It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV reload the podcast last week.
Hello, Hello, Hi?
Do you love that The most Butcher's thing about me that's ever happened is that I have a top gun mug.
I was going to say that you had a plaid pajama. I'm sorting in Beethoven. You know.
The first time that I ever met you, I was sorry, it's the first time you sort of ever hung out one on one. I invited you over to my house. I was so excited that you're coming to my house. I like cleaned it within an inch of its life, had everything all fully set up because I was just like so excited you were coming over.
Oh my god, Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't notice the cleanliness. If you've had the white King out. No, I loved your place. It was just like it was so quirky, but everything had a story, which makes sense because that's very you.
Ben loves that I walk people around the house and tell everyone how much everything is worth in case you have to cash it.
In one day pawn shop, which is very likely.
Sure, it's so fun about the fact that we're doing this is how many people wrote to me to say, when are you doing another what to watch with Ilana? People who've never written to me ever before in their life started writing to me.
Oh my god, that's so great. Well, it's good to be back. There's plenty going on.
You had to watch Palm Royal because we're going to talk about it a little bit later. But did you end up having a martini because that show drives you to drink? Right?
I did not have a martini because I only watched one episode and then I had to get to the next one. However, tonight it's a Friday night, I'm one hundred percent and watch a couple more and make something something delicious.
So this week we're going to discuss Palm Royal, which are so excited to talk about High Country, which also is amazing, Apple Never Falls, and of course we're going to talk about all of the freeware stuff. We're going to touch on all the freeware changes that are about to happen because obviously we're losing Maths. It's going to be replaced with Food Stars, which you would know nothing about.
Idol's going to be replaced with Farmer One's Wife and Channel ten's Loss Survivor, and now it's going to be on the Celebrity So I want to know from your perspective from afar what you think about all of those changes. But look, let's get into the real Housewives of Beverly Hills. This has been a wild season of the show. You and I debriefed this season well before it came out and said that they need to have like a quieter, fashion centric, easy season because of all the drama of
what had happened with Lisa Renna and with her leaving. However, I feel like it was just such a mess of a season in general, and I'm so disappointed. I actually didn't believe that I could ever be this disappointed with this franchise.
Well, I mean, I couldn't agree more. I think it was a very average season. I think the reunion was just how they stretched that out to three parts is beyond me. There was nothing there. And to get to that final episode of the reunion, Kyle dancing around a lot of the questions about her and Mauricio, her and more and way Sutton having her episode and getting taken off with a medic but in a chanelle jacket that she changed into with another cast member who they didn't
force to stay at answer the question. I was just like, what, even he is a Kathy on the couch even though she hadn't been on one episode of the season, almost to be like a Kyle mouthpiece. I was just I don't know what's happening. I really was quite disappointed. I was pretty disappointed in just that whole handling of the situation by Andy Cohen. I just think he went so easy on Kyle and you could see her giving him the eyes. Don't you think like that, Andy, shut up?
That's enough in our eyes? And he did, and I just really I know he's like really chumming with her and their favorites, but I just expected a bit more from him, given that that's really the only strong storyline that they had. And then we sort of got to the end and we didn't have an explosive finish. I was just shocked.
It kind of reminds me, though, you know how they said that or Erica Jane came out publicly and it might have been in the start of the first episode of the three part finale. You know that he viscerated
her when he needed to. But you know what was really funny about that, I think we've got four parts of that reunion, the time that Erica Jane got a vicerated, But I don't know if he ever asked her any questions that we really wanted the answers to, and then to see us here again with someone that we as viewers have invested in for thirteen seasons to not have him ask No, he did ask about Morgan Waite, thank you Andy Coin for that, but we didn't get any answers.
Yeah, I think, I mean, look, he asked them, she gave very top line or you know. I mean, at one point she said it's none of people's business in relation to one of the questions he asked, and you could see Erica roller Eyes and Direte roller Eyes and sort of think, well, hang on, it's everyone's business when it's somebody else, or it's someone else's storyline or at someone else's drama to kind of poke into. So they
did not appreciate that response. But I just think, yeah, she's obviously got her own agenda of how she's going to unveil that relationship, which I think everyone at this point is believing that they are eaten, and or whether she's wanting things to play out on Mauricio's show as well, Buying Beverly Hills, because that's dropping and we've already seen a few trailers for that, which are you know, delivering pretty strong little nuggets of what was going on in
the relationship, because that was filming later after Beverly Hills had wrapped up, so they might be a bit more juice there. But I just felt like, yeah, she answered them, and I think in her mind she's like, I've done enough, and she made that very clear. She's like, I've delivered thirteen season. Other people are delivering about you know, their horses and their cashmere lines or whatever she said to something. But I still don't think we got that much from her.
We got nothing. And you know what's so strange, I think reality TV is going to have to change this because we're so used to having everything stripped over a whole season. You know, one storyline, Pandygate, one whole season.
Youers are sick of this now. If you want to make good reality television, you're going to have to make it faster, the same way that we saw the evolution of scripted drama as well, Like back in the day, Party of Five would do a whole season on Nev Campbell and a breakup, you know what I mean, Like,
you can't do scripted drama like that anymore. You can have a breakup that episode and then you need like something very strong by the next ad break you know what I mean, Like, they can't script they can't strip this stuff this long anymore, because I guarantee you it'll be the death of reality. We need it faster.
