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00:00 Hello and welcome to Binge Watch Live, where we're going to be sharing our film and TV
00:03 picks to watch over Christmas and New Year. I'm Jacob Stoerle, the Chief Culture Reporter
00:09 at The Independent, and I'm joined here by my lovely two colleagues. Introduce yourselves,
00:13 please. I'm Ellie Harrison, the TV Editor at The
00:16 Independent. And I'm Annabelle Nugent, a Features Writer
00:20 at The Independent. I'd say nice to meet you both, but we've
00:23 known each other for years. So it's Christmas, well, in a few weeks. So
00:27 like, obviously, as journalists, culture journalists, we're about film and TV. Christmas, you know,
00:32 it's a time where people sit in front of the TV, want to watch something. Is it a busy
00:36 time for you both, kind of in the run-up? Yeah, I'm only slightly losing my mind. Yeah,
00:44 I think especially like the kind of discipline of TV is just insane. Like I, you know, sent
00:51 the writers the reviews that they're going to be doing this year, today, and one of our
00:55 writers is doing 11, and then there's another like eight on top of that. And that's writing
00:59 all of those in the next like week to pull ahead for Christmas. So it's busy, but it's
01:04 like an exciting time. Is it a case of like when the TV comes on,
01:09 you don't want to watch it because you're sick of it?
01:10 Oh no, I love Christmas TV. I love having the TV on when like in the background, you
01:15 know, when you're just relaxing, like in between like the hectic parts of Christmas. I feel
01:20 like that's a really nice break. We were talking, weren't you saying that Christmas
01:24 TV was banned in your house? I'm ashamed my mum is, she's watching, I'm
01:27 sorry. Yeah, mum, I want to watch TV on Christmas Day. It's a no TV on Christmas Day house,
01:33 which is, it's just mute like Christmas songs. So by the fifth time you've heard Jonah Louis,
01:36 stop the camera. What, even night time? Totally banned.
01:39 Yeah, we play games. Pure family bonding. Unrelenting family bonding.
01:44 Yeah, isn't it? Because all year round, watch a lot of film and TV.
01:47 That's true. It's actually quite nice to have to approve.
01:50 We've got questions here that people have sent in that I'm going to ask you both. Chime
01:54 in as and when. There are some hard hitting questions here. So starting us off with actually
01:59 a question I would like to know the answer to as well. Is there anything good on the
02:03 TV on Christmas Day? I would obviously have to watch it after Christmas Day. But what
02:07 is good on Christmas Day? Boy, you're going to be waiting for these
02:11 huge releases. I know.
02:13 Probably the biggest thing on TV on Christmas Day is the first episode of In Tutti Gutt
02:18 was Doctor Who. So obviously in the episode last week we had this bi regeneration, which
02:24 I'm going to pretend that I understand, where David Tennant and Shinshu Tegata were both
02:29 Time Lords together. So on Christmas Day, the Sex Education star and his new sidekick
02:37 Millie Gibson are going to be going on their adventures of time and space in the TARDIS.
02:43 And that will kick off basically the whole new series. So I think there's a lot of anticipation
02:48 for that episode and it's being kept very much under lock and key. I'm trying to get
02:53 our writers a glimpse of it and they're like, we'll have it next week for you. We'll have
02:56 it next week.
02:57 It's one of those things, Doctor Who, that even if I stopped, because I used to watch
03:01 it and then I stopped, but if Christmas Special was on, I would kind of give it a go. As if
03:06 it was a bit of an event, doesn't it?
03:08 Yeah, this will be. Do you think it will be good?
03:11 Well, so this series, the 60th anniversary specials we just had and then also the shows
03:17 we're going into, Mark Russell T Davies return as showrunner and I think he kind of oversaw
03:23 it during its glory days when I watched it as a kid from 2005-ish kind of time.
03:29 Was that like David Tennant era?
03:31 Yeah, Chris Ferguson.
03:33 Billy Piper.
03:35 I love Billy Piper.
03:37 Noel Clarke. We don't talk about that though.
03:39 But yeah, so he's back and I think lots of kind of Whovians, Doctor Who fans have said
03:48 that it's a welcome return after the, I think the Chris Chibnall era wasn't so popular.
03:53 So yeah, Russell T Davies injects a lot of fun and also kind of political plot lines
04:02 into it. He did that episode Blink, which was hugely popular.
04:05 That was so good.
04:06 Where you went like that and then you opened your eyes and then they were there.
04:09 The statues.
04:10 That was terrifying. I watched that on a plane and I was terrified.
04:14 Oh my gosh.
04:15 On a plane?
04:16 On a plane.
04:17 Shrieking on the plane.
04:18 Basically.
04:19 Is there anything else good on TV on Christmas Day that you can throw my way?
04:24 I don't know about good but Mrs Brownsboy is obviously on because it will never die.
04:28 It's a questionable one.
04:29 Yeah.
04:30 Where do we, I mean I've actually never watched an episode.
04:32 I've never seen an episode either.
04:34 No, instead of watching the episodes I delight in reading Sean's one star review of it every
04:39 year and that's like how I consume Mrs Brownsboy.
04:43 That's Shauna Grady. He does MSE.
04:45 He's the perfect marriage of just opinion with content.
04:48 Yeah.
04:49 Mrs Brownsboy.
04:50 Yeah.
04:51 I mean if I had watched it I wouldn't admit that I've watched it personally.
04:54 I'm joking. It's fine. It's good.
04:56 It gets loads of views though, doesn't it? Every year.
04:58 I feel like it's just hate viewing because when I log onto Twitter the next morning it's
05:02 people being like why haven't they cancelled this show?
05:04 Yeah.
05:05 But they're bringing in the numbers.
05:07 Also maybe people are just too full to move so when it's on after dinner it's like I have
05:13 to be subjected to this.
05:14 That's actually a great way of marketing your show.
05:18 You're so full you won't be able to turn it off. I love that.
05:21 It's funny how that's like, because this is on every Christmas isn't it? Mrs Brownsboy
05:25 is.
05:26 Yeah.
05:27 And it's like Only Fools and Horses used to be the one that used to come on every year
05:29 which was like the best days.
05:32 So yeah. Anything else? Any films or anything?
