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, Steph Seelan, 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

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Episodes

Pluribus, All Her Fault, and Wild Cherry. With guest Jack Whitehall

We get nothing from Malice from guest Jack Whitehall this week, who chats with Boyd about his new show. Malice (20:57-35:20). But on the rest of the pod, we’re all sweetness and light, mainly as we not only have a new Vince Gilligan show to watch, in the form of Pluribus on Apple TV (1:07:57), but it’s a show that depicts humanity at its happiest… with a cost. Outside this jaunt into the world of sci-fi, we follow Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning in the hunt for a missing boy in All Her Fault on S...

Nov 10, 20251 hr 24 minSeason 1Ep. 383

Down Cemetery Road, I Love LA, and Robin Hood. With guest Ruth Wilson

Ruth Wilson in uncovering a conspiracy this week, both in Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV (1:02:18), and on this very podcast, for she is this week’s guest (33:12-48:43). Plus we’re back among the branches of Sherwood for Robin Hood on MGM+ (1:14:37), and hanging out with some friends reunited in I Love LA on Sky Comedy (1:22:23). And yes, while Boyd and Kay do insist on some Traitors discussion (as well as something to do with knitting), James was absolutely attentive and listened to every word....

Nov 03, 20251 hr 35 minSeason 1Ep. 382

It: Welcome To Derry, Trigger Point, and Art Detectives. With guest Stephen Merchant

Stephen Merchant joins us on the show this week, not only chatting to James about his recent zombie apocalypse debut in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, but ruminating on comedy, rhyming slang, the legacy of The Office and 24. Plus, we follow the exploits of some we’re hanging out with some very different Derry girls (and boys) in It: Welcome to Derry on Sky, take in a little fine art with Art Detectives on U&Drama, and find out if booms still shake the room in series 3 of Trigger Point on ITV...

Oct 27, 20251 hr 35 minSeason 1Ep. 381

Leonard And Hungry Paul, The Forsytes, and The Ridge. With guests Harlan Coben and Bill Nighy

We have a Lazarus double bill this week as both showrunner Harlan Coben and Star Bill Nighy drop by for separate (but thematically connected) chats about the new Prime Video thriller (which is embargoed, so we’ll be reviewing it on Pilot+). Plus we go abseiling with Lauren Lyle in The Ridge on BBC2, head back to posh Victorian England with The Forsytes on Channel 5, and get a little ASMR from Julia Roberts in Leonard And Hungry Paul on BBC2. Elsewhere, Kay enquires as to just what it takes to ma...

Oct 20, 20251 hr 29 minSeason 1Ep. 380

Riot Women, The Iris Affair, and Monster: The Ed Gein Story. With guests Sally Wainwright, Adjani Salmon & Ali Hughes

Kay rapidly wishes she’d never returned from holiday after coming back to this week’s show as she discovers that Boyd hasn’t saved her a copy of his book. But that’s at least partially made up for by the fact that she gets to talk to the legendary Sally Wainwright about her new BBC show Riot Women (1:09:56-1:24:35), which we also review. Plus Adjani Salmon and Ali Hughes are on to chat the latest series of BBC3’s excellent Dreaming Whilst Black (35:45-56:43). Elsewhere, we tackle Sky’s new thril...

Oct 13, 20251 hr 57 minSeason 1Ep. 379

Film Club, Dreaming Whilst Black, and Murder Before Evensong. With Guests Aimee Lou Wood & Suranne Jones, and Jodie Whittaker

We’re legitimately chatting all things movies on the (TV) podcast this week as Aimee Lou Wood and Suranne Jones join us to chat Film Club on BBC3 (37:11-53:10), Plus Jodie Whittaker (sans Suranne) pops by to talk all things Frauds on ITV (1:04:03-1:23:34). Meanwhile, we catch up with Adjani Salmon for the second series of Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC3 (1:38:38), and delve into ecclesiastical crime solving with Murder Before Evensong on Channel 5 (1:48:45). All that, and a labyrinthine discussion...

Oct 06, 20251 hr 59 minSeason 1Ep. 378

Chad Powers, Frauds, and How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge). With Guests Jessica Chastain & Nnamdi Asomugha and Tom Blyth

Jessica Chastain and Nnamdi Asomugha are our guests on this week’s show, chatting The Savant on Apple TV+ (47:34-57:53) — a show that unfortunately you can’t watch, the reasons for which we get into in some detail elsewhere on the podcast. Meanwhile, Tom Blyth stops by to talk Billy The Kid (1:14:38-1:28:46), which you CAN see on MGM+. Also, we try to discover why people want to hide GLen Powell’s face in Chad Powers on Disney+ (1:28:46), see what Jodie Whittaker and Suranne Jones are up to over...

