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

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

426 episodes
Updated Yesterday
Explicit

Episodes426

Newest first

March 16 · 1 hr 58 min
Imperfect Women, A Woman Of Substance, and The Other Bennet Sister. With guests Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri
It’s our (belated) International Women’s Day episode this week, with a trio of female fronted shows to tackle, from Imperfect Women on Apple (1:13:41), to A Woman Of Substance on Channel 4 (1:27:20), and The Other Bennet Sister on BBC1 (1:41:16) — for which we also speak to Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri (39:58-58:06). Plus last week’s bum banter is swapped out for an array of dog discussion as we chew over the broadcast of this week’s Crufts, and Steph decides to put James and Boyd on the spot and make them name their all-time favourite female protagonists. Yes, James did forget to mention Captain Janeway and Catherine Cawood. No, he’s still not forgiven himself. Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
March 9 · 1 hr 40 min
Rooster, Gone, and The Capture. With guests Kurt and Wyatt Russell
We have a Russell double bill this week as both Kurt and Wyatt join us on the pod to chat Monarch season 2 on Apple TV (33:38-54:47). Elsewhere, we’re getting in trouble on campus both with Steve Carrell in Rooster on Sky Comedy (1:03:47) and with David Morrissey in Gone on ITV1 (1:28:19). All that and BBC1’s The Capture makes a triumphant return to our screens for series 3 (1:17:41), plus we assemble a Mount Rushmore of TV composers, and there’s an alarming amount of discussion about bums. What more could you possibly ask for? Oh and Boydy does talk a little about the latter eps of Industry and if you want to skip it then all that happens between 12:21 and 13:45. Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
March 2 · 1 hr 33 min
Marshals, Young Sherlock, and DTF St Louis. with guests Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin
Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin are our guests this week (42:50-55:12), chatting all things Vanished on Prime video. Plus, Steph gives her crime show recommendations for all you sofa sleuths, and we tackle this week’s trio of new (unembargoed) shows. Specifically… the latest addition to the Yellowstoniverse, Marshals, on Paramount+ (1:05:24), teenage Holmes saga Young Sherlock on Prime (1:15:31), and suburban infidelity murder mystery DTF St Louis on Sky Atlantic (1:23:45). Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
February 23 · 1 hr 22 min
Paradise, Vanished, and Dirty Business. With guest Jennifer Garner
We may not have been able to review The Last Thing He Told Me last week but to address that injustice, Jennifer Garner popped into the Pilot TV studio this week to talk all about that show’s second season with Boydy (30:07-40:17). Elsewhere, we catch up with the latest events in Paradise on Disney+ (51:22), find out why Sam Claflin has gone missing, along with Kaley Cuoco in Vanished on Prime Video (1:05:15), and take a look at the state of British waterways in Dirty Business on Channel 4 (1:15:19). Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
February 16 · 1 hr 23 min
The Walsh Sisters, Bridgerton, and The Night Agent. With guests Lisa McGee and Sinéad Keenan
Kay returns to the regular pod this week and (purely by coincidence) Nothing goes quite to plan as our intent to review The Last Thing He Told Me is thwarted by an inconvenient embargo. However, that’s okay because we manage to sub Bridgerton season 4 in as a last minute replacement. Elsewhere, we take a look at BBC1’s Marian Keyes adaptation The Walsh Sisters, and see what Gabriel Basso is up to in the latest instalment of The Night Agent. Plus James gets terribly excited about the studio’s new logo screen (which is finally working) and the team attempt to unpick those rare shows that have successfully reinvented themselves entirely. All that, and Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee joins star Sinéad Keenan to discuss Netflix’s How To Get To Heaven From Belfast.
February 9 · 1 hr 34 min
Cross, Betrayal, and Small Prophets
Dad core reigns this week as we head over to Prime video for season 2 of Cross (55:24), then pivot to ITV for MI5 thriller Betrayal (1:06:55). Plus we peer into the psyche of Mackenzie Crook for his quirky new homunculus comedy Small Prophets (1:17:49). Meanwhile, Boyd beams in live from Santa Monica to give us a full rundown of Apple’s 2026 slate. And, if you’ve ever wondered where a good place to star bingeing Star Trek is then look no further because that question gets answered in forensic detail as the team wrestle over a suitable on-ramp and whether Steph’s love of Enterprise shoudl disqualify her from the discussion entirely. Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
February 2 · 1 hr 30 min
Waiting For The Out, His And Hers, and Silent Witness
It’s a slow week on the box but don’t let that put you off as we take the opportunity to fill some important gaps in our 2026 watch list, finally reviewing Waiting For The Out on BBC1 (55:16), catching up with batty crime thriller His And Hers on Netflix (1:07:12) and exploring just why Silent Witness has become such a phenomenon as it launches into its 29th year (1:19:53). Plus, if you didn’t think this episode was sexy enough, we delve into some of the more sensitively wrought scenes of intimacy ever to grace the gogglebox.