05:36 Toy Story 4 is going to be on.
05:38 The worst one but okay.
05:39 Yeah, they blurred into one for me.
05:41 No, it's one and then that's it.
05:44 Yeah. Two, great. Probably the best of the three. Three, emotional.
05:48 What's the one with like where the evil kid, but he's like kind of misunderstood, but he
05:54 makes the spider with the baby's head on.
05:56 Toy Story 1.
05:57 That's one.
05:58 Oh yeah, obviously.
05:59 So what people could do is go on Disney+ and just do a Toy Story marathon if they so wish.
06:03 And stop at four.
06:04 I'm assuming Toy Story 4 is on the BBC because they usually have a big...
06:09 Yes, let me just check my notes. It's on BBC1.
06:12 There you go.
06:13 I don't know what time it is.
06:14 If it's on Disney+ you can watch it there as well. Sorry to the BBC but hey.
06:18 Yeah, anything else you want to throw my way before I move on to the next question?
06:23 The Ghost Christmas Special is on and it's kind of like... Because the show aired its
06:27 final series this year and people just have so much love for ghosts. So I think that will
06:33 be a highlight. That's probably one of the main things that I'll prioritise watching.
06:37 You'll prioritise watching.
06:38 Yeah, yeah. But I don't know. I don't know if it's genuinely the end for the show. Maybe
06:43 they will come back and do Christmas specials every year.
06:45 Yeah, it's got that written all over it.
06:47 Yeah, it feels like it's so popular.
06:49 It's a very cosy show. It's perfect for a Christmas special.
06:53 Yeah, yeah. Exactly.
06:55 I don't know for sure because you two are the experts in this situation but I'm assuming
06:58 it might be Christmas Carol is on TV because if it's not it needs to be.
07:02 It's not on Boxing Day but...
07:04 It's usually on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The question asked Christmas Day not
07:08 Christmas Eve so it doesn't count.
07:10 Oh yeah, Christmas Eve, yeah.
07:11 Christmas Eve. Out and about on Christmas Eve.
07:14 Next question. What are the must stream shows this Christmas? And this is a question by
07:20 someone called Ellie. Did you send this in yourself?
07:22 No, I think...
07:25 Or someone's genuinely asking you.
07:27 The best shows to stream. I'm just trying to think about what's kind of just come out.
07:32 So there's The Crown, part two, which is, well, coming out tomorrow.
07:37 That's it. Finito.
07:39 Yeah, that's it. I think maybe it's time for it to end.
07:43 People will be happy to see the end of it I think.
07:46 The Crown has slipped.
07:47 Yeah.
07:48 Well, that is what they pay you for.
07:50 Or not.
07:52 Well, Vigil, the first few episodes of that are out and I think lots of people won't really
07:58 get around to watching it until Christmas time so that's definitely a big one to stream
08:04 because it's so binge worthy because every episode ends in a cliffhanger basically.
08:08 Is that on iPlayer?
08:10 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:11 First The Saran Jones.
08:13 Yeah, sorry, yeah. The Saran Jones. So it was the first season was set on a submarine
08:17 and this time it's about kind of drone warfare.
08:21 Oh, I thought this was just submarine 2.0.
08:25 It's just a submarine series.
08:27 Yeah, put her in the submarine.
08:29 Yeah, keep having the near drownings before on Saran Jones.
08:34 But yeah, so she's in it with Rose Leslie.
08:36 They play kind of colleagues and partners who are having a baby together in this series.
08:41 So yeah, it's very like, I don't know, easy, instant gratification kind of viewing.
08:51 But it's really fun.
08:53 That's good.
08:54 Try anything else on streaming.
08:56 Oh, I think you've been watching this as well, Murder at the End of the World.
08:59 Oh yeah.
09:00 Is that the Emma Corrin one?
09:01 Yeah.
09:02 On Disney+.
09:03 With Harris Dickinson.
09:04 Yeah, with Clive Owen. Just love Clive.
09:06 Yeah, he's like an evil English billionaire and it's just very, very perfect cast.
09:11 You know what's really funny is in the beginning of the show, because he's a billionaire,
09:16 and they show him that he's got all this wealth and influence and there's a picture of him with Obama.
09:21 That is a real photo that when I interviewed Clive Owen, he showed me on his phone because he was so excited that it happened.
09:27 So he's probably going over Obama.
09:29 So he'd obviously supplied it for the show.
09:30 And then he was like, the best thing about that photo, he asked me for a selfie.
09:34 Obama asked Clive Owen for a selfie. Amazing.
09:37 Well, we'll have to fact check that.
09:39 Yeah, I was like, diddy, diddy, diddy.
09:41 That's a great show though and set in a snowy, in the middle of nowhere.
09:45 Yeah, it's in Iceland as well.
09:47 Iceland.
09:48 Yeah.
09:49 Yeah, that makes sense.
09:50 At the end of the world.
09:51 Is that all out already, all episodes?
09:53 I think the finale is next week.
09:56 Yeah, maybe next Tuesday.
09:58 Christmas.
09:59 Yeah, yeah.
10:00 Proper cosy vibes but like tense as well. Good one. Good shout that.
10:05 Thanks.
10:06 No, I've been jumping out of my literal skin. When I watch it with my boyfriend, he's like,
10:11 I'm not actually that scared but watching it with you is a nightmare because the whole house makes me shake.
10:16 It's like Annabelle on the plane or whatever.
10:18 Watching Blink.
10:19 Watching Blink.
10:20 Jeez.
10:21 But yeah, it's great. Emma Corrin plays an amateur sleuth basically who's invited away to this remote house in Iceland
10:28 and then people just start dropping like flies and she has to solve, well, she's trying to solve the murders.
10:33 I get the sense that a bit like Knives Out with Daniel Craig that this could be like the start of another character,
10:39 the Darby character could carry on.
10:41 I saw someone saying this is what Knives Out 2 should have been basically and yeah, I think that was good.
10:47 That was weak.
10:48 May I throw one in there that I've been watching and any old chance to plug it is The Lazarus Project.
10:55 Oh yeah, your favourite.
10:56 I love this show. It's like time loop. I mean, I'm a sucker for time loop but it's just like literally no scene is wasted.
