We were delighted to be joined in the studio this week by friend of the pod and Black Doves creator Joe Barton, who heroically braved Euston traffic and his post-premiere hangover to make a triumphant return to the podcast, sitting in with us this week as we chatted everything from animation to comedy and the creative powers of the ‘Merrineum’. Elsewhere, we dabble in Tim Miller’s new video game inspired Prime animation Secret Level, and Netflix’s adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 Years Of Solitude.

We’re back in side the Agency this week as the stars of that show, Michale Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright, stop by to chat covert action (26:07). Plus, we continue the espionage theme with Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw in Netflix’s Black Doves (57:24), steal a monstrous amount of maple syrup with Margo Martindale in The Sticky on Prime (1:10:40), and end up watching Dalgliesh on Channel 5 (1:18:41) because everything else was embargoed. 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 12 hours early, with a second weekly show, and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

We have a quartet of brilliant guests for you this week as Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter join us to talk Taylor Sheridan’s new show, Landman, on Paramount+ (18:01), and Bene Gesserit sisters Olivia Williams and Emily Watson also drop by to chat Dune Prophecy (45:43). Elsewhere, we head deep undercover with Michael Fassbender for star-studded espionage thriller The Agency on Paramount+ (59:47), head up North for Middlesborough set sitcom Smoggie Queens on BBC3 (1:13:56), and experience the cuckoobong extravaganza that is Mrs Davis on ITVX (1:23:51), which almost defies description. All that as we attempt to dodge Kay’s lurgy as she spreads germs liberally around the studio.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 12 hours early, with a second weekly show, and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

It’s absolute anarchy this week as we manage to begin the podcast first with a debate about proper podcast nomenclature and then with Kay and Boyd fighting over what does and does not constitute and illegal review. But bear with us and we promise the podcast proper does start eventually. And a good thing too, because Aldis Hodge and Ben Watkins join us to talk Cross (22:16) — though not to get cross — and Rebecca Hall drops by to talk The Listeners (49:12). Elsewhere, we give BBC1’s The Listeners the full review treatment (1:06:36), plus spice things up with Dune: Prophecy on Sky Atlantic (1:15:48) and discover whether Michael Schur and Ted Danson’s new comedy, A Man On the Inside (1:31:22), can hold a candle to The Good Place. 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 12 hours early, with a second weekly show, and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

The Dude himself, Mr Jeff Bridges is one of our guests on this week’s show (27:27), talking about the return of The Old Man on Disney+. He’s joined by Steve Zahn, who drops by to talk about Silo (1:39:49) as its second season drops on Apple TV+. And speaking of which, we dig beneath the surface of that show (1:20:49) to find out whether its encore performance can live up to its sparkling debut, plus we take a trip back to the Troubles for IRA drama Say Nothing on Disney+ (1:31:23). But that’s not all, because in a rare convergence of the spheres, we actually review…. an animation (1:06:19). But not just any animation, because Netflix’s Arcane is back, back, back and even James is excited about this one.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 12 hours early, with a second weekly show, and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

Comedy legend Billy Crystal is our guest this week, not to talk about comedy, though, but rather psychological thriller Before on Apple TV+. Plus, we have an espionage triple bill for you this week as we delve into the world of assassination with Eddie Redmaybe and Lashana Lynch — both of whom are also guests on this week’s show — in Sky’s The Day Of The Jackal, heading to Afghanistan with Jeff Bridges — a guest on next week’s show — for season 2 of The Old Man on Disney+, and getting another dose of Prime’s Citadelverse in Indian regional spinoff Citadel: Honey Bunny.

Richard E. Grant joins us on the show this week (1:00:00) to talk about The Franchise, which we reviewed last week, plus Ben Wheatley joins drops by to talk about his satirical back comedy Generation Z (00:24:58), which made its debut on Channel 4 on the weekend and which we also review (1:17:01). We head off to France to battle terrorists in Paris Has Fallen on Prime (1:25:51), and we take a harrowing look at life with a serial killer alongside Anna Maxwell Martin in Until I Kill You on ITV (1:35:29). Plus there’s talk of hanging out at Robbie Williams’ house, getting the bejesus scared out of us by Sean Harris, broken penises, interviews derailed by football and an awful lot of zomzies (sic).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 12 hours early, along with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+ at empire.supportingcast.fm.

Captain Nemo himself, Shazad Latif, joining us this week to chat Nautilus on Prime Video, and Felicity Ward is also a guest on this week’s show, chatting about her role at the forefront of Australia’s take on The Office. Elsewhere, we head behind the scenes of a blockbuster superhero movie in Sky Comedy’s The Franchise, and recline on Jason Segel’s couch in season 2 of Shrinking on Apple TV+. But don’t ask Kay about any of that as there’s a significant chance she’s not listening.

Eighties bonkbuster Rivals arrives on Disney+ this week and our very own Kay Ribeiro gets under the covers with star Aidan Turner to talk all about it. Plus, Lennie James takes on a decades-spanning role in Mr Loverman on BBC1, as a septuagenarian finally coming out of the closet, and Boydy got to chat with Lennie all about that. We also take a look at series 2 of The Devil’s Hour on Prime, which proves a delightful surprise to James and manages to utterly destroy Kay. Listen and find out why.

We invite Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal onto this week’s show to talk about Spanish-language boxing drama a Máquina on Disney+. But that’s not all, as we pillory Kay for daring to take some time off, James is lambasted for his egregious (if entirely oblivious) queue-jumping, and there’s some seasonal spooky chat about the best TV-based horrors. As well as reviewing La Máquina, though, we also take a look at starry Apple drama Disclaimer with Cate Blanchett, and Sweetpea on Sky Atlantic, in which Ella Purnell gets in touch with her inner sociopath.