The Custard TV Podcast
A trio of TV obsessives review and share their opinions on the biggest shows of the week. Expect hot takes, bad jokes, and plenty of hours logged in front of the television. The podcast accompanies the writing team behind thecustardtv.com.
Episodes
TV Time Machine #36: Pop Idol, Linda Green, Babyfather, That Mitchell and Webb Situation
Matt, Luke and Dawn (she's still stuck on the Time Machine) look back at what was on television in October 2001. A very young David Mitchell and Robert Webb get their very first sketch show, which aired on UK TV Play. Next, fresh off the success of Popstars, ITV launches a new singing competition in the form of Pop Idol. Looking for the next big name in music. It's the debut of Simon Cowell who se
# 528: Time, The Party, Carrie, Below
Matt and Dawn are back reviewing four shows available to watch this week. On BBC One, Jimmy McGovern's prison anthology series Time returns for its third series. On ITV, their new Sunday night drama The Party, is a mix of many genres but closely resembles Rivals on Disney+ but without anything that makes that show work. As we approach Halloween, Prime Video has Mike Flanagan's remake of the cult h
527: War, Pierre, Break Clause, Celebrity Traitors S2
Matt and Dawn are back reviewing four shows available this week. On Sky Atlantic, there's glossy legal drama War, starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller, which is written by podcast favourite George Kay. The series has been heavily advertised using its two well-known leads, but the show is at its best when it focuses on the brilliant characters at the heart of both legal teams.
Unbelievably, Davi
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 fri
# 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 wou
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.
Al
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 t
# 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 plot
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
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 giv
# 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 n
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 Eddi
# 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 lacklu
# 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 s
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-nigh
# 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 dan
# 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
# 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
# 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 cou
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
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
# 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
# 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 Offerma
# 513: Race Across The World, Twenty Twenty Six, The Minatare Wife, The Burbs
Matt and Dawn are joined by Mo Walker to review four new shows available to watch this week. Race Across The World returns and still manages to delight us. Hugh Bonneville returns as Ian Fletcher, who is in charge of running the World Cup after leaving the BBC. Twenty Twenty Six is the third in the 'Fletcher trilogy' after 2012 and W1A, but does this third instalment live up to the previous two se
# 512: The Pitt, Babies, Bait, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
Luke joins Matt and Dawn for another look at four shows available this week. HBO Max has finally launched in the UK, which means our long wait for the award-winning medical drama The Pitt has come to an end. The 15-episode series functions differently from any other show in the genre, with each episode capturing an hour of the same hectic shift for the medics. It's a show we've had to wait over a
# 511: SNL UK, Last One Laughing UK, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, Imperfect Women
Comedy expert Sophie Davies joins Matt and Dawn to review a very comedy heavy week. The American institution Saturday Night Live comes to the UK with the launch of SNL UK on Sky One. Two comedy hits return for their second seasons on Prime Video. Jimmy Carr hosts another impressive cast of British comics and comedy stars who try not to laugh in Last One Laughing. And the team behind Jury Duty retu
TV Time Machine # 29: The Dave Gorman Collection, Teachers, Celebrity Big Brother for Comic Relief.
Matt and Luke are back aboard their TV Time Machine to March of 2026. BBC Two launches the innovative and brilliantly funny The Dave Gorman Collection, which sees a then unknown new comic Dave Gorman, set out to meet as many people with his name as he can. Presented as a slide show presentation, Gorman's journey is a lot of fun and fresh.