11:05 It doesn't take a breath and it's two series now and this one Sky Atlantics are now and it's just,
11:12 it's Papa Ese-Aidu, Anjali Mahindra, Caroline Quentin, the national treasure herself.
11:18 Really, really, really brilliant like if you're into time loop stuff, action.
11:24 It's the perfect watch for Christmas.
11:25 Festive?
11:26 In no way. In no way is that festive.
11:28 I'm actually a big fan of the non-festive watch to be honest. I like a scary film.
11:34 Do you?
11:35 Yeah.
11:36 You've got a counter programme in Annabelle's household.
11:38 On Boxing Day there is a new BBC ghost story that's based on the Arthur Conan Doyle short story and that's on at 10pm
11:48 and I feel like that's just like the perfect time to watch something.
11:50 What's that called?
11:51 It's called Lot Number 249 and for anyone who hasn't like read the short story, myself included,
11:57 it's like set in the 19th century so I love a bit of like old-timey Christmas vibes
12:03 and it's about a group of students at Oxford and one of them has an inclination to bring things back from the dead.
12:11 Oh.
12:12 Yeah.
12:13 Spooky.
12:14 From there.
12:15 I do feel chill at Christmas. They always kind of do that at Christmas.
12:18 It is the counter programme.
12:19 Yeah. I think it's Mark Gatiss always like has his ghost story every year so it's kind of the latest like.
12:24 And it's Kit Harington.
12:25 Oh yeah. Jon Snow himself.
12:27 Yeah. And Freddie Fox who's always like, I don't know what he is in this but he's always quite slimy.
12:32 I've just been watching Snow Horses.
12:34 I think he plays the slimy one.
12:35 Okay, yeah.
12:36 Poor guy.
12:37 He's good at playing a slime boy.
12:38 I've got this one guys. Got it.
12:40 Got it.
12:41 Yeah, I like just picking out a show, a kind of cosy-ish one and I think I'm going to do Reservation Dogs.
12:48 Oh, I love Reservation Dogs.
12:49 Oh, I haven't got around to watching that.
12:50 Do you love it?
12:51 It's a really good show.
12:52 Is this the Kiwi show?
12:53 Yeah, I think Tai Kwaititi. I'm not a big fan of it but he produces it, doesn't he?
12:55 This is so good. Yeah.
12:56 I watched half of season one and I'm like saving that for Christmas.
12:59 Honestly, yeah. It's one of the best shows that I've seen for a long time, I think.
13:03 Is it about a police force?
13:05 No, no. It's set on like a reservation about Native American teenagers and it's just, I think I did it for one of my Hidden Gems ones.
13:13 Ah, so it's stuck in the head.
13:15 It's on Disney Plus and it's just really funny but like heartwarming and it's thought-provoking and it's just everything that you want.
13:22 The big three.
13:23 The big three. It's the perfect show.
13:25 And it's on Disney Plus.
13:26 Yeah.
13:27 Talking of which, leads us on to the next question very nicely and it's a biggie. Die Hard is on Disney Plus but is it a Christmas film?
13:37 The age-old debate.
13:39 I'm going to throw that over to you, though.
13:41 Do you have strong feelings?
13:43 You two look like Bruce Willis heads. If anyone saw two people who are Bruce Willis heads, it's you two.
13:49 I think it could be, you know. I mean, what is a Christmas film other than a film that is set at Christmas and this one fits the bill and I love Die Hard.
13:59 Yeah, because he's saving it off his Christmas party that's under attack, right?
14:03 Yeah, exactly right.
14:04 But they mention that it's Christmas like multiple times in the film.
14:08 He's like going home for Christmas, isn't he?
14:10 There's Christmas songs in the background.
14:12 Definitely, because there's some taxi scenes. There's got to be some Christmas sounds going on in there.
14:18 I think it is.
14:19 I know what you mean. I'm a bit like what you were saying earlier. I'm into the slightly subversive Christmas movie.
14:26 I don't see why everything has to be the love actually effect.
14:32 It's got its place.
14:34 Yeah, yeah. Just both. Just a variety of the spice of life.
14:38 Yeah, it is. She ain't wrong.
14:41 But yeah, I don't know the other films like Silent Night. I don't know if you guys saw that a few years ago.
14:47 Is that the David Harbour one?
14:48 Yeah.
14:49 I didn't see it.
14:50 That's like a slasher.
14:52 Oh wait, no. I don't think it is. I think it's the Keira Knightley one. It was like a kind of quite a small...
14:56 Oh, it's actually two.
14:58 We're talking about something very different.
15:00 The Silent Night one is a Christmas one. I have no idea if the David Harbour one is a Christmas one.
15:04 The third one I think came out directed by John Woo of all people with Joel Kinnaman. They really need to think outside the box.
15:09 What, they're just called the same name?
15:10 I think it's called Silent Night as well. I think it's called Silent Night. And it's got no dialogue in it. Silent.
15:15 I think Die Hard is a Christmas film myself and I'm willing to take anyone on who thinks otherwise.
15:23 Yeah, I actually only saw it for the first time a few years, like maybe two or three Christmases ago.
15:28 And my dad was like, oh, we should watch Die Hard together. Like you girls haven't seen it.
15:32 And that was like a great memory. So I'm just like, that was Christmassy time.
15:35 It's what you make. A Christmas film is what you make it, right?
15:37 Yeah.
15:38 If it's a tradition, it's a tradition.
15:39 And I feel like by then you're kind of sick of watching. I feel like I watch all the schmaltzy, you know, feel good stuff in the run up to Christmas.
15:48 And then by the time Christmas runs around, I'm like, I'm done.
15:51 You're like, give me some violence.
15:52 Yeah, give me Bruce Willis.
15:54 Yeah. And there's the writer/director Shane Black, who he did the Lethal Weapon films, the first few anyway.
16:01 And he's made it his thing that when he releases a film, he always makes it set around Christmas in the hopes that it becomes like a bit of a cult Christmas film.
16:07 Like the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Robert Downey Jr. And even Iron Man 3 he did set at Christmas.
16:12 They all technically fit the bill.
16:14 Yeah. Yeah. Because it just guarantees you could get a screening at Christmas or whatever just because your film's right.
