Pilot TV

With the eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead just around the corner, we’re getting all kinds of excited to see how the groundbreaking, landmark AMC show brings the whole bloody affair to a close. But first, we figured it would be time to look back at the previous ten seasons, which are now available to stream on STAR on Disney+. And so the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have decided to join forces with STAR on Disney+ to bring you this very special episode in which Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Beth Webb go through the show season-by-season, talking about their favourite characters, moments and, yes, deaths. Lots of deaths. So many deaths. Well, it is The Walking Dead, after all. So, whether you’re a Rick Grimes megafan, or you’re heavily invested in Carol’s progression from meek survivor to Queen Of The Zombie Apocalypse; whether you think Negan deserves a second chance, or you can’t get enough of Michonne; and whether or not you’ll riot if Daryl dies, this is the podcast for you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy The Walking Dead, an Empire + Pilot TV podcast special with STAR on Disney+.

Aisling Bea joins us on this week's episode as a very special fourth host as we talk about the second series of her Channel 4 show, This Way Up, and chat everything from eating crisps on the couch to how it's possible to be simultaneously obsessed with both Line Of Duty and The Real Housewives Of New York. We also run through the shows we're most looking forward to during the second half of 2021 and even manage to review some shows, including Schmigadoon! On Apple TV+, and season 2 of War Of The Worlds on Disney+.

Due to the convergence of both football and tennis, new shows are a little thin on the ground this week but that can't stop us from bringing you another glorious instalment of the podcast. Indeed, this week's is an episode in which Boyd and Terri try to explain the concept of sport to James and then audition a series of (fictional) TV characters to fill Terri's soon to be vacant seat. On the telly front, it's an animation double bill as we look at the Resident Evil anime show on Netflix, and rejoin Mike and Sully for Pixar series Monsters At Work, plus we somehow end up watching a show about the Peru Two in High: Confessions Of An Ibiza Drug Mule on BBC3. Needless to say, James was delighted.

True crime, fake crime and organised crime are the themes this week as we take a look at Netflix documentary Sophie: A Murder In West Cork; Alibi's Facebook acquisition, Limetown; the latest Season of Sons Of Anarchy spin-off Mayans M.C.; and ill-conceived Terry Pratchett adaptation, The Watch. Plus, to celebrate the fact that we've reached the year's midpoint, the team wrangle over their personal lists for the best shows of 2021 so far.

We're all about the Bosch this week as Amazon's Michael Connelly adaptation arrives with its seventh (and final!) season and James gets a little... well, James about it. We also review the modern (if ill-fated) remake of Party Of Five and celebrate Pride Month with LGBT history documentary, Pride. Plus, the team takes a nostalgic trip back to TV shows past, digging through their memories for some of the childhood show that shaped them into the loveable bellends they are today.

We take an adventure with Marvel's god of mischief on this week's show, finally passing the embargo for Loki on Disney+. Then we find out whether Rose Byrne can find salvation through aerobics in Apple's Physical and how James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan survived lockdown in Together — a one-off-feature-length-not-a-film written by Dennis Kelly. Plus James, Terri, and Boyd look at some of the most memorable TV character departures, pick through the carcass of last week's TV Baftas, and get *incredibly* excited (well, mainly James) at the real-time arrival of the See Season 2 trailer.

James is away but somehow still manages to dominate the conversation before Terri, Boyd and guest co-host Beth Webb turn their attention to the Mare Of Easttown finale (spoilers – skip between 6:31 and 12:00 if you still haven’t caught up with one of the shows of the year). Then it’s back to James-spiration for a discussion of the biggest bell-ends in TV history, and what exactly makes a bell-end, before we review The Schwim in Sky One’s Intelligence season 2, Blindspotting on Starzplay and crime drama The Gloaming on Disney+.

Charlotte Ritchie and Mae Martin join us on this week's show to talk about the second (and final) series of Feel Good on Netflix. Plus the Pilot team dissect last week's Friends Reunion special, before embarking on a bumper reviews segment covering Stephen King adaptation Lisey's Story on Apple, Jimmy McGovern's Time on BBC1, Channel 5's adaptation of the last weeks of Anne Boleyn, and Feel Good itself.

James’ re-watch of Game Of Thrones comes to a triumphant conclusion this week, so brace yourselves for an extended monologue/re-evaluation of that show as he drives Terri to the brink of catatonia with fresh takes on all things Season 8 (it ends at 18:43 if you feel your life ebbing away and/or want to avoid any GoT spoilers). And speaking of re-evaluations, we discuss how we view other classic shows differently over time as our perspectives on life change. Plus we finally get to see Amazon’s Solos, see if Star’s Rebel is worth a watch, and hit the beat with Lesley Sharp in Channel 4’s Before We Die — which is also a phrase uttered frequently during James’ aforementioned Thronesplanation.

Katherine Kelly is our guest on the podcast this week, telling us all about her role in series 2 of ITV's Innocent. Plus The Nevers finally arrives on Sky — bringing with it a welcome dose of Victorian superpowers — and Channel 4 unveils its all-new comedy centring around an all-girl, Muslim punk band with We Are Lady Parts. All that and Terri finally gets around to watching Succession, plus we reveal the secrets of how we balance our gargantuan watch lists with having personal lives (we don't).