Next, off the back of the first Big Brother, Channel 4 and
# 510: Gone, A Woman of Substance, Rooster, Vladimir
Luke is back on the podcast joining Matt and Dawn to review four more shows available this week. Beginning with A Woman of Substance, Channel 4's new take on one of their first dramas which aired in the 80s. This new adpatation seems out of place on Channel 4 but also in 2026 where it feels like it has nothing new to say. Next, ITV have a new six-part thriller starring David Morrisery as the Headm
# 509: Paradise Season 2, Scrubs reboot, DTF: St Louis, Handcuffed
Original podcast member Gary returns to the pod to join Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available this week. Stirling K Brown is back in the second season of Paradise on Disney+. The post-apocalyptic series first episode takes the action away from the underground bunker and focuses on the life of a new character before the world changed forever. Next, also on Disney+, riding high from Ted L
# 508: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, The Walsh Sisters Dirty Business, The Lady
Matt and Dawn are joined by TV fan Mo Walker, to review four new shows available to watch this week. Firstly, Lisa McGee, the creator of Derry Girls is back with a brand new twisty comedic thriller in Netflix's surprising series, How to Get to Heaven of Belfast.
Next, also set in Ireland, the foursome watch the gentle drama, The Walsh series. The series is the sort of family kitchen sink drama tha
TV Time Machine #18: Phoenix Nights, The Vice, Banzai, 2 Pints of Larger and a Packet of Crisps
We're back aboard the TV Time Machine and the date is January 2001. Channel 4's comedy offerings are Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights as well as the strange take on a Japanese gameshow, Banzai. On BBC Two, yes BBC Two, an 18-year-old writer is handed her own sitcom which becomes surprisingly big 2 Pints of Larger and a Packet of Crisps starring Ralf Little, Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor and Natalie Casey.
# 507: Lord of the Flies, Small Prophets, Betrayal, The Muppet Show
Matt and Dawn are joined by Ruthie Nugent to review four brand new shows available this week. Beginning with the BBC's impressive adaptation of Lord of Flies. Written by Adolescence writer Jack Thorne, his four-part take on the classic story almost plays like a sequel to the Netflix series. Next, ITV have another paint-by-numbers spy drama in Betrayal, a four-part thriller about spy which choses t
# 506: Shrinking, Under the Salt Marsh, Take That, The Beauty,
Matt, Dawn and Sarah are back to review four new shows available this week. First, Apple's sweet comedy Shrinking is back for its long-awaited third season and proves yet again what an incredible performer Harrison Ford is and how special that cast is. Next, Kelly Riley and Timothy Spall star in Sky Atlantic's new dark crime drama Under The Salt Marsh. It's a story of a town coming to terms with t
TV Time Machine # 27: Popstars
Matt, Luke and Dawn hop aboard their TV Time Machine to visit January 2001 and watch the whole first series of Popstars from ITV. The show that introduced us to Nasty Nigel, Darius and Kym Marsh, as well as being the pre-cursor to music reality shows like Pop Idol and The X Factor. It was a strange show, part reality show, part docuseries, the experience is a strange one. The show feels from a byg
# 505: Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials, Things You Should Have Done, Blackshore
Matt and Dawn are back to review three big TV shows available this week. Luke joins them to give his take of Netflix's big Agatha Christie adaptation from Doctor Who and Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall The Seven Dials. Then, Dawn and Matt gush over the sheer silliness of the second series of BBC Comedy, Things You Should Have Done. Lastly, BBC Four have another, ultimately, forgettable Irish cri
504: Hijack, Heated Rivalry, His and Hers and Can You Keep a Secret?
Matt and Dawn are joined by Sarah Kennedy to review four more shows available this week. Apple's Hijack sees Idris Elba's Sam in a perilous situation as he travels, this time aboard a train rather than the plane from the first series. Next, the trio try and get their heads around Heated Rivalry, which is the most talked about shows of the time. His and Hers is the latest airport novel type show o
# 503: The Night Manager, Lynley, Waiting for the Out, The Traitors UK
Matt and Dawn return for their first podcast of 2026, reviewing four shows available this week. They are joined by site contributor Ruthie Nugent to review, the return of The Traitors on BBC One as well as the strange return of The Night Manager after nearly ten years away. The new shows this week are, the baffling remake of the Inspector Lynley mysteries in Lynely, which is all available on the i
# 502: The Best TV Shows of 2025
It's that time of year again as Luke joins Matt and Dawn to count down the top 10 shows of 2025. Expect discussion on Hacks, Big Boys, Pluribus, Task, Dying for Sex and more.