Well. On that breaking news today around Beverly Hills and the casting so Anne Marie Wiley Anna Marie, which we were like, is it amory potato potato?
We don't even need to care about the pronounce.
It's literally gone on Instagram to basically confirm that she will not be back for season fourteen. However, in doing so, she has kind of thrown the production company under the bus. I'm just going to read this quickly for people that might not have seen the news. This is on her Instagram. I just got word today that I will not be returning to the Real Housewives of Bev Hills. To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement. I never auditioned for this show. The show found me and asked me to
be on it. Out of the blue six weeks after the cast had already started filming. I was thrown into filming two weeks later mid season. I was excited about the opportunity, and I thought, following exactly what I was instructed to do throughout the filming last season was the way the game was played. Listening to what I was
actually instructed to do was my rookie mistake. What I am disappointed about is that the fans never got to see the real me or even a glimpse of my unique life story, contrary to what was shown on TV. I'm not obsessed with the esophagus, lol. What I am is a woman, a proud Black woman who's truly blessed with a wonderful, strong Black man as my husband who lifts me up, and our full wonderful children with so
much love and positivity on the daily. It was an important mission of mine for the next season to show a solid black family unit and that true black love exists even in Beverly Hills. My struggle with losing my mother to Lunghans within weeks of taping, and my struggle with adoption trauma, and what was going to be and still will be a new life journey for me to find my biological parents, all of which was taped that never shown last season.
How fucking boring, though, Can I just say, like she's missed it again, like I'm so sorry, Like all of that. Great. You should emulate those things. You don't need to try and prove those things. Do you know what I'm saying. I don't want to come. I don't want people to come for me with and cancel me for being racist. Here. I get what she's trying to say about being a strong black woman with a strong black whatever, all of
that stuff. It is important. I'm not taking that away from her, but that isn't the point of being on these shows. The point, and we know this with reality television, is to be genuine and authentic. That's the currency with your audience. Do not listen to producers. They are like a little bee in a little bubble and they're just going to buzz around and tell you to be their mouthpiece. Do not do that ever to anyone listening to this podcast.
You can do that on a reality show. You just have to continuously be yourself or it doesn't work.
I do feel for her, though, because I think you know, when there's new castings you really do need a couple of seasons for you know, that audience bond to grow with a new person, whether it falls flat like it has done with Crystal for three seasons or not, but at least she's had the chance. I get what she's saying.
She's sort of got thrown in there. They were obviously giving her little, you know, nuggets to say Polkes aren't about these sophigures and this and that, and get in there and be a bit dramatic with Crystal, and she's followed their guide and then they've sort of said, Okay, well that's enough. Thing. So but for her to sort of come out on Instagram and basically say that she's really pissed with the production company is basically the subtext
of what she's written there. And that's a little bit thrown under the bas the.
Most interesting thing that you have done throw down at Bravo publicly at this point of the game. I know this sounds like a crazy thing to say at this point, but every single moment that you're on reality television, you need to be delivering something engaging, do you know what I mean? Like every single day you need to drop something big. Otherwise the audience are bored out of their brains. I mean, our own lives are more exciting than yours.
Anna Marie Well a shade from the Norris this morning, I know, but like, come on at this point.
My favorite franchise of reality television basically ever is The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It's really hard to fuck it up. And this season was bullshit, you know. Yeah, like even Denise Richards being dragged as hard as she was to be allowed to be on the show that drunk. Whilst it was great television and I love the upside down jacket, thank you very much for that iconic piece
of work, it was all very unfair. It was all a cash grab for our attention at the expense of someone else's what I would say, or mental health.
Yeah, well, I think we've spoken about this before. They were clutching at straws. They've obviously been clutching its straws enough for them to obviously go and cast Amory as a full time housewife, not bringing her on as a friend of which was their mistake, not bringing her on in a casual capacity to be like, hang on, we'll just see how she deals with the group. But to put her in the titles, give her a diamond, put her on the press junket, and then to basically be like, oh,
we fucked up, and then she's gone. So the filming starts again in April, which is right around the corner. This will be the first of the cast changes, I believe. I don't think this will be the last one. And I think they've got a very short window to fix this.
Alana, they all get told every time at the same time. But what happens is and Teddy Mellencamp revealed this, and that is that they all take their time to have their moment to say that the show is not happening for them. And I think that this series has a lot of exits. I think there's going to be a lot of upsets with the way in which they change
the cast. And you better believe that Amerie coming out first is your time to shine, honey, and now we're going to get to eat Crystal so many others like even but.
How many do you think they can change in such a short period of time before people start to freak out because the familiarity isn't like how many realistically do you think they could change?
But the ratings have gone. The ratings are down. This is the lowest rating season finale. And also it was about the engagement level as well. And you have to admit this. Have we ever in a reunion for Beverly Hills felt as bored as we felt? It was literally nothing like I felt like, Oh, next part three comes out today, don't fucking care?
