

Radio Times Podcast
Radio Times
We’ve all been there – sat in front of the television, flicking through channels, getting increasingly frustrated – there’s so much on, but nothing to watch. TV critics Caroline Frost and Shem Law have you covered. Each Friday, they serve up short, sharp television recommendations to mark your cards for the week ahead. They’ll tell you what to watch – and what to avoid. They watch it all, so you don’t have to. No more asking: what’s on TV tonight? What to watch? Or, what should I watch? Instead, listen to Smart TV for your weekly round-up of TV programmes and film reviews. You’ll find out about the latest series dropping that week, what to binge and what television show will become the next watercooler moment. Radio Times’ journalists Caroline Frost and Shem Law will cover all things terrestrial as well as what’s on the streaming sites – they’ll cover what’s broadcast on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky to NOW, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix and Apple TV. Whether you like Entertainment, Current Affairs, Documentaries, Dramas, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thrillers, Sports or Radio – they’ll have you covered.If you enjoy our weekly round-up of television reviews, do search for the View From My Sofa podcast which sees Kelly-Anne Taylor sit down with a celebrity guests to talk about their lives through the prism of TV.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 25, 2023 • 17min
Smart TV: A celebration of David Hockney, Madonna, and Parkinson
Caroline Frost chats to Kelly-Anne Taylor about the best things coming up on the box this week.Show notes: David Hockney: A Celebration, Sky ArtsStarstruck, BBC3, The Woman in the Wall, BBC1Midsomer Murders, ITV1Madonna Night, BBC2 Film of the week: She Said, NowRadio Recommendation: This Cultural Life, Radio 4 From the archive: Parkinson at 50, BBC iPlayer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 22, 2023 • 40min
Rose Matafeo on rom-coms, love in your 30s and equality in comedy
This week’s guest is the comedian, Rose Matafeo. Having made a name for herself on the UK comedy scene, she has successfully turned her hand to television. She writes and stars in the BBC rom-com series Starstruck which follows a young woman named Jessie who has a one-night stand with a celebrity. In this episode she talks to Kelly-Anne Taylor about gender parity in comedy, how she managed to break into the industry at the age of 12 and why she has a more mature outlook on love in her thirties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 18, 2023 • 17min
Smart TV: Lionesses Roar On and Hard-Hitting Documentaries
Caroline Frost chats to Kelly-Anne Taylor about the best things coming up on the box this weekShow notes:Women’s World Cup Final, BBC1The Reunion, ITVXStar Wars: Ahsoka, Disney+Tommy Jessop Goes To Hollywood, BBC1London Bridge: Facing Terror, C4Film of the Week:How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Paramount+ and Channel 4 Streaming ServiceFrom the Archive:Hornblower, ITVXThe Last of Us, Now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 15, 2023 • 1h 4min
Alex Crawford on conflict, trusting your instincts and women at war
This week Kelly-Anne Taylor is joined by Sky’s special correspondent, Alex Crawford. They discuss Alex’s 30-year broadcast career – over the course of which, she has reported from Myanmar’s Rakhine State and was the first journalist in Tripoli after rebel forces took over the Libyan Capital. Plus, how growing up in Zimbabwe primed Alex for a career in foreign correspondence, why certain stories aren’t covered by our news cycle and the future of news as we know it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 11, 2023 • 16min
Smart TV: Classy Period Drama's and Hen Party Hyjinks
Caroline Frost chats to Kelly-Anne Taylor about the best things coming up on the box this weekShow notes:Sandition, ITVXThe Ipcress File, ITV1Oppenheimer (Documentary), BBC4Henpocalypse!, BBC2Archive on 4: Growing up with Madonna, Radio 4Film of the Week:Ammonite, BBC2From the Archive:Hullraisers, Channel 4 Catch-UpMiddlemarch, BBCiPlayer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 8, 2023 • 37min
David Tennant on Doctor Who, his religious upbringing and Good Omens
This week’s guest is a hallmark of British TV – it’s national treasure, David Tennant. He sits down with Kelly-Anne Taylor to talk about his first TV memory – watching Doctor Who, and witnessing Jon Pertwee turn into Tom Baker – and how he can’t wrap his head around how things ultimately panned out. Plus, we talk about Good Omens, Christianity and why Michael Sheen isn’t the ying to David’s yang. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 4, 2023 • 18min
Smart TV: Returning Murderous Series and Listener Recommendations
Caroline Frost chats to Kelly-Anne Taylor about the best things coming up on the box this weekShow notes:Annika, AlibiThis Cultural Life: Sally Wainwright, BBC4Alone, C4Only Murders in the Building, Disney+Drops of God, Apple TV Radio Recommendation: Stirring It Up PodcastFilm of the Week:The Worst Person in the World, C4 From the Archive:Silent Witness, BBC iPlayer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 1, 2023 • 1h 5min
Andi and Miquita Oliver on dreaming big, turning trauma into your superpower and knowing your worth
This week’s guests are the mother-daughter duo dominating the broadcast world, Andi and Miquita Oliver. We discuss their broadcast careers, why both of them needed to take a step away from the industry, why if your dreams don’t scare you they are not big enough – and how despite having a challenging relationship with food in the past, it has become the backbone of their success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 28, 2023 • 16min
Smart TV: Thrilling Crime Dramas and the Return of Heartstopper
Caroline Frost chats to Kelly-Anne Taylor about the best things coming up on the box this weekShow notes:Sixth Commandment, BBC iPlayerWolf, BBC OneHeartstopper, NetflixThe Kitchen Cabinet, Radio FourOur Guy in Colombia (Guy Martin), C4Blur Night, BBC TwoA Bit of Fry and Laurie, BBC Two Film of the Week:The Silent Twins, NOWFrom the Archive:Appropriate Adult, ITVX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 25, 2023 • 33min
Jack Whitehall on cut-throat panel shows, embarrassing his dad and improv-insults
This week, joining Kelly-Anne Taylor, on the Radio Times sofa, is the comedian who has been a staple on our televisions for almost two decades – Jack Whitehall. He broke into telly, aged 19, while presenting E4’s Big Brother’s Big Mouth – but he soon became a household name as a panellist on the likes of Would I Lie To You, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Mock the Week. His stand-up career has been glistening – with multiple sell-out shows, and he’s also made his mark in the world of TV and film – starring in Fresh Meat, Bad Education and most recently, Apple TV’s The Afterparty. In this episode, we talk about the highs and lows of his career, what it’s really like making a TV show with a parent and working on his American accent… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices