Pilot TV

Empire Magazine

From the creators of The Empire Film Podcast, Pilot TV is your essential guide to every TV show that matters, providing a weekly rundown of all the new must-see TV shows dropping across streaming, terrestrial, satellite, cable, and beyond. Join Empire's James Dyer, Heat's Boyd Hilton, Steph Seelan, and Kay Ribeiro as they bring you breaking TV news, reviews of the week's major shows, and interviews with some of the biggest names in TV.

Pilot TV is here to make sure every minute you spend in front of the box is a minute worth spending. Served with a heavy helping of insider knowledge, irreverence and humour, Pilot TV won't just keep you informed, amused and entertained, but is guaranteed to save countless hours of your life. Because you can’t watch *everything*.

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to Pilot+ for a bonus episode every Thursday, in-depth spoiler specials, and early, ad-free access to the regular show! Find out more at www.empireonline.com/pilottv

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426 episodes
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Jan 19, 2021 · 2 hr 19 min
#119 - WandaVision, It's A Sin, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. With guest host Russell T. Davies
On this week's show telly legend and Doctor Who pioneer Russell T. Davies joins us as guest host when we take a trip back to the 1950s for Marvel/I Love Lucy hybrid show WandaVision, and force Terri to sit through some Star Trek animation in Lower Decks. We also get a chance to delve deep into Russell's new series, It's A Sin, and talk about some of the shows we're most looking forward to in 2021.
Jan 11, 2021 · 1 hr 8 min
# 118 - Servant, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Briarpatch, and Finding Alice
On this week's show we’re joining Luke Evans in the hunt for a Welsh serial killer in ITV’s The Pembrokeshire Murders, finding out how baby Jericho’s holding up in Season 2 of Servant on Apple TV+, and watching Rosario Dawson unravel a mystery on Alibi as Briarpatch makes its belated debut on UK screens. Plus we tumble down the stairs with Finding Alice, and Beth Webb joins us as we explore Boyd's favourite narrative device and investigate the use of flashbacks.
Jan 5, 2021 · 1 hr 33 min
#117 - The Stand, Cobra Kai, and A Discovery Of Witches
Happy New Year to you all! And what better way to celebrate than to hear Terri once again concede that a show James has banged on about endlessly is actually rather good. Which one? You’ll have to wait and see. We also take a look at the new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand on Starzplay, head back to Elizabethan times for Season 2 of A Discovery Of Witches on Sky, and dive headfirst into Season 3 of Netflix’s Cobra Kai.
Dec 28, 2020 · 22 min
Cobra Kai Special, Featuring Ralph Macchio & William Zabka
You didn't think we'd leave you all Christmas with no Pilot TV podcast did you? With the long-awaited Season 3 of Cobra Kai mere days away, we bring you this special episode dedicated to the show, featuring none other than Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence themselves: Ralph Macho and William Zabka. The stars of the show chat the way of the fist with James, discuss how this most unlikely of reunions became the biggest show on streaming, and what we can expect going forward. Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy!
Dec 21, 2020 · 1 hr 24 min
#116 - Black Narcissus, The Serpent, and Motherland Christmas Special. Featuring Nicola Coughlan
Derry Girl Nicola Coughlan joins us on this the final regular Pilot podcast of 2020 to talk about sexy bodice-ripper Bridgerton. Meanwhile, the rest of the show comes to you in association with (non warrior) nuns in the Himalayas thanks to the BBC's Black Narcissus, a seventies serial killer in The Serpent, and assorted secret Santa shenanigans in the brilliantly funny Motherland Christmas special. Plus Boyd breaks out his magic listings book to talk us through all the TV highlights over the Christmas break and we talk though all our favourite festive episodes. See you in 2021!
Dec 14, 2020 · 1 hr 30 min
#115 - The Wilds, Euphoria, and The Expanse
