Pilot TV - podcast cover

Pilot TV

Empire Magazinepscrb.fm

From the creators of The Empire Film Podcast, Pilot TV is your essential guide to every TV show that matters, providing a weekly rundown of all the new must-see TV shows dropping across streaming, terrestrial, satellite, cable, and beyond. Join Empire's James Dyer, Heat's Boyd Hilton, and Kay Ribeiro as they bring you breaking TV news, reviews of the week's major shows, and interviews with some of the biggest names in TV.

Pilot TV is here to make sure every minute you spend in front of the box is a minute worth spending. Served with a heavy helping of insider knowledge, irreverence and humour, Pilot TV won't just keep you informed, amused and entertained, but is guaranteed to save countless hours of your life. Because you can’t watch *everything*.

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to Pilot+ for a bonus episode every Thursday, in-depth spoiler specials, and early, ad-free access to the regular show! Find out more at www.empireonline.com/pilottv

Episodes

#79 - Save Me Too, Tales From The Loop, and Home Before Dark

The magnificent Lennie James returns to our screens (in a bright yellow puffer jacket, naturally) having written a follow-up to 2018's brilliant Save Me. And that's not all, because this week we're also wrangling with the very fabric of existence with Amazon's Tales From The Loop, and keeping print journalism alive with a tween reporter in Apple's Home Before Dark. Plus the team take the current lockdown to heart, prompting an in-depth discussion of TV's best bottle episodes.

Mar 29, 20201 hr 13 minSeason 1Ep. 82

#78 - The Mandalorian, Veronica Mars, Hitmen, and Ozark

It's here! The first socially distanced Pilot TV podcast is live, and not only is it business as usual for Pilot TV during the current pandemic but we also see the triumphant return of Terri White as it turns out that isolation and maternity leave are actually quite compatible. On this week's show we *finally* get to review The Mandalorian as Disney + launches here in the UK, and we *at last* get to see the return of Veronica Mars as it makes a belated appearance here as well. Plus we go murderi...

Mar 23, 20201 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 81

#77 - Belgravia, The English Game, and Feel Good

It's a Julian Fellowes double-bill this week as we sit down to high tea with some posh socialites in Belgravia and then set about scoring goals against posh footballers in The English Game. And that's all prior to being thoroughly charmed by Mae Martin and Charlotte Ritchie in Feel Good. Don't worry, though, there's plenty of conflict to balance it all out as Boyd goes all Season 8 Daenerys on James over what they've been watching this week and we talk about the best in apocalyptic TV.

Mar 16, 20201 hr 28 minSeason 1Ep. 80

#76 - Westworld, Breeders, and Mrs. Fletcher

Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard are our guests this week, stopping by to talk about their parenting comedy Breeders, which features Freeman hurling obscenities at a toddler and calling an alarm clock a c***. We also tackle Sky’s Mrs Fletcher, in which empty nest syndrome collides with hardcore pornography — an incident that unexpectedly spiced up James' commute. And last but by no means least we return to HBO’s Westworld to see whether Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan’s show survives its transition ...

Mar 09, 20202 hr 45 minSeason 1Ep. 79

#75 - Noughts + Crosses, War Of The Worlds, Liar, and The Trip To Greece

This week's show sees us suiting up for yet another War Of The Worlds, this time in a more contemporary London with Gabriel Byrne on the run from Martian marauders. Plus we explore racial tensions in an alternate reality England with BBC1's Noughts + Crosses, seek nuggets of truth in return of ITV's Liar, and accompany Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan on their latest holiday abroad in The Trip To Greece. Plus we get to hear about Beth's new sideline as a documentarian as she unearths the darker side ...

Mar 02, 20201 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 78

#74 - I'm Not Okay With This, Altered Carbon, and Flesh And Blood. Featuring guest host Rufus Jones

The star and creator of Channel 4's Home, Rufus Jones joins us on the podcast this week, stepping in for James while he's on holiday. And speaking of body swaps, this week sees us review Season 2 of Netflix's now Joel Kinnaman-less sci-fi Altered Carbon, along with John Hughes-inspired high school superhero series I'm Not Okay With This and ITV thriller Flesh & Blood.

