Does Mark think BACKROOMS is a-maze-ing?

Does Mark think BACKROOMS is a-maze-ing?

From Kermode & Mayo’s Take by Sony Music Entertainment

May 28, 2026 · 1h 23m · Season 1 · Episode 230

About this episode

Mark and Simon discuss new film releases and interview guest James Graham about his work.

The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member-only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor’s Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show—a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. Our guest this week is James Graham, one of Britain’s most prolific and successful writers, including of the brand new BBC series Dear England. Adapted from a play which Graham also wrote, it charts the journey of Gareth Southgate’s England men’s team from the disappointment of the ‘golden generation’ to the success we all cheered on in recent years—except for Mark, of course. No chance of him following the football. James talks to Simon about the highs and lows, moving from stage tp screen, and why Gareth Southgate has a redemption narrative straight outta Shakespeare. Mark reviews it too, plus three more of the week’s big releases—a packed show again. We’ve got Power Ballad, a…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark, Simon

Guest: James Graham

Topics covered

  • film reviews
  • interviews
  • theater adaptations
  • football
  • horror films
  • comedy

Keywords

  • Backrooms
  • Dear England
  • Power Ballad
  • Tuner
  • James Graham
  • Gareth Southgate
  • film reviews

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dear England, Power Ballad, Backrooms, Tuner

More episodes of Kermode & Mayo’s Take

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Kermode & Mayo’s Take podcast page.