Sep 29, 20252 hr 4 minSeason 1Ep. 377

Slow Horses, Wayward, and The Hack. With guests Ruth Bradley and Christopher Chung

It’s a Slow Horses special (kind of) this week as not only do we review the show’s fifth series but both Christopher Chung (Roddy Ho) and Ruth Bradley (Emma Flyte) are guests, with Ruth dropping into the studio mid-record almost as if she’d just been sent over from The Park by Taverner. Meanwhile, we take a look at the phone hacking scandal along with David Tennant in The Hack on ITV, and let Toni Colette scare the willies out of us in Wayward on Netflix.

Sep 22, 20251 hr 54 minSeason 1Ep. 376

Black Rabbit, Gen V, and Juice. With guests Andrew Lincoln and David Ireland

We’re in Coldwater this week as Andrew Lincoln and writer David Ireland discuss the new ITV thriller (23:55-44:34). Plus Kay asks the question as to whether we take TV (or film, or book) recommendations from other people. And then there’s this week’s crop of shows, which includes Netflix’s brotherly strife miniseries Black Rabbit (53:45), Prime’s second series of The Boys spinoff Gen V (1:03:08), and the second series of Mawaan Rizwan’s Juice on BBC3 (1:10:25). (Episode 354) Note: time stamps ar...

Sep 15, 20251 hr 20 minSeason 1Ep. 375

Task, The Girlfriend, and Only Murders In The Building. With guests Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke

We are nominally back to normal this week, meaning we’re all in the studio and the YouTube cameras are back on. And a good thing too as we take on HBO crime thriller Task (55:00), the fifth season of Only Murders In The Building on Disney+ (1:12:15) and Prime Video’s domestic thriller The Girlfriend (1:03:39), for which both Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke join us on the show (27:28-43:32). Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to av...

Sep 08, 20251 hr 24 minSeason 1Ep. 374

The Guest, I Fought The Law, and The Runarounds. With Guest Domhnall Gleeson

We’re back to a semblance of normality this week, except for James being in Florida and having to dial in remotely, but that doesn’t stop us taking on the police with Sheridan Smith in I Fought The Law on ITV1, exploring upstairs/downstairs relationships with Eve Myles in The Guest on BBC1, and rocking out with The Runarounds on Prime Video. Plus Domhnall Gleeson stops by to chat with us about The Office (US) spinoff The Paper on Sky. (Episdoe 352)

Sep 01, 20251 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 373

Atomic, King & Conqueror, and Invasion. With guests Suranne Jones and Matt Charman, Alfie Allen and Shazad Latif

It’s a bumper, star-studded week for guests with two glorious duos discussing their shows - Hostage and Atomic, while we’re still missing our leader James so it’s another “Dot and Ethel” two hander with Boyd, live from the Edinburgh TV festival, and Kay, live from her living room. They review the aforementioned Atomic on Sky, plus King & Conqueror and season 3 of invasion. Yes, season 3. But all the other brand new shows are embargoed.

Aug 25, 20251 hr 40 minSeason 1Ep. 372

Peacemaker, The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox, and Mudtown. With guest Alex Lawther

The excellent Alex Lawther is our guest this week. You’ll know him from The End Of The F****ing World among other fine shows, and now he is one of the shining lights in the ensemble cast of Alien: Earth. Lazy James is still away so Boyd and Kay are joined by Crime Queen Steph, and it just so happens there’s a lot of crime shows for us to discuss, including Disney+’s controversial Amanda Knox drama, Mudtown on U&Alibi, not to be confused with Mudbath, and Peacemaker which features an orgy of ...

Aug 18, 20251 hr 41 minSeason 1Ep. 371

LIVE: Alien: Earth, In Flight, and Butterfly. With special guest co-host Russell T. Davies

Our Live 350th episode turned out to be a live 349th episode (because maths) but that didn’t stop it from being a storming night at Kings Place in London. Why? Because on this episode our trio became a quartet and we were joined by the magnificent Russell T Davies, who was anointed as an official Co-Pilot. Much hilarity ensued (just wait till you get to Boyd’s review of Butterfly) as we tackled everything from AI to Masterchef and everything in between. Audience questions were answered, cake was...

Aug 11, 20252 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 370

Outlander: Blood Of My Blood, Platonic, and Ridley. With Guests Adrian Dunbar and Paul Wesley

We have a double whammy of guests this week as Adrian Dunbar joins us to chat Ridley on ITV. Plus Paul Wesley chats to us about returning to the bridge as Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Meanwhile, Scottish shagfest Outlander gets a spinoff series with highland origin story Blood Of My Blood on MGM+, and Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne return for another round of Platonic on Apple TV+. And, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, we open the Pilot TV agony aunt column.

