Radio 1's Screen Time

Ali recently watched comedy-drama Big Boys on Channel 4 and found himself thinking "How can I get more people to watch Big Boys so I can talk to more people about Big Boys?" Yes, the name is a play on 'Big boys don't cry', so you're right to expect a show that tackles grief and depression, as well as coming out, finding yourself at uni, making friends and surviving university generally. If you've not seen it, see it, but maybe before you do, listen to a bit of this podcast special dedicated to it, just to whet your appetite.

Here we go, just under the wire, just in the nick of time, Ace and I catch up - face to face, let's not forget! - to talk about Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, aka Doctor Strange 2, as it starts to leave cinemas (just about). As ever with our spoiler specials, if you haven't seen the film, maybe - definitely - don't listen to this one. But if you're on board with all the surprises and shocks and twists and turns in Sam Raimi's return to superhero filmaking, then press play and enjoy the madness.

A couple of weekends ago, Ali got to speak to some of the cast of Stranger Things, including Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Finn Wolfhard and many many more. Today, you get to hear all the resulting anarchy - though let's be honest, quite a lot of it is pretty visual! - for your podcasting enjoyment. Look forward to lots of bloopers chat and a healthy amount of utter nonsense. Also: no spoilers! Always a bonus.

It's been a little while since Ali and Clarisse have done a review round-up, and with quite a few big releases coming to our TVs - Stranger Things, Obi-Wan, The Boys, Ms. Marvel and more - and two MASSIVE ones in cinemas (Jurassic World Dominion, Top Gun Maverick), it felt like time! Plus, as a bonus, we've also got two of the stars of Ms. Marvel, namely Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan herself) and Britain's very own Rish Shah, stopping by for a quick chat as well.

Call it Jurassic World 3, call it Jurassic Park 4, call it Jurassic 6 - whatever you call it (and it probably should be Jurassic World: Dominion if you're looking to buy tickets at the box office) - it's finally here, and the OG trio has returned alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt. On this interview special, Ali talks to most of the gang about the legacy of the franchise, holing up in a big hotel and who's the best at singing. As you do.

Darker-than-dark Amazon Prime Video superhero series The Boys returns for a third season - best use the American term, eh? - bringing with it more eye-popping violence and and eyebrow-raising humour. Ali sat down with The Deep and A-Train to find out what it's like to be part of a show like this one and how it feels to walk around a comic con with or without their superhero suits...

After all these years, it feels like an absolute miracle to see Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen "teaming up" - so to speak - once again as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, but that's just what's happening, and we're not sure Ali can fully wrap his head around it. In this first-of-its-kind double-header 'Becoming...' interview, the pair dig deep on the prequels and geek out massively. They also discover an unfortunate issue with Ali's t-shirt, enjoy a tonne of fan-made merchandise and quote lines they've not said in years.

After 36 years, the sequel to 1980s classic of classics Top Gun is finally here, and with it, Tom Cruise himself talking to Ali about what brought him back, why now, and... whether he's able to pilot a submarine. (It'll make sense in context, promise.) Also on board there's legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Whiplash veteran Miles Teller (who plays Goose's son, Rooster), as well as director Joseph Kosinski - plus Jon Hamm, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez and Greg 'Tarzan' Davis. We're spoiling you, we know...

Friend of the show (and The Independent's chief film critic) Clarisse Loughrey joins Ali once again to tackle another Marvel outing, this time Disney+'s Oscar Isaac 'n' Ethan Hawke Egyptian avatar brain-bender Moon Knight. As ever, if you haven't seen the show, it's highly recommended you watch every last episode before you press play on this one. That is your spoiler warning, folks!

Empire veteran and all-round film journalism legend Helen O'Hara stops by for a very special Radio 1's Screen Time episode celebrating Lisa McGee's beloved Channel 4 sitcom, Derry Girls, which recently aired its final episode. Plus, as a bonus extra that's a must-listen for all fans of the show, Ali also got to speak to Erin Quinn herself, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, about how the show changed her life, how she got the gig and her favourite moments over the years.