16:19 But also it's just like ripe for a good plot because the family and all the friends coming together and tensions and stuff in so many ways, it's like tick, tick.
16:27 Yeah. No, absolutely. If we write a film, we've got to set it at Christmas.
16:30 Here's a really big one and it leads on nicely. Again, what is your all time favourite Christmas film?
16:35 I think we've all probably got an answer to give here.
16:38 Mine is The Grinch.
16:40 I rewatched it last Friday.
16:42 Oh, it's so good. I think every time I watch it, Jim Carrey is so funny.
16:47 The Jim Carrey one. I was going to say which one.
16:49 Oh yeah. And Cindy Lou Who. I just love the setting of it. And all the costumes are amazing. And the dog.
16:58 Max.
16:59 It just makes me feel so happy. And Jim Carrey is, I mean, career high.
17:06 I know. I'm willing to go there.
17:09 How does he make his face do all those things? It's incredible.
17:14 Do you know, I think it might have won an Oscar for production design or something.
17:19 Oh, it should have.
17:20 Or costume.
17:21 Best picture.
17:22 I love that The Grinch is an Oscar.
17:24 In the Jim Carrey one, it's all actual decoration. It's not just what the new version was, which was just loads of CGI.
17:33 It's actually creating in a weird, almost kind of way, that world.
17:38 It's like a bygone era, that. Now they would just throw money at it to computer CGI it up.
17:45 And it's funny because it doesn't seem dated. I watch it every year and every year I'm like, this is the best movie.
17:51 It's making me want to watch it this year.
17:52 I think it's on Netflix.
17:54 And Prime.
17:55 And Prime.
17:56 Take your pick.
17:58 You guys are encyclopedias for streaming services.
18:01 It's a bit weird, isn't it?
18:03 What's your favourite Christmas movie?
18:05 I don't know where you can watch it, but you probably do. It's Elf.
18:08 It's just so funny. Everything from the way he basically tries to very over-enthusiastically wave at grumpy New Yorkers in the street.
18:17 Him getting in the elevator and doing the splits by accident. James Caan, Will Ferrell's evil dad.
18:24 R.I.P. James Caan is just spot on. I just love that film. I don't know if it's basic, but it brings me a lot of joy.
18:32 Like I say, it might be basic, but whatever. Mine's Christmas After Christmas with Carol, which is everyone's favourite.
18:38 So that is the ultimate basic choice.
18:40 But I stand by the point that you say Jim Carrey's career high is the Grinch.
18:45 Michael Caine's is The Christmas Carol. And I think he would agree. I honestly think he would agree.
18:50 You've got to get him and go to bat.
18:52 Go to bat. He won't go to bat because everyone loves it.
18:55 But I feel like there's so many funny stories about him being in that film and just acting like he was acting opposite Shakespearean actors.
19:04 Taking it so seriously.
19:06 And it just works. And it was a straight to video at the time.
19:10 And I think that film has probably made him more money than any other film he did, really.
19:14 The enduring appeal of the Muppets will never end. I love it.
19:19 Okay. Which streaming services are worth keeping into the new year?
19:25 This is an anonymous question. So if you're out there, this is for you.
19:28 I feel like Disney is one that we've mentioned loads because of A Murder at the End of the World.
19:34 Because they've got the star element now, don't they? Where it's like adult stuff, but not for kids.
19:39 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Reservation Dogs was on Disney.
19:43 The Colleen Rooney documentary. Huge. That was on Disney.
19:47 Wow.
19:48 And also reruns of stuff like All of Modern Families on Disney.
19:52 Lost.
19:53 Lost. Walking Dead, which I'm so deep in. We're talking about Christmas TV, I'm literally just going to watch Walking Dead.
20:00 Walking Dead.
20:01 All the way.
20:02 But I think Disney Plus is my favourite streaming service.
20:08 But I go to that more than anything else now.
20:12 Yeah. It's one of the last ones I got, so I feel like I was quite a late adopter of it.
20:16 And then it's way overtaken Netflix in terms of what I use.
20:20 Yeah, I mean in terms of a thing of Netflix is I think they don't add stuff that I want to watch enough.
20:25 I've kind of exhausted it. And then the films, like for TV, and then the film stuff, I think Prime is actually really good for film.
20:33 Yeah. And Desperate Housewives.
20:36 Oh, and Desperate Housewives. I only rewatched that.
20:38 You recently did.
20:39 I only rewatch things.
20:41 I'll tell you what is good as well. I've got to give it a shout out because I've been using it a lot.
20:44 It's Paramount Plus just because it's got all of Frasier.
20:47 Yeah.
20:48 And it's just nice to just throw a Frasier on.
20:50 Yeah.
20:51 Maybe so often.
20:52 A Frasier on.
20:53 Cheeky morning Frasier.
20:54 But I also, I love Apple TV.
20:56 Oh, Apple TV is good.
20:57 I feel like it's so nice to use. And also some of my favourite shows of the last two years have been on there, like Bad Sisters.
21:04 Love that.
21:05 So good. That was, yeah.
21:06 Yeah. And that's coming back I think next year.
21:09 Severance.
21:11 Severance, exactly.
21:12 For all mankind.
21:13 Yeah.
21:14 Apple TV has a lot of really good TV shows.
21:17 Hijack. Idris Elba.
21:19 Oh, that was so fun.
21:20 It was very fun.
21:21 I wasn't convinced of that.
21:23 When did that come out?
21:24 That was this year because it was in Nick's top ten TV shows of the year.
21:26 That would have been a really good Christmas watch because it was so bingey.
21:31 Yeah.
21:32 That was such a good time.
21:33 Yeah. And he was honestly like...
21:34 It's a bit diehardy actually.
21:35 Yeah, it was just so fun.
21:36 Because I'm stuck on a place trying to get away from the terrorists.
21:38 Yeah, totally.
21:39 And he just happens to be this amazing negotiator, like right place, right time.
21:42 But I think it was in Nick's review I think that our TV critic, and he wrote like,
21:46 he does some of the best eye acting in the business in this show because
21:50 there's so many times where he can't really say anything but the way his eyes are just darting around.
21:54 It's just like, you know.