Yeah? I know, And that's not like us We're normally counting down the day. I just feel like three the max they can change for one season before people start to freak out. So I think the read might go, and Crystal might go, and the rest. I think maybe by complete default are going to be given a life jacket, just because I don't think they can change more than that.
Do you know who I don't want to see on this show become a housewife, and I don't you know it would be detrimental to the series. If Sutton's friend what's her name? That access Jennifer Tilly, if she turns up on this show.
Yeah, no thanks, I'm done.
We get an exit from Kyle, which is a very real possibility, and.
I don't believe that she plays this game every year. I think she will be there until the wheels fall off.
She likes to off. It's the bottom of the car now along the gravel, like you could now do to this show.
I think they've got a chance to bring it back. I do think I think they I mean, will Kathy be back?
I don't know just what we want. All we care about is the Richard Sisters. We want Kathy, Kim and Kyle on the same show and just change the name to the to the real Richard Sisters of Crazy Cuckoo Town and at least have Lisa Renner there to take them to account. Sorry for being so savage about it, but I just genuinely that's how I feel. Before we move off this, Yeah, I have some news for you. I really hated Erica Jane's two part series Better Long Blonde. I hated it.
Really you hated it. I loved it.
I know you did. You send me a message and we got to preview it early, so you saw it before I did, and we got a previewing. Thank you. How you for doing that for us, And you were like really into.
It, but I was really into it.
You cried in the finale.
I genuinely cried. I was like, what a warrior she's overcome. She's back on the stage. I sort of it maybe because I pumped it up to you so much, the expectations were higher. I just sort of went in for a casual viewing thinking it was just going to be dance rehearsals and yeah, just kind of watching her put
the nuts and bolts of the show together. I wasn't sort of expecting the extra layer of vulnerability from her and seeing her friendship with Mikey, seeing the ups and downs of what happens behind the scenes of a show in terms of like the ress and the relationships and how they have to kind of navigate through such a
stressful process. So I kind of enjoyed that part of it, and I sort of thought when I saw her at the end there, and I thought, you know, that's all she wanted was that career, and she's managed to hang on to it. Good for her. I just can't, you know what I mean, though, in what way?
It's so contrived. It's so contrived and it is not a reality. Like how deluded do we have to be? We know that the ticket sales for Betterlan Blonde in Vegas for like six dollars to go along and see it. She's not Madonna, She's not one of these true icons. And you know that I love Erica Jane Wright like I love Erica Jane I think she's great talent, but I just feel quite contrived by trying to believe that she is as big as what they try to make her out to be on that show. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, no, I get what you're saying. But I mean, ultimately, she does have a strong fan base for the people that love her. Was it enough to sustain as many shows as she did in Vegas? She did a lot of shows that wasn't like she did one or two shots. She had like a mini sort of residency there, So maybe they overcooked that a tad.
I just think, you know, come on, like it's you know, her fan base is literally it's us.
It's you and I and we were there it is. But I think, look, she almost had nothing to her own admission, so to get something back and to not be completely out on the street. And I think that's another reason that if she gets off at another contract for Real Housewives, she will say yes because she needs it and to get you know, some kind of fan engagement and that kind of show. I think she, you know,
hats off. She could have just gone away in a whole But anyway, it's not often we disagree on those shows, so that's good.
Never, Never, we have to talk about Palm Royal, which is now out on Apple Plus. It is a true underdog story that follows Maxene Simmons, played by Kristin Wigg as she endeavors to break into this high society club which is really hard to get into it. It's all
said in Palm Beach. The cast is so amazing and very camp, including Ricky Martin, Laura Dern, Allison, Jenny There's just so many amazing people in this but it actually does ask that question of how much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has said? In the era of nineteen sixty nine, Palm Royal is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong to a group that doesn't really want them to belong. I don't even feel like I need to
say too much more. What did you think of episode one?
Yes? Oh my god, So I watched episode one last night and I just was instantly swept into that world. I think, you know, quite a few shows, and we've spoken about it before that we're watching at the moment with episode one, it's a bit of a slow burn and you're sort of a bit like it it's okay, and you're trying to figure out the dynamics where it's all kind of going to fit together. I did not
feel like that with this. I felt instantly like I knew what was going on, the characters were well into do Visually, it just looked stunning, and I think in that sense it really had that like white Lotus appeal where you just visually want to watch that. You want to get your drink, you want your room to be dark. You've got these beautiful iconic scenes of the beach and the fashion, as you mentioned, and then Christian Wig just instantly captivates you. She just takes you into that world.
That's the best character I've seen her play. I wasn't like a huge Christian Whig fan. I know that everyone you know, Brad's Maids and this and that. I was like, you know, whatever, it's de rom com, but I just find her in this role. She's absolutely killing it. And the support cars Alison Janny, Laura Dern.
Laura Darney, like seriously like some.
Of our favorites. So I am just absolutely loving every part of it. I feel like I've cut into one of those big kitty rainbow cakes and there's all the right colors and the layers, but like, we're going to get We're going to get to the messy dirtiness of it really soon. In regards to how they finished episode one without giving away any spoilers, but I think they've set the story up perfectly well.