TV Time Machine #26 - December 2000 - January 2001 - The Last Ever Fast Show, Victoria Wood: All the Trimmings, 2000 Acres of Sky.
Our final TV Time Machine of 2000 is also our first of 2001. Christmas of 2000 saw sketch show The Fast Show bowed out with a trio of farewell episodes. Victoria Wood had the prime-time slot on Christmas day with her 'All The Trimming's' special. Whilst in early January, Michelle Collins and Paul Kaye starred in gentle family drama 2000 Acres of Sky and on BBC Two, there's zany comedy, Fun at the
Our Christmas Party Pod
With the festive season upon us, Luke, Matt and Dawn and various other members of the wider Custard TV team reflect on the year in television, get merry, and in the case of Dawn, recite poetry to top off the year on the podcast.
# 501 - Stranger Things, The War Between The Land and the Sea, Amadeus, Simon Cowell: The Next Act
Matt and Dawn are joined by Mo Walker for their last proper podcast of 2025. They review the return of Stranger Things on Netflix, the latest Doctor Who project The War Between The Land and The Sea on the BBC and Sky's upcoming take on Amadeus starring former White Lotus star Will Sharpe.
Lastly, they look at Simon Cowell's new Netflix series, which follows the former X Factor judge as he attempts
Our 500th episode!!
To mark 500 episodes of the podcast we get the old band back together. Matt, Luke and Gary reunite with the newest member Dawn to count down their favourite shows that have debuted over the course of the 14 years of the custard TV Podcast. Thank you all for your tremendous support over the years and here's to the next 500 episodes!!
# 499: Bunny Monroe, A Play for Today, Wild Cherry, The Beast in Me
Matt and Dawn are joined by TV fan Tyler to review four brand new shows available this week. Matt Smith stars in Sky's new drama Bunny Monroe which really surprises the team. Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys join forces in Netflix's pulpy drama The Beast in Me, Channel 5 revive TV tradition in their take on Play For Today. Lastly, Nicole Lecky brings her new series Wild Cherry to BBC One. Even if it
# 498: Pluribus, All Her Fault, Tresspasses, Celebrity Race Across The World
Luke, Dawn and Matt are back to review four shows available this week. Beginning with Vince Gilligan's sci-fi genre-bending new series Pluribus which is now available on Apple TV. After a long time in his own Breaking Bad Universe, the acclaimed showrunner is back with a completely original idea, which is best seen without knowing anything about. The trio discuss the first two episodes, which are
TV Time Machine #25 - November 2000: One Foot in the Grave, Never Never, Human Remains
Matt and Luke fire up their TV Time Machine to travel to November 2000 to revisit the final episode of iconic BBC comedy One Foot in the Grave. As well as Rob Brydon and Julia Davies' mostly forgotten but still a little gem relationship comedy Human Remains. Also, John Simm and Sophie Okenado star in surprising two-part drama Never Never, whilst BBC Two try and be contemporary in website drama Att
# 497: Down Cemetery Road, Lazarus, The Ridge, The Chair Company
Fellow podcaster Mo Walker joins Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available this week. Slow Horses is a massive hit for Apple TV, so now the streamer is banking on another series of novels from author Mick Herron in the hopes of lightning strikes twice. Dame Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson lead an impressive British cast of familiar faces in thriller Down Cemetery Road. Next, and perhaps less
# 496: Riot Women, The Iris Affair, Leonard & Hungry Paul, Celebrity Traitors.
Matt is joined by both Maids from Maid for TV in Sarah and Dawn. The trio reviews Sally Wainwright's new drama Riot Women, which sees women of a certain age form a rock band, initially to enter a school talent show, but eventually as a way to channel their frustrations with life and to be seen by those who have taken them for granted.
