In short
Episode topic: Spoiler discussion of Sky Comedy’s The Paper (Peacock in the US), a mockumentary spin-off set in the American Office universe, plus a wide-ranging chat about TV channels, journalism/local news, and the hosts’ entertainment updates and postbag.
Guests
No guest interviewees in this episode. The “guests” mentioned are cast members discussed by the hosts: Donald Gleeson (plays Ned Sampson, editor-in-chief), Oscar Nunez (plays Oscar Martinez, from The Office), Chelsea Fry (plays Mare), Esme/Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore, from The White Lotus), Bemisola Ikumelo (Black Ops/Famalam), and Tim Key (Psychic Simon; also praised for his performance as a paper-company boss).
Key claims
The Paper revives “proper journalism” in a dying local-paper setting where staff mainly repurpose AP copy; it also critiques monetizing “content” over news. Gleeson’s character is a relatable “straight man” rather than a cringe narcissist. Supporting cast is initially less memorable than The Office’s.
Notable examples
Barry the reporter who’s “constantly asleep”; Esme/Esme’s OTT power struggle; Tim Key’s “paper products” strategy list; Oscar’s documentary-cameras storyline.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VODiscussion on Sky Comedy and Programming
0:45 to 2:30
Exploring the distinctions between Sky Comedy and other channels.
“because it is a comedy as opposed to the other comedies on Sky which are on Sky Max but not on Sky Comedy even though they're comedies but this is a comedy on Sky Comedy yeah why is that boiler?”
The Paper and Its Context
2:30 to 4:35
Introduction to The Paper and its connection to the American Office.
“I think they did this with Atomic, actually.”
Plot and Characters of The Paper
4:35 to 7:50
Overview of the characters, including Donald Gleeson's role and the show's dynamics.
“And every night on American, the big network, CBS, ABC, NBC, there'd be at least two half-hour sitcoms most nights, eight o 'clock and then you'd lead into the hour-long drama.”
Humor and Themes in The Paper
7:50 to 11:10
Analysis of the humor, themes of journalism, and character dynamics.
“Like, you know, characters just walk in and out of meetings, people fall asleep in meetings.”
Critique of Supporting Characters
11:10 to 13:20
Discussion on the supporting cast and their impact on the show.
“I'm waiting to see what James thinks, but I thought characters who were believable and not too stupid and yet were funny at the same time, which was always the key to the American office as well.”
Character Impressions and Memorable Moments
14:00 to 14:50
The hosts discuss their feelings about character portrayals in the show, sharing insights on memorable characters and plot dynamics.
“And then it did find its feet when it found its own rhythms, when it kind of came out of the shadow of the UK office.”
Themes of Comedy and Touching Moments
14:50 to 17:10
The hosts explore the themes of comedy and emotional moments in the show, emphasizing its relatable humor.
“I've watched about three or four episodes.”
Team and Production Insights
17:10 to 18:40
Discussion centers around the creative team behind the show, comparing it with past successes and failures in similar genres.
“As he's playing tennis on his tennis court in Hampstead, he'll be absolutely rolling in it.”
Tim Key's Poetry and Personal Experience
18:40 to 20:40
The hosts share information about Tim Key's poetry book inspired by his experiences filming the show.
“Yeah, Friday, nine o 'clock, I believe, with a double bill.”
James's Karaoke Adventures
20:40 to 22:40
James recounts his karaoke experiences during a recent trip, highlighting humorous anecdotes and social interactions.
“Oh, I thought you meant there was a fallout with your fellow journalists.”
Show all 28 chapters
Reflections on Performance and Confidence
22:40 to 25:00
The hosts discuss the challenges of performing in front of an audience and the significance of confidence in such situations.
“I can neither confirm nor deny oh my god that is a hate crime yeah but obviously I'm not going to miss an opportunity to do a terrible accent, you know, that's, it's, you know, it's necessary.”
Listener Interactions and Show Feedback
25:00 to 28:00
The hosts read and respond to listener messages, discussing various viewer opinions and show-related topics.
“Yeah, it will be for the Empire podcast, yeah.”
Channel Confusion and Corrections
28:00 to 29:30
The hosts discuss the confusion around the airing channel of 'The Paper' and correct their earlier mistakes.
“Yeah, so no, I need to carry on watching it.”
Listener Message from Rachel
29:30 to 31:19
Rachel shares her experience as a new mom, expressing gratitude for the podcast's comforting presence.
“And she says, hello, the three musketeers.”
Recommendations and Show Discussions
31:19 to 34:08
The hosts discuss viewer recommendations and revisit past discussions about various shows.
“Okay, let's not get into this because it was Boyd versus James and I can't handle that again.”
Missing Gems in TV
34:08 to 36:34
Marcus shares a personal experience of rediscovering an old show and asks for similar recommendations from the hosts.
“But wait, there's more because Marcus has a question.”
Discussion of Overlooked Shows
36:34 to 37:48
The hosts discuss various shows they missed and the impact of generational viewing habits.
“Altered Carbon Altered Carbon yes I mean it's actually quite good it's great yeah Joel Kinnaman season one and then he was replaced by Anthony Mackie in season two.”
Pronunciation Quirks with Ali
37:48 to 41:11
Ali challenges James to pronounce difficult town names, leading to a humorous debate about English pronunciations.
“Long-time listener, first-time emailer, which on that note, I just want to say we've had a little flurry of nudes.”
Future of TV Viewing for Kids
41:11 to 42:01
Brad raises concerns about children's viewing habits shifting towards YouTube and away from narrative shows.
Generational Shift in Viewing Habits
42:01 to 43:42
Discussion on whether younger generations are moving away from traditional narrative shows.
“ever pick up the habit of watching narrative storylines or will we lose them to YouTube?”
Evaluating Current Shows for Younger Audiences
43:43 to 46:02
Exploration of appropriate shows for children and teens, including various examples.
“I thought you meant the one who wrote that show.”
Listener Engagement and Feedback
46:03 to 46:39
Hosts invite listeners to share suggestions for shows suitable for kids.
“Well, listen, there's obviously been an intervention.”
Spoiler Discussion: The Assassin
46:51 to 49:36
In-depth analysis of the plot and characters of The Assassin, with discussions on the finale.
“So we take the spoiler section and we actually make it a separate thing on the timeline.”
Themes and Critiques of The Assassin
49:37 to 52:44
Critical examination of the show's themes, pacing, and character development.
“If, I don't know, someone may not remember.”
Initial Impressions of the Show
56:01 to 56:40
The hosts discuss their thoughts on the early episodes and key moments.
“I think the first two slash three episodes were so strong in this.”
Tone and Themes of the Series
56:41 to 57:12
Exploration of the show's tone and how it affects viewer perception.
“is that I think it's because of the tone that helped.”
Future Show Reviews and Anticipation
57:13 to 57:58
Hosts preview upcoming reviews and share their excitement for new shows.
Closing Remarks and Sign-off
57:59 to 58:55
Final thoughts and reminders about the next episode and YouTube content.
“And you can find that on Sky Comedy, which is exciting.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:07Welcome to Pilot Plus, your extended guide to every show that matters, and a podcast that is here today to talk about journalism. Not podcast journalism, I should add, but good old-fashioned burn-the-shoe-leather journalism, specifically on the Toledo Truth Teller, which is the paper in Sky Comedy's The Paper, starring Donald Gleeson. Donald Gleeson, who you saw on the podcast or heard on the podcast. What? That has to start. Come on. He's a friend of the pod. Don't insult me. If he can do an American accent in this show, then I can do an Irish accent on this podcast. The key difference is he's good at both accents.
