The Custard TV Podcast

Dawn and Tyler join Matt to review the week's notable TV. First, BBC One's gangster drama This is City is Ours starring Sean Bean. Next, Netflix's lavish comedy murder mystery from Shondaland, The Residence. Then, Apple lampoons Hollywood in Seth Rogen's comedic satire The Studio. Finally, the trio breaks down the Season 2 finale of Severance discussing where the show could go from here.

Matt and Dawn are joined by the original Custard TV podcaster, Gary Redrup to review 3 shows available this week.

 

They begin with the truly staggering Netflix drama series Adolescence, which might be the most discussed and praised British drama in a very long time. It is a marvel in both writing and filmmaking. All 4 episodes are filmed in one single shot. It's a truly incredible achievement.

Next, over on ITV, they take a look at Protection, a new disposable thriller and on Apple TV+, there's limited series Dope Thief.

Luke and Matt board the TV Time Machine to view the TV landscape of March 2000. Ross Kemp signs a 'golden handcuffs deal' with ITV to work for solely for that broadcaster. The result, at least initially, is a single drama entitled Hero of the Hour, which stars Kemp as a security guard who unwittingly becomes a hero when he foils a robbery. 

On the BBC, Reeves and Mortimer revive classic TV show Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) whilst on Channel 4, they're still pushing boundaries with their comedy output. Firstly, a new project from Chris Morris, JAM, which plays more as an uncomfortable art piece than it does a comedy. Meanwhile, fresh from his debut on the 11'o'clock show, Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy creation Ali G gets his own show.

It's a mixed bag of shows.

 

Mo Walker and Dawn Glen join Matt to review four new shows available this week. On Netflix, Jack Thorne's tackles the little-known story of what happened to mothers who gave birth to babies with birth defects in the Northamptonshire town of Corby in four-part drama Toxic Town. Channel 4 has new crime drama, Get Millie Black, which sees a British African detective head back to Africa to track down her trans sister whilst also investigating the case of a missing girl. Alibi has their own take on '80s mainstay Bergerac and over on Sky and NOWTV, there's quirky comedy drama Small Town Big Story from Chris O'Dowd.

Matt and Luke hop aboard their TV Time Machine to view the TV landscape of February 2000. EastEnders turns 15 with a double episode which sees the residents of Albert Square locked in the Vic when an unexploded WW2 bomb discovered nearby.

The BBC try their at a traditonal American sitcom, with audience laughter and a team of writers producing the Ardal O'Hanlan superhero comedy My Hero. In better comedy, a fresh-faced, but very astute and already polished northern comedian, Peter Kay gets his first full series in Channel 4's That Peter Kay Thing. The series, in which Kay plays a variety of different characters, is done in the docusoap style popular at the time, and the lads watch two episodes of the series. The first of which would become Kay's hit sitcom, Phoenix Nights.

Lastly, there's gritty drama Nature Boy, which aired on the BBC and starred Lee Ingelby as a teen who was living in an abusive foster environment who finds he has an affinity with wildlife. 

And, as always, Matt tests Luke's knowledge of the UK music scene of the time.

In this bonus episode - Matt, Dawn and Mo discuss Eastenders' 40th anniversary week including the live episode. Topics include Mo's Eastenders origin story and Dawn's love of people acting whilst trapped under beams. 

As ever please let us know if you like this bonus and whether you would like similar episodes in the future. 

TV Insider Paul Symonds joins Matt and Dawn to review 4 of the biggest shows available this week. Firstly, it's the return of Mike White's HBO anthology series The White Lotus, set at another luxurious resort this time in Thailand. The podcast trio look into what makes the show so successful and drills into the big themes of the opening episode.  Next up, a starry cast does not an interesting drama make as they look at political thriller Zero Day from Netflix. The series, which boasts a lead performance by Robert De Niro feels rather odd given the current state of American politics. 

Over on Disney+, there's period drama A Thousand Blows from prolific TV scribe Steven Knight which has been promoted as the 'Stephen Graham Boxing drama' but is actually something much more interesting. Finally, the only BBC offering this week is Dope Girls, similar in tone to 'Blows' this gritty period piece promises a lot but does it deliver?

There's also discussion on Sky's Mussolini drama, the final episodes of Big Boys on Channel 4 and ITV's Unforgotten.

 

Matt, Dawn and Sarah are back to review three shows we've always championed. Firstly, Sanjeev Bhaskar packs his backpack for series 6 of the jewel in ITV's crown Unforgotten. He returns along with new colleague Jessie (Sinéad Keenan) to investigate another cold case when body parts are found in a river. The series introduces us to four disconnected families or stories but how do they connect to the body? Next, it's been a long wait for the third season of the hit US comedy Hacks. The series, which originally aired on Prime Video is now available on Sky and NOW and they've bought the first two seasons and the third season which means our wait is over. The incredible comedy with two equally powerful performances from Jean Smart and Hannah Einbeinder delivers possibly its strongest season yet. Next, Jack Rooke's semi-autobiographical comedy Big Boys is back for its third and final series, and on Netflix, there's a new true-crime drama Apple Cider Vinegar about an infamous Australian cancer scammer.