Aug 04, 20251 hr 56 minSeason 1Ep. 369

The Assassin, The Count Of Monte Cristo, The Gone, and The Mayfair Witches

There’s a returning series bonanza this week as we take our pick from The Gone and The Mayfair Witches, both returning to the Beeb. But that’s okay as we also have two big ticket originals making their TV debut this week, specifically Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore comedy thriller The Assassin on Prime Video and Sam Claflin-starring Alexandre Dumas adaptation The Count Of Monte Cristo on U&Drama. Plus there’s much discussion of the correct pronunciation (and actual location) of Guildford....

Jul 28, 20251 hr 15 minSeason 1Ep. 368

Mix Tape, The Narrow Road To The Deep North, and Washington Black. With guest Mark Gatiss

Bookish goes Poddish this week as Mark Gatiss joins us on the show to talk about post-war crime solving on U&Alibi (30:01-51:57). Plus we review a trio of time-hopping dramas this week from Aussie/Northern ‘80s drama Mix Tape on BBC2 (1:11:16), epic WWII literary adaptation The Narrow Road To The Deep North on BBC1 (1:26:44), and emancipation and invention adventure Washington Black on Disney+ (1:37:44). And, courtesy of a listener, we delve into the different types of streaming drops from w...

Jul 21, 20251 hr 46 minSeason 1Ep. 367

Too Much, The Institute, Bookish, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. With guests Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Scott Gimple, Emer Kenny & Lauren Lyle

Too Much is very much the phrase of the week on this episode as not only do we have four guests — specifically Karen Pirie’s Lauren Lyle and Emer Kenny (50:50-1:04:40) and The Walking Dead: Dead City’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Scott Gimple (22:53-32:36)— but we also review four shows — specifically Too Much on Netflix (1:04:40), The Institute on MGM+ (1:30:28), Bookish on U&Alibi (1:22:06) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+ (1:40:35). So if you had plans today, you might want to ...

Jul 14, 20251 hr 50 minSeason 1Ep. 366

Foundation, Ballard, and Shifting Gears. With guest Jared Harris

It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for… James talking about Foundation for a truly heroic amount of time as not only does the team review (1:00:25) the show’s third season (for which James provides Kay with a ‘helpful’ primer on the series) but he also gets to sit down with Jared Harris and chat psychohistory and four-dimensional objects to his heart’s content (31:46-46:22). Elsewhere, we get back into the Boschiverse with Ballard on Prime (1:19:16), and see if throwback ‘90s sitcoms still...

Jul 07, 20251 hr 39 minSeason 1Ep. 365

Squid Game, The Bear, Such Brave Girls, and Scrublands. With guest Kat Sadler

Kay is still on her terribly important work assignment to Rimini this week, so beams into the studio on the airwaves as she, James and Boyd discuss everything from Boyd’s new foray into the world of video influencers to Kay’s poolside celebrity encounters. We’re also joined on the show by Such Brave Girls creator/star Kat Sadler (31:25-50:35), as we tackle that show’s second season (1:20:18), plus in a bumper review episode, we dive back into Squid Game on Netflix (1:14:26), The Bear on Disney+ ...

Jun 30, 20251 hr 39 minSeason 1Ep. 364

Smoke, Transaction, and Countdown. With guest Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks couldn’t stay away and is back on the podcast this week, talking this time about the return of The Buccaneers to Apple TV+ (28:59-50:14). And speaking of Apple, the new show from Dennis Lehane, Smoke, goes under the Pilot TV microscope this week as we follow Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett in tracking down a serial arsonist (1:19:07). Plus we join Jordan Gray and Nick Frost in ITV’s supermarket comedy Transaction (59:54), and go undercover with Jensen Ackles in Countdown on...

Jun 23, 20251 hr 34 minSeason 1Ep. 363

We Were Liars, Pushers, and Outrageous

We bounce from balls to benefits this week as we hang out with a lot of very rich people in YA adaptation We Were Liars on Prime (1:00:45), and Mitford sisters miniseries Outrageous on U&Drama (48:19), then explore the life of a woman taking a creative approach to government welfare cutbacks in Rosie Jones’ comedy Pushers on Channel 4 (38:41). Plus Kay makes her triumphant return and uses the opportunity to quiz us on our (TV-themed) summer holiday plans. All that and James manages to coin a...

