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The Custard TV Podcast

Luke Knowles

Reviews and opinions from a trio of TV obsessives on a variety of the week’s biggest shows. Expect hot takes, bad jokes and people who have spent far too much time in front of the TV. Read more from the team on thecustardtv.com

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22 episodes
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#133
Wednesday · 1 hr 9 min
TV Time Machine #35: Bob & Rose, 'Orrible, The Corner
Matt, Luke and Dawn are back aboard the TV Time Machine to look at the TV landscape of September 2001. First, the utterly charming romantic comedy drama Bob & Rose, which starred Alan Davies as a gay man whose life was turned upside down when he met and fell for a woman played by Lesley Sharp. The series, written by Russell T Davies, was based on the real-life events that had happened to a friend of his. Next, 'Orrible, a BBC comedy written by and starring Johnny Vaughn post Big Breakfast. Vaughn stars a cheeky chappy cabbie with ideas above his station. You can see what Vaughn is going for: a Delboy-type character for the new era, but the show lacks the charm and gag level of what makes the best comedies work. Still relatively new, E4 is still buying up US shows that no one really remembers. Namely Stark Raving Mad, starring Neil Patrick Harris and Tony Shalhoub as unlikely work colleagues. Lastly, The Corner, a series from The Wire co-creator David Simon, which serves as a soft but no less bleak version of the groundbreaking HBO series. Set in Baltimore, the show feels exactly like The Wire, and you can see the groundwork of that series here, though it uses some storytelling devices that don't exactly come together. The trio shares their memories of September 2001, including Luke's memories of September 11th.
#132
September 22 · 1 hr 12 min
# 526: Slow Horses, The Blame, Apocalypse, Brothers
Matt and Dawn are back, joined by site contributor Ruthie Nugent, to review shows available this week. ITV has a new police drama starring Michelle Keegan. The Blame puts police misogyny at its centre and is actually better than the trio is expecting. Next, Channel 4 has a new social experiment/ reality show in Apocalypse. On paper, it could have been an interesting look at how ordinary people would survive in the worst of circumstances, but instead, it's another forgettable reality show populated by online influencers. The result is a show that feels unfocused, silly, and pointless. Next, True Detective stars and firm friends Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play fictional versions of themselves in Apple TV's meta-comedy Brothers, which works when it doesn't put too much focus on its famous leads. Also, Luke joins Matt and Dawn to review Apple's jewel in the Crown, Slow Horses, which continues to deliver one of the most consistently fun shows on television.
#131
September 8 · 1 hr 16 min
Colin From Accounts, Last Seen, The Box, Blood Sacrifice
Matt, Dawn, and Luke return to review 4 shows available on platforms this week. The adorable but also brilliantly funny Australian comedy Colin From Accounts for its third and final season. The series does a clever thing to keep things fresh for the age-gap lovers Ashley and Gordon, moving things forward in time to find the pair in a very different position than they were when we last saw them. Also starring Colin From Accounts star/writer Patrick Brammall, Last Seen is a tense Australian drama about a man struggling to keep his life together in the 11 years since his three-year-old daughter was kidnapped, which is available on Apple TV. On paper, it reads like a drama we've been covering on the podcast a lot, but it does feel like it has more to offer, including the brilliant Maxine Peake. Next, from one of our favourite writers, George Kay, who brought us Apple's Hijack, Netflix's fun French spy drama Lupin, and ITV's retelling of The Yorkshire Ripper story, in The Long Shadow. He's back now with a 5-part crime drama set in Sweden with the slightly clunky title of Blood Sacrifice. Its Swedish setting makes it feel like it has elements of the best Nordic-Noir of old about a killer targeting police officers and killing them in the most horrific way possible. It's stylish, with sharp dialogue and an interesting central pairing that works really well. Lastly, and certainly last, is ITV's latest attempt to find a new Saturday night hit, The Box, which is a strange strange show in which Gary Lineker oversees a group of celebrites who compete in chalenges for no real purpose. It's a show that makes one of the podcasting group VERY VERY ANGRY. For our Quiz, Matt asks Dawn and Luke to name as many of the best International show nominees from the BAFTAs as they can.
#130
September 3 · 1 hr 26 min
The Podcast heads to the last Edinburgh TV Festival.
