Off The Telly - "Have you got a stuffed owl at home?"

Episode Date: April 3, 2024

What are we watching? Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things telly.This week they chat about how much they love The Vicar of Dibley, why the Antiques Roadshow theme tune reminds them of their childhood, and how Jo would love to play the next Miss Marple.What they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, and what you’re all watching at home. From new shows to comfort telly to guilty pleasures, there’s no judgement here. What’s kept us all glued to our screens this week?Self-confessed TV addicts and stars of two of the biggest shows on our screens, Eastenders and Gavin and Stacey, Natalie and Joanna are the perfect companions to your weekly viewing habits.Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Unit Manager: Lucy Bannister Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Production for BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts Hello! You alright? I'm very well, thank you. Welcome to Off The Telly from BBC Sounds. I'm Natalie Cassidy. And I'm Joanna Page. And this is the podcast where we talk about what we've been watching on telly this week.

There will be some swearing because we will get passionate. Oh, yeah. And there might be some spoilers. So just to put that out to begin with. Absolutely. Well, we have decided to spend lots of time with our families over Easter. Eating loads of chocolate. Hopefully.

But we are recording this a little bit earlier so we can have a little break. So we hope you enjoy it. This is a special about things, comfort watches that are usually on at Easter. And we're just going to have a good old chat about all of our memories of Easter, nostalgia. And hopefully you can let us know yours. Yes, yes, because at Easter time, I just want to sit in my pyjamas with my slippers on, just stuffing my face.

So I think that's why we're going to record this one on a different day and just a little bit earlier so we can just eat loads of chocolate in peace. And hopefully spend a bit of time with the Easter Bunny. Yes, spend lots of time with the Easter Bunny. Well, we know that not everybody celebrates Easter, but this is a time where we do get to relax. We're on our bank holidays and we just get to be with our family and just have some nice time together.

Four-day weekend. Whoa. So what are we watching this week? Well, the shows that we're talking about today are some fab Easter classics. We've got The Vicar of Dibley, The Easter Bunny, The Antiques Roadshow, and one of my absolute favourites, Miss Marple.

Although we're going to talk about that, aren't we, Jo? Well, we are, because I've been brought right back down to earth and it's not as good as I remembered it to be. And is Poirot better? Peter Ustinov as Poirot is better. So, we've got some recommendations coming, so thank you so, so much. Now, Jane from Liverpool has come up with an absolute corker.

Oh. Taskmaster. I've never seen it before in my life. Oh, my goodness me. Is it good? Oh, you know what you are with me about the bridge? Yes. I can't believe there's been a billion series of Taskmaster.

It's on Channel 4. It's a contestant-led show with tasks in it. Each show, it's comedians or or actors and they're on a panel they sit down in front of greg davis i don't know what to tell you it's amazing i can't explain it they have to do silly tasks or comedians yeah usually funny people let me read this message my primary recommendation watch any task master series. I just love it. A simple concept that brilliantly brings together new up and coming comedy folk and a great way to be introduced to new programmes.

I hadn't seen Ghosts or Derry Girls, but seeing contestants on Taskmaster took me to them. Wow. Yeah. Jane, I'm with you all the way. I absolutely love it and I am desperate to be on it oh oh my god i don't think i'll ever get on it why not you're very funny uh you've made me laugh the last few episodes well that's very kind of you but yeah no it is something it's on my dream list mine would be to be the next marple oh you'd be brilliant whenever i've been asked in interviews

right well what you want to do oh do you want to interviews, like, well, what do you want to do? Oh, do you want to do like a cop thing now? And I've always gone, well, I don't know, to be honest. I'm quite impulsive. I'll do whatever I feel like doing there and then. I don't have this dream role that I desperately want to play. And then I realised I actually do. All these years, I've just wanted to be Miss Marple.

I think you could be the new Miss Marple, younger version. Well, I'm mid-40s and I think as soon as I hit 50s, I'm prepared to give it a go then. I can't wait for you to be Marple. We're going to talk about Marple. We are. Oh, right, another recommendation. Nick from London recommends The Gentleman on Netflix.