Jun 16, 20251 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 362

Beth, The Consultant, and St Denis Medical. With guest Cynthia Nixon

Kay is still on holiday this week, but that’s okay because standing in for her is true crime maven Steph Seelan, plus Cynthia Nixon — although she’s less a Kay stand-in and more a guest, here to talk about the new season of And Just Like That (1:02:13-1:16:13). On this week’s show we have a trio of half hour wonders, specifically Channel 4’s Beth (1:33:57), ITV’s The Consultant (1:25:25), and BBC1’s St Denis Medical (1:42:43). What’s more, we take the opportunity not only to get the latest true ...

Jun 09, 20251 hr 47 minSeason 1Ep. 361

The Better Sister, Stick, and The Gold. With guest Matthew Goode

Matthew Goode is on this week, chatting all things Dept Q on Netflix (41:02-57:30). Plus, we take up our 9 irons for a spot of golf with Owen Wilson in Stick on Apple TV+ (1:09:52), explore the boundaries of sibling rivalry with Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks in The Better Sister on Prime (1:01:15), and hut for missing bullion with Hugh Bonneville in series 2 of The Gold on BBC1 (1:17:43). All that, and for the maths geeks among you, a special treat as James breaks down the finances of epic fa...

Jun 02, 20251 hr 33 minSeason 1Ep. 360

Sirens, The Last Anniversary, and Death Valley

We’re all off to Scribbly Gum Island this week for BBC1’s adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s The Last Anniversary (58:20), solving crimes with Timothy Spall in Death Valley, also on the Beeb (1:07:31), and pushing the boundaries of sisterly love alongside Meghann Fahy and Millie Alcock in Sirens on Netflix (1:00:04). (Episode 338) 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 a...

May 26, 20251 hr 19 minSeason 1Ep. 359

Nine Perfect Strangers, Rematch, and The Bombing Of Pan Am 103. With Guest Rian Johnson

We’re back on the wellness beat with Nicole Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 on Prime (1:16:15), Facing off against a machine with chess wizard Gary Kasparov in Rematch on Disney+ (1:26:03), and re-examining the Lockerbie disaster with The Bombing Of Pan Am 103 on BBC1 (1:06:32). Plus Rian Johnson drops by to discuss Poker Face (36:44-53:00) and we even manage to slip some Star Wars questions in there as well. (Episode 337) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so...

May 19, 20251 hr 39 minSeason 1Ep. 358

Murderbot, The Game, and Hysteria! With guest Russell T. Davies

If you’ve been looking for an update on the marvel that is new Who then we have just the man for you because Russell T Davies is our guest on this week’s show, delivering the first part of a very in-depth chat with Boydy about all things TARDIS-related (32:08). Plus, we hop over to apple to spend time with Alexander Skarsgard’s homicidal cyborg in Murderbot on Apple TV+ (58:14), launch ourselves into the mosh pit of satanic metal horror/teen/comedy Hysteria! on Paramount+ (1:09:21), and try to s...

May 12, 20251 hr 32 minSeason 1Ep. 357

The Four Seasons, Poker Face, and Malpractice

Alan Alda’s The Four Seasons gets a modern glow-up with Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Colman Domingo on Netflix this week (40:53), plus Rian Johnson’s Poker Face comes crashing back with its second season on Sky (51:04), and Malpractice returns with more embattled medics on ITV (1:00:05). Meanwhile, Kay manages to completely hijack the listener question with a stealthy soap query. It’s okay to be disgusted. (Episode 335) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant...

May 05, 20251 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 356

Andor, Étoile, and Carême. With guest Charlotte Ritchie

On program! Yes, Andor has returned and while we had to wait a week for James to get back from holiday before we were all allowed to discuss it, we review Season 2 in full this episode (58:12). Plus, following on from our review of the final season of You in last week’s Pilot+, Charlotte Ritchie joins us on this week’s podcast to talk about the series’ swansong (28:59). Elsewhere, we’re going all French this week with Prime video’s ballet drama Étoile (1:17:01) and Napoleonic baking/espionage se...

Apr 28, 20251 hr 46 minSeason 1Ep. 355

I Jack Wright, Fake, and Doctor Who ‘Lux’ spoiler discussion. With guest David Oyelowo

With James away this week, it’s down to Boyd and Kay to take the helm and bang on about the week’s big TV but in a shock move, they admit James rewatching shows he’s seen thousands of times before is actually, dare we say it, a GOOD thing. More importantly, David Oyelowo is our guest, chatting all things Government Cheese (that’s the title of his new Apple TV+ show, not a dietary preference), and we review Fake, an Aussie true-life drama which triggers Kay’s dating experience memories, the whodu...

Apr 21, 20251 hr 23 minSeason 1Ep. 354
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