Next, the creator of Luther has a confusing and mysterious for
TV Time Machine # 24 – October 2000 – Blackadder Back and Forth, Fat Friends, Without Motive, North Square
Luke and Matt are back aboard their TV Time Machine. This time, they are looking at four shows which aired in October 2000. Made for the Millennium Dome, Sky airs Blackadder: Back and Forth, which sees the iconic cast reunite for what is a strange beast. Ross Kemp is back in ITV's crime drama Without Motive. Rupert Penry-Jones and Phil Davies lead Channel 4's legal drama North Square. Lastly, they
# 495: How You? It's Alan Partridge, Wayward, Film Club & Frauds
Matt and Dawn are joined by Sophie Davies to review four new shows available this week. First, Mae Martin's mysterious new Netflix series Wayward. Next, Suranne Jones and Jodie Whitaker play a pair of conwomen in ITV's six-part drama Frauds. Then, continuing her domination of 2025 ater Toxic Town on Netflix and HBO's The White Lotus, Aimee Lou Wood is back with her own comedy Film Club. Lastly, (a
# 494: Slow Horses, The Hack, Black Rabbit, Trying
Matt, Luke and Dawn are back to celebrate the return of the best British drama series, Slow Horses as well as Jack Thorne's take on the hacking scandal in the form of ITV's The Hack. Netflix has Jude Law and Jason Bateman as a pair of unconvincing brothers. And from Apple, but now on BBC One and iPlayer comes adoption comedy, Trying.
There's also a quiz naming as many BAFTA drama series nominees.
TV Time Machine # 23 – September 2000 – Malcolm in the Middle, Marion and Geoff, Meet Ricky Gervais, Faking It, Black Books
Luke and Matt are back aboard their TV Time Machine, heading to September 2000. FOX has a new anarchic family sitcom in Malcolm in the Middle, which is hugely significant as it gives us Bryan Cranston. Rob Brydon makes his debut as a taxi driver recalling the breakup of his marriage in the truly superb short-form comedy Marion & Geoff.
On Channel 4, a fresh-faced comic, Ricky Gervais, gets hi
#493 - Task, Only Murders in the Building, The Paper, Mitchell and Webb aren't helping
Matt and Dawn are joined by CustardTV Editor Luke to review four shows available this week. Firstly, Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby has a new show in the brilliantly tense and human Task available weekly on NOW, Sky and HBO. Next, there's another murder in the building so Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are back recording their podcast for the fifth season of Only Murders in th
# 492 - I Fought the Law, The Guest, Hostage, Educating Yorkshire
TV is finally back in a normal rhythm, and that means the podcast is back! Matt and Dawn are joined by Dawn's podcast co-host Lucy from The Shipyard to review four shows available this week.
It's September, and it's ITV, so by law, Sheridan Smith must portray a real person in a true crime drama. Sticking to tradition, she stars as Anne Ming, in, I Fought the Law, the story of a mother's fight for
TV Time Machine # 22 - August 2000 - Popular, TV to Go, The Weakest Link
Matt and Luke hop abroad the TV Time Machine to look at the TV landscape of August 2000. He will soon have so many TV shows to his name and swimming pools full of money, but in August of 2000, Ryan Murphy debuted his first show on the teen skewing network The WB. The show, Popular, is a teen comedy with a strange mix of tones but some DNA of Glee, the show that made him a household name and a tita
# 491: Unforgiveable, The Assassin, Too Much, Destination X,
Matt and Dawn welcome a new voice to the show, site contributor Ruthie Nugent, to review 4 brand new shows. First up, Jimmy McGovern's hard hitting single drama Unforgivable. Prime Video's The Assassin, which sees Keeley Hawes as a retired Assassin forced out of retirement just as her son arrives to visit. Next, Lena Dunham's first new project in years, this time for Netflix and London set RomCom
TV Time Machine # 21: Big Brother 1
In the summer of 2000, Channel 4 took a gamble. They devoted 7 weeks of their schedule (albeit, at 11pm) to a brand new show branded as a 'social experiment' which placed strangers in a house. Locked away from the public for 7 weeks, voted off by members of the group, Big Brother launched to little fanfare or expectation but slowly morphed into one of Channel 4's landmark series of the period and
# 490: The Bear, Department Q, Smoke, Transaction
TV has been pretty quiet of late. That is, of course, unless you're a Wimbledon or Football fan. However, Luke, Matt and Dawn are back to review 4 new shows available on streaming Platforms and ITV2.