Feb 24, 20202 hr 31 minSeason 1Ep. 77

#73 - Hunters, Intelligence, and This Country

We’re on the lookout for Nazis with Al Pacino this week with Amazon’s Hunters, plus studying the art of incompetent spycraft with David Schwimmer in Intelligence, and taking a break from the bustle of London for a tongue-in-cheek look at Cotswolds life in BBC mockumentary This Country. All that and you can discover the assortment of shows Boyd's recently been on set of, learn why Beth loves Pontypandy, and find out why James' mum once complained to the BBC about a certain children's show.

Feb 17, 20201 hr 19 minSeason 1Ep. 76

#72 - Homeland, Castle Rock, and The End

Join us for a very special podcast this week — Terri's last before heading off on maternity leave. To celebrate the occasion Boyd and James provide some recommendations for post partum viewing, plus we dive head first into the eighth season of Homeland, the second season of Castle Rock and the beginning of Australian euthanasia drama, The End.

Feb 10, 20201 hr 11 minSeason 1Ep. 75

#71 - Locke & Key, Home, Baghdad Central, The Pale Horse, and Inside No. 9. Featuring guest host Sarah Phelps

Sarah Phelps joins us as a special celebrity co-host on this week's show to talk everything from her latest Agatha Christie adaptation, The Pale Horse to the joys of Mrs Brown's Boys, by way of Baby Yoda sex toys and the logistics of stormtrooper wanking. Meanwhile, we get stuck into *four* other new shows this week, including Netflix's latest spooky old house series, and the delightful second series of Rufus Jones' immigrant comedy, Home.

Feb 03, 20202 hr 31 minSeason 1Ep. 74

#70 - Star Trek: Picard, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Miracle Workers. Featuring Armando Iannucci

Armando Iannucci is our guest on the podcast this week, telling us about his love of Star Trek, the fundamental flaw in Virgin Atlantic, and why he chose to break with terrestrial affairs and write a show set in a flying dildo (35:44-49:17). Also this week, Boyd explains the secret behind Larry David’s comedy genius as we review Season 10 of Curb Your Enthusiasm and we take a trip to heaven with Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi in Miracle Workers. Finally, after about 18 months of build-up, Ja...

Jan 27, 20202 hr 40 minSeason 1Ep. 73

#69 - Avenue 5, Shrill, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Beth Webb stands in for Terri this week as we are prevented from talking about Star Trek: Picard thanks to an inconvenient embargo that we in no way attempt to circumvent by nefarious means. Instead, we hop aboard Armando Iannucci’s new sci-fi show, Avenue 5, embrace the comedy charms of Shrill Season 2 and find out what’s been happening on Netflix’s Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina. Plus you can hear all about how Boyd turned up on Skins and Beth’s attempts to justify her aversion to science fict...

Jan 20, 20201 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 72

#68 - The Outsider, Sex Education, and Cobra

Happy new year! Pilot TV’s first show of 2020 marks the triumphant return of Netflix’s Sex Education, the declaration of a national emergency in Sky’s Cobra, and a supernatural twist on the modern crime drama with the HBO adaptation of Stephen King’s The Outsider. Plus James, Terri and Boyd thrash out the various shows they managed to cram into the Christmas Break, not least of all the Derry Girls edition of Bake Off.

Jan 13, 20201 hr 17 minSeason 1Ep. 71

Review Of The Year 2019, featuring Brian Cox

Another year, another raft of exceptional TV shows. If you were wondering what shows you should be watching over the holiday break, curious as to what you missed over the past 12 months or just looking for the single, definitive checklist of everything that should be on your playlist then look no further. James, Terri and Boyd mull over all the best shows of the past 12 months, running down the official Pilot TV Top 20 shows of the year. Plus, make some extra recommendations and take a look at s...

Dec 30, 20192 hr 59 minSeason 1Ep. 70

#67 - Dracula, You, and The Witcher

In our final regular show of the year we get bloody with Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat’s Sherlockian take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, get caught up with Season 2 of Netflix’s stalker series You, and are finally allowed to talk about The Witcher. Plus we fill you in on the Gavin & Stacey and Doctor Who Christmas specials.