Though TV has been rather quiet this summer, Matt was given the chance to attend the final Edinburgh TV Festival to learn about what the channels and the streamers are looking for in new commissions, as well as to preview the things they are excited for in the autumn and beyond. The highlights from this year's festival include a long chat with Slow Horses legend Gary Oldman as well as a panel on the state of comedy on television. In this special podcast, Matt breaks down the biggest takeaways from the festival, telling co-host Dawn Glen what to look for in the next few months.
#129
August 18 · 1 hr 34 min
# 524: Ted Lasso, Furious, Possession, Hit Point
Matt and Dawn are back to mop up the shows they've missed in a lackluster August. Beginning with the return of Ted Lasso on Apple TV. This fourth season, three years after the third, wasn't planned, and it sees Ted return to coach an all-female team, but does the new series still work? Next, Possession, a spooky Sky Original drama which could be promising, but it gets lost in less interesting plots. Over on U&Dave, the channel has its first original drama series, Hit Point, a quirky crime drama from Misfits creator Howard Overman. Lastly, Luke joins the podcast to rave about the new Hulu/Disney+ crime drama Furious - a brilliant cat-and-mouse story that puts two powerful but scarred women at the centre of the story. For our quiz, Luke comes with another category with a frustrating number of possibilities.
#128
August 11 · 1 hr 22 min
The TV Time Machine # 34: Mental, Bedtime, The Armando Iannucci Shows, Grosse Point
Matt and Luke are still aboard their TV Time Machine, looking back at the TV landscape of August 2001. Like in 2026, the TV isn't at its best in the summer, but we have found 4 shows to discuss, and each one is worthy of discussion. On UKTV Play, which became Dave, Iain Lee hosts an innovative but rough-around-the-edges music quiz entitled Mental. Off the back of Drop the Dead Donkey, comedian and satirist Andy Hamilton writes and directs a new comedy drama Bedtime, which focuses on three couples in the same street as they settle down to bed. Before The Thick of It, but after the huge successes of Knowing Me, Knowing You and I'm Alan Partridge, writer and producer Armando Iannucci puts himself front and centre in his Channel 4 sketch show The Armando Iannucci Shows. It's a strange sketch series with overarching themes, and it features future names like Stephen Mangan and Tony Gardener, but it doesn't quite hang together. Lastly, over on E4, we have the American comedy Grosee Point, which goes behind the scenes of a popular teen drama. Not all of it works, but it's a show incredibly ahead of its time, and because of that, it is entirely possible that the audience who are watching Sabrina The Teenage Witch weren't ready for it at all. The series came before The Comeback and 30 Rock. Lastly, as always, Matt tests Luke's bizarre music knowledge of the time.
#127
August 5 · 1 hr 26 min
The TV Time Machine # 33: The Office, The Fugitive, Revolver, Brass Eye
Luke and Matt are back aboard their TV Time Machine to observe the TV landscape of August 2001. Luke is still struggling to remember what he was doing, but Matt was working at the company his dad worked for alone in an empty warehouse! On television, satirical Channel 4 series Brass Eye returns for a special on paedophiles, which is still viewed as highly controversial. Famous older people are given their own sketch show on BBC Choice called Revolver, whilst relatively new channel E4 is showing The Fugitive, another TV adaptation of the story that less than ten years prior was made into a film starring Harrison Ford. Lastly, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant change the comedy landscape with their mockumentary comedy The Office. Gervais stars as the fame-hungry boss from hell, David Brent, but the heart of the show is the brilliantly paced love story between Dawn and Tim, which remains one of the best depictions of a friendship turned romantic relationship on television.
#126
July 28 · 1 hr 21 min
# 523: Heartstopper Forever, The Rapture, Ride or Die, Anne Droid
Matt and Dawn are joined by site contributor Tyler to review four new shows available on different platforms this week. Firstly, Heartstopper, a show the trio have loved, concludes with a feature-length film, Heartstopper Forever. The condensed nature of Heartstopper Forever means a lot of what they loved about the series gets lost here, including a lot of the key characters. Next, BBC One has a new Sunday night drama that feels a little different. The Rapture, starring Ruth Madely. Prime Video has a new spy comedy thriller pairing the unlikely 'best friends' played by Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer. Ride or Die is a silly drama lacking in depth; despite that, Dawn finds the positive, and it leaves her sobbing. Finally, Dianne Morgan leaves Philomena Cunk behind for a new BBC comedy, Anne Droid, which sees her take on the role of an AI carer for a weary Sue Johnson. Despite the awful trailers for the show, it's a far deeper exploration of age and having to depend on others. Lastly, for our quiz, how many shows that feature robots can Matt and Tyler name? Spoiler: It's far more than you imagine!
