Off The Telly - “I want to live in the woods and keep wearing my sandals”

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things on and off the telly. Spring has sprung and Jo has her smelly sandals back on. They catch up about their weeks to find out how Jo's birthday went and who Nat met on This Morning. They reflect on the conversation Netflix's Adolescence has sparked about social media and how harmful it can be for children if it's not monitored. Nat has binged all of Last One Laughing UK on Amazon Prime and wonders if they were inspired by Sonia's trumpet. Plus they discuss two comedies they can't get enough of - Ted Lasso and The Change.What they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, new releases and comforting classics – TV is timeless and no telly is out of bounds. As well as having a natter about what’s on TV, they share backstage goss from the world of telly, whilst also cracking up about the more humbling moments in their lives. 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 see what’s occurring on and off the telly.Timecodes for shows discussed today are:23:19 - Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) 29:14 - The Change (Channel 4)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: James Robinson Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the galaxy. How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford after all but from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Beetlejuice? I don't know. Why do you think it's the sort of thing you're likely to say? Drink up, the world's about to end. Start listening to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, primary phase, available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks. BBC Sounds music radio podcasts to our podcast. You can subscribe to our pod on BBC Sounds, make sure the push notifications are turned on in your phone settings so you can listen to every episode of Off the Tele. Hello and welcome to Off the Tele. Jo, how was your birthday? Oh my gosh it was lovely. It was so nice. I stayed in bed. Well do you know what I did

on my actual birthday birthday? The kids and James came in and they brought me presents and all things which they'd made. Kit had got a load of stones and pebbles together and he'd used his glue gun, right, and he'd made this round base and then he'd made this like statue man like this all the way out to pebbles and he's glued them all together and it literally looks like something you get

out of a gallery. I can't believe it. I just thought, oh my God, it's just brilliant. Oh, you'll have to put a photo up of that. That's true. I should, I should. Yes, I will. Oh, that's lovely. But yeah, it was really, it's just brilliant. Oh, you'll have to put a photo up of that. That's true, I should, I should. Yes, I will. Oh, that's lovely.

But yeah, it was really, really nice. Good. So yeah, so that was just really lovely. Oh. And then, couple of days after, I just went to a spa for the day. And I didn't even, I was supposed to go swimming and stuff, and I did, I didn't, I just sat there, right,

with a interior decorating, you know, home decorating matting. Fantastic. Just sat on the side by the pool, and I just read for ages. Then I went and had a massage massage and then I just sat and had a meal on my own. How lovely. And it was really nice. Yeah, that's lovely. I was telling my mother about it and she went, on your own? You had a meal on your own?

I love eating on my own. Yes. It was just really nice and quiet. I like going out to eat on my own. I did the same before coming here today. Did you? What did you do? I popped over there to Brindisa. I ordered myself a little tomato on toast. Oh nice.

A couple of little peppers. Yeah. I enjoy eating out on my own. Me too, me too. I like it. I go to the cinema on my own. I like eating on my own. Did you go to the theatre on your own? Oh I have been to the theatre. Have you? Yeah, like it, like it.

I don't know if I've done that actually. Maybe I have in my younger years. I bet you have, I bet you have. In my bohemian stage. I like going to the theatre on my own. I like doing loads of stuff on my own. I think it's because I'm an only child. But also when you do have children there's so much noise all the time that it is just nice to just go and sit somewhere and just look around and just be. Well I do feel we can continue this conversation when we talk about our TV show The Change Later.

We can. We will talk about being on our own and doing those things because it's brilliant. It is. So we'll talk about that in a minute. So last week, oh my gosh, two excellent shows. We were talking about important and serious topics. They were pretty, pretty heavy. So this week we have decided to lighten it up a bit and watch two comedies. Yes we have. We've watched The Change on Channel 4 and Ted Lasso on Apple TV and they've been recommended, oh my god, by so many of you, absolutely,

loads of times, haven't they? Loads and loads and loads. Have you had any more present ideas for James for the Big Five O? Oh, now I did, right, so there was the escape room, oh, then I thought I stuff it, I'm just going to take me and him away for a couple of days because we've never really been away for a good few days, just the pair of and there was something else oh yes right James stop listening now you know those like big green egg barbecues yeah i think i'm going to get him one of those just because i heard people talking about them and somebody i know put something like half a side of cow in there or something closed it up and then left it cooking for about 24 hours and it was really good. Because at the moment we have got like a fire pit thing and he loves lighting that right so we've got

like a barbecue outside but he's got a fire pit which I bought him and he insists on cooking everything over the fire pit like he is some caveman. And I kind of don't want to cook over the fire pit because I'm getting a bit worried about rust and because he's got all this metal stuff around. It's all very male and I don't know, it's all very male and I'm quite happy to continue having that as a fire. But I think I'd like to have quite a nice clean green egg for the barbecue. So considering that, but I'm not waiting until October. He'll have that now. So I'm thinking I might drop feed little gifts. Oh, that'll be good.