Dec 23, 20191 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 69

#66 - A Christmas Carol, Sticks And Stones, and In The Long Run Christmas Special

This week we’re tapping into that Big Dickens Energy with Steven Knight's take on A Christmas Carol, and continuing in the festive spirit with the Christmas special of Idris Elba’s In The Long Run. Plus, we debate the difference between a comedy and a psychological thriller in our review of ITV's Sticks And Stones. Terri's off on holiday this week but Beth Webb bravely attempts to fill her sweary shoes and keep both James and Boyd in line.

Dec 16, 20191 hrSeason 1Ep. 68

#65 - The Expanse, Traces, and Law & Order: SVU

Rupert Grint makes his Pilot TV Podcast debut this week, stopping by to talk all things Servant. Plus we *finally* get the chance to review The Expanse and you won't want to miss Terri's assessment of that one. As counter programming to that, we get into a protracted and somewhat heated argument, debating the merits of the new season of Law & Order: SVU. Plus Alibi's Traces gets a look in as well.

Dec 09, 20192 hr 32 minSeason 1Ep. 67

#64 - Truth Be Told, Vikings, and Elizabeth Is Missing

On the podcast this week we're heavy on the Norse as Terri and Boyd try (and fail) to make sense of Vikings Season 5, Apple's latest drops in the form of Octavia Spencer's podcast-themed Truth Be Told, and we enjoy a 90-minute one-off TV drama (not a film) in BBC1's Elizabeth Is Missing. Plus James prepares everyone for next week's return of The Expanse in *excruciating* detail (01:00:14 - 01:04:42).

Dec 02, 20191 hr 9 minSeason 1Ep. 66

#63 - Servant, 8 Days, and Upright

It's all creepy nannies with M. Night Shyamalan's Servant this week, then a Teutonic apocalypse in Sky's 8 Days and finally a road trip across Australia with Tim Minchin and a suerprisingly sweary 16 year-old in Upright. Plus Boyd shows off his newfound swearing powers, Terri teaches us some Northern slang and James finally gets to Banshee Utopia. (Note: The Servant review takes place between 36:02 and 45:54 and is clearly signposted, just in case you want to watch that without knowing what it's...

Nov 25, 20191 hr 6 minSeason 1Ep. 65

#62 - Vienna Blood and Cold Call

After weeks of broken promises, Terri *finally* watches that long-awaited second episode of Farscape this week. And as if that weren't enough, we also sink our teeth into period procedural Vienna Blood, explore the perils of answering the phone in Channel 5's Cold Call, enthuse about the ongoing charms of Gold Digger, and talk all things Maclunkey. Plus you'll get to hear Terri's Nadine Coyle impression, which is not to be missed.

Nov 18, 201959 minSeason 1Ep. 64

#61 - The Crown, The War Of The Worlds, Gold Digger, and The Man In The High Castle

It's Crown time again on the podcast this week as Olivia Colman joins Monarchy: The Next Generation. Plus we see how the Martians are faring in the Beebs new adaptation of The War Of The Worlds, strap in for the final season of The Man In The High Castle, and find out if we're on board with the BBC's new 'family noir', Gold Digger.

Nov 11, 20191 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 63

#60 - The End Of The F****** World, Britannia, and The Young Offenders. Featuring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard

Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard join us this week (26:02-41:16) to talk about feeling their way through Apple's post-apocalyptic epic, See. Plus we get into a trio of sequels including Sky's Britannia and Channel 4's The End Of The F****** World. We also fall out completely over The Young Offenders and Empire's Chris Hewitt drops by for an impromptu Banshee about Blue Bloods.

Nov 04, 20191 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 62

#59 - His Dark Materials, Jack Ryan, and Apple TV+. Featuring Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld joins us this week, bringing some Big Dickinson Energy to the podcast as she tells us all about her new show on Apple TV+. Speaking of which, we attempt to review all of the shows dropping on the new streaming service this Friday (The Morning Show, See, Dickinson, For All Mankind), while still finding time to wax lyrical about His Dark Materials and Season 2 of Jack Ryan. Brace yourselves, this may take a while.