21:55 He's like waiting for things to happen, isn't he?
21:57 Before he can jump into action.
21:59 Yeah. And it's just very, very silly and you have to massively suspend your disbelief.
22:03 It was really fun.
22:04 Yeah.
22:05 I, obviously, Idris Elba is great in like the Wire and Luthor, but I think this is my favourite role of his since those things.
22:13 Yeah.
22:14 He's really good.
22:15 Agreed.
22:16 He's good in TV. Stick to the TV. Come on.
22:17 Yeah, because the Luthor film was...
22:19 I actually didn't mind it.
22:21 Oh, right.
22:22 Controversial.
22:23 You're like the only person I know.
22:24 I know.
22:25 Also, I was going to say, didn't mind it isn't exactly like a huge shout.
22:28 No, because if I like it, people are always going to sully my reputation.
22:31 Liking bad things. No, it was good. It was good.
22:34 I am just carrying off the Apple TV Plus stuff. I think it's a really good shout.
22:38 A lot of my TV, like favourite TV shows of the year, like every year for the past three years, all like heavy on the Apple TV show front.
22:46 The Severance series finale was insane.
22:49 Yeah.
22:50 Yeah. So Severance, I'm probably not going to explain it super well.
22:53 It's a really high concept, isn't it?
22:55 Yeah. But it's basically about having your work mind and your life mind severed from each other.
23:01 So the person that you are when you go to work is completely separate from your other conscience.
23:07 And I have no memory of it either.
23:09 Yeah, exactly. And they don't cross over.
23:12 And there's loads of twists as it goes, isn't there?
23:14 Oh, God, it's so good.
23:15 Yeah. And it's quite kind of surreal and funny.
23:18 But not too lofty. I felt like I was always entertained. It wasn't all just like concept.
23:26 And that was it. But yeah, the season finale of that, I think was like probably the best episode of TV I'd watched that year.
23:33 Yeah. I was like on my own going, Oh my God. Oh my God.
23:36 Which is quite strange.
23:38 It's like an on your feet thing. Like, oh, what?
23:40 And then the strikes happen and now it's even delayed, but they've done and it's coming back.
23:44 Yeah, I think that's back. I think that is back next year.
23:47 But yeah, I want to like rewatch the final so I can just go straight into it.
23:50 I feel like it might be one of the first Apple TV shows as well that kind of broke cut through.
23:53 Yeah, that was definitely the first one that I watched and was like, oh, I might get an Apple TV subscription.
23:59 Yeah, yeah. Big time.
24:01 I am forgetting Tad Lesso, obviously. That was huge.
24:03 Oh yeah, that did.
24:05 Before it was nose to up to Tad. Yeah.
24:06 Is there any exciting TV? This anonymous person is over Christmas.
24:12 They want to know if there's any exciting TV to look forward to on New Year's Day.
24:15 Oh, well, Jamie Dornan is back in The Tourist, which was, I really enjoyed the first episode of that.
24:22 He's basically in this kind of he's racing along in a truck on a very dusty desert road and he's a complete amnesiac.
24:29 He doesn't he kind of comes to basically in this truck and doesn't realise why someone's trying to kill him.
24:35 But they are. And yeah, that was fantastic.
24:39 I think it was set in the Australian outback. Yeah.
24:41 Yeah. And it's coming back on New Year's Day for a second season on the BBC.
24:46 And it's the kind of actions relocated to Ireland.
24:50 I think he still can't remember anything.
24:52 Oh really?
24:53 I think we're still slightly piecing together who he is.
24:56 I wonder how they're going to do a season two of that because that was quite like.
24:59 There was an open ending. There was like a bit of a last minute kind of thing.
25:02 Is it Danielle McDonald?
25:04 McDonald, yeah. She's good.
25:06 It just makes me feel like I can't believe it's been two years since season one.
25:10 When that started on New Year's Day.
25:12 Has it actually?
25:13 Yeah, it did. I remember watching that.
25:14 Oh my God, that makes me very sad.
25:16 I'm looking forward to that though.
25:17 It's not slowing down, is it?
25:18 That would be good. Season two of that. Yeah.
25:21 Must have been a big hit for them to bring it back because it did feel like it might have been a one and done.
25:25 Yeah.
25:26 They were like, well, let's keep it open in case it does well.
25:28 But also, I think it's Harry and Jack Williams, isn't it? Who did like The Missing and stuff.
25:32 Oh yeah.
25:33 So I think that, yeah, they're like have good form in like keeping the plot going.
25:37 Yeah.
25:38 Like returning to the job.
25:39 The BBC like them, don't they?
25:40 Yeah, they're like some of their faves.
25:42 Yeah.
25:43 What else? Oh, it's quite a boring title, but there's a show called Mr Bates vs.
25:49 Don't tell us.
25:51 It's really good, Jacob.
25:52 It's all you've been talking about.
25:53 I was watching I'm a Celebrity the other day for work.
25:57 People are going to be on tenterhooks for the title by the time we get two words in.
26:01 There was an advert that came up and I was like, what the hell is... And then the title was...
26:05 Mr Bates vs. The Post Office.
26:07 And I thought it sounded like the most boring TV show that had ever been created.
26:10 Yeah, it does sound really dull.
26:12 But you've sold me on it.
26:13 You should sell everyone else.
26:14 It's so jazzy.
26:15 So I have cried every episode.
26:19 It's a really amazing story.
26:21 So it's about what they think is the greatest miscarriage of justice in British legal history.
26:27 Yeah, I've been reading about this.
26:29 Not laughing now?
26:30 No.
26:31 No, I'm joking.
26:32 And basically it's about how kind of thousands of post office workers, God, I'm trying to
26:37 set this up and it's not working, across the UK were basically wrongly accused of false
26:44 accounting and stealing cash from the registers and post offices and stuff.
26:48 Anyway, it turns out it was all this massive IT glitch.
26:51 But people went to lovely, kind of quiet, cardigan wearing post sub masters and sub
26:57 ministers, ended up going to prison for years.
26:59 Some people took their own lives over the stress of it.
27:02 People lost their houses, their families, had to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds
27:06 to the post office all over this glitch.
27:09 And basically it's Toby Jones is like the man who led the fight for justice.
