Wednesday nights after the news 7.45 you can watch it as well BBC One and it all on iPlayer Film Club then Next up we have Johnny Salmon's Dreaming Whilst Black this one was co-created with Ali Hughes and it sees Salmon return as Quabiner who is now left his day job essentially and is on the road to cracking his way into filmmaking that is if he can get the break that he is looking for let us find out whether the second series holds up by Dreaming Whilst Boyd Well can I just say I have also interviewed Ajani Salmon and his co-writer on this show and so instantly instantly like compromised yeah I'm compromised I'm in the pocket of big big Ajani Salmon but we didn't have room because unlike the Empire podcast where we run like 5 ,000 interviews in the same I also I felt like on the Pilot Plus no no it's running next week it's running a next week show apologies listeners for having to listen to me interviewing Salmon again hey look Salmon as we know swims upstream so So he has swum into next week's episode.

1:39:33He has swum into next week's episode. So the history of Dreaming of Usberg is really interesting. It started out as a web series that he and his mates put together themselves, totally homegrown, no production company. They just did it on the fly, kind of filmed it wherever they could, kind of like guerrilla filmmaking type of thing. Then that caught the eye of, I think, some of the people at the BBC, and they commissioned a pilot. The pilot for this is one of the best half-hour comedy parts you will ever see. Really? It's brilliant. It focuses on Johnny Samuels' character, Quabina. He's in a day-to-day tedious office job, which is like The Office, but with really moronic characters who are all committing micro-racist acts to him.

1:40:15It's brilliantly observed. It's fantastic. I think that's on the iPlayer. Then they rightly commissioned a full series, and the full series went out a couple of years ago now and was absolutely great. And this is the second season now. And he's in this position where he's kind of like you get what you want, but in the end that can still be kind of infuriating. And his whole shtick, I think, Johnny Sam, he loves writing about is when you're not the gatekeeper, when the gatekeepers are still basically middle-aged white people in the world that he wants to become a director and a filmmaker and a TV drama creator, you have to kind of deal with it further.

1:40:55A, you deal with these gatekeepers and you have to kind of play the game to kind of somehow get the work you want to do aired and made. And also how you kind of face your own friends and family who could be very judgmental of you if you stray even slightly into compromising territory. So what I love about this, in the very first episode, you see me goes to a screening, right? And there's a Q &A afterwards. And this kind of impressive black female executive is there being interviewed. and she's like a powerful figure in the industry and he's desperate to get access to her and he kind of meets this other mate who's also desperate to get access to her and it's excruciating.

1:41:37It is excruciating. And he works out a way of getting into the special secret VIP area, leaving the other guy floundering and not getting in. And he gets to see this woman and what's brilliant about this thing, and this is just very, very, this is slightly spoiling, but very early in the series. It's literally in the first episode, hopefully. Yeah, I think it's okay. and he actually gets it works his intervention in putting himself out there his plunky intervention desperately trying to get a little tiny bit of access to this powerful woman in the industry turns out to be the right thing to do yeah because he wasn't going to get it otherwise and that's what's so good about this episode you've got to be pushy and difficult and challenging respect the hustle as someone says thank you respect the hustle indeed but he deals with all this stuff so brilliantly I've been to so many screenings like that and I've been to and I've seen those VIP areas really and it's hilarious he does it so brilliantly he's a really really clever talented writer director Johnny Salmon yeah and he just it's all out there so and from then on you get you know his agent played by Jessica Stevenson is hilarious oh my god was she in the first season yeah she was she was yeah she's really good Jessica Hines we should say sorry Jessica I still call her Jessica Stevenson it's been a while how long was it it's been a very long time 25 years.