The Expanse returns this week, much to Terri and Boyd's bemusement - but don't worry, James is on hand to Beltersplain everything as needed. We also dive into Amazon's new pseudo-Lost show, The Wilds, and embrace a little festive cheer (kind of) with the Euphoria Christmas special. All that and a rather unexpected discussion of late stage capitalism, some thoughts on additions to established ensemble casts, and Terri inadvertently trigger's the Pilot TV podcast's new security system, much to her chagrin.
Dec 7, 2020 · 2 hr 14 min
Review Of The Year 2020
2020 has been quite a year. A global pandemic, political upheaval and most of us being forced to spend large chunks of it under virtual house arrest. However, amidst the crises and carnage we've been treated to a genuinely outstanding year for television and that's what this episode is all about. James, Terri and Boyd run through their takes on 2020 and count down Pilot's definitive list of the Top 20 shows of the year. Want to know what essential shows you've missed over the past 12 months? Or what you absolutely must add to your watch list over Christmas? Well you're in luck, so strap in, get a notepad handy and feast your ears on Pilot TV's recap of the year in television.
Nov 30, 2020 · 1 hr 28 min
#114 - Raised By Wolves, Tin Star, and Power Book II: Ghosts
It's the moment you've all been waiting for: we make Terri sit through HBO's near-impenetrable hard sci-fi series Raised By Wolves (not to be confused with Caitlin Moran's Wolverhampton-set comedy of the same name, which she would have enjoyed far more). Plus we attempt to find out why Tim Roth is heading back to Liverpool for season 3 of Tin Star and try to make sense out of the bafflingly-titled Power Book II: Ghost. Plus we talk about our most off-brand TV opinions and Terri and Boyd succeed in torturing James with a blow-by-blow recap of the Bake-Off finale.
Nov 23, 2020 · 1 hr 24 min
#113 - For Life, Trickster, and The Queen's Gambit
We resisted for weeks but we've finally relented and agreed to give Netflix's The Queen's Gambit the full review treatment it deserves. Plus we head behind bars for Nicholas Pinnock's E4 courtroom/prison drama For Life and bamboozle Terri with SyFy's bizarro supernatural YA miniseries Trickster. In addition, James proselytises about Counterpart, Terri and Boyd rhapsodise about a Welsh Castle, The Crown gets explained for James' mum and we recommend some of our favourite non UK/US shows for your international enjoyment.
Nov 16, 2020 · 1 hr 29 min
#112 - The Good Lord Bird, Lovers Rock, and We Are Who We Are
Pilot TV's bellend-in-chief has taken a rare holiday this week leaving Terri in the hot seat and welcoming Amon Warmann onto the team as they watch Ethan Hawke gives it his all in abolitionist drama The Good Lord Bird on Sky Atlantic; Steve McQueen's second instalment in Small Axe, Lovers Rock, which comes to BBC1; and a pair of teenagers come of age on a US military base in Luca Guadagnino's We Are Who We Are on BBC Three. All that and Pilot TV is graced with its first musical review, Boyd utters the phrase, "Layers of mousse," and Terri decides to Banshee a show we have previously reviewed on this very podcast, throwing all the rules completely out the window.
Nov 9, 2020 · 1 hr 24 min
#111 - The Crown, Industry, and Small Axe
It's time to get down with The Crown on this week's show as we take in the uncanny glory that is Gillian Anderson's superlative Margaret Thatcher. Plus we get a look inside the cut-throat world of financial services in BBC2's Industry (it does *not* pass the bellend test), and catch a selection of films in Steve McQueen's Small Axe on BBC1, which may or may not constitute a TV series in the strictest sense but is so good that it really doesn't matter.
Nov 2, 2020 · 1 hr 30 min
#110 - The Mandalorian, The Vow, and His Dark Materials
Baby Yoda returns this week as we're finally able to review The Mandalorian Season 2 on Disney+. We also catch up with Lyra and Pantalaimon in the second series of the BBC's His Dark Materials adaptation AND delve into the sordid inner workings of sex cult NXIVM in Sky Documentaries' The Vow. All that and you get to hear Terri's latest adventures in The West Wing to properly prepare you for tomorrow's US election.
Oct 26, 2020 · 1 hr 58 min
#109 - The Undoing, Truth Seekers, and The Sister. Featuring Russell Tovey.