It's a new Guy Ritchie thing, isn't it? And he says, keep up the good work, ladies. I'm officially an off-the-tele fanboy. Oh, my God, now we've got a fanie thing, isn't it? And he says, keep up the good work, ladies. I'm officially an off-the-tele fanboy. Oh, my God, now we've got a fanboy. That's brilliant. Nick is our fanboy. Nick is our fanboy. Oh, thank you, and hello, Nick.

Brilliant. Now, I've seen The Gentleman. We are talking about doing that, aren't we? We are indeed. Ray Winston. Someone I know said that they've started it. It's funny, dark comedy. Oh, yeah.

So it's on our list. Yes, definitely. Don't you worry, Nick. We won't let you down. Oh, I they've started it. It's funny, dark comedy. Oh, yeah. So it's on our list. Yes, definitely. Don't you worry, Nick. We won't let you down. Oh, I can't believe it, Nick. You're our fan, but we've got a fanboy. Fanboy. Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Right, shall we get on with the first one? Right, let's get on with this episode. Right, we are going in with The Vicar of Dibley, which we watched on Now. It used to be Now TV, but now it's just Now. And we're doing the Easter special, which is The Easter Bunny. Now, I'd just like to say I haven't watched a lot of The Vicar of Dibley. Right, hang on, wait there.

Wait right there. Yes. Why haven't you watched it? I mean, it's a bit like me and Blackadder. But for me, The Vicar of Dibley, when the music starts, my mum loved it. My mum used to absolutely love it. So it takes me right back to watching it with my mum, who I lost when I was 19. So it takes me right back to being little and watching The Vicar of Dibley with my mum and dad. And that music, it brings me again such joy.

And I bloody love it. What did you think of it? How many do you think you've seen? I have never seen an episode all the way through. I've just seen clips of when Dawn French jumped into the water. I've seen that and I've seen the bits with Closed it up, yeah. Yeah, I've seen that. And I've seen the bits with Richard Armitage, isn't it? And she really fancies him and all of that.

Yeah. I've just seen those clips. I've never sat down and watched a whole episode from start to finish. Oh, my God. It's brilliant. It's brilliant, isn't it? It's so well written.

And she is flipping fab. And then just all of the rest of the cast. It's just this world that I want to just, I want to go and live in the village and I want to be part of the community. I want to have my role in the community to help everybody. I want to be her friend and I want to live in one of those houses.

That little cottage that she's in. I love it. It is absolutely brilliant. Can I just say though, when it started, right, I was watching it and obviously I have got four children. As I'm saying this, I'm panicking that the children might be listening to me. And

James, if they are, just stop playing this now. Yeah, so when it started and obviously Alice, who's just a wonderful character. Do you know what? When Emma Chambers died... I know. I was so heartbroken.

It really affected me, which sounds ridiculous. But she's so lovely. But I think the character of Alice is just one of the best sitcom characters. She is, isn't she? She's just fantastic. She's just brilliant. Brilliant. And, oh, my God.

So, when she's talking about the Easter Bunny... Yeah. And then... What is the name of her character Alice no no the um the vicar what's she called Geraldine Geraldine yeah when Geraldine is talking to Alice and talking about the Easter Bunny and Alice gets really upset and I was watching this and the kids were about six kids in the house I ran and I slammed the mute button on nearly had a heart attack,

and then thought, right, OK, OK, OK. Put it on really quietly. Yeah. And then carried on watching. And then I just slammed it on again. And then I thought to myself, for goodness sake, why don't you just put your phones in?

What's the matter with you? So I watched the rest of it then with your phones in, which was really good. So what we're talking about is in the episode... I see I can't even bring myself to say it. Alice sits down and Geraldine says, oh, you know,

the Easter bunny isn't real, so-and-so. And Alice looks devastated. As a grown Geraldine says, oh, you know, the Easter bunny isn't real, so and so. And Alice looks devastated as a grown woman and says, what do you mean? But everyone in it is brilliant. Oh my, the bit, right, just the writing is just incredible. Oh, well, it's Richard Curtis. Yeah, it's just incredible. You know when Alice is sitting there

and then is it Hugo who fancies her comes in and then he's got to put, it's just so well set up, isn't it? It's brilliant. And once you start watching, and if you carry on watching bits and pieces, again, it's a series. You can dip in and out,

like I can with any sitcom, Blackadder, whatever. But in the end, I know you won't mind me telling you because it's an old thing, but you won't mind. They get married! They're together. Oh, my God!

