The Custard TV Podcast

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.

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 could rape them. It's a deeply frustrating but important watch. Also, more loosely based on a true story, Netflix has Legends, a series about ordinary people who work for the security services during the 1980s. Next, Apple TV has a new Israeli drama, Unconditional, about a mother and daughter whose relationship is strained when one does something the other can't believe they'd do. It's a hard show to connect to. Finally, This is Not a Murder Mystery, a bonkers but vibrant murder mystery which features some scenery chewing performances, but is fun to watch. Lastly, Dawn sets a quiz that proves difficult.

*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 two men who were brought together when their two mothers fall in love. In a lot of ways, it shares some DNA with the show that catapulted Gadd to stardom, but is that a good thing? Next, we loved the BBC drama The Responder, which starred Martin Freeman as a stressed out police responser struggling to keep his head above water. Writer Tony Shumacker is very good at writing ordinary people in increasingly stressful situations. His new show, The Cage, stars Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha as two employees of a casino who abuse their position to get ahead in their difficult lives. It's another show that feels a lot like the show that proceeded it. Somehow, though, despite strong lead performances, something doesn't click. Next, ITV have a new political thriller in Secret Service. It's a tropey show that feels very much like a show Gary should and would like, but is that the case? Finally, there's Prisoner, a propulsive new thriller on Sky Atlantic. The series puts Big Boys Izuka Hoyle in the spotlight as a prisoner officer who gets caught in the action when trying to transport a prisoner from one place to another. *The episode suffers from some audio issues*.

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 Offerman as her parents, and really likeable characters, this show is really surprising. Next is Big Mistakes, a new comedy thriller from Dan Levy of Schitt's Creek fame. It's a show with interesting characters and great comedic performance from the always dependable Laurie Metcalfe, but it gets bogged down in a silly crime plot. Next, back from the early noughties, Frankie Muniz and the whole cast (minus one recast) returns for a four-part series, Malcolm in the Middle: Life's still unfair. It's strange for this show in particular to return, but its hard to pin down why it exists. Finally, Channel 4 returns to 'The Piano-verse' for a new singing show, Your Song. Hosted by Alison Hammond (because, of course), the show sees ordinary members of the public who take to the stage (this time in Liverpool) and perform a song that means something to them. Judged by Paloma Faith and Sam Ryder. The show is another example of Channel 4 trying desperately to find a hit. This one lacks the sincere nature of The Piano but forms an interesting discussion between Matt and Dawn.

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 year for, but is it worth the wait? Next, the creator of Mum and Him & Her has a brand new BBC One series about a couple desperate for childern. Babies, features the same naturalistic dialogue we've come to expect from this writer, with two wonderful performances in the lead roles. It's the other side of the story that confuses us. Next, Netflix has a new horror show, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, which, despite its title warning you of worse to come, feels overstuffed, desperate to be scary and strangely empty. Lastly, Prime Video has a new British comedy, Bait, written by and starring Riz Ahmed as an actor whose life is upended when he is spotted leaving an audition for James Bond. It's a clever idea, but is it disciplined enough to keep us watching? For the The Strikes Quiz, Luke challenges Matt and Dawn to list as many of the shows they reviewed in 2025 as they can. It's harder than you think.

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 the BBC join forces for a Celebrity edition of the reality show which only ran for 8 days and was structured strangely. Half-hour episodes and quick nominations and evictions. The main thing the show is remembered for is Vanessa Feltz, who had a bit of a breakdown when she was nominated for eviction. But, actually, the more surprising takeaway from the show is how being in the house affected comedian and eventual winner Jack Dee. Next, having finished The Fast Show, Paul Whitehouse brings us BBC comedy Happiness. The dark comedy, is an odd pitch: A man who voices a popular children's character is lost when his wife is run over by an ice cream truck. It's dark and absurd topic, but there's pathos in there and some really familiar faces giving their first performances. Lastly, Channel 4, launches raunchy and risque comedy drama Teachers with a star turn from Andrew Lincoln. It's a show where the teachers are just as badly behaved and desperately to be liked as the teenagers they are teaching. It's vibrant, fast-paced and immediately aware of it is. Finally, Matt challenges Luke to name as many chart hits from March 2001 as he can.

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 Lasso and Shrinking, Bill Lawrence returns to the show that made him in the reboot of hospital comedy Scrubs, with the majority of the main cast from the original series returning. Next, a very different comedic thriller from HBO. Jason Bateman and David Harbour star as two unfulfilled men who join an dating app before their lives fall apart in DTF: St Louis. Lastly, the foursome watch Channel 4's latest attempt to find a format that takes hold with Handcuffed, a reality series that sees pairs of opposites handcuffed together. It's a confused show, and the team drill down into why it doesn't work. For the quiz, Dawn challenges Sci-fi nerd Gary and not-so sci-fi nerd Matt to name as many of the best sci-fi series in a Rolling Stone poll.

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. Lastly, ITV's gritty crime drama The Vice. What were you watching 2001??

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 the death of a young child, unfortunately, the accents and a tough lead character make it a more distracting experience than it should be. Next, Ryan Murphy is at it again with his new Disney+ Hulu series, The Beauty. It's a strange show that sees two FBI agents investigating a cluster of people literally exploding after undergoing a new procedure to achieve attractiveness. Lastly, Netflix has a new docuseries on Britain's first real boyband, Take That, but is the way the series decides to tell their story satisfying? Lastly, Matt challenges his co-hosts to name as many nominees in the best supporting Comedy role at the Emmys. How many could you name?

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 crime drama in Blackshore. Lastly, how many of the BFI's top 100 shows of the 20th Century could you name in our quiz? #TV #TVPodcast #SevenDials #Netflix #BBCCOMEDY

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 iPlayer. Lastly, and spoiler alert, brilliantly, the team gush about the intimate, funny and life-affirming, new prison set drama Waiting For The Out, which stars The Responder's Josh Finan, as Dan, a man, tortured by his past, starts work at a prison, teaching prisoners philosophy. Lastly, Matt challenges Dawn and Ruthie to name as many winners of the Best Supporting Actresses as they can.

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 Funeral Parlour. There is also a quiz on the charts of the time.