Standard Issue Podcast

As the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill appears to hit the rocks in the House of Lords, Hannah chats to one of the people questioning whether it is fit for purpose, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. The pioneering wheelchair racer tells us about her concerns about the disabled community, coercive control and patients with anorexia.

* The Standard Issue Substack can be found here: https://standardissuepodcast.substack.com/

Standard Issue Podcast | creating a magazine for ears, by women for women | Patreon

* And Not Dead Yet UK can be found here: https://www.notdeadyetuk.org/

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What's coming to our TV screens in 2026? Find out in the year's first Outside The Box, as we talk about that, as well as why Hannah's cancelled her Netflix and what telly gems have made January a bit more bearable. 

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From badly-timed cinema release to sleeper hit to cult favourite, Richard Kelly's debut film spawned careers, revivals and a Christmas number one. But has it stood the test of time (travel)? 

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Anna Maloney’s fast-paced new thriller The 10:12 is set onboard a hijacked train, and some passengers aren’t just going to sit back and do as they’re told. One in particular, Claire Fitzroy, a late mid-life arts teacher, ruffles feathers when she not only takes action, but takes charge. 

Anna chats to Mick about how wildly recollections of events may differ, have-a-go heroes (and heroines), and why you should never underestimate a woman in her mid-life. 

There is, as ever, more chat for our £5 and above patrons, so if you fancy getting involved, visit patreon.com/standardissue. 

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When Dr Donna Peberdy, associate professor of performance, sex and gender at Southampton Solent University, began to see a lot of representations of violence against women in work made by female filmmakers, she realised what a useful tool they could be. So, in collaboration with the 16 Days 16 Films festival, she started Screening Sexual Violence, a research project and online resource.

Jen caught up with Donna to talk about the work she’s doing, what she’s seeing, and whether or not AI is about to make it so much worse.

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Safe Haven, which has just opened at London's Arcola theatre, tells the true story of what happened in spring 2001, when two million Kurds fleeing Saddam Hussein's forces found themselves in the freezing mountains, and two Whitehall diplomats decided to intervene. Hannah chats to two of the play's stars, Lisa Zahra and Beth Burrows, to find out more.

* Safe Haven is on until February 7. More information and tickets here: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/safe-haven/

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If you’ve no idea what’s going on with the US and Greenland, don't worry – neither do we. Nor, apparently, does Donald Trump, so join the club. Elsewhere, we’ve identified a learning opportunity for Nigel Farage, there’s good news neither Hannah nor Jen are ready to listen to, and we start the campaign for equal opportunities LOL-ing at the Beckhams. And with the Australian Open underway, Jen caught up with TNT Sports pundit and former GB tennis star, Laura Robson, to find out more about the runners and riders.

The Australian Open is broadcast on TNT Sports and available to stream on Discovery+ in the UK.

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Does Robert Rodriguez’s 1996 grindhouse-schlock fest with a screeching plot twist put even more NO into its writer and “star” Quentin Tarantino for Mick, Hannah and Jen? Ooh, it’s a breath bater. George Clooney’s film debut was a far cry from ER’s Dr Doug Ross, but classic Tarantino to its core. But does that mean it’s OUTRAGEOUS and CONTROVERSIAL and CLEVER and THE BEST or just jerk-off dogshit misogyny? Find out!

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Journalist, author and mother of three, Ellie Levenson used to dream of time away from the pressures of family life, a fantasy shared by many of her female friends. This became the basis for her first novel, Room 706, a story about extra-marital affairs, gunmen, and who’s picking up those bread rolls the kids like. Jen chatted to Ellie about the book, the mental load, and what it's like to get props from Sarah Jessica Parker.

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Comedian, actress and writer Lucia Keskin made her name on YouTube as Chi with a C, where she started making content at just 16. Indeed, one of her first videos to go viral was her opening her GCSE results on camera. 

Fair to say, Lucia’s a natural comedic voice, and the first season of her BBC3 sitcom Things You Should Have Done bagged a big following as well as a couple of awards (hello a BAFTA). It’s back this week for season two, so Mick got Lucia on the Zoom to find out what our spectacularly hapless hero Chi has been up to, and to talk about the joy in dopey and mean female characters, the excitement of added Bridget Christie, failing all your GCSEs, and how silly might save us all.

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