It's absolutely brilliant. Does Geraldine marry them? Yeah. Oh, my God. Well, you know, it's so brilliant and they're both you know does Geraldine marry them yeah oh my god well you know it's like so well set up when Hugo comes in he's just been talking

about stuff and Alice goes out and then she comes in and just the lines that she says you know about the chocolate finger and about how she

likes to have the tea I was like oh my god it's just so good it is so good there's so many double entendres through it

yeah and don't get me wrong you watch it now and it is early 90s, whatever. So some of it's a bit dated or what have you. But I just think it's classic, classic comedy. It is. It's like classic comedy. Dawn French is so good. And obviously this one's quite sad as well because you lose a character.

Yes. You know, this one I would say is the most touching one because of that you know what i mean because they deal with a deaf and it's easter and all of that but it's still hilarious i've forgotten how good dawn french was at serious stuff as well because she's obviously so fantastic comedy wise and she's so funny and her facial expressions and it's all the subtle different bits and stuff but then when she goes in to sort of give you know not the last rights but to go and you know go in and and the way that her face when she's just like oh no you're just you are kidding me aren't you and

they're like no no she's she's very ill now and then and and her face and just the way she just goes right come on then and just very very real isn't she she's so real Just very, very real, isn't she? She's so real, I think, what she does. And that comedy and humour is there. But like you say, you believe the character. You believe Geraldine. You completely believe her. And then when she comes, it's all set up. And then obviously, check the name of the character. Letitia Crockley.

Letitia. Well, that's Liz Smith. It is, isn't it? Because I didn't know that Liz Smith was in it. And then when I saw that she was, and then when she dies in it, I was like, oh my gosh, I didn't know that Liz Smith was in it and then when I saw that she was and then when she dies in it I was like oh my gosh I can't believe it and when they're all talking about Letitia oh it's brilliant isn't it it's just so classic because when Letitia says come here I need to just ask you to do something for me at that point I didn't have a clue what she was

asking I thought it was she was just wanted to say something did you you not? I didn't know. I didn't have any clue. And then as it was going on towards the end, I clocked it then. I was like, oh my God, how good. And then when Dawn French comes down the stairs and she's dressed as a bunny, I mean, it's just... And then when she goes out to deliver the eggs and everybody's got the bunny outfit on

because Liz has told... Everyone. Not Liz, sorry. Letitia has told everyone to do the bunny and you think, brilliant, you've got your... At the end of the day, you've made every single person happy because they're all bouncing around as a bunny rabbit. Yeah.

But Roger Lloyd-Pack is one of my favourite characters in that. The swearing, all of the swearing, when it's muted on the swearing. But it's just the timing of it all. But it's so good. And when they're sat in that village hall and they're different characters, you know

and the different oddballs that you have around the table, but you believe all of them. You do. They're all just so fully formed characters. They're just all so good and so brilliant and it just made me feel happy and just comforted. It's just warm and

comforting. And I just want to sit in. It's just warm and comforting. And I just want to sit in Geraldine's living room and I want to live somewhere where I've got a really, really lovely vicar and I can go and talk to her. And she'll look after me and give me chocolate and stuff. And I just, you know, I want to live in a village like that. If you were going to be a character in that, who would you like to be? Oh, I'd do alice i'd want to do alice as well yeah or maybe yeah or geraldine you're brilliant i tell you what right

you'd be a blinking good geraldine would i yeah you would yeah that's very very nice of you to say you'd be a good geraldine oh it's so so good it's just so well written you've got to watch at christmas the christmas special really you've not seen the christmas special where she eats five so good. It's just so well written isn't it? You've got to watch at Christmas the Christmas special. Really? You've not seen the Christmas special where she eats five... She has like three or... I have seen it! I have! I've seen the whole of that episode. When she eats four or five

Christmas dinners. Yes, I have seen that one. It's so good. And I actually have seen that episode more than once. There you go. Yeah. But all the other ones are just brilliant. And, you know, we are talking today about soft, comforting shows because we just felt Easter's a time to... It's a family time and it's a really...