27:14 Or he plays the man, Alan Bates, who led the fight for justice.
27:17 So it's all about that.
27:18 But it is like, it's really moving and amazing.
27:20 It's just having a really, really crap title.
27:23 Yeah, they really need to change the title.
27:25 I am of the belief that if Toby Jones is in something, it's worth watching, though.
27:29 He's so good at everything.
27:31 Yeah, he's so good.
27:32 He just like disappears into the role.
27:34 And Julie Hesman plays his partner and she's just like so funny.
27:39 It gives loads of light relief.
27:41 Because she's post-credits, she did a few TV roles, but she does theatre a lot, doesn't she?
27:44 Yeah.
27:45 So it's good to have her back on TV.
27:47 You've sold me.
27:48 Yeah.
27:49 You've sold me.
27:50 There's quite a kind of wholesome one.
27:52 There's David Attenborough in the, I think it's called Under the Sea Monster, Under the
27:56 Giant Sea Monster, which is about this like huge fossil that they've discovered of like
28:02 a sea monster from like the dinosaur times, like thousands and thousands of years ago.
28:07 So there's like a show there.
28:09 But it's always nice to have a bit of Attenborough.
28:11 Yeah, that actually sounds really lovely.
28:13 Yeah.
28:14 Did you guys watch Planet, the latest Planet Earth?
28:17 Did you watch it?
28:18 Oh, yeah.
28:19 I loved it.
28:20 Yeah, I did watch some of it.
28:21 Actually, that's something that would be nice to have on in the background of the Christmas
28:24 season.
28:25 It's nice and comforting.
28:26 Yeah.
28:27 Yeah, it is.
28:28 But also quite like striking at times, isn't it?
28:29 Yeah.
28:30 Yeah.
28:31 I don't have any New Year's Day recommendations.
28:33 Me?
28:34 But I have some Boxing Day recommendations.
28:35 Oh, yeah.
28:36 Come on.
28:37 Well, it's actually the first night of the University Challenge, like Christmas specials,
28:42 and they'll run every night until the 29th of December.
28:45 But I feel like some of my best memories are, you know, like I literally never know the
28:49 answers ever.
28:50 But, you know, gathering around with your family and like trying to guess.
28:53 Yeah.
28:54 Like that's just such a fun, like communal thing.
28:57 And then the Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
29:00 That's like less brainiac-y.
29:02 Yeah.
29:03 I feel like I have more of a shot.
29:04 Yeah.
29:05 Yeah.
29:06 Even though they all take ages to answer questions, they're all trying to be funny.
29:09 I know.
29:10 Just answer some questions.
29:11 Who have we got then this year on that?
29:12 Yeah, I mean, yeah, you've got Jimmy Carr returning as host.
29:15 And then the panel, Rosie Jones, Mo Gilligan, Kath and Ryan.
29:20 That's everyone I can remember right now.
29:22 Cool, yeah.
29:23 Good line-up.
29:24 And then just, I know it's not Boxing Day or New Year's Day, but in the new year there
29:27 is a new series of a very successful game show.
29:31 Oh, yeah.
29:32 Yeah, that's on the 3rd, coming back to BBC One.
29:36 Yeah.
29:37 The Traitors is back.
29:38 Claudia Winkleman back in her hood, being shifty.
29:40 Yeah.
29:41 Can it live up?
29:42 I mean, everyone knows kind of like the little surprises.
29:44 They have to rethink the game a little bit.
29:46 I've actually never seen it.
29:47 So maybe I'll do that.
29:48 You should have the Christmas everyone had last year when they watched The Traitors in
29:52 time for series two.
29:53 I'm worried I know who wins, like just from like new stuff.
29:57 Yeah.
29:58 Is it still worth it?
29:59 Yeah.
30:00 Might not worry.
30:01 Might not be an issue.
30:02 Might not be an issue, yeah.
30:03 I got there.
30:04 Yeah, I feel like they cast the contestants so well last time.
30:08 And so that was like a really big part of the show's success.
30:11 So I guess if they can replicate that then.
30:13 And when it becomes a hit, it does change a little bit, doesn't it?
30:17 Because it's like becomes sort of self-aware.
30:19 Yeah.
30:20 And people going on it are like, are they actually in it for a different reason?
30:23 Hopefully they've pre-empted all of this and it will be just as great.
30:26 Let's hope.
30:27 So that's the 3rd of Jan is it?
30:28 Really good.
30:29 New year.
30:30 Yeah, 3rd of Jan.
30:31 And then I think it's basically stripped across like Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and then
30:35 the same next week.
30:36 But yeah, I know that lots of people since the first season The Traitors came out have
30:41 been watching the kind of international versions as well.
30:44 I did one of them.
30:45 I did the American one.
30:46 Any good?
30:47 It's trashier.
30:48 It's full of people who, well it's actually a mixture of kind of like you and I and ex-reality
30:53 show people, which is a very odd mix.
30:55 And I think they've actually gone down the route now of they're just going to do reality
30:58 show people.
30:59 Like Ekansu from Love Island is going to be on the new one.
31:01 Oh.
31:02 Which is so random.
31:03 So Thomas Mason.
31:04 Hello.
31:05 He's got a question for you.
31:09 Is the golden age of festive TV dead?
31:12 Will we see anything as good again as the Only Fools and Horses or Vicar of Dibley
31:16 Christmas special?
31:17 It's kind of looping back to what we were saying.
31:19 But it's a great question.
31:21 Yeah, it is.
31:22 I know that both of those shows are on.
31:24 We've got like a big, big ranking of the kind of, I think it's the 20 best Christmas episodes
31:29 of all time.
31:30 And the guys who are writing that for us I think had both Only Fools and Horses and Vicar
31:34 of Dibley on there.
31:35 So I think, yeah, you're not alone in thinking that that's one of the best.
31:38 I bet The Office was number one.
31:39 I'm not going to give it away.
31:40 It's my prediction.
31:41 It's my prediction.
31:42 But yeah, I don't know.
31:44 I mean, I think the formula needs switching up a bit.
31:49 Like we've had Agatha Christie every year now since like 2015.
31:54 Even Agatha would be like, give it away.
31:56 Yeah.
31:57 There's other stuff.
