

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

Oct 25, 2022 • 48min
View From My Sofa with Louis Theroux
This week’s guest is Louis Theroux – the godfather of the immersive documentary. Over 24 years of programme making, Louis’ trademark style has remained the same – charming, bookish and, always, direct. In this episode, he talks to Kelly-Anne Taylor about how he wanted to be a sit-com writer, his guilty-secret of watching his own documentaries and why lockdown, and spending more time with his family, has changed his outlook on life.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 21, 2022 • 17min
Smart TV Episode 30
Radio Times expert David Butcher runs through the TV highlights of the week ahead. They include a new series from Louis Theroux, big-budget sci-fi drama The Peripheral, a raft of programmes celebrating 100 years of the BBC, the return of The Handmaid’s Tale, and a magical documentary about Lionel Messi. Plus, as always – one show to avoid… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 18, 2022 • 1h 28min
View From My Sofa with Stephen Fry
This week’s guest is the actor, screenwriter, scriptwriter, playwright, author, raconteur, and the latest legend to be inducted into the Radio Times Hall of Fame, the one and only Stephen Fry. In this episode, Stephen tells Kelly-Anne Taylor about his life-long love affair with TV, why – of all the programmes he has made in more than 40 years in television – his BBC documentary exploring bipolar disorder is the show he’s most proud of, how he wishes shows like Heartstopper and It’s a Sin were around when he was younger – and how meeting Hugh Laurie was love at first sight.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 14, 2022 • 19min
Smart TV Episode 29
Radio Times critic David Butcher picks the best TV for the week ahead – shiny new programmes, great returning series and one show to miss. He previews a poignant coming-of-age drama on Channel 4, the return of the most violent saga on television and new ventures from comedians Sue Perkins and Judi Love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 11, 2022 • 46min
View From My Sofa with Jed Mercurio
This week’s guest is the king of the TV conspiracy thriller Jed Mercurio – the brains behind Line of Duty, Bodyguard and most recently, Bloodlands starring James Nesbitt. In this episode, Jed tells Kelly-Anne Taylor about the TV he watched as a young boy growing up in a working-class family in 1970s Staffordshire, why he felt more comfortable flying a plane for the RAF than writing his first script and how his years as a junior doctor gave him his big TV break.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 7, 2022 • 9min
Smart TV Episode 28
Endlessly flicking through the channels or scrolling through streaming websites? In this episode, Radio Times journalist Kelly-Anne Taylor marks your cards for the week ahead – so you can wade through less content and get stuck into the best shows on the box. Whether you’re looking for a moving documentary, gritty drama or family-friendly film – we’ve got a recommendation for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 4, 2022 • 36min
View From My Sofa with James May
Our first guest, on this brand new podcast brought to you by Radio Times, is the one and only James May. Once the Captain Slow of BBC’s Top Gear – James and his two amigos, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, now famously travel the globe for Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour. In this episode, James tells Kelly-Anne Taylor about the TV he watched as a child, the shows that made him the man he is today and how he uses the pause button on his remote to support his local pub. Plus, he gives us the real story of life on the road with Hammond and Clarkson – and he reveals how his uncharacteristically reckless driving in the current series of A Grand Tour landed him in a Scandinavian A&E Department.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 3, 2022 • 4min
View From My Sofa Trailer
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 30, 2022 • 18min
Smart TV Episode 27
What’s worth watching this week? Radio Times critic David Butcher runs through his TV highlights with a bunch of shows to look out for…and one to miss. There’s a haunting real-life drama with Stephen Graham, an action thriller with Jeff Bridges, a weird and wonderful spoof of children’s TV, and Jeremy Paxman as you’ve never seen him before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 23, 2022 • 22min
Smart TV Episode 26
Radio Times critic David Butcher runs through the TV highlights of the week ahead – plus one show to miss. With several big series postponed from last week’s schedules, there’s plenty to talk about, including a high-class thriller starring David Tennant and Stanley Tucci; ITV’s latest (brilliant) female detective; a new comedy from Daisy May Cooper; and Kenneth Branagh’s take on Boris Johnson. Not forgetting – Strictly is back! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