Spring is on the way. We wanted to have it as a gentle, optimistic, just a bit of fun this week. Yes. And we hope you don't mind we're not talking about mass murderers. We just want some comfort and to catch up in front of the fire with your socks on, have your Easter egg, and let's watch some nice stuff as a family.

We don't have to wait until you've finally got the baby to go to sleep and then you can come down and watch some murder thing. Or in your case, not come down, just stay up till four o'clock in the morning. So all in all, Vicar of Dibley is one of my favourite sitcoms. Jo, you love it as well. I love it now. It's one of my favourites. Let us know if you love it, if you hate it,

or maybe your favourite bits of it, your favourite episode, and who you used to watch it with when you were little, when it was first on. We'd love to hear from you. Well, on to our next one. Oh, the music is just wonderful. Oh, God, doesn't it remind you of being young? It reminds me of a Sunday night and thinking,

oh, no, I've got to go to school. Oh, God, the Antiques Roadshow. And let's just cut to the chase, right? Yep. We only tune in to see the people's faces when they put something forward and they're like, gee, I'm going to get a couple of grand for this. This is going to be really good. And then they're told,

it's wonderful, it's amazing, it's truly fantastic. I would say, if I'm pricing it, that it's probably going to be £150. I know. And then they're like that, Jesus Christ almighty. And they've banged on.

Yeah. About they'd never get rid of it. Yeah. And that it's just very special because it's their great-grandfather's blah, blah, blah. And they look absolutely gutted. And they're like, it's absolutely beautiful. Take it home. Keep it with pride. It's worth

10p. It's so good that we finally found out. It just means so much to me. The sentimental value just means so much to me. The sentimental value just means so much to me. I watched one recently. Go on. And it was this fella.

It was in Crystal Palace, massive big park place. And I just love watching the people. It's the people watching, isn't it? It's the people watching. The curing. I sit there with James and I look at people and I go, oh God, look, there's your mother. We watched one the other day and there was a woman and she was in sort of like new age type stuff with a little bit

of tie-dye she had white hair with a backpack and I was like there's your mother and then I saw another woman and she had like um an anorak and she was very neat and all put together with a handbag and everything was color coordinated I was like there's my mother and then I'll see like a couple standing there together and I'm like, that's going to be that's us and we'll be quite happy to be like that. But it was this boy and he'd been working as an actor in Cardiff. Okay. And he'd gone to like a local antique shop

and he'd gone in and he was like, and I went in and I couldn't believe it. There were old antique play posters. Oh, lovely. And they were describing, you know, this Mitzi's reunion dinner i can picture them such and such and it seemed like a bit 1940s or 1930s plays yeah yeah and uh and he couldn't believe it and he was just like oh my gosh this is incredible and um the

paper was so fine she was like did that were they already you know um mounted and bordered what's it called when you put it in a frame framed framed and um he said no they were so thin that i framed them myself and she's like they're just exquisite that they're all just you know so real and it's you're in wonderful condition they're just fantastic and so amazing and he'd only paid five pounds for them go on uh but there were a couple which he discovered it was so thin the, that a couple had been stuck together. And so we'd pull them apart and so we had some extra ones. Go on.

And he was just like, this is incredible. You're killing me, Jo. Please, how much were they? Fuck me, you're the next Hugh Scully. And she said, looking at them now, I can tell you, and he's there, you know, and she went, that they will come to £30. And he just went, he went, yes, that's wonderful.

I feel like the whole of my life has come round into a circle and all the bits connected. Yes, I'm going to take them home and put them pride of place because they just mean so much to me in my life. And you know, the inside he's thinking, for fuck's sake. Did he though? Or do you think he was being genuine? He wasn't being genuine.

He was really disappointed. Mind you, he was an actor, wasn't he? Exactly. I remember watching one. I think it was about a piece of furniture. Yes. I'm going back again. I was sat on the sofa, I think, with mum and dad.

But I remember watching, for real, you know, not on a clip, where you're going along and you're bumbling along, and it gets to the end. And this is a 17th century piece of French da-da-da-da-da. And I remember it being, you know, 80 grand or something. Oh, my God. But I'm feeling really excited, remembering my mum and dad getting really excited about it.

