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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 horror film Carrie. The main question here is, did we need it? Whilst on Netflix, Below feels as if it may have worked out better if Widow's Bay hadn't become such a big hit earlier this year.

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, David Harewood leads his very first British drama, in another legal drama, Channel 4's new series Pierre.  Next, and also on Channel 4, Dawn falls hard for the new romantic comedy Break Clause, which is anchored by two strong leads you really care about. Lastly, the two mega Traitor fans break down what worked and what didn't in the first two episodes.

Matt, Luke and Dawn are back aboard the TV Time Machine to look at the TV landscape of September 2001. First, the utterly charming romantic comedy drama Bob & Rose, which starred Alan Davies as a gay man whose life was turned upside down when he met and fell for a woman played by Lesley Sharp. The series, written by Russell T Davies, was based on the real-life events that had happened to a friend of his. Next, 'Orrible, a BBC comedy written by and starring Johnny Vaughn post Big Breakfast. Vaughn stars a cheeky chappy cabbie with ideas above his station. You can see what Vaughn is going for: a Delboy-type character for the new era, but the show lacks the charm and gag level of what makes the best comedies work. Still relatively new, E4 is still buying up US shows that no one really remembers. Namely Stark Raving Mad, starring Neil Patrick Harris and Tony Shalhoub as unlikely work colleagues. Lastly, The Corner, a series from The Wire co-creator David Simon, which serves as a soft but no less bleak version of the groundbreaking HBO series. Set in Baltimore, the show feels exactly like The Wire, and you can see the groundwork of that series here, though it uses some storytelling devices that don't exactly come together. The trio shares their memories of September 2001, including Luke's memories of September 11th.

Matt and Dawn are back, joined by site contributor Ruthie Nugent, to review shows available this week. ITV has a new police drama starring Michelle Keegan. The Blame puts police misogyny at its centre and is actually better than the trio is expecting. Next, Channel 4 has a new social experiment/ reality show in Apocalypse. On paper, it could have been an interesting look at how ordinary people would survive in the worst of circumstances, but instead, it's another forgettable reality show populated by online influencers. The result is a show that feels unfocused, silly, and pointless.  Next, True Detective stars and firm friends Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play fictional versions of themselves in Apple TV's meta-comedy Brothers, which works when it doesn't put too much focus on its famous leads. Also, Luke joins Matt and Dawn to review Apple's jewel in the Crown, Slow Horses, which continues to deliver one of the most consistently fun shows on television.

Matt, Dawn, and Luke return to review 4 shows available on platforms this week. The adorable but also brilliantly funny Australian comedy Colin From Accounts for its third and final season. The series does a clever thing to keep things fresh for the age-gap lovers Ashley and Gordon, moving things forward in time to find the pair in a very different position than they were when we last saw them. Also starring Colin From Accounts star/writer Patrick Brammall, Last Seen is a tense Australian drama about a man struggling to keep his life together in the 11 years since his three-year-old daughter was kidnapped, which is available on Apple TV. On paper, it reads like a drama we've been covering on the podcast a lot, but it does feel like it has more to offer, including the brilliant Maxine Peake. Next, from one of our favourite writers, George Kay, who brought us Apple's Hijack, Netflix's fun French spy drama Lupin, and ITV's retelling of The Yorkshire Ripper story, in The Long Shadow. He's back now with a 5-part crime drama set in Sweden with the slightly clunky title of Blood Sacrifice. Its Swedish setting makes it feel like it has elements of the best Nordic-Noir of old about a killer targeting police officers and killing them in the most horrific way possible. It's stylish, with sharp dialogue and an interesting central pairing that works really well. Lastly, and certainly last, is ITV's latest attempt to find a new Saturday night hit, The Box, which is a strange strange show in which Gary Lineker oversees a group of celebrites who compete in chalenges for no real purpose. It's a show that makes one of the podcasting group VERY VERY ANGRY. For our Quiz, Matt asks Dawn and Luke to name as many of the best International show nominees from the BAFTAs as they can.

Though TV has been rather quiet this summer, Matt was given the chance to attend the final Edinburgh TV Festival to learn about what the channels and the streamers are looking for in new commissions, as well as to preview the things they are excited for in the autumn and beyond. The highlights from this year's festival include a long chat with Slow Horses legend Gary Oldman as well as a panel on the state of comedy on television. In this special podcast, Matt breaks down the biggest takeaways from the festival, telling co-host Dawn Glen what to look for in the next few months.