1:42:55She's fantastic. Then he faces his friend, Amy, played by Danny Mosley, who's brilliant. She's in the TV entertainment field and she's trying to get her stuff commissioned, like come up with the ideas. And then she's forced to work on a show called Hot Baps. Oh my God. That's one of the best scenes. Sorry to interrupt you. So there's a scene where you go to her place of work and she's there with two of her work colleagues and they've been asked to pitch. and she comes up with a really great idea and this other colleague comes up with an idea which is the hot vaps idea and she's sort of looking and then, I don't want to spoil that scene but there's this whole bit where they kind of accuse their boss of being racist and the other girl says well actually my grandfather's black so I'm going to need to take a moment and to look at she's and then the next day she comes in with oh my god That's the thing, he deals with this stuff that's taboo and daring because the character, as you say, who is a white girl, who, by the way, gets more and more black as the show goes on in a brilliant way.

1:43:57He deals with all this stuff that's kind of icky and difficult. I know. But he does it well. With such a plomb, that's the thing. Yeah, because it's so funny. And I can only compare him to, I compare him to Ricky Gervais and Steve Emergent because I think he's got that brilliant observational skill. But it's all about the execution. And it's the execution of this stuff. It's like, oh, I'm not sure if we should really be talking about this. But he puts it all out there from his point of view quite rightly and it just works really well I think it's a fantastic show Yeah and you know what I thought was obviously really well observed was that the family dynamic when he's in the there's a scene where he's at the home because they're celebrating one of the children in their family's birthdays and then his auntie and his mum are talking to him and it's fine because he's not working at the moment and then his uncle his uncle is who's brilliant and basically just rips into him about the fact that he just doesn't have a job and how indulging it is of him to kind of be in the creative arts and and and that as well is it's it's brilliantly kind of juxtaposed with them him then going and his friend going okay well let's go to the screening and then him eventually getting it which is it's brilliant no i really really enjoyed it i had no recollection of this show whatsoever i did not remember i do think that as we've said many times my brain has long since been in a one-in-one-out configuration so every episode of foundation i watch knocks something else out of my head i have no reflection it's like the French-British immigration plan.

1:45:20That's what's happening. That's exactly what's happening. So unfortunately, this got shipped back to France. So I have no idea. I had no recollection. But I looked it up because I thought, oh, they must have viewed it when I was off. And I looked up the back episode and it is literally the episode. It is a none more I was in the studio episode because it's the one where I launched into my massive Taylor Swift monologue. So presumably, that's why I don't remember it. And the fact that you're racist. Yeah. Oh, clearly that. But I watched this one and I was like, oh, fuck me, this is so good. And he is outstanding in it.

1:45:52And, you know, even if you don't find it funny, which I really did, although it's very squirm-inducing at times, you get so invested in him and this project that he wants to do and these awful projects that he doesn't want to sell out to do. And I was completely drawn into just the actual plot of it beyond the character and the family dynamics and the fact that it's funny. it's a really really good show and I didn't watch the first season of this and now I regret that so obviously I didn't watch the first season of this and I was really confused at the beginning because I didn't realise this was the second season because I obviously hadn't read your email properly Boyd but yeah I don't think you necessarily need to watch the first season is what I'd say you really don't he worked in recruitment it came back to me like he had a recruitment job I think in the one we saw in the pilot after the pilot you don't see much of his office level it still focuses on him trying to get work and all the things he has to do and compromise things to get that.

1:46:47But yeah, it's... Yeah, what I'm surprised about is because there are really excruciating moments, right? I struggled. I did struggle. I'm surprised you liked this, actually. The two of them at the VIP area bit, I thought was so... I could barely deal with that myself. But it's so funny. I see it a lot in real life as well. It's so funny the way he kind of just runs off. Oh, I know. Boyd found it hard to watch because he's done it so many times to people. It's very meta though, isn't it? Because it's like, this is his show that he obviously maybe struggled to get on the BBC and it's about him getting on.

1:47:22Yeah, I asked about that and you talked about that. He still faces, yeah, he still has, you have to deal with gatekeepers and yeah. And I thought it was really interesting the way he tackled non-white directors and writers writing black people's stories, black people's history. His expression, the expression on his face when he is talking to that director and he's priceless. It's good here. But he tackles everything very, very well. And he's very watchable as well, isn't he? Is he another one on your stalker list? Oh, he's lovely. I'll tell you what, he has a great jumper as well. Great, yeah.