And I do think it is amazing as human beings how we do love a discovery like that. We do love to see people do well. Yes. Which is why Rodney and Delboy worked so well when they found the pocket watch. Yes, it is, isn't it? Yeah. I love watching the people all gathered around in the crowd. When the person is there, you know know talking about their piece of jewelry let's have a chat about the the different specialists oh

because they're a bunch of characters aren't they they are a bunch of characters yes they've each got their own particular thing haven't they and isn't it i know that i know that's their job don't get me wrong i know that's why they're there, because they're specialists in pottery or jewellery or whatever. But they do, they impress me, you know. Yes. They just come out and they know exactly what age it is, exactly where it's been made, who they think it is. Do you think they get a heads up beforehand?

Well, I've always wondered that, right, because I think, do you just turn up in the summertime to this field and then, you know, you turn up with your massive painting? I think, do you just turn up in the summertime to this field and then, you know, you turn up with your massive painting? I think you do. Or you've got like this huge big suitcase full of all of like this pilot stuff and just like rock up and go, right, I've got this. You can't possibly, they must.

I mean, there's so many people. Do you think they do like a quick look around first of all and go, oh, that looks good or that looks good? They've got to do a bit of research on it, haven't they? Well, if not, aren't they good specialists they good specialists yes i mean that might be a really stupid thing to say but it always impresses me i mean yeah because i mean how do they know what it's going to be there and then if you're just brought like this massive big owl that's stuffed yeah and it's come from somewhere have you got a stuffed owl at home that you want to pop to a

little antiques roadshow i've only got a toy one but I do tell you what I do have. I was just about to ask you, have you got anything that you would take there? Well, there is a painting in my family of a woman and I think it's something like my great, great, great, great, great

grandmother and I think that it was in the National Portrait Gallery and it is a big painting of her and she's in her Welsh costume and yeah she's in her Welsh costume and I can't remember what she's I think she's just sitting there in Welsh costume and it's and I think it was in the National my mother's either laughing as she's listening this to this or I've actually got it right right but it's a very special painting of her and it's now back in the family. But I think that that actually is a proper beautiful like treasure that you would take

to the Antiques Roadshow. That is brilliant. Yeah. I've got nothing. Have you got anything? I've got nothing. Nothing at all? Anything at all?

Any posters? Records? A book? No, I've got, I have got got i haven't really got you haven't got anything my mum and no my dad chucked a load of stuff away all the time really yeah he wasn't one for keeping stuff i've got a bit of crystal got a few ornaments yeah but aside from that nothing i don't think there's anything in the loft that's going to make me a millionaire let's put it that way mind you you don't know You might come across that certain something.

But I just, I love that. And I like seeing the people in the background. Me too. Because they try and join in a bit, you know. And then something will happen and they'll go. Yeah, they do. Yeah, and it's an extra sort of. But I'm going to enjoy doing things like that when I'm older.

I'm not. Are you not? No, thank you. Really? I'm going to love it. I'm going to put an anorak on. The kids will have gone off to university. And I'm going to be like, right, James older. I'm not. Are you not? No, thank you. Really? I'm going to love it. I'm going to put an anorak on. The kids will have gone off to university and I'm going to be like,

right, James, get on the internet. Where's the Antiques Roadshow this weekend? And you'd go down there. Yes! No, I think I'll be looking up where question time is. Oh my God, you're so well. I'll be popping down to question time to be in that audience.

Or the audience of University Challenge, something like that. I will be Or the audience of University Challenge, something like that. I will be in the audience of University Challenge. And I possibly would like to do an open university degree or something. Really? What would you do the degree in? Art history. Oh! And look at art galleries.

