Pilot TV

We have not one but two Green Lanterns on this week podcast as both Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler put up with James fanboying both over Lanterns on HBO Max and of course the fact that Chandler IS Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights (clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!) (39:38-1:00). Elsewhere we have a big old Lego chat, someone attempts a sweet-based assassination attempt and we tackles the new season of The Terror on Sky (1:18:10), Australian canine comedy Dog Park on U (1:29:35), and criminal boxing thriller Fightland on Sky Atlantic (1:43:49).
Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

We’re back to a full house this week as James returns from his holidays, and an even fuller house than that, in fact, as we have a surprise ringer parachuted into this week’s line-up. In a bid to address to the team’s ongoing reluctance to become au fait with animation, we’ve invited animation filmmaker John McEwan-Whyte to join us on the show and provide a crash course in all things cell-shaded (31:08). Plus we catch up on the heroic amount of things that we’ve watched over the past few weeks (including at least one awkward mea culpa) and we jump into this week’s shows. To whit: DC superhero-powered crime thriller Lanterns on HBO Max (1:07:49), series 2 of cosy crime procedural Ludwig on BBC1 (1:14:51), and spray-tan crime caper Sunny Nights on ITV (1:19:44).
Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!

As a special bonus, we're making our House Of The Dragon spoiler special available to everyone! For more of these, early, ad-free access to the main podcast and a second show every week, subscribe to Pilot+ for not very much money at all! www.empire.supportingcast.fm

House Of The Dragon reached its fiery (and swordy, and axey) climax this week with a LOT happening as we lay the board for the show’s final season. This season saw dragons in the sky, a new bum on the Iron Throne anshoved up another one. All of which are good reasons for the Pilot gang (well, James and Boyd since Steph is still a little behind) to undertake a full post mortem of everything that happened. Plus, co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal drops by for an extended, spoiler-filled interview spilling all the season’s secrets.

Apparently, it’s our 400th episode so to celebrate we invite special guest Darren, our esteemed editor, to join Kay, Steph and Boyd for the opening ‘What we’ve been watching’ segment, which is full of surprises. We also look back to the very first episode, before reviewing the Bret Easton Ellis/Ryan Murphy collab The Shards on Disney+, U&Dave’s first scripted original drama Hit Point, and adult animation Alley Cats from Ricky Gervais. Here’s to the next 400!

Ricky Gervais is our guest this week, talking all things Alley Cats, and yes, it’s an animated show, but a very very adult one. We’re also celebrating James’ absence with another two-hander between Boyd and Kay who together review Possession with Gugu Mbatha-Raw on Sky & NOW, Benidorm Is Murder with John Hannah on 5, not to be confused with A Touch Of Cloth, and the star-studded Lioness from the Taylor Sheridan stable. Boyd also counts down his top 10 favourite films, due to public demand. Kind of.