It's interesting that you talk about kristin Wigan, you're not necessarily ever coming to her party because I'm such a big Christian Whig fan. I loved her on SNL. I was in on the ground floor of her success on that I watched those seasons. I might have been the only person that was watching SNL season four hundred and fifty five at that point. But she was so good and then Bride'smaids amazing. However, what had happened to her after Bride'smaids was so insane. She tried to become a
serious actress. She was having all of these roles that were like, oh great, she's in this amazing movie. You know, love Christian Wig. But she never delivered like there was like nothing. Every time I turned up to a Christian Weik movie for the last ten years, I was like, what is going on with this woman? And this is her in her lane?
Oh, she is in her lane alright. The way that she's playing this character and she's sort of so optimistic but then just enough to be the realist at the same time, and the way that she's sort of balancing and dancing with that line. I think that's what's making the dynamics sort of compelling viewing.
It's laugh out loud, you know what I mean, Like you're actually watching the show and you're laughing, and it's so relatable, Like as I was saying, when we sort of intrude this about us when we were younger, always wanting to be a part of the cool group. Do you know what I mean? Like that is gay?
I mean, it's just about fitting in in general, whatever that means to you. And I think that's where people can watch that show. And yes, it's about high society, but really it's the society that we're all living in in whatever way that is, whether you're a you know, gul mum with the committees or whether you're at work and you're trying to get into that department or whatever it is, and that's where it's really can land for everyone.
What were you in law? What were you like? I want to just ask this question and delve a little bit deeper into Alana MacLean, Like in high school, are you prom queen?
Like?
Where do you fit in social hierarchy you? Because I think I imagine you to be prom queen?
No, No, I wasn't. No. I was just sort of like there was that kind of group, and I would say I was maybe in sort of a next level group if you want to call it that, in like a pecking order. I was just no, I was just normal, Like I wasn't you know, I had friends that were guys and girls. I was friends with like a lot of different people.
Sounds to me like you were popular at school, do you know what I mean? Like, I mean, that's that's human Your adult life is I think people genuinely are drawn to you.
You know, Alis and Jenny Laura Dern seeing them in these type of characters, they're so strong in their own way, and they really they really have set up a strong tempo in this first episode that you can see exactly where it's kind of going to play out in terms of those characters moving forward.
I think this show is really camp. It is really fun. It makes me want to have more spray hands that I've ever had before.
Oh my god, Ricky Martin Levell break then he is bronzed. He is beautiful. What a great sort of little side role for him. I know I want that hair that episode one. If you're not hooked, I'll be surprised.
The last thing I want to finish this on is how funny is Laura Dern. It's a wig in this show. Considering that this wig is Celeste's wig from Big Little Lives, it's literally the same wig Nicole Kidman was wearing in two seasons of Big Little Eyes.
Really did it? I did not know that.
When you watch it, watch for that wig and then get a screen grab of Nicole in her Celeste glory with her Big Little Lives wig and just laugh out loud like it's literally Laura Jurn must have wrung Nicole and said, hey, babe, no.
I need that wig. You still got it.
I'm doing it. I'm doing another series, babe, and I need that wig. The Celeste wig and Nicole you know, would have been like, well, I don't know if you can pull it off, but you know, I'll send it to you in the mail.
Oh it's so good. I mean even with that that we the character that she's playing, which is sort of the anti high society I guess you would call it. And she is, you know, about women, and she's really part of that feminist movement and women having a voice. And Kristen is kind of caught between the two worlds in her character in this initial episode what she wants and then where she's actually being wanted, which is with Laura Dern's kind of a click so the wig or not.
She's definitely a queen of you know, being able to sort of put on that smile but having so much more lying behind it.
Obsessed. So Apple's Never Fall is also on being and Foxtel. Everyone in West Palm Beach knows the Delaney family. This series is based on a Leanne Moriarty book which was very popular, probably one of her most popular books. It does follow Anette Benning and Sam Neil's characters. We do get to see them in Leanne Moriarty Glory, which is family dynamics being picked apart which I think is where this show works at its best. It is more of a who Done it? And that is completely set up
right from the start. It's very glossy, it's very expensive. We know that it was filmed in Australia, except that it's apparently said in Miami. There's so much to be drawn into this series, and I think a lot of people are going to be bing binge watching this over the next weekend.
I'd say, well, I was very excited for this because I thought they were going to drop this week by week and they've dropped it all in one go, and I thought, oh my god, brilliant. I want to watch that. Last week I was traveling, I thought, oh, watch them all on the plane. That'll be great. And I didn't realize that on Binge you can't download, you can only stream. I was like, oh no, So I only just started watching it this week, so I think I'm like one and a half episodes in and I cannot wait to
watch the rest of it. I think Annette Benning and Sam Neil are cassed perfectly in those roles, so it's set up like they are a retired couple. They've run this very high profile Tennis Academy. They're very well known, well to do in the community. They've got a beautiful
family of four, they've got the gorgeous house. But as you say, Leanne Moriarty, is there is the queen of sort of setting up that scene and then going what is really going on under the surface, And that is really what you start to get a sense of in that first episode when Anett Bennings character is missing.