0:38That's fair. That is fair. Anyway. Donald Gleeson is in the paper this week on Sky Comedy and that is Sky Comedy because it is a comedy as opposed to the other comedies on Sky which are on Sky Max but not on Sky Comedy even though they're comedies but this is a comedy on Sky Comedy yeah why is that boiler? it's very scientific there's a I think out and out like half hour comedies of which this is definitely one do tend to be on Sky Comedy what so it's Brassic on Sky Comedy no no no I hate by American just American imported American half-hour sitcoms. And even, and just like that, fitted into that category.
1:16I know, and just like that, was not... Is that comedy? Well, ostensibly it was, believe it or not. So, yeah. So, American half-hour, roughly half-hour things tend to be on Sky Comedy. And what goes on Max? Max tends to be more British stuff. You know, Brassic, etc. British mainstream. It's not like a mainstream channel. And then more... Sorry? Rob and Rom. Rob and Rom, yeah, mainstream entertainment shows like that. And then there's Sky Atlantic, of course, which is more prestige, high-end drama of both British and American. So, for example... Succession was on Sky Atlantic. Succession was Sky Atlantic, but also, intriguingly, Atomic was on Sky Atlantic and not Sky Max because Atomic was considered, you know, their...
2:01But that's British. Yeah, no, no, including some British stuff as well. I mean... So, correct me if I'm wrong. they basically have a giant pin board and they have one of those little discs and they drop it in the slot at the top and it bounces down and it will end up in one of three pots and it is entirely random. A little bit. Yeah, okay. I'm glad we cleared that up. He's insulting another channel. There we go. Sky, it's your turn this week. Yeah, it is sometimes, intriguingly, or not, intriguingly for me if you're into this kind of thing, they will announce a show. I think they did this with Atomic, actually.
2:34I'd have to double check. And they won't say, it just says sky and you think oh you're hedging your bets they don't know yeah they don't know sky atlantic well yeah um so sometimes yeah it is a bit like that it is a bit difficult it is a bit but you know what i mean these these are of course the remnants of an era of linear television linear channels really you know they kind of generally put everything out on on of a series you know the whole box out if available i mean they don't with the big hbo show so coming up we'll be doing we're reviewing Task, Task, thank you, which is Sky Atlantic, and that will be a weekly release because it's an HBO show and they do weekly releases.
3:10So, what I'm saying is, yeah, it's a bit confused as to what goes on what channel, what goes on which linear channel, but it doesn't really matter anyway because they want people to watch it in their own time if you need to. On demand. That's the phrase games. But the paper, starring Donald Gleeson, is on Sky Comedy. And is a comedy. It is a comedy. And you, sir, interviewed Donald Gleeson for that particular show. Yeah. So you are, in theory, compromised. In theory. But I'm not. No. But you're not. All right, fine. He's not compromised. He interviewed him for Pilot TV Podcast, right? So as I pointed out, it was just Boyd doing his job.
3:45No, but you see, it's the charisma, the charisma of the Gleeson. The risk. We'll have infected Boydy and Boydy will be charmed by him. That is true. But, to be fair, I'm charmed by everyone. That's fair. I mean, I am biased. The real reason I'm biased and that I'm in the pocket of Big Gleeson... It's because he's an Aston Villa fan. No, football. they went to football together I literally took him and his father his brilliant father Brendan Gleeson to a Arsenal who I respect far too much to do an accent for that's good to know yeah he'll kill you that's insulting yeah he will sorry Darryl your dad scares me yeah exactly yes I took them I was there with them at the Arsenal of Yastonville game so I mean you know I'm compromised I admit it I admit I'm compromised Boyd Gleeson yeah Boyd Gleeson so if he does a terrible thing I'll just have to ignore it but if either of them do a terrible thing but the point is the paper is not a terrible thing and in fact you know i take that as my cue to launch into my review and um what i thought mostly having watched um the four episodes that i watched in time in time for the interview with donal which i remember a couple weeks ago talking about i was talking about um the death of um the american sitcom how yes you know there is a bit of a dearth these days in in in america and i mean a little bit here but much more in america you know used to be back in the day i remember but in the days of Seinfeld and Frasier and all those classic shows, there would also be five or six or seven other half-hour sitcoms that would all be on.
5:08And every night on American, the big network, CBS, ABC, NBC, there'd be at least two half-hour sitcoms most nights, eight o 'clock and then you'd lead into the hour-long drama. But now it's literally like a couple, Abba Elementary being one probably the most acclaimed new sitcom of recent times. But apart from that and a couple of others, not many. So it's quite an exciting moment to have the paper. Although, of course, the thing about the paper is it's on Peacock. It's on NBC's streaming service. And I'm sure it will come to mainstream NBC. It might even be on mainstream NBC already, I'm not sure.
5:43But it's definitely effectively was part of their streaming service anyway. It is, of course, set in the same universe as the American office. And in fact, includes one cast member, Oscar Nunes, who plays Oscar Martinez, the accountant, who is from the office. and part of the one of his storyline basically in the paper is that he can't believe that the same documentary crew that filmed all of those seasons of the American office if you consider it to be in the this universe an actual documentary series and they've tracked him down and they're now filming him working for the paper which he does rather than working for the original paper manufacturing company in the original office And he's trying to run away.
6:24He's kind of like both ashamed and annoyed at the cameras still following him after all these years, which is quite a funny note, I think, for his character. Donal plays Ned Sampson, who is the new editor-in-chief of the Toledo Truth Teller. And the Toledo Truth Teller is an old-school local newspaper. America has, as well as sitcoms dying, in quotes, local newspapers as well, similarly as they are in this country and probably globally. One could be considered to be on their last legs, but it's got to the point in this particular case whereby the whole staff basically takes copy and stories from AP and Associated Press and other such people churning out, you know, journalism as it's called.
7:05And the staff just take these stories and kind of rewrite them or not, rewrite them. And that's what the paper's become. And so in comes wide-eyed enthusiast, Donald Gleeson, you know, who's kind of excited about the whole idea of bringing back proper journalism to this classic, you know, hundreds of year old newspaper. And of course, he's naive and he's surrounded by, what I thought was funny about it was he's surrounded by absolute idiots. Like, almost every character in this is on some level. Except for Mare. Except for Mare, who is played by Chelsea Fry, who is, you know, a smart young woman.
7:38And immediately, they bond quite quickly, the two of them. But apart from her, and even she has moments whereby she doesn't seem to quite realise, like, sometimes what's going on. I mean, the rest of them pretty much are on gradations of stupidity and ignorance, I think. Like, you know, characters just walk in and out of meetings, people fall asleep in meetings. You're talking about Barry, the intrepid reporter who's constantly asleep. Constantly asleep. Barry was very funny. The younger ones, like, there's two of them are sent on a mission to go and find out about, to meet people and work out what they're doing with their lives and people, and school kids lie to them and they think they're telling the truth.
8:19So I actually think, and if anything, well, not if anything, but he really is, Donal's character is the straight man, really, in this show. But like all the best straight men in this kind of show, he is funny, though, at various key moments. His exasperation at the staff, particularly Sabrina Impaciatore as Esmeralda. From The White Lotus. From The White Lotus, exactly, season two of The White Lotus. Oh, is she the manager? Yeah, she was the hotel manager, remember? Yeah, she was fantastic in that. And she is extraordinary in this. She's an enormous kind of show-off presence. Esmeralda Grand. Yes.
8:52And she butts up against Donal's character quite quickly because she feels she's in charge of the whole thing. And she's kind of annoyed that this new young guy's come in to kind of change her, change the paper and kind of, you know. Well, she's managing editor, right? So she was sort of like interim boss. Yeah, interim. Yeah. And she's been pushed aside now that he's come in. Having to relinquish her power. Exactly. And it's got various Brits in it as well. Bemisola Ikumelo from... Black Ops. Black Ops. and the sketch show Famalam is in it and she's very fun playing an American character. But for me, the MVP of the whole thing is Tim Key.
