516: Half Man, The Cage, Secret Service, Prisoner

# 521: Cape Fear, The Witness, Alice & Steve

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

TV Time Machine #31: Big Brother 2 - How reality TV evolved.

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

# 520: The Four Seasons Season 2, Tip Toe, Hacks, Make That Movie

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

# 519: The Burroughs, Ponies, Widow's Bay, Two Weeks in August

Mo Walker joins Matt and Dawn to review four new shows available to watch this week. First, The Burroughs from Netflix, which functions almost as an elderly version of Stranger Things set inside a retirement community, led by performances from Alfred Molina and Geena Davies.  Next, on Sky, Ponies, a series set in the 70's which focuses on two men who go undercover with the CIA. The BBC's Two Weeks in August which could be seen as an attempt to make a British version of The White Lotus but plays more like a terrible sequel to a Channel 5 drama the team hated years ago. Lastly, Dawn's favourite new show, Apple TV's Widow's Bay, which follows a Mayor played by the always brilliant Matthew Rhys, in a cursed town. For our quiz, Dawn challenges the boys to name as many Game of Thrones cast members as they can.

# 518: Falling, Rivals, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Smoggie Queens S2

Matt and Dawn reunite with Dawn's Maid for TV co-host Sarah to review four shows available to watch this week. Firstly, the brilliantly camp Jilly Cooper-inspired show Rivals is back for its second series. Next, Jack Thorne of Adolescence fame is back on Channel  4 with the warm and sweet-natured series Falling, which follows Keeley Hawes as a nun who finds herslelf questioning her faith when she falls for a priest.  Next, Apple TV may have another hit on their hands in the intriguing comedy-drama series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Lastly, a surprise favourite sitcom returns to BBC Three as the trio chuckle their way through a review of Smoggie Queens. For the Quiz, Matt asks Dawn and Sarah to name Eurovision contestants.