It's set up so well. But my only issue with this series, an obvious thing that I want to say, and that is that Big Little Lives feels like the bench was set so high, and so that can sometimes be hard for viewers because we're always going to compare it. Is it an unfortunate way to enter this series to compare Apple's Never Falls Fall to Big Little Lives? Because I felt a little underwhelmed by this series, unfortunately, And I wonder if it's the comparison that's made me feel like that.
Yeah, I mean it could be because I didn't really yes, I mean obviously knowing it's the same author, but I didn't really approach it with that lens of thinking, oh, I want to if it's going to be as good
as Big Little Lies. I thought the casting was great, with a Benning in the helm, and I think it's interesting to see a protagonist sort of on the screen that's in her sixties and you know, she hasn't had any work done and she's you know, it's a very different visual look from Big Little Eyes, where everyone was looking absolutely slick and shiny and beautiful and wrinkle free. I just thought it was a much more sort of real setting. And I think Sam Neil always nails his characters.
He's always just got that little air of mystery and steek around him, but he's very charismatic. So and I think the way they sort of go between current time and then they're doing the flashbacks and you really get to see that playing out.
I got confused, though, I get so confused. Okay, but I'm stupid, so like you know, like like.
To me, I just liked that. I like their like, well, this is what's happening now, this is kind of what was happening then that that is giving you all the little nugget to set up the family relationships and understanding where they sit, but in a not so obvious way.
Also, I'm struggling with it because there are too many flawed characters, Like I just all of these children, I'm like, our assholes and I just don't know. I guess the net Benning's the pull through, right. We do like and Betting in this show. There's something very warm about her, but you know again, she does some pretty outrageous things in this series. So I don't know, do you like King?
I thought with the kids, so there's four kids in the first episode, I think it almost made it a little bit too obvious in that opening scene that they were like, this one's the fuck up, this one's the successful one, this one's the you know, like this one they're hiding lies from her parents. Like it was almost a little bit too obvious in that first scene. I think they didn't need to paint it that clearly. I think we would have got it, do you know what I mean?
Although those children don't look related at all, like did they go to an adoption?
So the casting was a little bit strange there, I agree with, Yeah, you're right, they could have made them at least look a little bit more similar.
We have to talk about Jake Lacy, So he is very famous for being in that first series of whiteloaders. He's done a lot of shows. He's doing a lot of TV work, which I'm very happy with. I really like him. But I can't work out and why don't we judge people based on what they look like. I just want to know if you think he's hot. I can't work out if I think he's hot.
I mean he's attractive. I wouldn't say like he's an attractive bote like he's attractive, but I wouldn't say I'm like, oh my god, Jack lazy. But I think you have a serious crush because I think he's literally brought him up to me about five times. So I think you do think he's hot. Ben. Yeah.
A friend of mine met him while he was filming the show and said he was also really lovely. I love that. I love when you hear that these actors from America that come over to Australia and they're down to Worth and I think that's great, that's great for him. But I just I feel like I spent most of the series trying to judge whether or not I found him are active, which is not the point.
Okay, well maybe you missed a few other bits.
Then what is your guest from watching the first few episodes on what has happened to Joy because I just want to me I feel like she has been murdered by sam Neil. I feel like they're going to lead us all the way to the end with him being the red herring, for him to be the bat like we'll be like, no, it's not sam Neil, it's not the husband. For them to tell us it's the husband. Do you think that's what are you?
I mean, they're setting it up sort of. There's a lot of mystery and why is he lying to his own children. There's this mystery character Savannah, which would be like the obvious one. I think that they've pumped her in. She's an outsider. What's her motive? Why is she there? Has she got something to do with it? And where is she sort of going to head in in regards to the whole series. So they're setting it up like that. But it's always it's always some other character. I think
that's the formula for these who done it. It's always like some side character that you didn't really look at too much at the start, and you followed all these other trails and then it ends up being I don't know, one of the kids or something.
Well, is that your guest, like as in I feel like I want you to reveal remember includo when you're a kid used to play and you have to try and give a hard guest workout.
Ben Norris in the drawing room with the Knights. Yeah.
Always, always.
Yeah, I'm going to say it's one of the kids. And I've only watched one and a half episode, so that's going to be my little tip.
Well, that answers my question. Are you going to keep watching?
Yes, definitely, No, I will definitely keep watching. And I think another one sort of I mean it's setting Palm Beach as well, so just visually appealing and just something that yeah, I just think is a nice watch. It's not I haven't it hard to watch?
Well, we've got the sign off because mister McLean as in your dad.
Yeah, my dad, Yeah, he watched the whole thing. We're leaving with my parents the moment that's really a separate podcast and dad smash It, Dad slash It in a weekend.
Yeah, he watched all seven episodes in one go. We're moving on to which I think is actually my favorite show at the moment, which is high Country, which is out on Binge Foxtail if you do not have Binge and Foxtail. We're not sponsored by them, by the way, but they've got a lot of good content, so amazing. But anyway, look, a detective has transferred has been transferred to a Victorian high country. She's there to investigate a missing person. She uncovers a complex web of murder, deceit
and revenge. I think it's the answer to Mayor of east I think it's Australia's answer to Meryor of Eastown. You watched the first episode last night. Are you engaged?