#125
July 22 · 1 hr 47 min
TV Time Machine #32: Waking the Dead, Nice Guy Eddie, World of Pub, Secret Life of Us
Luke and Matt help Gary board the TV Time Machine to travel back to review the TV landscape of June 2001. Sue Johnson leaves the Royle sofa behind and plays a very different character in the BBC's cold case procedural Waking the Dead, which ushers in what will become nine years of shouty Trevor Eve. Ricky Tomlinson gets his first post-Royle role in Nice Guy Eddie. The nice guy of the title is Eddie, an unlucky Private Eye who has a hectic home life. It's a role that doesn't challenge Tomlinson as an actor, who is playing a softer version of Jim Royle here and tonally it's all over the place, but it works in places. Next, the BBC have new comedy has World of Pub, which transferred from radio to TV. And finally, an Australian import, The Secret Life of Us, which follows a group of twentysomethings as they navigate their lives.
#124
July 14 · 1 hr 10 min
# 522: The Bear, Lucky, Elle, Trying
Matt and Dawn are joined by Luke to review four shows available on streaming services this week. Firstly, a once firm podcast favourite, The Bear, bows out with its fifth and final season. This season has a different shape, with the first 7 of 8 episodes taking place over the course of one stressful night of serving customers at the restaurant. The format change feels fresh, but after 2 two lacklustre seasons, does the show go out on a high? Next, Apple TV's newest show, Lucky, stars Anya Taylor-Joy as a criminal on the run. It's a fast-paced, frenetic show that never really slows down and feels very different to the shows we've reviewed of late. Prime Video has Elle, a prequel to Legally Blonde, which explores the early life of Elle Woods that might not be required at all. Lastly, Dawn and Matt review the first episode of one of their favourite little comedy gems, Trying.
#123
June 23 · 1 hr 6 min
# 521: Cape Fear, The Witness, Alice & Steve
Matt and Dawn are back to review 3 new shows available to watch this week. Site contributor, Ruthie Nugent, joins them to review Apple TV's pulpy thriller Cape Fear, which is the third adaptation of the story. Netflix has a new drama based on a horrific British crime. The Witness looks at the murder of Rachel Nickel, who was murdered in 1992. The only person to see it happen was her two-year-old son, Alex. This three-part drama, based on Alex's memoir, looks at how father and son coped with the tragic loss, and the failings of the police investigation to bring Rachel's murderer to justice. Lastly, Disney+ has a brand new British comedy starring pod favourite Nicola Walker and Flight of the Conchords' star Jermaine Clement. On paper, Alice and Steve should be an instant favourite; instead, it's the show's tricky premise which has the trio a bit perplexed. Alice and Steve have been friends for 30 years, and when Alice suggests Steve try his luck with younger men, she doesn't expect him to sleep with her own twenty-something daughter. It's a really strange premise that makes our trio slightly uncomfortable. Lastly, for our quiz, Matt challenges Dawn and Ruthie to name as many Have I Got News For You hosts as they can.
#122
June 17 · 2 hr 28 min
TV Time Machine #31: Big Brother 2 - How reality TV evolved.
25 years ago, Channel 4 went all in with the second series of their social experiment reality series Big Brother. Following on from the Nasty Nick scandal and Vanessa Feltz having a slight breakdown during the first celebrity edition of the show, the channel devoted a lot of time to the second instalment. Their new digital channel, E4, is used to air a live stream of the house, and a new late-night spin-off, Big Brother's Little Brother, launches. Revisiting the series 25 years later with all the hindsight that comes with that much time is an interesting experience. In a lot of ways, it's quaint, whilst in others it's filled with misogyny, sprinkled with homophobia and other qualities that feel uncomfortable. To its credit, the series stays true to the show's social experiment ethos. This is early reality TV where the contestants were themselves, and they were left to have discussions, fights, and have fun.