Matt and Dawn are back to mop up the shows they've missed in a lackluster August. Beginning with the return of Ted Lasso on Apple TV. This fourth season, three years after the third, wasn't planned, and it sees Ted return to coach an all-female team, but does the new series still work? Next, Possession, a spooky Sky Original drama which could be promising, but it gets lost in less interesting plots. Over on U&Dave, the channel has its first original drama series, Hit Point, a quirky crime drama from Misfits creator Howard Overman. Lastly, Luke joins the podcast to rave about the new Hulu/Disney+ crime drama Furious - a brilliant cat-and-mouse story that puts two powerful but scarred women at the centre of the story. For our quiz, Luke comes with another category with a frustrating number of possibilities.

Matt and Luke are still aboard their TV Time Machine, looking back at the TV landscape of August 2001. Like in 2026, the TV isn't at its best in the summer, but we have found 4 shows to discuss, and each one is worthy of discussion. On UKTV Play, which became Dave, Iain Lee hosts an innovative but rough-around-the-edges music quiz entitled Mental. Off the back of Drop the Dead Donkey, comedian and satirist Andy Hamilton writes and directs a new comedy drama Bedtime, which focuses on three couples in the same street as they settle down to bed.  Before The Thick of It, but after the huge successes of Knowing Me, Knowing You and I'm Alan Partridge, writer and producer Armando Iannucci puts himself front and centre in his Channel 4 sketch show The Armando Iannucci Shows. It's a strange sketch series with overarching themes, and it features future names like Stephen Mangan and Tony Gardener, but it doesn't quite hang together. Lastly, over on E4, we have the American comedy Grosee Point, which goes behind the scenes of a popular teen drama. Not all of it works, but it's a show incredibly ahead of its time, and because of that, it is entirely possible that the audience who are watching Sabrina The Teenage Witch weren't ready for it at all. The series came before The Comeback and 30 Rock. Lastly, as always, Matt tests Luke's bizarre music knowledge of the time.

Luke and Matt are back aboard their TV Time Machine to observe the TV landscape of August 2001. Luke is still struggling to remember what he was doing, but Matt was working at the company his dad worked for alone in an empty warehouse! On television, satirical Channel 4 series Brass Eye returns for a special on paedophiles, which is still viewed as highly controversial. Famous older people are given their own sketch show on BBC Choice called Revolver, whilst relatively new channel E4 is showing The Fugitive, another TV adaptation of the story that less than ten years prior was made into a film starring Harrison Ford. Lastly, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant change the comedy landscape with their mockumentary comedy The Office. Gervais stars as the fame-hungry boss from hell, David Brent, but the heart of the show is the brilliantly paced love story between Dawn and Tim, which remains one of the best depictions of a friendship turned romantic relationship on television.

Matt and Dawn are joined by site contributor Tyler to review four new shows available on different platforms this week. Firstly, Heartstopper, a show the trio have loved, concludes with a feature-length film, Heartstopper Forever. The condensed nature of Heartstopper Forever means a lot of what they loved about the series gets lost here, including a lot of the key characters. Next, BBC One has a new Sunday night drama that feels a little different. The Rapture, starring Ruth Madely. Prime Video has a new spy comedy thriller pairing the unlikely 'best friends' played by Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer. Ride or Die is a silly drama lacking in depth; despite that, Dawn finds the positive, and it leaves her sobbing. Finally, Dianne Morgan leaves Philomena Cunk behind for a new BBC comedy, Anne Droid, which sees her take on the role of an AI carer for a weary Sue Johnson. Despite the awful trailers for the show, it's a far deeper exploration of age and having to depend on others.  Lastly, for our quiz, how many shows that feature robots can Matt and Tyler name? Spoiler: It's far more than you imagine!

Luke and Matt help Gary board the TV Time Machine to travel back to review the TV landscape of June 2001. Sue Johnson leaves the Royle sofa behind and plays a very different character in the BBC's cold case procedural Waking the Dead, which ushers in what will become nine years of shouty Trevor Eve. Ricky Tomlinson gets his first post-Royle role in Nice Guy Eddie. The nice guy of the title is Eddie, an unlucky Private Eye who has a hectic home life. It's a role that doesn't challenge Tomlinson as an actor, who is playing a softer version of Jim Royle here and tonally it's all over the place, but it works in places. Next, the BBC have new comedy has World of Pub, which transferred from radio to TV. And finally, an Australian import, The Secret Life of Us, which follows a group of twentysomethings as they navigate their lives.