I am that. I had to push myself a little bit, and I don't know whether that is because I had come from watching Palm Royale and then it was such a shift of gears. So I will say it didn't haptivate me like Apple's and Palm Royal. However, I will watch it again with a bit more I will go into it watching it first, this time with a bit more of a clear sort of space around it and take it for what it is. I think, yeah, you
sort of turn on. I'm like, oh, it's an ozzy cop drama, middle aged sort of cop drama, and I just wasn't instantly loving it. But I will say I like what they've done with the casting. I think they're tapping into a lot of different areas of what happens in the community and those sort of dynamics. I think they've got a lot to work with their as a canvas.
But I do think it was one of those ones where it's sort of, yes, things were happening in that first episode that were quite dramatic, But overall, I found that one was a little bit more of a slower burn, which isn't a bad thing. I think I was just a little bit spoilt for choice on the other ones, where everything was just given to me and it was very easy to follow on the first episodes, this one was a little bit more. You had to dive a bit deeper.
Well, all these shows that we're talking about are a take on a murder mystery, do you know what I mean?
They're all that's true. We didn't really mean to do that, but yeah, that's true.
We definitely did not mean to do that. But I mean it is really popular, and I think that has a lot to do with the world's obsession with true crime at the moment. I feel like we all love to put on our little PI investigator hat and watch these shows. I think that's why we're getting so many of them. But it's interesting. This is like a back to basic, strict murder mystery like you would see maybe
in the eighties and nineties. Like it's a bit Agatha Christie in a way where like Palm Royle and Apple's Never Fall are jazzed up a little bit, do you know what I mean?
Yeah, no, this is this is gritty. I mean, look visually that Victorian high country, the hills, the fog, the density of it, the mountain, like, it's pretty extraordinary to watch, and it does. It's sort of if you look at the visual sort of scenes, it does sort of ply on that dynamic of exactly what's going to happen in the show. It's going to be you're going to have to work your way through the trees. There's going to be a lot of mountainous territory, and I think that's
very symbolic. But I think it has legs. But we have seen a lot of these Ossie sort of crime dramas and I think the US do them so well. So it's got a lot to kind of stack up to.
Well, it's created by so many people that made the series Wentworth, which was also on foxtoel Masia Gardner. She is the executive producer I think on this, and she was instrumental with all of Wentworth and I loved Wentworth and I feel like this it fits very nicely into the handbag of that series. So like I feel like, if you've watched Wentworth and loved it, you'll love this. It's very similar in the way in which they set
up the characters, and it is shot. I think it's directed by the same director that directed a lot of Wentworth. I don't know. For me, this is like a nice companion piece to that.
Yes, that's fair, and I think, look, it's interesting when I mean we're just talking about these other shows that have such well known people as the lead characters, and then suddenly you put a show on like this and there are a lot of unknown faces and you don't sort of have that instant relationship with someone that you've seen on other things, like I don't know who this actress is the main.
Lead carriage, You don't know who Liah Pizell is, like, so.
You know, I haven't watched her in anything. I don't think, oh my, have I what she been in?
Well, I mean she was in the last like four seasons of Wentworth, but I know that you didn't watch web.
I don't see that ere I.
Wonder whether or not this show is going to do that well because Leah is not a bigger name, she's not a recognizable name. I almost wonder whether or not this show would feel and look a little bit different if we had a bigger star in this role.
Well, you mentioned there of Easttown, and that's a perfect example of it. So you had that sort of small town community crime drama. But you've got Kate Winslet at the helm, So I think instantly, I don't know, just you, you sort of go, oh, well, Kate's in it, it must be really good. Whereas this one, I think it can be good. I'm still going to watch it, but I could have easily flicked past it as I was scrolling, unless you had told me we're going to talk about this.
It doesn't even look it doesn't even look like.
It doesn't look like anything on the.
Poster or it's a really big gut, which I think, could you imagine if this series had Naomi Watts back with her Australian accent being this detective, what this show would be because the writing and everything is so amazing and I'm obsessed with Thereseel so like for me, it's amazing. But could you imagine what the series would be doing if you had a Naomi Watson that role.
Yeah, that's exactly right. And look, I think Leah is brilliant from what I've seen on this phenomenal but it's just it is. I guess it's just we do get a little bit used to and I guess it's like Jodie Foster in the latest series of True Detective, but we need to give all these other actors a shot for them to get to that level. So it's like the Catch twenty two. And would it be the same level of vulnerability, grittiness, realness if you had someone like Naomi in the role. Maybe not, So I think.
It would work with her because I think what worked with Mayor of Eastown with Kate was the subtlety of that performance but still having that star power, still having that you know that when you're at that level, all of the nuances are so digestible. Do you know what I mean like you're just hanging off every single thing that they're saying. I just wonder whether or not this show would work a little bit better if it had that.
I may, I get what you're saying. I think definitely from just a promotional point of view, I think you'd have more eyes on it, no question. But I really hope that the show gets up.
Oh for sure.
I hope at the moment it's one of the top ones because it's just been launched this week as you're scrolling. But I think it's very easy. If people don't start engaging, it just drops further down the list and then it might get missed. But well, there's so much an interesting story and a little bit more of a gritty take on what we would see as a sort of regional rural community crime series.