#121
June 2 · 1 hr 11 min
# 520: The Four Seasons Season 2, Tip Toe, Hacks, Make That Movie
Luke returns to join Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available on various platforms this week. Firstly, Russell T Davies is back with an original drama about modern society called Tip Toe. The series features career-best performances from Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as two men on a dangerous collision course. It's a show with a lot to say about the state of the world today and the dangers of living your life as someone viewed as 'other'. It's such a strong series and the sort of drama Channel 4 should be making, but it does some things that the team often dislikes. Next, a favourite from last year, The Four Seasons, returns for a second season on Netflix. The warm friendship comedy drama, starring Tina Fey, Will Forte and Colman Domingo, follows three sets of couples who holiday together four times a year. Everything we loved about the first season still works and it's just lovely to have a show like this which is warm, engaging, funny and low stakes as this in a television landscape which is still obsessed with thrillers. Next, Australian comic Sam Campbell, who rose to fame through panel show performances and an incredible appearence on Last One Laughing on Prime Video, now has his own comedy series, Make That Movie. The series, which follows Campbell's character, a respected film director and his team as they attempt to make the movie of regular people's ideas. If you are aware of Campbell's comedic style, the series is really surreal and silly, but funny and feels very different to the rest of Channel 4's comedy slate. Lastly, Hacks, a show we've loved since it began, comes to an end. We do a deep dive into the final episode and what made the show work so well. For our Quiz, Luke tests Matt and Dawn to name as many actors as they can from the Russell T Davies shows.
#120
May 27 · 1 hr 16 min
# 519: The Burroughs, Ponies, Widow's Bay, Two Weeks in August
Mo Walker joins Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available to watch this week. First, The Burroughs from Netflix, which functions almost as an elderly version of Stranger Things set inside a retirement community, led by performances from Alfred Molina and Geena Davies. Next, on Sky, Ponies, a series set in the 70's which focuses on two men who go undercover with the CIA. The BBC's Two Weeks in August which could be seen as an attempt to make a British version of The White Lotus but plays more like a terrible sequel to a Channel 5 drama the team hated years ago. Lastly, Dawn's favourite new show, Apple TV's Widow's Bay, which follows a Mayor played by the always brilliant Matthew Rhys, in a cursed town. For our quiz, Dawn challenges the boys to name as many Game of Thrones cast members as they can.
#119
May 19 · 1 hr 27 min
# 518: Falling, Rivals, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Smoggie Queens S2
Matt and Dawn reunite with Dawn's Maid for TV co-host Sarah to review four shows available to watch this week. Firstly, the brilliantly camp Jilly Cooper-inspired show Rivals is back for its second series. Next, Jack Thorne of Adolescence fame is back on Channel 4 with the warm and sweet-natured series Falling, which follows Keeley Hawes as a nun who finds herslelf questioning her faith when she falls for a priest. Next, Apple TV may have another hit on their hands in the intriguing comedy-drama series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Lastly, a surprise favourite sitcom returns to BBC Three as the trio chuckle their way through a review of Smoggie Queens. For the Quiz, Matt asks Dawn and Sarah to name Eurovision contestants.
#118
May 13 · 1 hr 5 min
# 517: Believe Me, Legends, Unconditional, This Not a Murder Mystery.
Matt and Dawn are joined by Doctor Who and Star Trek podcaster Suky to review four new shows available this week. Jeff Pope, king of adapting true stories into compelling drama series, is back with Believe Me. This four-parter, available now on ITVX, focuses on the horrific sex crimes of Black Cab driver John Warboys, who tricked female passengers into drinking champagne laced with pills so he could rape them. It's a deeply frustrating but important watch. Also, more loosely based on a true story, Netflix has Legends, a series about ordinary people who work for the security services during the 1980s. Next, Apple TV has a new Israeli drama, Unconditional, about a mother and daughter whose relationship is strained when one does something the other can't believe they'd do. It's a hard show to connect to. Finally, This is Not a Murder Mystery, a bonkers but vibrant murder mystery which features some scenery chewing performances, but is fun to watch. Lastly, Dawn sets a quiz that proves difficult.
#117
May 6 · 1 hr 42 min
TV Time Machine # 30 - Messiah, Murder in Mind, Survivor and Ant & Dec's Slap Bang!
Matt and Luke fire up their TV Time Machine and set course for April 2001. Fresh off the huge success of SMTV Live, Ant & Dec get their first shot at a primetime Saturday night show on ITV. The result, isn't Takeaway, but Slap Bang, a mix of comedy sketches, game shows and Ant & Dec doing a lot of acting. Next, the BBC have Murder in Mind, an anthology drama series, which focues on stories of ordinary people pushed to their limits and commiting the ultimate crime. The episode we watch is called 'Neighbours' about how an idylic, quiet life is upenended when nightmare neighbours move in next door. Next, we revisit Ken Stott's grusome crime drama Messiah and also the first series of the Surivior. The reality series had a huge impact when it launched in the US and has been running for 50 seasons. We've now had two versions of the show, most recently in 2023. How does this version fare?