Matt and Dawn are joined by Luke to review four shows available on streaming services this week. Firstly, a once firm podcast favourite, The Bear, bows out with its fifth and final season. This season has a different shape, with the first 7 of 8 episodes taking place over the course of one stressful night of serving customers at the restaurant. The format change feels fresh, but after 2 two lacklustre seasons, does the show go out on a high? Next, Apple TV's newest show, Lucky, stars Anya Taylor-Joy as a criminal on the run. It's a fast-paced, frenetic show that never really slows down and feels very different to the shows we've reviewed of late. Prime Video has Elle, a prequel to Legally Blonde, which explores the early life of Elle Woods that might not be required at all. Lastly, Dawn and Matt review the first episode of one of their favourite little comedy gems, Trying.

Matt and Dawn are back to review 3 new shows available to watch this week. Site contributor, Ruthie Nugent, joins them to review Apple TV's pulpy thriller Cape Fear, which is the third adaptation of the story. Netflix has a new drama based on a horrific British crime. The Witness looks at the murder of Rachel Nickel, who was murdered in 1992. The only person to see it happen was her two-year-old son, Alex. This three-part drama, based on Alex's memoir, looks at how father and son coped with the tragic loss, and the failings of the police investigation to bring Rachel's murderer to justice. Lastly, Disney+ has a brand new British comedy starring pod favourite Nicola Walker and Flight of the Conchords' star Jermaine Clement. On paper, Alice and Steve should be an instant favourite; instead, it's the show's tricky premise which has the trio a bit perplexed. Alice and Steve have been friends for 30 years, and when Alice suggests Steve try his luck with younger men, she doesn't expect him to sleep with her own twenty-something daughter. It's a really strange premise that makes our trio slightly uncomfortable. Lastly, for our quiz, Matt challenges Dawn and Ruthie to name as many Have I Got News For You hosts as they can.

25 years ago, Channel 4 went all in with the second series of their social experiment reality series Big Brother. Following on from the Nasty Nick scandal and Vanessa Feltz having a slight breakdown during the first celebrity edition of the show, the channel devoted a lot of time to the second instalment. Their new digital channel, E4, is used to air a live stream of the house, and a new late-night spin-off, Big Brother's Little Brother, launches. Revisiting the series 25 years later with all the hindsight that comes with that much time is an interesting experience. In a lot of ways, it's quaint, whilst in others it's filled with misogyny, sprinkled with homophobia and other qualities that feel uncomfortable. To its credit, the series stays true to the show's social experiment ethos. This is early reality TV where the contestants were themselves, and they were left to have discussions, fights, and have fun.

Luke returns to join Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available on various platforms this week.  Firstly, Russell T Davies is back with an original drama about modern society called Tip Toe. The series features career-best performances from Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as two men on a dangerous collision course. It's a show with a lot to say about the state of the world today and the dangers of living your life as someone viewed as 'other'. It's such a strong series and the sort of drama Channel 4 should be making, but it does some things that the team often dislikes. Next, a favourite from last year, The Four Seasons, returns for a second season on Netflix. The warm friendship comedy drama, starring Tina Fey, Will Forte and Colman Domingo, follows three sets of couples who holiday together four times a year. Everything we loved about the first season still works and it's just lovely to have a show like this which is warm, engaging, funny and low stakes as this in a television landscape which is still obsessed with thrillers. Next, Australian comic Sam Campbell, who rose to fame through panel show performances and an incredible appearence on Last One Laughing on Prime Video, now has his own comedy series, Make That Movie. The series, which follows Campbell's character, a respected film director and his team as they attempt to make the movie of regular people's ideas. If you are aware of Campbell's comedic style, the series is really surreal and silly, but funny and feels very different to the rest of Channel 4's comedy slate. Lastly, Hacks, a show we've loved since it began, comes to an end. We do a deep dive into the final episode and what made the show work so well.  For our Quiz, Luke tests Matt and Dawn to name as many actors as they can from the Russell T Davies shows.