Firstly, one of the best shows of the decade, The Bear, returns for its fourth season. It's fair to say that season 3 received a lukewarm response from critics and fans alike. Without spoiling it, sea
TV Time Machine #20 June 2000: Chambers, Up Rising, McCreedy & Daughter
Matt and Luke are back aboard their TV Time Machine to journey back to June of 2000. June isn't a great time for television, and the four shows that debuted back in 2000 are proof of that. There's McCready and Daughter which is the first post EastEnders role for Patsy Palmer. Then there's BBC comedy Chambers which was a studio based sitcom about a law chambers which stars a post Corrie Sarah Lanca
# 489: What It Feels Like for a Girl, Death Valley, Stick, Adults
Original host of the podcast, Luke, joins Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available this week. Firstly, there's queer coming of age drama What It Feels Like a Girl from BBC Three. Followed by cosy crime drama Death Valley starring Timothy Spall as a beloved TV detective who is coaxed out of his hermit lifestyle when a murder happens on his doorstep. Next, Apple TV+ continues their raft of '
TV Time Machine # 19 May 2000: Coupling, Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned, Lock Stock
Matt and Luke board the TV Time Machine to look at the TV landscape of May 2000. Steven Moffat's relationship comedy Coupling begins on BBC Two. David Baddiel and Frank Skinner take to a sofa for their new format which sees them sit in front of an audience with no plans of what they're going to discuss, Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned. Guy Ritchie rides the success of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Ba
#488: Poker Face, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, Murderbot and a brand new quiz!
Matt is joined by regular contributors Dawn Glen and Mo Walker to review four new shows available this week. First, there's the second season of Rian Johnson's exquisite procedural Poker Face, which finally returns after a long wait. Next, the BBC has their take on the Lockerbie disaster in the calmly told The Bombing of Pan Am 103. On ITV, there's new crime drama Code of Silence, whilst on Apple
TV in 2025 So far
In a change of pace, Matt is joined by Luke to assess how they are feeling about the TV we've had so far this year. Has it been a good year so far? Have there been many original hits? Have the returning favourites lived up to expectations? Can terrestrial television still be part of the conversation? Enjoy this free flowing conversation between two TV lovers.
# 487: Malpractice, The Four Seasons, Étoile
Matt, Dawn and Mo are back to review the new shows available this week. On ITV, there's a second series of medical thriller Malpractice. It's an odd show to bring back given that it wasn't a big show or overly discussed but it would appear that ITV are hoping this will be a returning series featuring a team who are brought in to investigate medical malpractice.
On Prime Video, Amy Sherman Paladino
TV Time Machine # 18: When Louis Met Savile, The Secret Life of Michael Fry, Bob Martin
Matt and Luke hop back aboard their TV Time Machine to look at the TV landscape of April 2000. On ITV, there's comedy Bob Martin, starring Michael Barrymore who somewhat spoofs his own career as a narcistic game show Bob Martin. On the BBC Two, Louis Theroux gets to know Jimmy Saville in a documentary that has come to dominate Theroux's career. On Channel 4, there's Paul Abbott's bold but baffling
# 486: The Last of Us, I Jack Wright, North of North
Matt, Dawn and Sarah review new Sky Max travelogue Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham, which gives Sarah the opportunity to talk eloquently about the city she loves. Then, Unforgotten writer Chris Lang has a new mystery series on U&Alibi featuring a ton of familiar faces. There's also a sweet hidden gem in Canadian drama North of North which is now available on Netflix.