31:59 Yeah.
32:00 Yeah, it just feels a bit formulaic.
32:03 Like every year we kind of know exactly what we're getting.
32:06 And I feel like I do mostly just watch like, you know, The Grinch and like reruns because
32:12 that's like what I enjoy.
32:14 Yeah, that's still the best thing.
32:16 Like decades on.
32:18 Yeah.
32:19 I guess the last one that was big where everyone was excited about it and it was good, in my
32:23 opinion, was the Gavin and Stacey one.
32:25 Oh yeah, that was good.
32:26 And I think that was a surprise to me that it would be good.
32:28 Do you mean the one that just came out?
32:30 Oh, the most recent one.
32:31 That's 2019.
32:32 Yeah, which I was about to say like two years ago, but that's like four years ago now.
32:35 Yeah, it was a while ago, but that was good.
32:38 Yeah.
32:39 Yeah, that was great.
32:40 And it's got previous with like good Christmas specials, haven't they?
32:43 Gavin and Stacey.
32:44 Yeah.
32:45 In answer to Jon's question, I would say it kind of is a little bit dead in that way.
32:49 And what it needs is like a vintage sitcom.
32:53 Maybe we've just got a lack of vintage sitcoms now.
32:58 I wonder how much of it is like, you know, like nostalgia.
33:01 Like we go into Christmas periods wanting like, you know, nostalgia.
33:05 And so that's why we watch like Gavin and Stacey in the office and old things as opposed
33:09 to this stuff they're like churning out now.
33:12 It's true.
33:13 Or maybe it's bad.
33:14 I mean, I've been going through the only Fault in Our Stars Christmas specials myself and
33:18 the early ones where they're actually kind of set like at Christmas in the Trotters house
33:23 are quite bad.
33:24 It's when they kind of go off piece and it's not actually set at Christmas.
33:26 And it's just like a fun little 90 minute adventure for the characters.
33:30 That's when it kind of came into its own, which is quite interesting.
33:33 Yeah.
33:34 But yeah.
33:35 And the next question, Carl Davies, can Mrs. Brown's Boys get any worse?
33:40 The answer is we don't know because we've never watched it.
33:44 But go on.
33:46 And yeah, and I think I still, I haven't, even our writer hasn't seen the new one.
33:50 So that's a big, yeah, Christmas TVC waiting to play it out.
33:54 Can't commission that review.
33:55 Imagine five stars.
33:56 He's like, don't know what they've done.
33:58 Yeah.
33:59 I mean, I would love to read that piece.
34:00 I think, yeah, maybe we need to mix up the formula of giving it one star reviews.
34:04 Yeah.
34:05 In defence of.
34:06 Yeah.
34:07 Yeah, exactly.
34:08 It's funny though, it's just like, it's like the Christmas TV Day ratings without fail.
34:13 It's up there.
34:14 But I'd be interested to know, like, has anyone actually met someone in real life who likes it?
34:20 Like, have you witnessed this in action?
34:22 Yeah.
34:23 Because, or is it just, I don't know, this myth that keeps evolving?
34:27 I'm not sure.
34:28 I can name one person who likes it, Brendan O'Carroll.
34:31 Yeah.
34:32 He loves it.
34:33 And his family, because he's keeping them in work every year.
34:35 Good for them.
34:36 Good for them.
34:37 Good for them.
34:38 Fiona Harrison.
34:39 Oh.
34:40 Any relation?
34:41 That is my mum.
34:43 Fiona, welcome Fiona.
34:45 What are the panel's favourite programmes in 2023?
34:49 I love that question.
34:51 Because I keep a ranking as I go.
34:53 I watch a lot.
34:54 Oh my gosh, no you.
34:55 Yeah, you go first.
34:57 Okay, well Succession is the obvious answer, but I'm not going to say that because it probably is the best show of the year.
35:03 But it's fun to say something else.
35:05 So mine is Jewelry Duty.
35:07 Oh, so good.
35:08 It was just so good.
35:09 And I think what was so good about it, like, it wasn't like the best show, but it was so unexpectedly charming.
35:14 Yeah, the experiment was so, like, so novel as well.
35:17 I've literally just, I'm only like three episodes in.
35:19 I came to it really late.
35:20 Because it even gets better and better as it goes.
35:22 So for those who don't know, it's like a Jewelry and one guy is a normal civilian and the others are all actors.
35:32 And he has no idea and all these things go wrong, don't they?
35:35 And it's just, he is so, because they...
35:38 He thinks he's basically, yeah, he's on the Jewelry of a real case and it's being filmed.
35:42 And he's just kind of looking at everyone acting totally insane.
35:46 But like, he comes across so well.
35:48 And he's so sweet.
35:50 It's like a secret to his success.
35:52 Like, you're rooting for him the whole time and he's just like a nice, normal guy.
35:57 He's just like, he's helping out the people when they're being really odd.
36:00 And it's just, it's a test in patience and he passed it.
36:04 Like, he's so lovely.
36:06 And James Marsden in it is so funny.
36:08 James Marsden is one of playing himself, isn't he?
36:10 He just got a Golden Globe nomination for it.
36:12 Did he?
36:13 Deserved.
36:14 That show is so funny.
36:15 I was hoping some of the others would have got some because they are really good as well.
36:17 But they didn't.
36:18 I think James Marsden is having the best time ever.
36:21 And it kind of works because obviously the guy in the centre of Jewelry of a duty knows that James Marsden is an actor.
36:27 But he's like, I'm just an actor who's on Jewelry of a duty.
36:30 So it's like that extra meta layer.
36:32 And James Marsden is like really famous but not like supremely famous enough for it to be suspicious.
36:36 Yeah, he's like the perfect level of fame.
36:38 Like, everyone recognises him but he's not like, you know, he's not going to disrupt everything.
36:44 But also it's mad because they can never do it again, right? That's it.
36:47 Wow. Correct.
36:48 Yeah, so that also makes it sweeter because it's a total one off because anyone would know now that they were in this big show.
36:55 Absolutely. They'd have to really pull something out of the bag to make it work again.
36:59 What I like is you watch and you're like, oh, surely he knows.
37:02 But apparently they literally went through five hours of Jewelry of a duty in a day.
