Pilot TV

25 years after it became (for quite a spell) the biggest film of all time at the UK box office, The Full Monty is back with an eight-part limited series, streaming now on Disney+. Writer Simon Beaufoy has reassembled the original cast for a show that goes The Full Monty on the current state of the nation, with Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and chums navigating their way through a series of misadventures that shine a spotlight on everything from the education system to the NHS. In this, the latest collaboration between the Empire Film Podcast and the Pilot TV Podcast, Chris Hewitt sits down with Robert Carlyle and fellow cast members Mark Addy (Dave), Lesley Sharp (Jean), and Steve Huison (Lomper) for candid chats about their return to Sheffield, the show's return, and their relief at being able to keep their clothes on this time. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Kay Ribeiro and James Dyer to talk about their memories of the original film, the phenomenon it became, and their thoughts about the new series. Oh, and Chris has a meltdown about the existence, or lack thereof, of a certain television commercial... Enjoy.

On this week's show we force Kay to sit down in front of Sky Sci-Fi and make her watch The Ark, despite her protestations. Plus we take a look at Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen drama Best Interests on the Beeb, and return to Sheffield to catch up with Robert Carlyle and the gang for The Full Monty, which picks up 25 years after the classic nineties movie. Plus we bust a few questions out of the Pilot postbag (the triage system has gone berserk), we announce the next Pilot LIVE show and James explains how he made a new friend.

On this week's show we’re pumping iron with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Netflix’s biographical documentary Arnold, Filling in hospital forms with Youssef Kerkour and Katherine Parkinson in Significant Other on ITVX, and determining whether Tom Holland is a serial killer along with Amanda Seyfried in The Crowded Room on Apple TV+. Plus Kay hasn't been allowed to watch the show about the well-endowed porn star but that's okay because the team share their (oft inadvertent) strip club stories to make her feel better. The moral of this podcast? If someone offers you mac and cheese, you take it.

On this week's show we’re fixing leaks in the Nixon administration with Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson in White House Plumbers on Sky, investigating a naked corpse and an aggressive sea mammal in Australian comedy Deadloch on Prime video, and heading back to 18th Century Yorkshire with Shane Meadows for The Gallows Pole on BBC2. Plus the team discuss the (possibly inappropriate) shows they watched as children and James goes full maverick, taking the opportunity to spring all manner of surprises upon a bemused Boyd and Kay.

Kay's dream comes true this week when she gets Colin From Accounts star/creators Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall in a room (sadly, Colin couldn't make it). Plus we take a look at Apple's Seth Rogen/Rose Byrne relationship comedy Platonic, ITV's Suranne Jones/Eve Best sibling drama Maryland, and Sky's Natasha Lyonne/Assorted Criminals procedural Poker Face, which FINALLY makes its way here to the UK. All that and James confesses to having watched an episode of Naked Attraction, much to Kay's disgust.

We have poetry on this week's show (yes, really), plus Kay explains (if explanation were needed) why James is a moron and the team ponder the most memorable TV needle drops in recent years. Elsewhere we get our grim on in true crime drama Steeltown Murders on BBC1, have an eye for Patricia Arquette PI in High Desert on Apple, and see if No Escape floats our boat on Paramount+.

Rebecca Ferguson joins us this week to discuss sci-fi, AI and Apple's big-budget adaptation of Hugh Howey's book series, Silo. Plus we experience unfettered carnage with Dr Teeth And The Electric Mayhem in Muppets Mayhem on Disney+, return to Oz in Ten Pound Poms on BBC1, and dip our collective toes into another of Apple's lavish literary adaptations with City On Fire. Plus, James surprises everyone by having watched Colin From Accounts, we find out why Kay's animal form is that of an angry ferret, and in a surprise return of the Massive Privilege Section, the team discuss whether you can really appreciate an unfinished version of a show (which descends into much entitled watermark whingeing, for which all we can do at this point is apologise).

We chat Fatal Attraction with Lizzy Caplan this week, as she jumps into the Glenn Close role for the Paramount+ adaptation of the classic '80s thriller. Plus Joe Russo stops by to talk all things Citadel. Meanwhile, the BBC busts out some comedy coppers in the excellent Black Ops, and Bridgerton's monarch gets a spinoff in Queen Charlotte on Netflix. Plus one of our listeners delivers wine to the office and James reveals the true extent of his sociopathic telly-watching routine.

It's another very hot episode this week: not because of excessive sexy chat but rather because the AC in the studio is broken again. So please put any delirium or rambling (over and above the usual amount) down to that. Other than a large quantity of sweat, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton join us to talk about the new eighth series of Inside No.9 (Inside No. 8?) and Big Tom Davis hangs out with Boyd to chat the new series of The Curse. Plus, we get ChatGPT to review the podcast and try very hard not to melt.

Not only do we have Rachel Weisz and Alice Birch on this week's show to talk all about Prime Video's resurrection of '80s Cronenberg thriller Dead Ringers, but Melanie Lynskey joins us for an update on how Yellowjackets Season 2 is going. Plus the team head off to A&E with Niamh Algar in Malpractice on ITV, and try a little oenology with Apple's manga adaptation Drops Of God. All of which leads to a slightly anarchic discussion of super-tasters, Boyd's tea-making technique, and the time Kay knocked herself out with Sambuca shots.