#116
April 28 · 1 hr 10 min
516: Half Man, The Cage, Secret Service, Prisoner
*The episode suffers from some audio issues*. Gary returns to the podcast alongside Matt and Dawn to review four brand new British dramas available this week. Fresh off the massive success of his Netflix series Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd is back with his first original idea for a series. Half Man, available on BBC One and iPlayer, and co-produced by HBO, is the story of toxic masicnility between two men who were brought together when their two mothers fall in love. In a lot of ways, it shares some DNA with the show that catapulted Gadd to stardom, but is that a good thing? Next, we loved the BBC drama The Responder, which starred Martin Freeman as a stressed out police responser struggling to keep his head above water. Writer Tony Shumacker is very good at writing ordinary people in increasingly stressful situations. His new show, The Cage, stars Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha as two employees of a casino who abuse their position to get ahead in their difficult lives. It's another show that feels a lot like the show that proceeded it. Somehow, though, despite strong lead performances, something doesn't click. Next, ITV have a new political thriller in Secret Service. It's a tropey show that feels very much like a show Gary should and would like, but is that the case? Finally, there's Prisoner, a propulsive new thriller on Sky Atlantic. The series puts Big Boys Izuka Hoyle in the spotlight as a prisoner officer who gets caught in the action when trying to transport a prisoner from one place to another. *The episode suffers from some audio issues*.
#115
April 21 · 1 hr 50 min
# 515: Euphoria, Beef, Hacks, Mint
Luke is back with Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available on different platforms this week. First, HBO's teen drama Euphoria returns for its long-awaited third season. The series, which was once one of the most talked-about and provocative shows on television, now sees its characters outside of the high school setting. The third season still features a powerhouse performance from Zendaya as drug addict Rue, but it's the outer edges and the inclusion of other stars like Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney and their disjointed stories that work less well. Was the long wait really worth it? Next, one of the most beloved shows of the last ten years, Hacks, returns to Sky One for its fifth and final season. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbeinder are still fantastic together, and this season gets off to a strong start because it sees the pair on the same page and not at odds as they have been at the start of each previous season. It's a show full of confidence that knows what it wants to do, full of characters we care about, and we're not quite ready for its final bow. Also returning is Netflix's now-anthology series, Beef. The twisted comedy drama, which began as a series starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, as two people caught in a petty argument that takes over their lives. With the second season, the argument or 'beef' at the centre of the story comes when a young couple stumbles across a vicious domestic fight between their bosses. Helemed by strong performances from Calliee Spaney and Carey Mulligan, it's a show about power, and one that puts you in the same stressed place as its characters. The first season was focused solely on the two caught up in the 'beef', but season 2 has a lot going on outside of the battling couples. Lastly, the BBC has a brand new drama, Mint, which is a romantic gangster show aimed at a younger audience. On one hand, it's another example of the BBC trying something new in prime time, but on the other, we have a lot of thoughts about why it just doesn't work. For our quiz, Dawn challenges the boys to name as many Friends guest stars as they can.
#114
April 14 · 56 min
# 514: Margo's Got Money Troubles, Malcom in the Middle, Big Mistakes, Your Song
It's just Dawn and Matt this week who review four shows available this week. On Apple TV, there's Margo's Got Money Troubles, with another strong lead performance from the always brilliant Elle Fanning. The series tells the story of a college student who finds herself pregnant and forced to look for a new way to keep herself afloat. Add in great performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman as her parents, and really likeable characters, this show is really surprising. Next is Big Mistakes, a new comedy thriller from Dan Levy of Schitt's Creek fame. It's a show with interesting characters and great comedic performance from the always dependable Laurie Metcalfe, but it gets bogged down in a silly crime plot. Next, back from the early noughties, Frankie Muniz and the whole cast (minus one recast) returns for a four-part series, Malcolm in the Middle: Life's still unfair. It's strange for this show in particular to return, but its hard to pin down why it exists. Finally, Channel 4 returns to 'The Piano-verse' for a new singing show, Your Song. Hosted by Alison Hammond (because, of course), the show sees ordinary members of the public who take to the stage (this time in Liverpool) and perform a song that means something to them. Judged by Paloma Faith and Sam Ryder. The show is another example of Channel 4 trying desperately to find a hit. This one lacks the sincere nature of The Piano but forms an interesting discussion between Matt and Dawn.

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