9:28Tim Key of the ballad of the film that you haven't seen. The ballad of Kay Ribeiro. The ballad of Kay Ribeiro that she still hasn't seen, I'm assuming. But now it's come to a streamer, right? It's been on Sky Store for a couple of weeks. You still need to see it, Kay. It's only streaming in Begginsfield, though. You have to go to that too. But Tim Key, who I saw last night at the screening of the new Alan Partridge show, which is coming up, he's, of course, Psychic Simon. And he is hilarious in this. He's like this overbearing, there's basically one of the contrivances of the whole show is that a paper company like the old Dunder Mifflin in the original American Office is kind of in the same building as the newspaper that uses their paper to create hard copies of the actual dying publication.
10:15if you like and he's kind of like one of the bosses of that overall company he's in charge of like the strategy right so he lists at the beginning he lists all the different types of paper products from the office supplies to the toilet roll to the local newspapers yeah but he is hilarious and he's kind of I think his character is a bit like David Brent oh my god 100 % meets his character from the ballad of Wallace Island Wallace Island thank you the ballad of Wallace Island it's always the ballad of Thingy Thongy for me so he is just hysterically funny in everything he does but it is a fantastic role for him and I I talked to my mate Donal in the interview about the fact that there's all this British Irish core to the cast and he was kind of relieved and excited by that whole thing by the cast but bottom line I genuinely thought it was very funny and a great and you know it's a kind of it's a bold thing to do in a way to do a spin-off series from the American Office because the American Office is a fantastic absolutely fantastic piece of work you know it lived up to the whole promise of it started out as very much following in the footsteps of the UK Office and then it went off completely in its own direction halfway through season one even and then became one of the most successful long-running shows in American sitcom history and I think this show takes the whole tone of that and uses that tone that we know and love and the mockumentary format and creates kind of characters.
11:45I'm waiting to see what James thinks, but I thought characters who were believable and not too stupid and yet were funny at the same time, which was always the key to the American office as well. I think they hit the right balance. Yeah, I think the balance is... They do a really good job. I think you can get away with more in terms of character stupidity because of the faux documentary format. I think when you have like a traditionally staged sitcom and you have those comedically stupid characters, they're really great on me. I think there's something about that kind of, you know the dead air look to camera beats that you get in these.
12:20I think stupid characters feel more, they feel less contrived. That sounds, it's mad. No, I know what you mean, yeah. You would think the documentary format would make them stand out more, but actually they feel more organic to it. What I think is interesting about this though is that unlike the UK office, unlike the US office, your central character here is Donald Gleeson is not a super cringe nightmare. He's not like a raging narcissist. He's like a really sort of almost quixotic character that you really root for. So it's a very different dynamic. And genuinely, there are bits in here where I was just like, you know, he gets up on his desk and he's a speech, and I brought a tear to him.
12:57I was like, oh, hashtag journalism. I was like, it's actually quite inspiring, especially given the parlour state of fucking journalism. And the show, Pulls No Punches, I actually thought it was really interesting where they're talking about, you know, the plight of local news, but also the plight of digital journalism. You know, it's done quite briefly, but it's still quite cutting and to the point. And how these sort of media companies sort of monetize the news, or I should say monetize content, because that's what they see it as. They don't care about the news, they care about content. And, you know, speaking of someone who works in a journalistic industry, I found it all hit rather close to home.
13:33So that was quite interesting. The only criticism I have at this stage, and this is the only one's first episode, is that the supporting cast of both of the other offices are what makes those shows. And the supporting characters are so, you know, well-shaped and just beautifully wrought. And just, you know, whether they're hilarious or hateful or any of these things, I thought the supporting cast here felt a little bland to me. And the only character who wasn't bland was Esmeralda, and I fucking hated her. like she drove me mental obviously that is that's by design she's designed to be annoying but I really any time she was on screen I was just like make her go away and everyone else I didn't dislike them at all but they didn't stand out it's a bit like you know Star Trek Discovery where after like four seasons if you pinned me down under pain of like phaser burns I couldn't name half the members of the bridge crew same thing here I suspect if I watched ten seasons of this I wouldn't be able to name half the people in the office because I don't feel they're memorable I'm hoping over time yeah I think definitely they will establish themselves they will find its feet Well, because the US office stumbled initially, didn't it?
14:36And then it did find its feet when it found its own rhythms, when it kind of came out of the shadow of the UK office. So hopefully this doesn't have that kind of thing hanging over it, but maybe it will take a while to establish itself. But yeah, I had a good time with that. I thought it was funny. I thought it was funny. I thought it was touching. It made me smile. So, yeah. Wow. High praise indeed. I bloody love this. I thought it was great. I've watched about three or four episodes. I was worried about Esmeralda because I thought she'd be, you know, there's an element of caricature about her.
15:05Very much so. And she's very overblown. I was like, is this going to get irritating? Yes, yes, it did. No, I think she actually levels out, you know, in the next couple of episodes particularly. I mean, this is her staking her claim to this office. She was interim manager and, you know, so of course she's going to be OTT because she's trying to, you know, put him in his place, which she sort of does, and I won't spoil anything. I thought Donald Gleeson is fantastic in this as our representative, an outsider into the office I felt the, I liked Tim Key's character he really reminded me of Brent I particularly liked Mare Mare and Gleeson together Ned and Mare I just, very reminiscent of the Dawn and Tim dynamic the slight frisson that's going on and I look forward to seeing that develop but yeah, I liked, you know the support characters, I actually really warmed to them particularly Nicole, who's in charge of circulation, and she's always just like, you know, she's so put upon Esmeralda's constantly, you know, throwing work at her, and she clearly hates her life and her job at the paper.
16:12You know, she's in charge of, what did she call it, harvesting data. And she was sort of like, ironically, that's the most interesting part of, you know, they get, the paper gets more information from the readers than the other way around, which I thought was funny. so all the observations I think about print journalism particularly struck a chord with me and I know you guys because it's very real and well observed I was just reading actually I was checking on whether NBC is showing it NBC has currently no plans to air it it's just it is on Peacock in America and the 10 episode season arrives in one go so really the previous Peacock sitcom that we reviewed was of course Frasier who can forget the reboot but you know the comparison is is stark because Frasier was absolutely terrible in my the quality of writing in this is so high this makes me excited about TV when I watch it and that's because it's the team from Greg Daniels who is the master of this stuff he co-created the American office he knows what he's doing sorry to interrupt you lists Ricky as an exec producer and Steve has he got any kind of impact I think that's probably like a contractual thing yeah it's a show oh we chuck him a bung of cash because we're making I mean, they will make money out of it.
17:26Of course they will. And I think that's what that means. As he's playing tennis on his tennis court in Hampstead, he'll be absolutely rolling in it. But I don't believe that Ricky or Steve are involved creatively in any way whatsoever. But the other thing I was not to mention is Tim Key, you know, he's written a book of poetry about his experience filming this. Has he? Yes. So he, obviously, he spent, whenever it was, like early last year in LA, making this series. and his new poetry book, which I think is out now. Wait, what are you saying? You know Tim Key's a poet, right? No, I didn't. You didn't know it?