1:47:55Oh, with the cloud. With the cloud. With the cloud. That is a sensational jumper. Sensational jumper, yeah. Sensational. Knitwear envy. Yeah, absolutely. To the max. Dreaming Whilst Black then, which is series two, and this turns up on BBC Three, when, Boydie? BBC Three Thursday, the 9th of October, 2025, 10.10pm. And we'll also be repeated on another major BBC channel as well. And we'll all be available on iPlayer. But yes, you don't have to watch the first season. No, you don't. It's true. It's a good point. So don't worry about that. But you should. It's all there. I mean, yeah, please do. But you can jump in.

1:48:30So it's like, no, just skip it or, you know, watch it. Yeah, but do what you like. If you've got some additional time. We now have permission from Steph to do what the hell we like. It's okay, guys. Permission granted. Right. We're running out of time rapidly. Right, go on. Yeah, we've been here for seven days. We have been here for a week. So, finally this week, we have Murder Before Even Song. This is based on the novel by Richard Coles, which stars Matthew Lewis as canon Daniel Clement, who finds one of his parishioners brutally murdered in a pew while Bob Monkhouse is hosting Opportunity Knocks on the telly.

1:49:04Now, yes, this is in fact a Channel 5 cosy crime drama. Yes, it stars Neville Longbottom as a crime-solving vicar. Yes, there is an argument that we should maybe have only covered two shows this week. But if we had, crucially, I would not have been able to describe this ecclesiastical crime story as a touch of the man of the cloth. So, it was all worthwhile. Was it? Yes, Steph, you like crime, don't you? Yeah, I do like crime. Do you like vicars? What's the question? I do like crime. As I've said before, I am not a big fan of cosy crime and I am not a fan of Murder Before Evensong. Right, okay.

1:49:43So you did not enjoy a touch of the man of the cloth. No, I didn't. Is it even cosy though? It's a bit cosy. It's a bit cosy. It's cosy adjacent. It's a bit cosy. Okay, right. It's a bit cosy. Tamsin Althwait's in it. It's a bit cosy. Yeah, and it's all a little... Don't attack Tamsin. No, I love Tamsin. I'm just saying. I don't think she makes it cosy, her presence. Well, I just... It has a touch of the... Oh, are you really having three lumps in your tea? She's like the sexy lady in the village, so it is cosy. Sorry, I did probably explain that. But the murder itself is quite brutal, right? But sometimes that doesn't matter in cosy crime.

1:50:13No, it's cosy crime with a brutal murder. Yeah, but in cosy crime, the murders are always really outlandish and have loads of blood. What about the last scene, which I'm not going to give away because it's a plot point, but I thought the last scene, do you know what I mean, of episode one, that's non-cosy. I mean, it's campus Christmas. Yeah, okay. I just, you know what? I'm just fascinated by what's cosy about it. I don't, I think, okay, what's cosy about it? Well, it's set in a village, okay? Yeah. Cosy points, 10, right? It's got a vicar who sold five. Cosy points, 50, you know? They're arguing about putting a toilet in the vicarage.

1:50:51There's a big country fair, which is a bit like down to the heavy movie. There's a row about a tractor. They're all driving defenders, like old school defenders. I mean, like a billion. like they have tea and they talk about pie and so much tweed from a novel by Richard Coles yeah it's is that yeah cosy what I would say is tea cosy you've damned it to hell no I haven't damned it to hell look right will you be able to watch this whilst doing something else yes you will and will you miss any of the plot points no you won't because it's very easy to follow okay it's just it's fine it's not it's not prestige TV is it no well it's kind of like do you know what I watched it's not you're right it's a bit like it could have been just a little bit more I don't know money I don't know whether it's the budget or whatever or ambition it could have been more it could have been just a bit more cinematic than they bother with and in a way maybe the thought process is well it is it's from a very successful you know series of novels by Richard Coles maybe it should have stayed that way but you know what I would say is this is what I was going to say in my opening gambit is it's better than the Thursday Murder Club.