January 26 · 2 hr 16 min
Wonder Man, The Beauty, and Under Salt Marsh. With Ashton Kutcher, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos, Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Kelly Reilly & Rafe Spall
We have ALL the guests on this week’s show, including [deep breath] Ashton Kutcher, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos, Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall (31:40-50:19 and 1:23:58-1:36:53). But not all at once. Elsewhere, we come to the rescue of new Pilot listener Mel and do a deep dive on lesser-known TV comedies (or not, the jury’s still out on a lot of them), plus we get fully superficial on looks in Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty on Disney+ (1:50:06), solve a murder in a Welsh swamp in Under Salt Marsh on Sky (2:03:28), and witness the least Marvel Marvel show yet in Wonder Man on Disney+ (1:36:53). Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
January 19 · 1 hr 45 min
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, Drops Of God, and After The Flood. With guests Idris Elba and Jim Field Smith
Hijack star and showrunner Idris Elba and Jim Field Smith are our guests this week, but they’re only the second most exciting additions to our line-up as this marks Steph’s debut as an official co-Pilot (if you don’t count last week’s Pilot+!). We try to ease her in gently with the latest Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms on Sky Atlantic (1:10:55), the latest season of Apple’s wine-related drama Drops Of God (1:34:12) and the continuation of After The Flood on ITV (1:24:57), which really is after the flood this time as it’s more concerned with brushfires. Find out why Boydy still made it his show of the week by listening to that particular strain of madness now! Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
January 12 · 1 hr 45 min
Hijack, Starfleet Academy, and Industry. With guests Dawn French & Mark Heap, Konrad Kay & Mickey Down
We kick off the new year (for us, that is, you of course had a podcast last week) with a bevvy of guests on the show, corralling Industry showrunners Konrad Kay and Mickey Down (28:09-43:56) as well as Dawn French and Mark Heap (57:57-1:09:30), whose show Can You Keep A Secret is now showing on BBC1. Hijack gets its second outing on Apple TV this week (1:09:30), while Industry returns to the Beeb (1:24:19) and we take a trip to school among the stars with Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (1:33:37). Meanwhile, not only do the team catch up on their Christmas escapades but Kay has an announcement to make… Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
January 5 · 1 hr 29 min
The Night Manager, Run Away, and Red Eye. With guests Erin Doherty and Malachi Kirby
Merry New Year! Yes, it’s 2026 and — after years of hectoring from Boyd — we have a New Year episode of Pilot TV for your listening pleasure (one that may or may not have been recorded before we broke for Christmas). We tackle all the big New Year’s Day shows this episode, from Tom Hiddleston’s return (10 years later) to the role of Jonathan Pine in The Night Manager’s long awaited second series on BBC1, Harlan Coben’s latest mystery Run Away on Netflix, and the return of Red Eye on ITV. Plus Erin Doherty and Malachi Kirby drop by to talk A Thousand Blows Season 2. What more could you possibly ask? (Episode 369)
Dec 29, 2025 · 1 hr 57 min
Review Of The Year 2025
That’s all folks, 2025 is done and dusted. But you didn’t think we’d leave you all to see in the new year without a big old Pilot TV retrospective, did you? James, Boyd and Kay unveil the official Pilot TV Best Shows of 2025 list and go through it in forensic detail here, while also flagging any number of other shows you might have missed over the course of the past 12 months. We even open a special 2025 postbag so you can have your say on the year that was as well. And yes, Darren’s famous blooper reel of the year makes its triumphant return.
Dec 22, 2025 · 1 hr 28 min
The Lowdown, The Hunting Wives, and A Ghost Story For Christmas. With guests Paul Bettany and Will Sharpe
Paul Bettany and Will Sharpe don their frock coats for Amadeus on Sky and we speak to both of them on this week’s show as they chat all things Mozart with Boyd. Plus we wrap up a festive haul of shows for under your Christmas tree, taking a look at Mart Gatiss’ latest Ghost Story For Christmas, The Room in The Tower on BBC2, getting drawn into the sweedy underbelly of Texan high society in The Hunting Wives on ITV, and finally getting to take a ride with Ethan Hawke’s ‘truthstorian’ as The Lowdown finally splashes down here in the UK on Disney+. All that and Kay loses the power of speech, Boyd recounts a harrowing experience at The Ivy where the doorman didn’t know who he was, and James reveals the embarrassing truth of how he spent 469 hours this year. (Episode 368)
Dec 19, 2025 · 46 min
It: Welcome To Derry — An Empire Podcast Special, In Association With Warner Bros.