Well, that sounds really good. While you're travelling the world studying art, I'm going to be in one of my mother's 100 cardigans, wearing an anorak and following people around the country doing the Antiques Roadshow. That's perfect. So where can we watch this? We can watch it on BBC One, BBC iPlayer,

at any time, there's loads and loads. And please let us know what you think of the Antiques Roadshow. So, on to our last one. Agatha Christie's Marple. Now, this is my childhood. I started with Joan Hickson and It's very similar to the Antiques Roadshow. It is, because when I committed to that and I started singing it,

I suddenly thought, oh, Jesus Christ, is it the wrong one? Am I doing the Antiques Roadshow? But I was watching it, right, and, like, you know, it starts all like that and it just reminds me of being little. And then when you see, because it's all, like, all drawn, you know, the credits, and then when it goes... You've got, like, the face of a woman with a stern face sort of looking like that, Like she could be a murderer.

And I thought, oh my God, it reminds me of my nan. And just sort of just being small. And I just loved it. And I loved Joan Hickson. And then when I got older then, you've got Julia McKenzie. Well, then you had Geraldine McEwan who started off the new Marple then. And then you had Julia McKenzie. And then I started watching this now

and I've always, and it just reminds me of my childhood. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I bought myself a tweed coat this Christmas because it reminded me of Margaret Rutherford, the original Marple. Yes, yes. And I've now realised

why I always have to have a glass of sherry and be doing a jigsaw at the same time as watching one of the Marples. Go on. And it's because, to be honest, it's bloody boring. I had three episodes on the go. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't know what the bloody hell was happening in any of them. And I got bored.

I had to go with three different ones because I was like, oh, my God, this isn't doing it for me. What can I tell you? That's my childhood. What does that mean? It's like, oh my God, this isn't doing it for me. That's my childhood. What does that mean? It's like, boom, gone in a flash. You're saying that, but the childhood thing is when you're watching stuff as a child, you're kind of probably like you say, doing a puzzle or

doing something with a bit of pen and paper or playing a little game or fiddling with something. I stuck on a Marple, Joan Hickson one, from my TVX. I looked at the thing and i thought one hour 34 two hour 28 forget that one one hour 38 now i'll go for one hour 34 so i watched the mirror that cracked or whatever it's called yes that's a good one that's good yeah i fell 15 minutes i was snoring i had i started with Joan Hickson, right,

because I've got memories of watching, you know the one about the birds in a pie, the blackbirds, by the pricking of my ears, I want to say. Oh, I remember what it was called. It was called A Pocket Full of Rye. Joan Hickson was Miss Marple and I remember the actress Annette Badland. Oh, Annette!

I work with Annette. She played Aunt Aunt Babe in EastEnders. What a lovely, lovely woman. She's wonderful, isn't she? Brilliant character. Well, Annette, years and years and years ago, she played the part of the maid and I have got this vision in my head and listeners,

right, if any of you saw Joan Hickson's Marple, and you remember seeing this one, please let me know next week, right? Because this is just locked in my brain. And she's hanging out the washing, and then somebody goes out to discover her body. And she's sort of strung up on the clothesline, and she's got a wooden peg on her nose. And they've killed her. I don't know if she was killed just by the wooden peg, but she's been killed.

And that is imprinted in my mind. And then when I left drama school, I went, my first ever job was with Annette Badland. And I never ever told Annette that I had this printed image of her in my brain. But yeah, so I started out watching that one and then I realised that I couldn't actually get through it again. I just couldn't get through it.

It's not the same when I'm older. So then I went into one with Geraldine McEwan and Catherine Tate was in it. So straight away, I just love watching all of the actors. There are loads and loads of, well, you know. Benedict Cumberbatch. Yeah, yeah.

Carey Mulligan. Yes. I saw that one the other day. I was mad. Celia Imrie. I'm not remembering these, by the way. They're written down. Elaine Page was in the one that I watched. Keely Hawes. Keely Hawes was in the one that I watched as well.

So there you go. But I just love watching them. But it does make me laugh because you can see that everybody is quite excited because they're in a Marvel. Well, I was going to say to you, obviously, I didn't watch all of it. We don't need to go into, you know, each episode. We know what Marple's about. But I did, with my one, think, Jesus Christ,

if you ham it up any more, you're going to oink. I just love it, right? That something might be said or, but was he in the drawing room last night? And then you just see somebody's face go... Yeah. And you just know that it's... I love all of the marked looks and everything.

Very, very hammy. But very fun. I do have to admit that I have done the hammy acting myself because I was in The Blue Geranium. I'm going to watch that now. I will force you to watch that. No, I will. I'm going to find it and I'm going to watch it.