37:06 So any moment he was thinking that was too weird, that would smack out of him.
37:11 Because he'd be like, well, surely they wouldn't sit us through five hours of a case.
37:15 But they did.
37:16 There are just so many laugh out loud.
37:18 Like, I'm thinking of it and you have so much ahead of you that is just like hysterical viewing.
37:24 Oh, it's so good.
37:25 We should just rewatch it.
37:26 I know it's on Prime and over the past few months they've added commentaries.
37:31 So some of the actors come on and they just do the audio commentaries.
37:34 So it could be rewatched with the commentary.
37:36 I just don't know how the actors didn't burst out laughing the whole way through.
37:40 I know.
37:41 One of them showed up in Reservation Dogs, by the way, the other day.
37:44 And I was like, if Ronald had seen Reservation Dogs, this would have all gone wrong.
37:47 Yeah.
37:48 Because that's when you have to find really good comic actors, but who weren't well known enough to be recognized.
37:53 They would have had to test him so much.
37:56 And like, have you seen these movies or whatever?
37:59 Yeah, he put up a weird question, but I'm sure I'll answer it.
38:02 Come on then, your TV shows of the year.
38:04 You can say Succession, but I also want one other.
38:06 Because I know you both love it.
38:08 Oh, he runs a tight show.
38:09 I do.
38:10 Come on.
38:11 I think mine would have to be Colin from Accounts.
38:13 Did you go see that?
38:14 Is that the Australian one?
38:15 Yeah.
38:16 The Australian one that was kind of the...
38:18 So it's a husband and wife, they're husband and wife in real life, and they play kind of, well,
38:25 like girlfriend and boyfriend in this show, Colin from Accounts, which is like an Australian sitcom.
38:29 And I think they were massively inspired by Catastrophe, the Sharon Horgan, Rob Delaney show.
38:34 In this show, they're called, it's Harriet Dyer and Patrick Bramall are the leads.
38:38 And basically, they have this kind of weird meet-cutes where the female lead is kind of walking down the street
38:48 and she decides to flash her boob at this guy in his car.
38:53 And he's so distracted that he ends up running over a dog.
38:56 And then they end up having to look after this dog together because it's like completely maimed and they can't track down the only...
39:01 What a funny premise.
39:02 Yeah. And then it's all about, yeah, their kind of weird romance blossoming from there.
39:07 But it's just so funny and sweet and naturalistic in the same way that Catastrophe was.
39:13 And Catastrophe is still one of my favourite programmes in the world.
39:16 Sharon Horgan fans over here.
39:18 Yeah, Catastrophe is one of the best shows. I haven't seen Colin from Accounts, actually.
39:23 Oh, shut up.
39:24 Annabelle's watch list is growing. Walking Dead has to be put to the side, I'm afraid.
39:29 I can't stop.
39:30 You can't stop.
39:32 It's definitely a different vibe from The Walking Dead.
39:35 There's no flashing in The Walking Dead. As far as I remember, anyway.
39:38 What's your TV favourite?
39:40 I'm actually trying to think back through all of our binge watch episodes.
39:43 All the binge watch episodes that we've done.
39:44 I'm so bad at remembering what TV came out when.
39:49 Yeah, because I thought The White Lotus was the past 12 months, but it wasn't.
39:52 Yeah, because I did season two as one of my 2023 picks and then realised that's not 2023.
39:59 You're in the wrong year. Oh, wow.
40:00 Yeah.
40:01 You're right, it's not. I didn't even blink when I thought, you know, think of it.
40:04 Oh, here we go.
40:05 Yeah.
40:06 Beef. Was that?
40:07 Yeah, that was this year.
40:08 Yeah, okay.
40:09 Early this year, just in time.
40:10 That was so good. I thought that was, Stephen Yeun and Ali Wong in that were so funny.
40:16 And it was one of those shows where I put it on not knowing anything about it.
40:21 And then, you know, I'm so rarely surprised nowadays.
40:26 Like with TV, normally you can kind of predict where it's going.
40:29 But this went like nowhere that I thought it would go.
40:32 And I thought it was going to be like a rom-com in the end.
40:35 And I just thought it was so brilliant.
40:37 And like the writing was so sharp and like, and the performances.
40:43 And I mean, Stephen Yeun, Walking Dead.
40:45 Walking Dead, absolutely.
40:48 But yeah, she's so good too.
40:50 I think that got quite a few Golden Globe nominations as well, which is unsurprising.
40:53 So deserved, yeah.
40:54 That's on Netflix isn't it? I think the thing with Netflix shows is sometimes they peter off, but that one doesn't.
40:59 Yeah.
41:00 They did so the opposite.
41:01 Yeah, it really just ramped up.
41:02 So I thought it was okay.
41:03 And then I was like, oh my gosh, this is scary.
41:05 Yeah, some of the last few are like some of the best episodes of the year.
41:08 And apparently that was like inspired by a real life road rage bit.
41:12 Which is so funny.
41:13 Worrying.
41:14 Yeah, worrying, terrifying.
41:15 There are people out there who are.
41:17 But yeah, beef. That was...
41:19 And that's on Netflix and Calling From Accounts is...
41:21 Is on iPlayer.
41:22 iPlayer.
41:23 Yeah.
41:24 That's all the questions.
41:25 Oh my God.
41:26 So all the questions we have time for today.
41:27 But thanks for joining us and don't forget to tune into Binge Watch by visiting www.independent.co.uk/tv.
41:35 Our next virtual event won't be with us, but it will be with the Independence US team and it's on the 18th of January.
41:41 Senior Washington correspondent Eric Garcia and Deputy US Editor David Tainter will be hosting a panel debate looking forward to the 2024 US election.
41:51 To sign up, simply follow the link in the chat box, which I'm going to assume is there. I don't know.
41:57 Thank you for joining Binge Watch Live though. Thank you so much.
41:59 I hope you've had as much fun as we have.
42:01 Have we had fun?
42:02 A lot of fun.
42:03 We've had fun.
42:04 And we're going to say Merry Christmas on three.
42:06 Three, two, one.
42:07 Merry Christmas.
42:09 Merry Christmas.
42:11 [BLANK_AUDIO]
42:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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