18:02He is and he's a very accomplished and funny, you know, he does kind of funny... So can I, is this about his Tim Key's experience or in character? No, no, his experience working on this show. Okay, I am going to need you to get a copy of the book and read us some of the poetry next week, please. Okay. If that's allowed, I don't know. Yeah, it's called L.A. Baby. So his latest book, Tim Key, L.A. Baby, amongst the glitz and glamour of 21st century Hollywood we can view Tim Key's crazy adventures and infinitesimal moments of loneliness a hymn to laundrettes and dive bars a come and get me plea to Audrey Hepburn your favourite, or frankly any of the greats this is Key's fourth book judged by a motioning creative with illustrator Juniper and yeah, it's all about his experiences making the show in LA, living in LA for a period wow and I've seen him reciting some of the poems and they're hilarious can we get him on to do a reading I'm sure we could yeah we need to get him on I'll try and secure that bottom line is this is brilliant everyone should watch it far better than the Australian Office oh my god that was diabolical that was terrible as well but you know what I mean I always say within minutes you know with this kind of show within minutes of watching it's like oh thank god for that I'm not going to have to pretend to Donald Glees so well I interview him that's always a blessed relief isn't it yeah it is but then you're five minutes into the Australian office and five minutes into Frasier the remake when you know they're terrible it's almost difficult to roll it back can I say the other thing I want to note is that I didn't finish the US office and I'd say to anyone listening if you haven't it doesn't matter this is I mean it's got nods and references but nothing that's you know would prohibit you from watching no no and if you do want to see old episodes of the American office they're on heavy rotation on Sky Comedy as we speak what a bloody service he provides Boydo thanks the Boidopedia.
19:50It's a boogle. It's a boogle. Steady. The paper then, which is on Sky Comedy. Not Max, not Atlantic, but Sky Comedy. Yeah, Friday, nine o 'clock, I believe, with a double bill. And I think the whole thing's going to be available in one go then as well and on now, of course, the Sky Streaming Service. Not the Sky Screaming Service. Yeah, that happens at Halloween. Yeah, yeah. We all know about you screaming on Halloween on those roller coasters. Now, when are you going to go into it? Are you going to go into it on the other part? I wasn't planning to go into it. If you wish to ask me about it, then you are very welcome to go.
20:20There's the man who wants to have questions asked. Look at him. Right. So let's establish, you went to Florida. I did. On a jolly. Yes. What did you do? I went on roller coasters. I went to the new Epic Universe, which is fun. It's a new part of the Universal Orlando Resort. And I did the Halloween Horror Nights, which was ten houses in one night. It was carnage. There was a fallout house. That was the TV-themed house. Oh, I thought you meant there was a fallout with your fellow journalists. No, there was a fallout. There wasn't a fallout with anyone. There was just a fallout house. Yeah. Which was good.
20:47and there was like, you know, Terrifier. Jason had one as well, Five Nights at Freddy's, loads of stuff. But the Fallout was obviously the TV one. And it had some teases for Fallout Season 2 in there, which obviously I will not spoil. And did you have a bromance with an influencer this time around? Oh, I was bonding with the influencers left and right. Oh my God, James is a new influencer. Hashtag content. Yeah. All about that stuff. But there are some old school journalists there as well. There are, yes. It's not just me and my fellow content creators. It's not just you jumping on the back of a random content creator.
21:14No. And did you do karaoke? I did do karaoke in fact if you are to go onto my Instagram and look at the stack of Halloween Horror Nights you will find a snippet of the karaoke on my Instagram what do you sing I only ever do the same song oh what is it again I do Sweet Home Alabama oh god that's my that's my karaoke number that's so funny we should point out it's live band karaoke it is on a stage also this year it was on Saturday night as well so the bar was heaving do you work the crowd I bet you do I do not work the crowd you do this single camera that's in front of you you're definitely going to work the live audience I did get up I thought twice about it and I went no I'm going to do it because on Saturday night you have to understand because Rising Star is on City Walk at Universal and because it's America on a Friday and Saturday night not only is it rammed but it's rammed with a lot of shall we say America's Got Talent wannabes who are very very good at what they do some guy stood up and did Defying Gravity from Wicked and just blew the roof off it was incredible did you follow him?
22:13I followed him about five songs afterwards which was not ideal on any level and then amazingly one of the guides who was with us who'd been helping us around the park she'd come out for dinner with us and she did it she got up and she did oops I did it again by Britney Spears in the most incredible like spot on impression of Britney Spears with all the kind of the wobbly bits and it was again also amazing and I was like oh fuck what am I doing and then I got up and attempted to be from Alabama and it was just excruciating wait did you actually do that did you do that I can neither confirm nor deny oh my god that is a hate crime yeah but obviously I'm not going to miss an opportunity to do a terrible accent, you know, that's, it's, you know, it's necessary.
22:48James, is there no, like, accent you won't abuse? No, absolutely none. Oh, God. What's the other, Sweet Home Alabama is Lynyrd Skynyrd, It is, yes. And what's their, their famous song, it's like 10 minutes long. I didn't do Free Bird. Next time, do Free Bird. That will be for subscribers of Pilot Plus. Yeah, that is just for, just for subscribers. I have to say, while on one level, I'm jealous of that, of James's travels. Yeah. To like Thailand, first of all and then to Florida for this thing when you hear the detail like no I wouldn't do that oh you wouldn't can I just this is the karaoke that scares you just the whole thing do you know what I doff my cap to you James oh it's a doff cap yeah because he like the confidence it would take I would never do that literally never do that because I don't like karaoke well the benefit of this is if they feel you're struggling they dial down your vocals and the backing singers carry you so you can tell this is the thing you can tell if you do badly because you feel your volume drop and the backing singers come up to try and keep going.
23:44That is almost... No, that is... Yeah, that's worse. I don't know if it's as humiliated, more humiliated or less, than when I went to a hen do and it's a mutual friend of ours and we were recording a pop video of, you know, when they, like, we all do, like, choreographed dancing and shit like that. Now, I would consider myself a good dancer, but I'm really shit at routines because I'm, like, uncoordinated or whatever. You freestyle. Yeah, listen, I can freestyle till the couch. Kate won't be told how to throw her shapes. No, exactly. But I was, and we danced to Single Ladies, Beyonce's hit. And I was put at the front, and I just gave it a go.
24:19I had to get over. I just thought, just do it, just do it. No one's going to see it. And at one point, the person said, oh, right, now, do you want to swap around? And they switched me to the back line. And I was furious, but also mortified. And then the last bit, they ended with, right, now everyone just freestyled to camera. And we all had to walk to the camera and just do, and I honestly wanted the ground to swallow me up. Yeah, this is horrendous. And there's video evidence and I can never see it because I'll have to pluck my eyeballs out. Wow. So somewhere there is footage of you doing all the single layers.
24:48Yeah, don't. I'm not even telling you who it was. I'll find out. I'll work it out. Go on. Boyd will find it. You can't hide. Okay, anyway. Anyway, that is it for the paper and indeed my karaoke exploits. Let's move on to the postbag. ladies and gentlemen it's miss k versus the post band
25:18right our first message is from guy a guy a guy a guy but specifically a guy called guy yes guy or is he actually maybe i'll anonymize him he could just be any old guy just guy and it's about Downton who says dear God dear God dear God dear God no dear K Boyd and part time Jim I love that for James this is my new name yes part time Jim yes please and thank you to a two hour Downton Abbey film spoiler special interview with my Lord Fellows and everything well you might be in for a treat Guy except that it's a film really so it's not yeah I don't think we're going to be able to it's a TV adjacent film yes which is why I am doing Yeah, that's why I thought it was for this.
26:01No, that's for the Empire podcast. Yeah, it will be for the Empire podcast, yeah. I thought you were doing for pilot. But I definitely think, you know, when we've seen the film, we can have a brief chat. Because it's TV ejection. Guy, I can only apologise for Boyd betraying you in that regard. Yeah. And I think our listeners have already established that since Chris took the Alien Earth spoiler specials, they feel that we should take the Downton Abbey film as a trade. Yes, that makes sense. That, you know, in the custody agreement, it feels like that should be ours. In the custody agreement, yes.