1:52:05I've not seen that. Right. Well, I'm telling you it is. And I'll tell you for why. I think, for me, the problem with Thursday Murder Club is that the characters are so paper thin and uninteresting and even with that cast, you know, Helen Mirren and etc. Whereas this, I think it's taking a bit more time to make the characters slightly more interesting. And the mum, I thought the mum, mother, daughter, Amanda Redman is the mum. Adam James' character is very good Adam James is absolutely brilliant in everything you've seen him in he's incredible I think they're all and there's two women elderly women who are right?

1:52:39I would say Adam James' character kind of stands out as like he's such a brilliant not saying obviously Amanda Reynolds he's great in everything I agree but he stands out to me as I feel like maybe he shouldn't be in this because he's so good I know that sounds horrible but he feels like it's like he's I don't know I don't know anyway do you also have a thing for Neville Longbottom? is this no I did not enjoy Neville Longbottom in this I'm sorry Matthew Lewis is his actual name by the way and Amit Shah is in it from Happy Valley who's the actual policeman that makes it super cosy he really cosy crimes up don't you think but he's in Happy Valley no it's not it's not it's not he's in Happy Valley it's not him I think the performance has a real cosy crime quality to it anyway carry on I think it's fine and I think I was mildly entertained to the point where I was actually tempted to carry on watching it I don't believe you at all.

1:53:30No, I don't either. It's true. I call bullshit. No, no, no. There is no way you are going to watch another one of these. I just don't believe you. We've done this before and I have, if I say I'm going to, we've had this before. The love rat. I was challenged. He did all of the love rat. I was challenged to watch the rest of his. I don't want to challenge you because I don't think you should spend any more time on it. Wow. I know I'm probably being, but I just think. You know what, I really like Richard Coles though. I think he's a force for good. He's a fairly engaging guy, isn't he? He's going to be the slightful in lots of ways.

1:53:57Actual man of the cloth, you know, ex-communard singer going back to the 80s. Yeah, of course. And I think, I feel like, I just feel that this is more, I'm obsessed with the comparison of Thursday Night of the Colour, Missy, because I think Thursday Night of the Colour is such a disaster in the film version. Okay, but that's... That this makes me, I think maybe that should have been, you know, a six-part series on Channel 5 rather than what it is. And this is doing a better job at adapting a successful crime, cosy crime novel. Right, but what I'm saying is that if you, dear listeners, are time poor, as we all are these days, apart from you two who just watch TV all the time, then invest that time in watching Film Club and you don't need to watch this.

1:54:37Is that fair, James? I'm 100%. You could go back and watch the first season of Dreaming Whilst Black, then the second season, then Film Club and not waste time on Murder Before. I'm not saying it's anywhere up there with those shows. But you're refusing to say it's down there and that's what I want you to say. No, it's fine. Drag it, Boydie, drag it. Yeah, perfectly enjoyable. That's all I'm saying. It's not enjoyable. Oh, no. No, I think it is. I enjoyed it. I genuinely enjoyed it. You lied. I was like, oh, this is a bit creaky and clunky, but in the end I enjoyed it. You enjoyed a creaky, clunky, cosy crime.

1:55:05You sit on a throne of lies. You do sit on a throne of lies. I'm just more open-minded than you. There is genuinely a bit where the vicar's mum turns up and she's like, wait, pick a fight with you, you pick a fight with me. Thank you, James. At the fucking county fair or whatever it is. I mean, it's extraordinary. They have a conversation about whether they need to buy a new French. Have you seen the Debs and Abbey film? No, I haven't actually. There's nothing about what goes on in that. Oh, really? Okay. And that's a prestigious... There's a scene where Amanda opens the fridge to reveal four pies.

1:55:37I haven't got time for that shit. Sorry. There's a real funny moments though, like when he talks about how there's a whole garden full of buried rabbits. Exactly. That's quite funny. And then there's another scene where they get handed a rabbit through the car window to cook for dinner. And then she gets home and she goes, they look at the rabbit and she goes, maybe I could make a few pies out of this. And he says, no, let's give it a proper burial in the garden. I mean, what is this fucking dialogue? I can't do... No, it's not fun. Your interactions are very extreme today. It's either like the best thing in the world ever or the worst thing that we should be banned from...