Have you got a guess on who you think the killer might be? Because I mean we've only you and I have both only seen episode one, so we've really just had some characters set up. I'm going to go with the coffee shop lady revenging her son, That's what I'm saying.
No, I don't think I have a guess yet. The guy that is, you know, the sort of quiet, kooky psyekick that they're sort of trying to pin it on, that X CoP's trying to pin the murders on. I don't think it's him, but I think he will play a very interesting character.
Maybe it's the police officer that's retiring, Maybe it's the sheriff or whatever his name, because like he's finished his career and he's just really stressed about what's next, so that he starts just murdering people in the town.
Oh charming, and what a great thought about our law enforcement.
Well are you going to keep watching? That's all we need to know is Alana McLean.
I will watch her, but after episode one it was my least favorite. However, completely to my own admission, I probably wasn't as engagement because I was watching it a little bit later. So I will. I think this is one that you know, we talk about this a bit in regards to whether you watch something all in one go or whether you can watch it week by week. I think this is one that you will get more out of if you set aside a few hours on a Sunday afternoon with your popcorn and watch a feel in a row.
We need to quickly talk about the big shift that's about to happen on freeware television. So we're about to lose Meredith First Site, Idol and Survivor. I know that you don't watch a lot of Free to Wear, so this is a really interesting question for you about those changes. So Meredith First Site is now going to be Food Stars with Gordon Ramsey, and do you know much about that series?
No, tell me about that because I feel like if that is a new one, I kind of like watching those. I kind of enjoy watching something we haven't seen before in regards to that, So tell me more about that one.
It's more like Shark Tank, but for food. So that's the way they're Oh okay, and then it has what's her name of Ellis.
Yes, she's a part of Shark Tank.
Too, so that's where they're going with this. Seems like a really odd choice to me for channel Line to progress from maths into this kind of foody Shark Tank world in a reality space. And Gordon Ramsey, to me, he's not a drawer card. I don't know. I think this could be a this could be a turkey for channel Line.
I like Shark Tank because of the business sort of side of it. I'm the marketing and I sort of do a lot of that in my sort of nine to five job, so I do get something out of that, I think. I mean, look, whether you like him or hating, that's exactly what Gordon Ramsey the brand and how he's designed himself to be. So the people that might tune in might really like him. The appeal is waiting for him to crack and say yeah, I do shit, get out like people like that kind of shock value.
I don't know if I need that in my life. I don't know if I want that right now.
You know what I mean, like at you, but I mean people love food. People are obsessed with it, all those Master Chef and bake Off and all those shows. People do love it. We'll see how it goes.
Then you've got Austraian Idol, which is on Channel seven is going to become Farmer Wants a Wife and Farmer Wants a Wife. I have to tell you is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I've been watching it for years with my best friend Carrie. We love to watch this show and just yell at the TV screen about all of the dumb decisions that these women make when it comes to falling in love with a farmer, as if they all want to move to the country. I
guess some people might. But this season different to last year. I think, being what I've been told from Channel seven is it's quite complicated because everyone last year ended up with their farmer, was a love story that it ended well. This year, I think it's going to be a little bit massy, you know, which is fine. A question for you with this Sam Armitage, what do you think about her?
This year?
Draw card for you? Are you're going to watch Farmer for her?
Someone told me I look like her the other day.
Were they drunk?
No, I quite like Sam.
Actually, I can see it now, I can see the bit. I'm now looking over it because you're on this big monitor over there.
Yes, what how big?
It's huge. I'll take a photo and set it to you. Be mortified.
I want to put some makeup on. You told me you never used the video.
I'm never using. It's for communication purposes only. But you're up on the screen over there, and you look you actually just as per usual, just look perfection.
Holy moly, No, look, I think Farmer wants a wife. I don't even think they originally set out for it to be, you know, the true love angle that they've pushed so hard, but I think they've managed to really have that juxtaposition against mass and so the people that want to watch that just want it to be chilled viewing. They do want to watch a real story. They do want to know that people do stay together and have kids and move to the farm, and they just want
that type of viewing. So I think they found their lane with that. I hope they don't go too dramatic and too massy. Otherwise I think they're really at risk of alienating their core fan base and I don't think that will work well for them, So I think they've got to be really careful with that.
I always call Farmer Wants a Wife like the Math's antidote, like as in, you know, after a season of Merit at First Sight, it's kind of the series of Finding love that is the opposite of Merit at First Sight, And it would be really tempting for these producers to want to tap into the Meretit first Sight elements because of the success of that show, you know what I mean, Like.
Yeah, but I think I really think if you start pulling it that thread. Everyone that watch to everyone that watches Math is watching because they like the drama. Everyone that's watching Farma wants a wife does not want that. So if you start putting that into that show, I think that's a recipe for disaster.
Yeah, yeah, I agree. So Channel ten a strand survivor will now be I'm a Celebrity. Everyone turns up to watch I'm a Celebrity for the first episode to find out who the celebs are. I know you watched this show. You tap into this show.
I don't mind this one.
Do you have any guesses on the celebs so far?
