Pilot TV

The Westies, Ann Droid, and The Five Star Weekend. With guests JK Simmons and Tom Brittney 13.07.2026 2val 6min

We finally unveil (in typically shambolic fashion) our shows of the year (so far) list in this week’s episode as an arcane mathematical formula is applied to our individual favourites, distilling them into the definitive (probably) top 10 of everything out in 2026 to-date (17:33). Plus JK Simmons and Tom Brittney join us to chat MGM+’s new gangster show The Westies (37:18-50:58). We also watch Diane Morgan’s new comedy, Ann Droid, on BBC1 (1:42:17), and Jennifer Garner’s girls’ weekend drama The Five Star Weekend on Sky Atlantic (1:51:38). All that and se do a drop-in to discuss this year’s Emmy nominations (1:06:32) and James makes a landmark admission while discussing what we’ve all been watching.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 Dark, Human Vapor, and X-Men ‘97. With guest Esther Smith 06.07.2026 1val 36min

Esther Smith is our guest on this week’s show, talking all things Trying Season 5 (38:15-48:52). Plus we pick through the wreckage of the TV schedules this week to try and find shows that haven’t been consumed by the world cup, only to stumble across a Scottish crime drama in The Dark on ITV (58:20), a remake of Japanese supernatural story Human Vapor on Netflix (1:11:04), and the long-awaited second season of X-Men ‘97 on Disney+ (1:22:04). All that, and we even find the time to plan our perfect TV-themed getaways as well.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 Bear, Silo, and Elle 29.06.2026 1val 30min

Ever wondered what a ‘winter show’ looks like? Well fear not because Steph clues you in on this week’s show as we dive into another triad of televisual entertainment. First out of the gate this week is the final season of The Bear on Disney+ (51:06). Will the restaurant keep its doors open? Will Carmy and Syd be able to save the day? Will Ritchie yell obscenities across the kitchen? All is revealed in the show’s last hurrah. We also take a trip back to the high school origin story of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods in Elle on Prime (1:05:50), and head back beneath the earth for a return to the Silo on Apple TV (1:15:45). And if that wasn’t enough, the team make their respective cases for characters who deserved more screen time than they ultimately received and stage a full-throated (steady!) recommendation of what we’re calling ‘the great unifier’, the one show that has aligned James, Kay, Steph and Boyd in unanimous admiration.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+!

Sugar and The Agency 22.06.2026 1val 18min

We’re down to two shows this week as the world cup (or embargoes, depending on who you ask) closes its vice-like grip on the airwaves. But what a pair they are: we’re back in the spy business with Michael Fassbender in the return of Paramount+’s espionage drama The Agency, and on the missing persons beat with Colin Farrell as Apple’s sci-fi-cri Sugar makes its return. Plus we mull over some of the Pilot shows that have dragged us out of our comfort zone and not only does Kay Ribeiro make her triumphant return to the podcast this week, but Steph drops by as well, making this a rare full house.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+!

House Of The Dragon and The Light In The Hall: Still Waters. With guest Javier Bardem 15.06.2026 1val 43min

Thanks to the world cup (and a handful of embargoes), there are only two shows we can cover this week, but that’s okay because not only is one of the triumphant return of Game Of Thrones prequel spin-off House Of The Dragon (1:15:43), but the other is Welsh drama The Light In The Hall: Still Waters (1:01:38), which also exists under the Welsh name Y Golau: Dŵr, which James does attempt to say, albeit with a little assistance. Plus Javier Bardem joins us on the show to chat bringing Max Cady back to our screens in Apple’s adaptation of Cape Fear (35:07-46:23).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+!

Cape Fear, Alice And Steve, and The Witness. With guests Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement 08.06.2026 1val 52min

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+!

Tip Toe, Two Weeks in August, and La Brea. With guest Russell T. Davies 01.06.2026 1val 58min

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+!

Spider-Noir, Dear England, and The Boroughs. With Guests Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker 25.05.2026 1val 53min

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+!

PONIES and Falling, with guests Emilia Clarke, Jon Bernthal & Ebon Moss-Bachrach 18.05.2026 1val 57min

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+!

Rivals, Believe Me, Gary, and Off Campus. With guest Steve Coogan 11.05.2026 1val 48min

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+!