26:28Anyway, Guy continues, says, Empire put the Tron 3quel on the cover but ignored the Crawleys entirely when both respective last films made£60 million in the UK. So that's just a bit of feedback for you, James. Thank you. Yes, the glowing light-up Downton Abbey cover was mooted, but sadly we opted not to go that route. Can you imagine? Also, I would never watch 007 Road to a Million if it was just called Road to a Million, but I liked the first series and loved the second, which tickles my Bond fan brain. I know you're very busy Boyd and Kate but I'd love to know what you think of the second series just you two apparently not me well you're not going to watch it are you apparently not busy either but carry on yeah you're definitely not busy but you wouldn't like that show I don't think is the new and improved version any good as an example of the genre if not why not very best wishes as always I watched a bit of the first episode I watched about half of the first episode and it is better it's definitely because it's got more cocks more what Brian Cox steady yeah more to more cocks there is a bit more there is a bit more Cox but mostly it just it just subtly hangs together better there's more it's more James Bond-y so all the this time I think all of the locations and all of the challenges have a much clearer link to James Bond whereas in the original less tenuous yeah it was a bit tenuous it's just they've just kind of like it's just faster paced and less boring frankly than the I found the first series quite a slog whereas this is felt snappier I think so did Brian Cox Zippier Yeah, clearly, yeah, he did, yeah.
28:00Yeah, so no, I need to carry on watching it. I quite enjoyed it. I mean, it's the kind of thing that's going to send James into horrific paroxysms of fury. By the way, I've just checked something, right? I should have done this 20 minutes ago. The paper is actually on Sky Max. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Hilarious. That is genuinely amazing, especially because when I asked you why it was on the comedy, You spoke with such authority and commitment about why it fit that template. And the only reason in my intro I said it was on Sky Comedy is because when I was hastily bashing together an introduction at my desk earlier, I turned to Boydie, because he was there and said, Boydie, what channel's on the internet with Sky Comedy?
28:39Do you know what? I might have to retract this boogle thing, because if you can't even... The inaccuracy in this has been shocking. Boolocks? Boylocks? I don't know, something like that. I think the lesson we've all learned from this is that... Never ask you anything! ...is that it's quite confusing to know what's on which channel in Sky. Yeah, so in fact, I think it's Sky's fault. Yeah, let's name Sky. Do you know what? From now on, we should just say it's on now. It's just on now. Yeah. We don't know where on Sky it is. It's just on now. Skymax, not Skyconcer. Well, listen, at least you've corrected yourself.
29:05Exactly. Yeah. So in your, and let's be honest, well thought out and constructed reasoning as to why everything appears where, would you like to amend that? Why do you think they chose Skymax to feature this? Fuck no. There we go, Sky. If you've ever considered offering Boyd a job on your board, that's the qualifying statement. Well corrected, listen. Thanks. Now for a message from Rachel, who was thrilled about the early release of Pilot Plus. And she says, hello, the three musketeers. I want to start by saying thank you for releasing the Plus pod so early in the day. I'm a new mum to a seven-year-old.
Read the full transcript
29:40Oh, no, not seven-year-old, seven-week-old. I was going to say, a new mum to a seven-year-old. I mean, you've been doing it a while. And we're often awake in the small hours of the day. Many times in the last seven weeks have I only known what day it is by the pod being there, which has been useful for many reasons but mostly reminded me if we have an appointment to go to. I was very confused by the Wednesday release but it also felt like such a treat to have it early. Atticus, oh my god, her baby boy's called Atticus, I can't bear it, I love that name, has heard every pilot podcast since she's been listening for years and we have benefited from recommendations, reminders of upcoming programmes and just generally being a more relaxed human whilst listening.
30:19I don't have a question, just a plea for you all to continue bickering reviewing and laughing at slash with each other, Rachel and Atticus. Can we have some kind of sweepstakes as what Atticus' first word will be? It'll either be famously, or like Bellend or something, or Banana Crackers. Oh my God. Cookie bong. Yeah, I'd love that. P.S. I've binged, I've binge watched. Bin watching is something we should definitely try. I'm up for that. That's like hate watching. Yeah, I'll binge watch it. Binge watch versus binge watch. P.S. I have binge watched Wednesday in the last week, something I wouldn't have usually watched but was motivated by your discussion and weirdly by Steph watching the wrong series.
30:57Of course, yes. Steph will be thrilled. Yeah, she will, yeah. I should probably say, did we explain why Pilot Plus went out on a Wednesday? Did we explain? Yeah, we did. We did explain. It was literally, I lost track of what day it was. I said you had holiday brain and you very kindly were uploading it for us. From Thailand, yes. And I was like, what day is it? Oh, it's bound to be Wednesday. Basically, what you're getting at is that when he's away, he literally couldn't give a shit. I mean, yeah. but enough to put it up so I'll kind of take it back yeah I cared enough to actually do it but not enough to check what day it was but let's not forget he wasn't on holiday this is work time that's right it was an essential empire work assignment let's make that crystal clear oh yeah I don't feel bad about doing it exactly especially because then I was put in charge with the most difficult job which was making sure the damn thing was recorded oh it was so stressful the last one we did we had to wait 45 minutes for the whole thing to fucking download yeah it's almost like someone was supposed to get an engineer before the podcast started and didn't do it.
31:53Okay, let's not get into this because it was Boyd versus James and I can't handle that again. Now to Colin, who says, Hello, dear Pilot TV podcast hosts. Nice intro. I'm writing to recommend two shows for your international correspondent to jump on it. Stuff for you to watch, Kay. Thanks, Colin. One, the Etanaut, Argentinian sci-fi, which I'm reluctant to say James would adore. Kay, I think there might be enough interpersonal drama to keep you interested as well. Greatly enjoyed it. I have heard this. It's animated. Isn't it? It's animated. Is it animated? Is it not animated? Have I just made that up?
32:26Yeah. I've just made that up. It's not animated. What are you talking about? It's not animated. It's on neither Sky Max nor Sky Comics. Really? It's not animated either. This is very much an episode that needs to be fact-checked very stringently. So what we've established, I have no idea what the show is. Yeah. Okay. I have heard of it though because it has been recommended to me before. It's according to Colin. What if it's not animated? I might watch it. And then second of all, Families Like Ours It's a climate disaster family drama and just incredible, really, Colin says. What's it called, sorry?
32:52Families Like Ours. And finally, he said, Bonus, Eastern Gate, fantastic Polish spy drama. Kay, thank you for the big boys' rec. And Boyd, you've turned this American into an Alan Partridge superfan. Thank you both. James, get it together, man. Sincerely, Colin. Oh, well, you've got the joy of the new Alan Partridge who has come up in a few weeks' time. I cannot wait to see that. We are, we are. Boyd's remaining tight-lipped because it's embargoed, and you went to a very special screening. Okay, now for... Yeah, the Eternaut, though, just to say the Eternaut, is an Argentine science fiction TV series.
33:23It's on Netflix and it's definitely live action. So there you go. Marcus says, love the show and I've been a law subscriber since day one. Thank you, Marcus. I just want to thank Boyd. Mm-hmm. Just Boyd. Now he's perked up. For finally solving a long-running eye worm I've had. I had been remembering a scene of a brutal mass shooting in a police station I'd seen in a show a while back and I couldn't for the life of me remember where I'd seen it. After extensive Googling and asking chat GBT, I still couldn't remember where I'd seen it and was beginning to think maybe it was a grisly dream until your recent discussion of The Assassin in which Boyd mentioned the specific scene from Boat Story.
34:02And well, the relief that came over me was unbelievable. Thanks, Boyd, and your fountain of TV knowledge for helping me out. Thank you. But wait, there's more because Marcus has a question. Yes. He says, my wife and I have recently welcomed a new baby. There's a lot of babies around, aren't there? Yeah, it's cute. Yeah, I think listening to Pilot makes people frisky. Oh, James, please. If anyone's going to make you put your sex, is you saying that? Especially when they're watching karaoke. Oh, God, no, that's definitely not in any way. Everyone suddenly becomes semitically sealed up. Anyway, welcome to New Baby.