Well, I saw Britney Hockley's already been announced.
She is she a celebrity? Well?
She, I mean she looks In Australia, we're a little bit devoid of those big celebs, but I think she does. She's very successful. She's got her very successful podcast, she does radio, and we've seen her in The Bachelor, which was obviously a reality franchise back in the day. So she's managed to really cultivated career outside of that. So I think she's quite a likable personality and I think she'll be a good addition. I haven't really put my detective cap on.
Which is very unlike you normally you're like the.
Other clues, Give me one of the other clues, and I'll I can just put a couple of names out there.
Someone who was on Big someone who was on Big Brother. Hi, you live from the Jungle. Yeah, No, someone who's a mega influencer now, someone who turned their reality TV fame into influencing Blonde from the Gold Coast, fake boobs, really stupid?
Just Capella? Oh no, she was on Mass It.
Was Mass Sky Wheatley.
Oh okay. I mean this is a thing though. I think sometimes they put people in there and you're like who, But it's more about then you learn. You actually learn more about them when they're in there, so they sort of have the names that you recognize. Then they have the fillers that you like who. But quite often they're the people that deliver the most nuggets, potentially because they've got less to lose.
The other one that I'm gonna I'm not going to say this person's name because it'll give it away, but someone I know quite well that's an unusual character in my backstory, is going into the jungle. Do you have a guess on who that might be. Ronda Berchellt. Yeah, she was my babysitter. No, I'm only kidding.
No, I quite like I'm a celeb. Get me out of here. Look, even if you're not avidly watching, I'm very interested to see Robert Irwin as a host. I will say that I think that's kind of a really unique pairing having here with Julia Morris. And look, hats off to the network for saying, no, we're keeping Julia. We're going to put her with this, you know, younger fresher host who's like been Australia's son in a way,
and we're just going to see how it goes. Because they could have easily got rid of Julia and put someone, you know with Robert Irwin who was younger as well, and maybe fresher and all of that sort of stuff. But I think I think it'll work really well. I think it'll be surprising and that'll add another layer to it.
But I think this is one where you can just follow along on the social media, watch all the clips and get the get the sort of goth and watching it moment to deliver it on socials without having to necessarily watch it every single night.
That's you on LL shows these days. Actually that's the next generation. Like everyone's like, did you watch the next season of the last year's season of I'm a Celebrity? Get Me out of Here? And people go, yes, but they only watched it on TikTok, you know what I mean? Like they it's an interesting world that we've found ourselves in the way that I'll finish this chat with, I'm aslab. Does this show rely on the celebs needing to be famous?
Do you think that the audience that want to watch this and love this show care about the level of fame of these celabs. I think they do in a sense.
I think if you started off with all nobodies and it was just it was almost like a big brother of just random Australian people. But in a jungle setting, you want to see the layers come off, you want to see the makeup come off. You want to see them without their caffeine. You're waiting for a Naki moment. You want the lacious stories from their career and back in the day. You are tuning in for a lot
of that. I think it works when you've got the pairing of the less famous celebrities who are giving you a bit more goths, I guess in regards to their own background and career because they don't have as many things to be hiding.
Well. Their jobs to ask the more famous people questions about that care, do you know what I mean? Like if you're if you're a Sky Wheatley and you've been on one series of Big Brother and had your boobs out on Instagram for ten years, I think your job is to then ask the more recognizable people, you know, who is the worst, who is your worst co star?
You know what happened with the divorce? And then also we care about these celebrities talking about hot topics, like I want them to talk about what they thinks happened with Kate Middleton, you know what I mean? Like you know, yeah, you're right, yeah, Like get them to talk about the hot topics, because we do care about what those uber famous people or more famous wreck or recognizable people have to say about some of those things.
I agree, and that that is where the appeal is and I think that's where the show has that longevity on social media and in the mainstream press because of those are the stories that get that get picked up blah blah said these about Trump, you know, like that's what's going to get about.
That's exactly what it is. Alana. I just want to say, I am obsessed with you. I am so excited every single time to talk to you. I actually feel and I'm just going to say this, I feel like the most myself and the most relaxed when I'm talking to you. And so the idea that we have a podcast where we get to just have a diatribe like this is my heaven and I'm obsessed with you.
Oh my god. I just love doing this so much. And I'm really really glad that people are tuning in and want to be part of the conversation. And I hope that we can grow that and I hope that we can get some engagement happening online and the conversation going two ways. And if you've got a recommendation of something that we should watch and maybe we can cover for the next episode, or you want to give your thoughts, you know, it would be great to have that sort
of conversation going with the listeners as well. But I really love coming on here and there's so much media and so much out there and be able to do a little deep dive on a few of those. It's really fabulous. I love it.
This is a message Hi Ben, thanks for your chat with Anaconda amazing. This is Luke's by the way. I hope he doesn't mind that I'm shouting out to him. That was a really good chat just binge population eleven, which was another chat I did last week for people listening. Go back and listen to that chat. That was amazing. But then he says, are you going to be doing more episodes of What to Watch with Alana McLean? When is it coming out? Ah?
That's awesome. Well here's one signe feal delive, enjoy, happy listening, and can't wait to do it all again.