1:56:10Not banned, just not watched. Right. I am calling time on the Evensong discussion. It's on Channel 5. It's on Channel 5. Tuesday tomorrow the 7th of October 2025 9 o 'clock what else is out this week? well I'll tell you what's out this week James is the celebrity traitors starts on Wednesday yes BBC One 9 o 'clock be there or be somewhere else but don't watch The Last Frontier yes which is on Apple TV Plus with Jason Fluff we're going to review that I think on Pilot Plus heavily embargoed yes Dominic Cooper's in that oh love him History Boy the Victoria Beckham documentary She starts on Tuesday.

1:56:49Huge TV event, James. Sorry, Billy. Huge TV event. I'm sorry, I'm watching one documentary this week. It is Taylor on Channel 4. Thanks very much. Yeah, that's true. Boots, the aforementioned Boots, which I talked about before, is on Netflix on Thursday, 9th October, heavily embargoed. There's an Ozzy Osbourne documentary. There are actually two Ozzy Osbourne documentaries. There was one last week on BBC. There's one on Paramount Plus on Tuesday. Ozzy Osbourne, No Escape from Now. When is Riot Grrrls on? Riot Grrrls is on Sunday. Yeah, this coming Sunday. And we'll do that on next week's show.

1:57:15We'll do that on next week's show. Yes. There you go. Riot Women, sorry. Riot Women. Riot Women. Why am I calling it Riot Girls? Because Riot Girls is a phrase. Riot Women. Oh my God. That's the whole point. It's Riot Women. Oh my God. I can't believe we did that. I blame you entirely. No. Okay. What's our pick of the week? Film Club. Excellent. We're done. Obviously. Watch it. It will make you feel so happy. Well, I mean, Film Club and Dreaming Wars. But two fantastic shows. Oh yeah, actually, you know what? What week for BBC Three? Oh, do you know what? Not a good week for Channel 5. No. No.

1:57:46But Boyd loved it. But Boyd thought it was, I quote, okay. So there you go. Apparently I loved it. Right. That, thank God, is it for this week's episode of the Pilot TV Podcast. We hope you enjoyed it in some fashion. Please do leave us a five-star rating on whatever podcast platform you choose. And do feel free to follow us on the social medias at Boyd Hilton, at Stephanie Seelan. Steph Seelan. Steph Seelan. See? Steph Seelan from Crime Quarterly Magazine and at James C. Dyer and of course at Pilot TV Pod and if you want to send your questions in for the post back on Pilot Plus or indeed for this main podcast the address is pilotTV at empiremagazine.com on next week's podcast we will have a Johnny Salmon on here talking Dreaming Whilst Black what else is on The Diplomat we will be talking The Diplomat you'll know I'll have seen it unless it's heavily embargoed it probably is The Iris Affair is also next week as well we will be doing Riot Women so we'll be doing that as well it's a very very exciting week to come and of course on Pilot Plus we'll be talking The Last Frontier on Apple we're going to go and talk to Naban Rizwan's lawyers maybe find some kind of settlement but until then pilot's out

From the publisher

We’re legitimately chatting all things movies on the (TV) podcast this week as Aimee Lou Wood and Suranne Jones join us to chat Film Club on BBC3 (37:11-53:10), Plus Jodie Whittaker (sans Suranne) pops by to talk all things Frauds on ITV (1:04:03-1:23:34). Meanwhile, we catch up with Adjani Salmon for the second series of Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC3 (1:38:38), and delve into ecclesiastical crime solving with Murder Before Evensong on Channel 5 (1:48:45). All that, and a labyrinthine discussion fo Boydy’s bedtime habits, as well as a new foray into the world of Steph’s true crime watchlist as we prepare for Kay’s return later this week.

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Film Club, Dreaming Whilst Black, and Murder Before Evensong. With Guests Aimee Lou Wood & Suranne Jones, and Jodie WhittakerPilot TV+ · 1 h 59 min
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