Oct 28, 20191 hr 27 minSeason 1Ep. 61

#58 - Watchmen, Pose, and The Accident

Damon Lindelof's Watchmen is the main course on this week's menu, with Jack Thorne's The Accident serving as a tasty (if slightly bitter) starter and Ryan Murphy's Pose perfectly capping it off as the fizzy dessert. All that and Terri finally watches an episode of 'Fire Escape', which goes about as well as you'd expect.

Oct 20, 20191 hr 17 minSeason 1Ep. 60

#57 - Living With Yourself, Dublin Murders, Modern Love, and Giri/Haji. Featuring Aisling Bea

Aisling Bea joins us on this week's podcast to talk about her new show with Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself, which we also review! Not only that but we delve into the mystery of Sarah Phelps' Dublin Murders, discover the meaning of romance in Amazon's Modern Love, and span continents with English/Japanese gangster drama Giri/Haji. All that and an utterly incoherent Banshee featuring nineties German porn game shows, plus some (blissfully short) Picard-splaining and the joy of Aisling Bea schoolin...

Oct 14, 20191 hr 26 minSeason 1Ep. 59

#56 - Motherland, The Terror, and The Walking Dead

It's murder at the school gates this week (not literally) in BBC2's Motherland, more creepy shenanigans from anthology series The Terror, and The Walking Dead returns for its tenth season - yes, that's right, you've been watching these zombies for a full decade now. Plus Terri makes her triumphant return after a week off and James finally gets to put his oar in concerning Amazon's Carnival Row. Oh and it's worth mentioning that this podcast was recorded *before* the new Picard trailer dropped, m...

Oct 07, 20191 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 58

#55 - Catherine The Great, Swamp Thing, and Goliath

With Terri across the Atlantic, Beth Webb joins James and Boyd as the team dives into Swamp Thing, peers up at Goliath and kneels down before Catherine The Great. We also take a detour via Stars Hollow for a brief reappreciation of Gilmore Girls, jump back to the early nineties to recount the story of a little known James Earl Jones series that was subjected to a baffling makeover, and get into the weeds over last week's Emmy results.

Sep 30, 20191 hr 15 minSeason 1Ep. 57

#54 - The Politician, World On Fire, and Transparent

On this week's show we hurl ourselves into the Beeb's lavish WWII series World On Fire, delve into the world of Machiavellian high school politics in Netflix's The Politician, and put on our dancing shoes for the musical finale of Amazon's Transparent. All that and the staggering revelation that James was in an early nineties sitcom starring Nigel Planer.

Sep 23, 201956 minSeason 1Ep. 56

#53 (Live) - Criminal, Defending The Guilty, and City On A Hill. Featuring guest host Russell Tovey

A very special episode this week, specifically our first ever live show! Recorded at the London Podcast Festival on Friday 13th September, the show saw Russell Tovey join James, Terri and Boyd as part of the Pilot team, waxing lyrical about Netflix's interrogation procedural Criminal, Boston-set crime drama City On A Hill and baby barrister comedy Defending The Guilty, plus much, much more besides. Come for the lowdown on the latest telly, stay for Russell's brilliantly X-rated anecdotes.

Sep 16, 20192 hr 32 minSeason 1Ep. 55

#52 - Temple, Unbelievable, and Top Boy

This week we take a look at Mark Strong's mob doctor drama Temple, join Toni Collette for true-crime drama Unbelievable, and get in touch with our inner East End gangsters for Netflix's Drake-starring thriller Top Boy. Also on the podcast this week we've been beset by gremlins! Not literally, of course, but rather the technical kind that meant guest presenter Amon's microphone decided to misbehave. Thanks to some postproduction tinkering, though, we've managed to make him audible but apologies f...

Sep 09, 20191 hr 11 minSeason 1Ep. 54

#51 - The Capture, A Confession, The Loudest Voice, and State Of The Union. Featuring Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom

Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom join us on the podcast this week for a bit of fairy chat (31:00-38:31), plus we get stuck into no less than *four* new shows. Specifically, CCTV thriller The Capture, Roger Ailes/Fox News origin story The Loudest Voice, ITV's A Confession, and bite-sized marital strife comedy State Of The Union. Plus we reveal the fate of Funny Or Dyer and Terri goes off on one about the ubiquity of Delbert Wilkins.

Sep 02, 20191 hr 18 minSeason 1Ep. 53