In this episode, we’re talking about Billy Wilder’s 1960 comedy drama The Apartment. Inspired by Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter, the film was nominated for ten Oscars and won five, though the subject matter was regarded as a pretty controversial turn for Wilder after his box office smash Some Like It Hot. The movie was later developed into the musical Promises, Promises written by Neil Simon, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, which included the much-covered song ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’. Tonight we’ll be baking a fruit cake for Bud, played by Jack Lemmon, and straining some spaghetti with a tennis racket for Fran, played by Shirley MacLaine. What does the connection between these two characters tell us about how the festive season can affect the lens through which we see our personal lives? And how much does it apply to life in 2021?

Recorded in November 2021.