34:33So lots of TV time, and it's August, traditionally a slow time for TV. I've been watching some older shows. In doing this, I discovered River on ITVX, a great show with outstanding acting and a gritty storyline. I can't believe I've never seen it before, and I'm just wondering if there are any shows you have missed out on previously and came to later, realising it's an absolute gem. Thanks for all the banter. Monday and Thursday is the highlight of my week. P.S. Would you do a brief spoiler discussion on the final season of The Handmaid's Tale, as I think it's an all-too-commonly overlooked masterpiece?
35:05We would do that if any of us watched it. But none of us do, sadly. I watched some of it, but not enough of it yet to do it. it was a genuinely good show but it got to the point where it was just full on misery porn and I just thought I can't I cannot with this you love the misery I don't love the misery so I did I bailed on Handmaid's Tale about halfway through season 2 because it's just too bleak yeah no agreed I can't do that but maybe Boyd will give a one line summary at some point perhaps he will perhaps he will but the question was stuff we can't well if I'm to pick if I'm to do a K pull a K as it were and just give you one example Mine would be For All Mankind.
35:44For All Mankind, which came out when Apple TV Plus launched. And bear in mind that Apple TV Plus launched, I was completely taken with C, the masterpiece. I was sold on the morning show. Even Dickinson I liked, but I had no time whatsoever for For All Mankind, the sci-fi series. I didn't like it at all. I think it was because when I watched the first episode, I think I'd watched a great many shows that day, but it was something to do with the alt-history 60s setting just didn't sit right with me originally. And also, it's very deliberately paced. you know it doesn't go anywhere in a hurry and I couldn't get on with it but as you know I've re-watched the whole thing last year or re-watched watched like just watched for the first time and it is fantastic and it gets better with each season as well so for all mankind what was that really expensive Netflix show where they had like people would be cloned in other people's bodies and oh yes yes yes yes you are thinking of Altered Carbon Altered Carbon yes I mean it's actually quite good it's great yeah Joel Kinnaman season one and then he was replaced by Anthony Mackie in season two.
36:44Is that the one with the polar bear at the end or the whale? You know the thing that made you really angry? No, that's the walrus. And you're thinking of the one with Kit Harington, which is a weird anthology. That was an apple. That was an apple. I can't remember what it was called. That was different. Instigated Lash Out from Boyd. No, this was like hardcore sci-fi with like, yeah, high concept and it had mystery involved. It was really good and it was so expensive, wasn't it, I think? It was like lavish, massive, huge, big cinematic production values. and I think it was that just because it just was too much.
37:13I really enjoyed that show. That was really good, yeah. My single answer is Australian news drama The Newsreader. Oh, yeah, yeah. Which series three, I'm going to talk about this on the next pod because it's what I've been watching but that is an... Spoiler alert. What? Spoiler alert to what? It's an absolute bloody treat and it's so, so good. It stars Anna, Torv and Sam Reid and if you haven't watched it and if you haven't watched it, Marcus, I would highly recommend it. It's on BBC iPlayer, the first two series. Now for Ali. Oh, yes, Ali. Brilliant. Apparently we love Ali. Yeah, because it's one for James.
37:51Oh, fuck. No, Ali is from Guildford. Long-time listener, first-time emailer, which on that note, I just want to say we've had a little flurry of nudes. Of nudes? This is unexpected. In my inbox, no. I told you people were getting frisky. No, of first-time emailers, which I'm loving. so just to remind everyone if you're thinking you know you've been thinking about it you haven't got around to it yet please do get in touch we are at pilot tv at empire magazine dot com I'm going to be regularly saying that because I feel like people don't know it anyway Ali is one such listener and right I'm not going to correct this I'm just going to read it out because I think it will amuse you hi James, Kate and Boyd long time listener first time emailer jumping in with other listeners just to say it's definitely 100 % pronounce Guildford, but I'd love to hear how James pronounces a couple of other towns nearby which seems to have tourists flummoxed.
38:48First up, and I'm going to spell it for you, James, so concentrate. Okay, hit me with it. G-O-D-A-L-M-I-N-G. Godalming. Right, so it's pronounced Godalming, but I know some tourists put emphasis on the middle syllable and pronounce it Godalming. Yeah, how you said it kind of. Godalming. Yeah. Oh, I did, yeah. Godalming. It sounds better as Godalming. That's another town you can't go to. I think I'm getting confused by, is it Godolkin University in Generation B? Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. Bro. Okay, the next one. H-A-S-L-E-M-E-R-E. Hasselmere. Nope. Hazelmere. Hazelmere. Hazelmere. You do get them wrong quite consistently.
39:28Well, I've never been there. Do you know what makes me really happy, considering I'm the one who F's up every name? But also, it's too much American stuff. It's like scenario. It's like all your mispronunciations, like Guildford. Hang on, hang on. I'm not sure that's an Americanism. It's like you're an American tourist. No, no. How is it American to pronounce the letter D, which is in the middle of the word? Boy, James, how do you say Lester Square? Lester Square. It's like you might as well say... But see, okay, look, the thing with the English language is it's mad and completely inconsistent because it's a complete hodgepodge of lots of different dialects and languages.
40:01So it all comes down to familiarity, right? So you have to understand that when you see a word, this is how it sounds. Because you can't look at it phonetically because England's inconsistent. My point is, you're right, but after what? How many decades on this planet? Not in fucking Guildford, though. You plough your own pronunciation of furrow as if you are a tourist who suddenly arrived in this country and you refuse to take on board after 40-whatever years. That Guildford is Guildford. He's also going to be that tourist on the tube who stands right in front of the map, blocking the platform.
40:35Wow. Well, on behalf of John Senna, who I know listens to this podcast, I will say that you should not be casting aspersions at me. Fine. Well, that wasn't me, by the way, that was Steph. John Senna listens to this podcast. Neither of you, neither of you corrected her, so I don't believe either of you realised. Oh, God. Slagging off Steph, fresh not here. Banging my head against the desk while I was listening to that one. Anyway, thank you to Ali for getting in touch for the first time, but also for that brilliant little quiz for James. Can this be a weekly segment? What, you just send me a place name and I have to try and pronounce it?
41:02I would love that anyway Ali ends by saying anyway love the work and the petulant debate over pronunciation hope to see you in Guildford soon yes okay this was actually after the live show which I obviously didn't get round to reading but Brad said Boyd as I always say would you like to do the postcard no it's fine yeah Brad says yeah unfortunately I wasn't picked this evening to ask a question but my question was going to be about the TV in the future I have two sons 13 and 10 they do not watch any tv shows um it's just a relentless stream of youtube clips of idiots playing pranks and gaming things the only thing i've been able to watch with them is doctor who which they both got very excited um to watch but beyond that and percy jackson on disney plus they just there just aren't any shows that fall into the gap where children and grown-ups can watch together so they just stick to youtube so my thinking is that tv for the most part has maybe got too sophisticated or there are acts of violence or sex that are clearly not suitable in most good shows.
42:01So, will this young generation ever pick up the habit of watching narrative storylines or will we lose them to YouTube? I was very curious to hear Russell's thoughts on this as well so perhaps Boyd can see if he can get an answer from him. Yeah, just text him please. I think there's a lot of stuff you can watch. As losing viewers must be something all channels and streamers must be concerned with. Thank you all for a wonderful evening. Brad, who travelled down from Norfolk. Oh, wow. Thanks, Brad. It's pronounced Norfolk, just so you know. but I think there are a lot of things I mean Doctor Who I think is quite broad in terms of you can definitely watch that generationally but there are loads of things like the Star Wars and or aside the Star Wars streaming shows are fairly innocuous I don't think the Mandalorian is going to give anyone nightmares so you can totally watch that Buffy not Andor though you need to no not Andor you need to be a little bit older because there's sexual themes in Buffy I mean I think you can get away with Friends now Friends has sexual content in it but it's a network show it's extremely mod and I kind of think it flies over your head if you're a little bit young I think you could totally watch Friends with a 13-year-old I think we're talking about new shows, right?