# 485: Doctor Who, Black Mirror & Government Cheese
Matt and Dawn are joined by Doctor Who superfan Suky to discuss the second series of Russell T Davies' take on the iconic character. They also review an episode of the seventh series of Black Mirror which is available on Netflix. Finally, a show that the team genuinely can't get their heads around with quirky Apple TV+ show Government Cheese. There's also discussion on the best show to return this
484: Reunion, Dying For Sex, Your Friends and Austin
Dawn and Mo join Matt to review 4 shows available this week. First, the BBC's latest tense crime drama entitled Reunion, the shows centres around a deaf man being released from Prison. Next, Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate shine in brand new Disney+ dramedy, Dying for Sex. Based on the podcast of the same name, it centres around a woman who goes on a journey of sexual exploration following a dia
# 483: This City is Ours, The Residence, The Studio, The Severance finale
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.
# 482 - Adolescence, Dope Thief, Protection
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.
Ne
TV Time Machine #17: March 2000: DA Ali G Show, Jam, Randall & Hopkrirk (Deceased)
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 Ra
#481: Toxic Town, Bergerac, Get Millie Black, Small Town Big Story
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
TV Time Machine #15: February 2000: My Hero, Nature Boy, That Peter Kay Thing, EastEnders Anniversary
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
BONUS: Eastenders 40th Anniversary
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.
# 480: The White Lotus, A Thousand Blows, Dope Girls, Zero Day
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 dram
# 479: Unforgotten, Big Boys, Apple Cider Vinegar, Hacks
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 th
# 478: Brian & Maggie, Miss Austen, Go Back Where You Came From, Amandaland
Matt is joined by Dawn and Mo to review another 4 new shows. On Channel 4, Steve Coogan interviews Harriet Walter's Margeret Thatcher in true life drama Brian & Maggie. The BBC's latest Sunday night fare tells the little known story behind the Austen sisters in Miss Austen. Channel 4 tackles people's views on the migrant crisis in slightly controversial new series, Go Back Where You Came From.
Time Machine 17 – Jan 2000: Trigger Happy TV, Castaway, At Home with The Braithwaites, Clocking Off
Matt, Dawn and Gary board the TV Time Machine and enter a new Millennium. They review four new shows that began in January. Dom Jolly takes to the streets to terrorise and irritate the British public in Channel 4's hidden camera hit Trigger Happy TV. The BBC attempt the UK's first big reality series by sending groups of people to spend a year on a not so deserted island in Castaway. Though it's re
# 477: Severance Season 2, Prime Target, Out There and American Primeval
Dawn and Sarah join Matt to review four new shows and break down their thoughts on the latest episodes of The Traitors.
First, after a 3-year absence, Severance is finally back on Apple TV+ Easily one of the most anticipated shows of the year, the trio get lost in the immersive world of Lumon Industries while Sarah turns to Reddit to explore what the 'clever' fans are talking about. Next, also on
# 476: Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. Playing Nice, Patience, The Traitors
Dawn and Sarah join Matt to talk about the best Christmas TV and review the first 4 new shows of the new year. Firstly, Sky and Peacock bring us Colin Firth in a harrowing retelling of one man's search for answers following the Lockerbie disaster. Then, James Norton stars as a father who learns he may have brought the wrong baby home from the hospital in ITV's melodramatic airport novel Playing Ni
# 475: The Best Shows of 2024
It's the final pod of 2024, looking back on the very best the TV had to offer. Luke and Dawn join Matt to count their personal Top 10's of the year whilst also counting down the favourites of the wider Custard TV team.
Expect discussions on Slow Horses, Mr & Mrs Smith, True Detective: Night Country, Rivals and many more.