They all float down here. Now that It: Welcome To Derry, the prequel to Andy Muschietti's It Chapter One and It Chapter Two, has finished its eight-episode run, the Empire Podcast has teamed up with Warner Bros. to bring you a special episode in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer conquer their fears of clowns, spiders, and spider-clowns just long enough to talk about the Andy Muschietti/Barbara Muschietti/Jason Fuchs-created show, its Stephen King connections, its brand new characters, its setting (1962 Derry, Maine), and, of course, Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise, The Dancing Clown, who's back for another bout of bloody mayhem. While not a spoiler special, our very own Losers Club do delve into the show's major twists and turns, so if you haven't seen all eight episodes, they're available to buy now on digital platforms, or you can pre-order them on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD or steelbook from warnerbros.co.uk
Dec 15, 2025 · 1 hr 24 min
Amadeus, The Revenge Club, and Imposter. With guest Martin Compston
We’re exacting righteous vengeance on love rat exes (not that Love Rat) in The Revenge Club on Paramount+ this week, and star Martin Compston joins us on the show for a chat about it as well. Elsewhere, Amadeus makes its debut on Sky Atlantic, pitting Mozart vs Salieri in a piano-off for the ages. Plus we cover Imposter (possibly THE Imposter, it’s still unclear) on Channel 5. James was thrilled. (Episode 367)
Dec 8, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Dark Winds, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, and Irish Blood
On this week’s podcast you’ll be devastated to hear that we are unable to review Taylor Swift: The End Of An Era, however don’t switch off, because we do manage to rustle up some alternatives. Dark Winds makes its return to U&Alibi (43:45)and includes what is arguably the best meta joke of the year, Percy Jackson is back, causing trouble for the gods once again in Percy Jackson And The Olympians season 2 (59:00), and Alicia Silverstone takes a jaunt to the Emerald Isle in Irish Blood on Sky Witness (50:47). (Episode 366) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
Dec 1, 2025 · 1 hr 35 min
Stranger Things, The War Between The Land And The Sea, and Spartacus: House of Ashur
The wait is over! Well, sort of, because Stranger Things returns to Netflix this week for the first part of its final season to whet our collective appetites for the final assault on the Upside Down at the end of the year (44:50). Plus the Notorious RTD is back with his latest spin-off to the Whoiverse, setting Russell Tovey on a collision course with Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Sea Devil spectacular The War Between The Land And The Sea on BBC1 (1:02:31). And finally, we’re up to our ears in blood, balls and boobs as we return to ancient Rome for a sequel/reboot/retcon of Starz swords-and-sandals franchise in Spartacus: House Of Ashur on MGM+ (1:20:45). (Episode 365) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
Nov 24, 2025 · 1 hr 20 min
Prisoner 951, Watson, and Changing End
There are chocolates in the studio this week — albeit ones that were initially destined for our editor Darren, but let’s gloss over that, shall we? In addition to raising our blood sugar levels while doing this week’s show, we take a look at the harrowing true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment in Iran with Prisoner 951 on BBC1 (43:45), see if Sherlock’s assistant can make it without the man himself in Watson on Sky Witness (54:35), and catch up with newly minted national treasure Alan Carr in the third series of Changing Ends on ITV (1:03:59). (Episode 364) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
Nov 17, 2025 · 1 hr 44 min
Malice, Summerwater, and The Death Of Bunny Munro. With guests Vince Gilligan, Rhea Seehorn and Karolina Wydra
Pluribus showrunner Vince Gilligan along with stars Rhea Seehorn and Karolina Wydra all piled into the Pilot TV studio this week to talk all about Apple’s excellent new sci-fi series (0:00-30:12). Then, James, Kay and Boyd embarked on a trio of shows about terrible parenting in Prime’s manny from hell thriller Malice (1:08:31), Channel 4’s vacation nightmare Summerwater (1:18:20), and Sky’s lothario-at-large series The Death Of Bunny Munro (1:30:30). (Episode 363) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
Nov 10, 2025 · 1 hr 23 min
Pluribus, All Her Fault, and Wild Cherry. With guest Jack Whitehall
We get nothing from Malice from guest Jack Whitehall this week, who chats with Boyd about his new show. Malice (20:57-35:20). But on the rest of the pod, we’re all sweetness and light, mainly as we not only have a new Vince Gilligan show to watch, in the form of Pluribus on Apple TV (1:07:57), but it’s a show that depicts humanity at its happiest… with a cost. Outside this jaunt into the world of sci-fi, we follow Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning in the hunt for a missing boy in All Her Fault on Sky (47:42), and glimpse into the lives of the filthy rich in Wild Cherry on BBC1 (58:28). (Episode 362) Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!