I played the part of Hester who worked in the kitchen. And yes, there's... The thing I love about it is that I love the costumes. Were you in it a lot? Not loads, but yeah, I was in it quite a lot. I've never done anything on television as a costume drama. Oh, well, I loved it because I had all the quiffed and curly hair. I loved the costumes. It's just that whole world that I love.

And I remember filming it and I had to discover a dead body. Now, I was beside myself. Oh, that is fantastic. What a brilliant... That's a claim to fame, that is. Yeah, it was really exciting. I remember walking in and there was like a cupboard, which was half a jar,

and there was like a foot sort of... I could see something. But the thing is, you don't know how much to commit to it because it's the only time I've ever had to scream on camera. And you kind of think, well, if I was doing it in real life, I'd go absolutely mental if I just discovered a body. But then I'm on camera, so I don't know how much I should go for it. But I remember going and I had to open the door

and the body just falls out. And I just remember... But I think I half did it quite tamely, just like... Oh, brilliant. Yeah. It was brilliant. Oh, John. I cannot...

Guys, listeners. And also, was brilliant. Oh, sure. I cannot. Guys, listeners. And also, also, during the filming of that, I actually half wet myself. Not the scream, but there was a bit where another body was discovered. And I remember we were filming. Sharon Small, the actress, was in the bed. Yeah.

And I remember there was Toby Stephens, Patrick Ballardy. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. And I remember the camera was on us, and Patrick Ballardy. Yeah. Oh my gosh. And I remember the camera was on us and Patrick Ballardy played the doctor who had sort of discovered Sharon Small's dead body. And he was so naughty and making us laugh so much that I went into utter hysterics.

I remember the director shouted at us, which set me off even more. Always does. And I just remember, I was going to say I half wet myself, but no, I wet myself. Truly. Because I just remember, I was going to say I half wet myself, but no, I wet myself. Fully. Because I was laughing so much with utter, utter glee

of being in my dream of being in a Marple. There is nothing better, nothing better than when you laugh to the point where you can't stop. Oh, I love it. When you're on set, it is so naughty. It is, isn't it? And I feel so bad for the crew. Yeah.

But your tears are rolling down. But isn't it wonderful when you get to the point where you genuinely can't stop and everybody's got pissed off. And so you know you've got to stop and you want to stop because it's awful now. But in the Blue Geranium, I didn't have any idea what the hell was going on. I didn't know what was going on at all. Didn't know. No. But I still want to be Miss Marple.

When I grow older, I want to be Miss Marple. But what I've realised is, what I love is not actually the Miss Marple. I like reading the books, but I don't particularly like watching the Miss Marple episodes. No, fair. I like watching them if I've got a jigsaw and a glass of sherry on the go.

But what I do love is Peter Ustinov as Poirot and only Peter Ustinov. Well, what have I said to you? That you like Poirot? I said to you at the beginning of this job when we were awesome bits and pieces, Poirot, brilliant. But you like the David

Suchet ones. I don't mind, yeah, absolutely. I do like David Suchet. But that again was ITV, 8pm on a Wednesday night, I'll never forget it, black screen. Oh my god, yes! But it was on at 8 o'clock on a Wednesday. I used to think this is a result.

I'm on the sofa until 10pm. I'd have my pyjamas on. Yes. I never went to bed anyway. But I used to think this is brilliant because I know there's a two-hour drama on. Oh, yes. And I probably used to fall asleep.

I never watch Poirot on the TV. I think that I just, I would love to be in this world where I just get to wear costumes and be in Death on the Nile and play, you know, be Mia Farrow in Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov being Poirot and just basically live this world where I don't get murdered and just do that. Well, it is your lucky day.

You are an actress and you can dress up in costumes when you wish and you will be Marple. Do you know, I'm going to do, what's that thing from that book, The Secret? And I'm going to... Put it out in the universe. Not visualise it. It begins with M.

I'm going to... Manifest. Manifest, that's it. Put it out there. Yes. I've already got the tweed coat. Manifest. Manifest.