The Cage, Secret Service, and Amandaland. With guest Jack Thorne 04.05.2026 1val 55min

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+!

Half Man, Prisoner, and Widow’s Bay. With guest Richard Gadd 27.04.2026 1val 41min

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+!

Criminal Record, Beef, and Mint. With guests Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo 20.04.2026 1val 44min

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, Big Mood, and The Miniature Wife 13.04.2026 1val 23min

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+!

The Testaments, 2026, and The Copenhagen Test. With guests Noah Wyle & Katherine LaNasa, Hugh Bonneville & Hugh Skinner 06.04.2026 1val 48min

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+!

Babies, The ‘Burbs, and Your Friends And Neighbours. With guests Elisabeth Moss, Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King 30.03.2026 2val 7min

This weeks show not only sees the wonderful Elisabeth Moss come in to the Pilot studio to natter with James, Boyd and (especially) Steph about Imperfect Women (7:29-33:33), but we also speak to Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King about the triumphant return of The Comeback (1:14:31-1:28:20). Meanwhile, this week’s show include BBC1’s Babies — strap in for this one — (1:37:46) Sky’s The ‘Burbs (in which Jack Whitehall revisits the ‘80s Tom Hanks comedy) (1:28:20), and the second season of Jonathan Tropper’s Your Friends And Neighbours on Apple TV (1:52:40). Do we also chat through UK/US exports, argue about cookie allocation and cancel Boyd for not being able to tell Steph and Kay apart? Yes we do.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 Pitt, Bait, and Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole 23.03.2026 1val 43min

It’s quite the week this week as we go full Scandi noir with Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole on Netflix (1:10:20), adapting the author’s insanely popular Norwegian crime novels. Meanwhile, Riz Ahmed is exploring the life of a struggling actor in Bait on Prime Video (57:50), and after a year of waiting patiently, we FINALLY get to see The Pitt land on our tellys (1:26:41) as HBO Max makes its UK debut. And if all that isn’t enough, there are extensive discussions on Louis Theroux’s journey Into The Manosphere, Boyd’s take on this year’s Oscars broadcast, and ambient TV soundtracks for public bathrooms.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

Imperfect Women, A Woman Of Substance, and The Other Bennet Sister. With guests Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri 16.03.2026 1val 58min

It’s our (belated) International Women’s Day episode this week, with a trio of female fronted shows to tackle, from Imperfect Women on Apple (1:13:41), to A Woman Of Substance on Channel 4 (1:27:20), and The Other Bennet Sister on BBC1 (1:41:16) — for which we also speak to Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri (39:58-58:06). Plus last week’s bum banter is swapped out for an array of dog discussion as we chew over the broadcast of this week’s Crufts, and Steph decides to put James and Boyd on the spot and make them name their all-time favourite female protagonists. Yes, James did forget to mention Captain Janeway and Catherine Cawood. No, he’s still not forgiven himself. 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+!

Rooster, Gone, and The Capture. With guests Kurt and Wyatt Russell 09.03.2026 1val 40min

We have a Russell double bill this week as both Kurt and Wyatt join us on the pod to chat Monarch season 2 on Apple TV (33:38-54:47). Elsewhere, we’re getting in trouble on campus both with Steve Carrell in Rooster on Sky Comedy (1:03:47) and with David Morrissey in Gone on ITV1 (1:28:19). All that and BBC1’s The Capture makes a triumphant return to our screens for series 3 (1:17:41), plus we assemble a Mount Rushmore of TV composers, and there’s an alarming amount of discussion about bums. What more could you possibly ask for? Oh and Boydy does talk a little about the latter eps of Industry and if you want to skip it then all that happens between 12:21 and 13:45.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+!

Marshals, Young Sherlock, and DTF St Louis. with guests Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin 02.03.2026 1val 33min

Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin are our guests this week (42:50-55:12), chatting all things Vanished on Prime video. Plus, Steph gives her crime show recommendations for all you sofa sleuths, and we tackle this week’s trio of new (unembargoed) shows. Specifically… the latest addition to the Yellowstoniverse, Marshals, on Paramount+ (1:05:24), teenage Holmes saga Young Sherlock on Prime (1:15:31), and suburban infidelity murder mystery DTF St Louis on Sky Atlantic (1:23:45). 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+!