43:04Is it new shows? Yeah, I think he's generally Speaking of specifically I mean, what is new nowadays because everything's available I think newer than Friends I mean, we don't tend to cover like young, something like Lockwood & Co which is, I think, why I said that I think 10, it very much depends on the child because Lockwood & Co is quite gnarly at times like, it can be a bit scary but I don't think 10's necessarily massively too young for it and that's a good show. What was the show we reviewed last week, the teen music show, The Runaways? Oh, yeah. I did make this point, and you slightly, I don't know, disagree with me, but I think the guy who wrote that has got a point.
43:41What's his name? The listener. Oh, sorry. I thought you meant the one who wrote that show. No, no, no. Runarounds, I believe it's called. Brad. Brad. I think where he has got a point is, and this is why I mentioned it when we reviewed that show, is that that's a teen slash YA drama, and it's got copious amounts of swearing in it. And I do think it's a bit unnecessary. And I am slightly confused by the fact that there are loads of these types of shows around. That clacking noise you can hear is Boydie clutching his pearls. Steady. No, no, no. I said the same thing last week. No, no, no. I'm fully in favour of it.
44:16They said a swear. I'm fully in... Fuck off. I'm fully aware. Language. James Parsons smelling songs. I'm fully in favour of it. But I do think that this is what Brad's talking about, that there are, even the teen shows and the YA shows have lots of swearing and often sexual stuff and et cetera. So I think he's got a point about that. And there are fewer and fewer of that type of show that don't have that kind of level of... Well, you're thinking network. So it's pre-Watershed Network stuff, isn't it? That's very much sanitized by definition. Well, I don't know whether you're talking about American Network shows are pretty...
44:51Yeah, well, American primarily. Because even like British stuff, like Waterloo Road, which is a big hit which the BBC brought about, that's an 8 o 'clock pre-Waltzer show. That deals with, you know, themes quite bluntly, so to speak. I'm sure the 13-year-old's probably okay with watching, but I think it's probably got a point. I'm just agreeing with the point that our esteemed listener is making, rather than, I'm not clutching my pulse, bring it on, as far as I'm concerned, but if you are trying to find something to watch with your 13-year-old kid, then it probably is harder than that. I think it's harder now than it used to be, and I think that's the point.
45:21Yeah, and that may be true. I'm not saying there aren't good shows, I think there probably are. I would say we as a podcast probably aren't aware of all of them because we don't really review kid shows. But I imagine there's some great stuff in the animation space, not the adult animation space. But people used to rave about Avatar The Last Airbender and things like that. The Last Airbender? Yes. Avatar The Last Airbender. There's the live action version of that, which I must admit I didn't love. But you might enjoy that. I would like to ask listeners, if you know of a show that Brad can watch with his 13-year-old and 10-year-old, I think this is a listener service.
45:51Get in touch and I'll list them. Please do not suggest The Boys. No, God, no. Or Peacemaker, the other. Oh, yes, the show that neither of you understood. Right, let's move on. Oh, God, that dud. Should we wrap up the postbag? Okay. Oh, okay, fine. Well, listen, there's obviously been an intervention. I'm just thinking of Boydys hard out. I got it. Okay, fine. I'll save these two for the following week. Okay, brilliant. If you would like to harass Kay via email, please do so at pilot tv at empire magazine dot com yes and please do get in touch i want to hear from new listeners old listeners everyone in between yeah if you've never written in before yeah come on kate wants to hear from you i do yeah and any quizzes for james any general feedback please do not send me place names please send place names yeah it's gonna be fun yeah yeah okay brilliant now we have a discussion to have now uh about the assassin we're gonna have a a little spoiler chat about the Williams Brothers Assassin.
46:50So let's sound the spoiler alarm.
46:56Now, the other thing I should mention is I'm very seriously considering carving the spoiler specials off of this particular Pilot Plus and making them, as people have been harassing me to do for ages, making them stand-alone things. So we take the spoiler section and we actually make it a separate thing on the timeline. But we're not going to do it this week. Can I just tell you what makes me laugh about this? What? Is that listeners have been banging on about, not banging on, have been saying this for ages. And I like, you're still not committing, you're going, you're seriously considering it?
47:23I'm seriously considering it. It's been two years and I'm still seriously considering it. No, but I wasn't going to do it this week. And the reason I'm not going to do it this week is for one very good reason. Because if it's going to sit alone in its timeline, I think it should be a professional, well-crafted, insightful, informative piece of podcast content. This, on the other hand, looks set to be completely shambolic because all of us who had planned to re-watch the last episode failed to do so. so I thought in preparation for this being a little bit of a shambles we just keep this as part of this episode of Pilot Plus and the next time we do a spoiler full disclosure I forgot we were doing this but also is it really any point in spinning off a spoiler special discussion if it's just us lot talking yes is it?
48:01yes oh okay so this means we could even do a Pilot TV Alien Earth spoiler chat oh goody because I know Kay will be very excited about that because you know we just whack it in the timeline and I'm sure the listeners would love it wouldn't they Kay yeah yeah okay You know Jonathan Ross hated Alien Earth? Hated it. Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? He's been wrong about a great many things. I know, I know. This is merely one more. Okay, all right. Just trying it in there. But let's talk about this, because people enjoyed The Assassin, which is, of course, the William Brothers series with Keely Hoare and Freddie Highmore about...
48:32Did you say Keely Hoare? Keely Hoare. Did I not enunciate the S? You said the S properly. I mean, I possibly... Oh, my God, now your name place thing is just written in the surname. I didn't hear the S. There was definitely an S. Okay. If it was not enunciated, it was definitely implied. I think it was a silent S. A silent S. Much like the D in Guildford. Yeah. Right, okay, fine. Keely Hawes and Freddie Highmore are both in this. Highmore, yeah, indeed. Are both in this show. Now, it has the Williams Brothers trademark sensibility, which is that line between ultra-violence and kind of comedy. It's very funny.
49:06It's got a lot of violence in it. But a lot of people who enjoyed it drifted away from it towards the end and were not fond of the final episode, from what I gather. from garnering the social media. So I want to see what you guys thought of the ending. Kay. You're such a... Right, listeners, I actually just looked in panicked so I can't even recall what happened. And what does he do? The swine throws to me. Yeah, that's right. A little insight into his sadist attitude. What do you think? We said the final episode. If, I don't know, someone may not remember. Can I also say, I've just got back from a holiday and I'm a bit, you know...
49:45I mean, haven't we all, Kay? Your life's a holiday. Gina Gershon, who it turns out, is Freddie Mahimor's actual mother, except she's not actually his actual mother, he's his actual stepmother, and she's a mad sort of mob boss wife character. Comic book creator. Comic book creator, she makes comics, she sedates him, she kidnaps him, then she sets up this elaborate plan and poisons him, and to say it goes a bit mad, I think would be an understatement. It's quite smoky, isn't it? Yeah, it's... Smoke-esque. It's kind of wild, actually. We always do this a lot. Yeah. For me, the problem wasn't the finale.
50:22I think it got a bit bogged down. Easy for you to say. Not easy for me to say. In episode four or five. You know when it's basically Keely Hawes and Freddie Highmore and a little bit with a guy who tags along with them. I enjoy him. Who starts torturing people halfway through. That was unexpected. Listen, if you kill his friends and family on the island, he will come for you. Not just his friends and family, the entire population of the island. Everyone he's ever met. Almost. You know, when they go off, and there's a lot of... Even now, I can't remember what happened fully in episodes like four and five.