Russell Tovey makes his triumphant return to the podcast this week, taking about Neil Cross' new show, The Sister on ITV. Plus we find out if Nick Frost is afraid of ghosts in Amazon's Truth Seekers and get an eyeful of Sky's The Undoing, which features Hugh Grant, Nicole Kidman and a surprising amount of full frontal nudity. Plus Terri updates us on her West Wing progress and the team has an alternate universe conversation about TV castings that could have been.
Oct 18, 2020 · 1 hr 57 min
#108 - Star Trek: Discovery, Out Of Her Mind, and Twenties. Featuring Nick Frost.
It's a momentous episode this week as, after 107 episodes of James banging on about it, Terri finally watched The West Wing. What's more, she reviews the show for us at the top of this week's show (well, the episodes she's seen, anyway). That alone should be more than enough to warrant a download, but there's more! Nick Frost drops by the pod to talk about his new show, Truth Seekers, plus we review Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery, get a glimpse inside Sara Pascoe's brain in the bonkers Out Of Her Mind, and a peek inside Lena Waithe's in her semi-autobiographical comedy Twenties.
Oct 11, 2020 · 1 hr 32 min
#107 - The Right Stuff, Roadkill, and Warrior
James discovers the joy of Cobra Kai this week, having finally accepted Netflix's glorious Karate Kid spinoff series into his heart, meanwhile Terri anoints herself 'the reality sponge' and Boyd maintains that he still hasn't watched the Little Mix reality show. In more serious business, though, we finally get to talk about The Right Stuff on Disney+, not to mention Hugh Laurie's political shenanigans in the BBC's Roadkill, and the glorious return of Warrior on Sky. Plus there's a minor free-for-all as we debate the merits of week-by-week vs bingeable TV shows.
Oct 4, 2020 · 1 hr 29 min
#106 - The Haunting Of Bly Manor, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and Adult Material
Zombies! Ghosts! Porn stars! We've got a little something for everyone on this week's show as we tackle The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Netflix's The Haunting Of Bly Manor, and Channel 4's Adult Material. Plus a little more musing on Netflix's cancellation formula (less boring than it sounds!) and some disagreement as to how many syllables are in the name Conan.
Sep 27, 2020 · 1 hr 33 min
#105 - Brave New World, Life, and The Comey Rule
It's a Brave New World this week as we immerse ourselves in the new adaptation of Aldous Huxley's dystopian sci-fi novel, plus we get a Life with the BBC's new Doctor Foster Spinoff, and strap in for three hours of Trump getting elected in the HBO adaptation of former FBI director James Comey's memoir, The Comey Rule.
Sep 20, 2020 · 1 hr 20 min
#104 - Utopia, Ghosts, and Evil
Gillian Flynn's long-awaited remake of Dennis Kelly's Utopia lands with us this week, along with the second series of the Horrible History crew's spirited comedy, Ghosts. Plus Terri gets to geek out about Mike Coulter-starring supernatural procedural Evil, and Boyd and Terri's ongoing mission to make James like Doctor Who steps up a notch as finally watches Blink from series 3.
Sep 13, 2020 · 2 hr 6 min
#103 - The Third Day, Ratched, Criminal, and Des
Dennis Kelly joins us on the show this week to talk about his audacious new multi-part drama (with a live event, no less) The Third Day, plus we get back into the interrogation room for Season 2 of Netflix's Criminal, strap in for the most Ryan Murphy show of all time with Ratched, and witness David Tennant at his most terrifying in ITV's Des. And that's not all, because we also take a look back at TV's most heart-warming (and teeth-gnashingly frustrating) slow-burn romances and get borderline hysterical in a discussion about time travel.
Sep 7, 2020 · 1 hr 57 min
#102 - High Fidelity, The Duchess, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, and The Singapore Grip. Featuring David Morrissey
David Morrissey is our guest on this week's show, talking about his new series, The Singapore Grip, which we also review. What's more, after an eternity's wait, Hulu's High Fidelity finally arrives on British screens, much to our delight, while Netflix's The Duchess pits Katherine Ryan against modern life and Awkwafina gets her own slacker comedy in the rather confusingly titled Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens. Plus Terri finally gets a chance to share her top 5 shows - no prizes for guessing number one.