Pilot TV

After being led astray within the liminal spaces between spaces in the Pilot TV office, Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement finally make their way to the studio this week to chat their new Disney+ comedy Alice And Steve (35:23-54:53), which we also review (1:10:45) this week. Plus we re-live our nineties nightmares as cinematic uber-villain Max Cady makes his small screen debut in Apple’s remake of Cape Fear (1:25:01), and we delve into some traumatic true crime in Netflix’s The Witness (1:40:02). Elsewhere, the team try to name the current funniest show on TV and Boyd takes apart the Euphoria finale scene by scene (4:34-15:06 if you want to avoid spoilers).

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

The notorious RTD joins us on the podcast once more this week (31:27-58:11) as we take a look at his new show Tip Toe on Channel 4, which pits Alan Cumming against David Morrissey’s homophobic next door neighbour. Plus, we head off for a fornight in the sun with BBC1’s Two Weeks In August, and head back in time for epoch-hopping Sky One sci-fi La Brea. Plus James, Boyd and Steph undertake some home improvements, telly style, and you’ll also discover why everyone’s suddenly watching Yellowstone.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

This week’s show has a decidedly football-oriented theme (sorry) and not just because Boydy was still on a high after Arsenal’s win but because James Graham’s award-winning theatre production Dear England lands on our screens (1:31:40), given the full BBC1 treatment. And along those lines, both Jodie Whittaker and Joseph Fiennes join us on the show to talk all about it (44:07-58:24). Elsewhere, we slide back into the 1930s in a hardboiled gumshoe detective story with a superhero twist in Spider-Noir on Prime (1:13:37), and see if Netflix’s OAP Stranger Things, The Boroughs, lives up to its pedigree (1:36:09).

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

Two shows but three guests this week. Emilia Clarke comes into the Pilot studio to chat about her new cold-war espionage show PONIES on Sky (1:06:52-1:25:00). Plus, Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach also jump on to chat their surprise drop from The Bear, ‘Gary’ (38:07-49:32). And if that’s not enough, we also make time for some consecrated canoodling in Channel 4’s Falling, in which Paapa Essiedu’s hot priest falls for Keeley Hawes’ hot nun, and you’ll discover why Steph is talking about having sex dreams about JLS and Dune. Honestly, it’s enough to make you want to find the nearest confessional.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

Yes, we’re back in Rutshire this week as the team (well, one of us) gets to dive back into the world of Jilly Cooper’s bucolic shagathon for Rivals series 2 (1:32:54), speaking of which, we also explore the other sexy ice hockey drama with Off Campus on Prime (1:43:52), get surprised by an unexpected new episode of The Bear (1:39:58), and look into the police mishandling of a notorious serial sex offender in Believe Me on ITV (1:17:59). Plus Steve Coogan sits down in the Pilot TV studio to chat Netflix’s Legends (47:39-1:06:22), the team mull over a selection of particularly ill-conceived character arcs, and there’s even more bee chat than last week as our apian allies drop by to make their feelings about the podcast known first-hand.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

This week’s show sees us pick up some of last week’s biggies with Tony Schumacher’s heist drama The Cage on BBC1 (1:38:54), Gemma Arterton-starring spy show Secret Service on ITV (1:14:57), and the second series of Amandaland, which also lands on the Beeb (1:26:27). Plus uber-screenwriter Jack Thorne chats through his craft with James (43:21-1:06:26), and we take a look at the evolution of small screen storytelling from the episodic shows of yore all the way up to binge-worthy one-drops.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

Is it us or is it getting hot in here? No, it really is but only because Steph has been messing with the air conditioning in the studio (true). Luckily, this didn’t both Richard Gadd, who joins us on this week’s show to talk becoming a beefcake and scaring the shit out of Jamie Bell in his Baby Reindeer follow-up Half Man on BBC1 (58:36-1:10:02). But that’s not all, because the team also investigate Sky’s new thriller Prisoner (1:28:10), which bears a striking resemblance to Jonathan Ross’ new Handcuffed show, only with more machine guns, and Apple’s quirky supernatural comedy Widow’s Bay (1:35:40). Plus, if you’ve ever wanted to know what each of the team’s most embarrassing celebrity anecdotes were then this is the episode for you!

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo are on this week’s pod to talk Criminal Record season 2 on Apple TV, which we also review even though James wanted us to wait until he gets back from holiday next week because he’s watched the whole thing already. We also review Beef and Mint. That’s not a new cookery show. They’re two separate programmes, one called Beef and one called Mint.

Euphoria makes its long-awaited return to our screens this week, after a four year hiatus. But can it possibly meet Boyd’s lofty expectations when it lands on Sky/HBO Max (47:06)? And speaking of Sky, Matthew Macfadyen and Elizabeth Banks’ size-shifting comedy The Miniature Wife also lands on that platform (1:01:04), and hit comedy Big Mood returns for another run on Channel 4 (1:11:05). Plus, we bust out our (metaphorical) turntables to thrash out our favourite TV needle drops, there’s a lot of unnecessary watermark chat, and you’re all invited to Steph’s birthday party. Except James.

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

Guests abound once more this week as both Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa chat The Pitt with James (1:04:12-1:17:45), while Hughs Bonneville and Skinner recount their experiences making 2026 with Boyd (22:46-23:40). Meanwhile, we’re back in Gilead this week for The Testaments on Disney+ (1:17:45), finding out is Simu Liu can hack it as a spy in The Copenhagen Test on Channel 4 (1:36:53), and reuniting with Hugh Bonneville once again as he does his level best to organise the world cup in 2026 on BBC1 (1:28:09). Plus, Kay interrogates our Easter viewing habits, James recounts a challenging interview with The Sopranos’ David Chase and there’s an inexplicable surprise poetry reading…

Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!