50:58It's very... I think that this is at least one, if not two episodes too many in the series, I have to say, if I'm being brutally honest. How many Epps were there? Six. Right. And I think it's more of a four. It really could have been a tight four. and um whereas the fight finale i mad as it is at least gave you closure and it served up an explanation of the madness that preceded it albeit it's like everything was being controlled by gina gershon seemingly somehow even the even like the attack on the island and all of that like she was really the more it's one of those shows where and there are people who who don't agree with us about the show.
51:37So all the way through when we reviewed it and, you know, I am in the pocket of big assassins. I did host the Q &A. But I watched the first three episodes first in one go. Then I watched four. But some people were saying, oh, it's ridiculous. It's stupid. You know, it's so over the top, even within the Williams Brothers oeuvre, that it just got carried away with itself a bit. And I know what they mean. I know that I kind of, you know, I can see why you might think that. Is it though? But I'm just adding but it's entertaining. Yeah, I thought it was fabulously entertaining and completely, I was completely in the world definitely for the first two or three episodes then I think it did get a little bit almost repetitive but then I think it brought it back with the mad finale which I enjoyed for its madness.
52:25And if you think about it, the more you think about it, the more insanely ludicrous it is and it doesn't really make any sense whatsoever and there's lots of things about the series that don't quite hang together I think if you're being harsh. But for me it's definitely, unlike smoke i think whereby the twists in smoke were so audacious within themselves that i found it very pleasurable this was different it wasn't about twists was it this show it's more about like how can we come up with a solution to this extraordinarily contrived storylines and in the end they did wrap up whether you whether you kind of thought it was too over the top and in stupid that is up to you but i went with the finale it was actually the previous couple of episodes that I thought it wilted a bit because I don't think it's more mad than Boat Story no no which is batshit yeah in the best possible way yeah for sure but I think Boat Story maybe because of the the little confections like the narrator and the title cards and stuff I think it leans into a slightly heightened surreal feel whereas this this has almost like a like a like a Bourne vibe to its kind of location hopping espionage antics while also being funny and silly and you know but I really had a good time with it.
53:33I do know what you mean. It does, it definitely, there's a lull. There's an energy lull where it feels like, you know, oh, someone needs a snack. You're a little bit, you're low energy at this point. Let's keep going. And then they pull it back in the final episode with all that sort of absolutely bonkers stuff. I do think that there were a lot of reveals, all the Alan Dale stuff and then the secret there. Do you know what? Jim Robinson's son, I thought he was great. He was, but then he gets seduced by Gina Gershon and he is comedically doofus-like. Yeah. And then, you know, what's gone on there he's a moron yeah yeah yeah and then Freddie Highmore it turns out was seducing her at a tennis club as well so there are all these different layers to how they all met I am happy that because I found Freddie's character really annoying to begin with but actually I found him more palatable as it went on you know because he was constantly asking those questions and my feeling was just let him die wow no because he was just kept on like wanting to know and she's like look your life is in danger how dare he want to know who his actual father was when his life's in danger I think just get your head down get through this Yeah, I am with Kay on that.
54:30There is a bit where literally they're running for their lives. Lisa says, no, no, we're going to talk about it now. And she's like, really? I just say, leave him there, see what happens. Yeah, I must admit, I was like, oh my God, get to safety first, then have the conversation for the love of God. I did like the dynamic between Keeley and the gentleman who carved fingers. Yeah, the guy who's from the village, who is a kind of like a... Luca. Luca, that's him. Who I originally thought was in the Durrells, but isn't. But yeah, I think I really like their... It took me a very long time to figure out that he was meant to be positioned as a love interest.
55:03I did not. Oh, really? I hadn't twigged that at all. I was like, who's this random old bloke with the beard just like hanging around? And then I was like, oh, right. Oh, no, I sensed it. Yeah, I didn't. I didn't pick up on that at all. Did you? Yeah, but it was quite tenuous. It was quite kind of, they didn't exactly. Let's say that the chemistry, there wasn't a frisson. No. I would argue. No, no. I would say she had slightly more with Jack Davenport and she beats him to death with a pot. I remember thinking there's a lot of geographical, kind of like people are flying around the world to different places I'm just going to go back to France now the big house in France Shalom Brune Franklin goes back there within half a second and then the others arrive at the listen it's a different lifestyle different world EasyJet PJ's like yeah they've got their private jets on the go they're not like they're not king up on EasyJet like us Boydo well obviously you are part of the PJ club what are you talking about the private jet PJ the PJ club is that what it's called the PJ club Oh, right, okay.
55:59Theatre chaos. Yeah, clearly. No one else uses. The PJ Club. Yeah, so there were moments. Do you know what? I think the first two slash three episodes were so strong in this. Like, you know, there were loads of, like, maverick sequences. Like the Jack Davenport, you know, was it episode two? Short but great. Short but great. You know, the fights and the action, the massacre. There were so many kind of spectacular set pieces and sequences. and funny stuff that if the whole thing had ended up being at that level, I think I would have absolutely loved it and it would have been one of my favourites but yeah, it's the slight wilt that I criticise.
56:40I tell you what's weird is that I think it's because of the tone that helped. I wasn't squeamish about the violence and it was very violent but I think it's because... Yeah, it had a kind of cartoonish quality to it. Heightened quality. Yeah, for sure. I know people who are annoyed by the whole thing but I think you either go along with it. it's like these shows you know we talked about we keep on talking about these shows at the moment that are just like you have to just go with them or just opt out but that's true of all of their shows isn't it they all have that and look I struggle with yeah I struggle with The Tourist initially it wasn't until Boat Story that I really kind of got on their wavelength The Tourist was great Series 1 of the Tourist was particularly fantastic yeah The Assassin then which we hope you enjoyed our rambling shambolic chat about not worthy of its own stand-alone episode I'm very sorry right we'll be back in your ears on Monday when we're going to be reviewing and I'm going to try and remember this off the top of my head we're going to be reviewing The Girlfriend which I don't have screeners for we're going to be reviewing Only Murders in the Building God help me it's season 57 of that rubbish we're going to be sorry kidding kidding sort of kidding and the other one we are doing is I've got it in my head it's Task Task which is the amazing new HBO show with Mark Ruffalo when I say amazing I just mean it's amazing that there's a new HBO show with Mark Ruffalo.
57:57So I'm not pausing any creative of Mayor of Easttown. Yes, that's right. Correct. Yes. Quite the pedigree. And you can find that on Sky Comedy, which is exciting. So, Don't. No, no. Don't bring it up. We've almost got away with it. We've almost got away with it. It's definitely not a comedy. Definitely not a comedy. Definitely not a comedy. But we will be in your ears and indeed in your faces because we'll be back on YouTube as of Monday because some people were too late to do the video while I was off. But that's fine. That's fine. So I'll be back on YouTube. So if you do like to watch rather than listen to the podcast, you can do so then.
58:31I would argue that anyone who wanted to see you while you were away would just have to look at your Instagram to be like waterboarded with images and videos of you having fun in Thailand. Hey, content creators, got to content. Oh my God, please. On that. On that, yeah, I know. Fucking falling note. Oh God. Pilot out.
58:55Thank you.
From the publisher
We’re all in a muddle this week as we valiantly try (and completely fail) to correctly identify which branch of Sky The Paper is airing on (Max, it turns out, NOT Comedy) but that minor administrative snafu aside, we manage to watch the new spinoff from The Office (US) regardless. Plus James gets to play a fun new quiz where he tries (and also fails) to pronounce common UK place names AND we have a spoiler chat about The Assassin.