But you know what? I don't think we should worry about the old Yeah I don't want to be ageist Yeah But I think you could be Marple now I think I could be Marple now I think we should move Marple Just put a bun in my hair right and put my reading glasses on

No, I'm saying I'll bring my own coat, we don't even need costume Let's have a young hit Marple Yeah Marple, a modern Marple. Modern Marple is what I'm saying. What have you got to wait for? Modern Miss Marple.

If any producers are out there, right, modern Miss Marple, I'll bring my own glasses and I'll bring my own tweed coat. You can be anybody that you want to be in it. No, I just want to be the cook. I'll be downstairs. You all right there?

I'll look after you in it. You can, oh my God, you can be, yes, my person who looks after me and cooks and everything. I'll be your. You're all right there. I'll look after you. You can. Oh, my God. You can be. Yes. My like person who looks after me. I'll be your Annette. Yes. And then you can be like the sidekick. Oh, my God.

This is a whole show we're doing. You can be the sidekick person. Yeah. So I'll be Miss Marpa and I'll wear my tweed coat. You're the cook. Right. But who's also. We go along and we solve the crimes together.

Oh. Oh, flippin' heck. That's a really good idea. Honest to God. Right. If anyone's listening to this. This is a really good idea. Honest to God, right? If anyone's listening to this, this is a show. We'd be willing to do it. Would you watch it?

Would you watch it, right? And if you would, god damn, producers out there listening, commission it. A feel-good murder with some reading glasses, a tweed jacket, a cook, a naga and a dog in the Cotswolds with a really nice garden. And there we are. That's your Sunday night viewing. There you go, 8pm.m yes get a load of that well i have to say that maybe i'm not a huge fan of miss marple but

it is very feel good very nostalgic i'd like to read one of the books yes actually i would keep watching all this telly it's all very well not that i don't like watching telly for the pod but i think an agatha christie. I've never read a novel. Oh, read And Then There Were None. And I've seen that in the theatre as well. It's so good. Right, I'll do that. Oh my gosh.

And one year the BBC did for their Christmas, you know, Christmas like Agatha Christie thing they did and then there were none. And I've still got chills when I think about Charles Dance. Oh God, it was good. I've re-watched that one a few times. Oh, I love a little look at that. It's really good.

Let us know your favourite, Miss Marple. The actors, the actresses that you like the most or is it just not your cup of tea? I think we are done. I think we are. I hope that everybody is having a really lovely Easter. Yes, I hope you're having a lovely, relaxing time. Eating lots and lots of chocolate.

Yeah. And I hope you watch all the lovely, nostalgic, comfy telly that you should be watching at this time of year. Yeah, all the Easter specials, doing a few jigsaws and most importantly of all, listening to us.

Right, that's enough from us this week. Do you agree with us or do you think our telly watching is bonkers? For our Easter special, we've been watching The Vicar of Dibley, The Easter Bunny. We've been watching The Antiques Roadshow and also Agatha Christie's Marple. The Vicar of Dibley's on now, Antiques Roadshow on BBC iPlayer and Marple is ITVX.

Send us your messages or voice notes on WhatsApp and the number is 033 06784 704. Next week we'll be back to our usual weekly routine talking about what telly we've been watching and we will see you next Wednesday on BBC Sounds. Bye! Bye! Off the Telly is hosted by Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page. The producer is Georgia Keating.

The commissioning editor is Rhian Roberts and it's a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds. Hello, I'm Sean Keaveney, and I'm back with a brand new series of Your Place or Mine from BBC Radio 4. It's the show where a litany of wonderful guests try to tempt this recalcitrant traveller onto the runway to experience their favourite place on earth. Custard-filled pastries.

Everywhere, as standard. I stayed in a place where that was their... They didn't put mints on the pillows. They put custard tarts. their favourite place on earth. Custard-filled pastries. Everywhere, as standard. I stayed in a place where that was their... They didn't put mints on the pillows. They put custard tarts. They'll try to tempt me with all the wonders and delicacies from their favourite place in the world. But will they succeed? There's an amazing lighthouse

and there's a brilliant tour there by the guy who his family were the lighthouse keepers. The lighthouse family, if you will. Listen to all new episodes of Your Place or Mine on BBC Sounds.