Yeah. That'll be nice. Oh my God. And you know, because he's turning 50, right? Last night, he suddenly announced out of the blue that he's ordered over the internet, these, you know, this beeswax and then you melt it. Then you put like lollipop sticks into it and you have this melted beeswax and then you put it, it's like basically waxing you know your skin, you shove it all the way up, he's chosen to put it all the way up his nose. I wonder what you were gonna say then. He's got it right. I was gonna say he's getting very

adventurous in his midlife. All the way up his nose right, until it goes hard and he and so he's there right with these lollipop sticks just sticking out and then he chose to do in the middle of his eye. Yes. So he's got like a lollipop stick sticking off his head and I looked at him and I was like what's happened to you? Is this some sort of midlife crisis? In the 23 years we've been married you've never once done anything to look after yourself apart from put deodorant on and a bit of aftershave and had a shower. Well you say that yeah I think you know you have to get you get to sort of this sort of age, our age, into your 50s, and you do start thinking,

well, I'm quite lucky to be here now. Yeah, yeah. So I've got to start looking after myself a little bit. Where on earth did you see this? And he said on Instagram, and I said, and then you chose to just order this stuff off the internet. Oh, he's losing the plot, Jo. He is.

It's hilarious, he was walking around, and at one point, Eva said, I'm filming you, Daddy, and he went, no, I don't want to be be filmed I want to try and keep some dignity as he's got a lollipop off his head and he's got three sticking out of his nose because he messed one up so he'd shove another one up and then we all tuck it in turns to go one, two, three and just go poof you should have heard the noise and then he got quite addicted to it and then he and then the kids were all arguing because they were like Eva's done two I want to have another one I want to have a go and then James went calm down I might do my bum in

a minute. Did you have a nice Mother's Day? Oh it was lovely! Yeah good. Did you have a nice one, what did you do? I did, we just relaxed, I'll tell you what we did do, Joanie woke me up quite early as she always does and I said no, come on, just stay where you are. And I popped on a David Attenborough, last day of the dinosaurs. Have you seen it? No. We watched that. Was it good? Highly recommend.

Fascinating. Yeah. Just all about the last day, what happened, you know, all the paleontologists looking at everything. Really good. Really enjoyed it actually. And then we, I just prepared a roast, went to the farm shop, got some food. Mark said, I'll cook. I said, honestly, I enjoy cooking. I'll just be a bit bored if I don't do the roast. So just let me potter about. We walked over to the pub, we had a couple of drinks over there, and it was really nice. Oh that's nice when you just have a relaxing one. I was the same with James, he went, right I'll do a breakfast. I went, no I'll do it quicker, I'll just do it.

And then we put a paddling pool up, and even though it was freezing cold, it was quite warm though where we were, but we put the paddling pool up and that was freezing, and the kids though still just ran in and out and dived into it. Really? Kit was messing around so we either threw him in and he went in head first and stuff. That's early, early for a paddling pool. It is pretty early man. Oh, I haven't seen that.

Yeah. Fuck's sake. They're out! They're out! The sandals are out! And I have um um filed my heel and the tops of my toes just because I knew that you would be seeing them. They're out! I think it's too early for them. It's never too early. They've never been in to be perfectly honest. I know but you usually wear them with a sock. Yes I have worn them with a sock so the socks have come off. I mean I'm saying they're out. I've been wearing these practically every single day because these are my slippers at home. Yeah. I wear them everywhere, absolutely everywhere. But they are coming out and they're in the studio again for the first time. Well,

it's nice to see you again. A little personality of their own. I've not named them yet actually. No. I'll never think about that. Yeah. Oh. So yeah, look at us. We're both in our short sleeve places. Well it is lovely. It's nice, isn't it? It's a fair weather day. Have you finished adolescence yet because I've finished it all? Have you finished all of it? Yeah. I watched the first three episodes. Okay. And then I haven't, I've held off watching the fourth because oh my god it's so good. It's so good. But it's just so upset. Oh my god the third episode. Amazing. Is that not the most interesting, two-handed you've ever seen in your life? Yes, and all of the different changes in him. I just want to pick him up and cuddle him.

Well funny enough, I have a story for you. I did this morning, this week, because my documentary What's the Big Deal? Britain's Best Buys is out Friday evening. Oh, what time? 8pm. Oh my gosh. Friday night, Channel 4. Lovely! Oh my gosh. Friday night, Channel 4. Lovely. Oh my goodness. Let us

know what you think of it. I'd love to hear your voice notes to see if you enjoy it or not. I can't wait to see what different things you're going to be testing. I think you're going to enjoy the show actually. I'm looking forward to you seeing it. Oh I can't wait. And I met Owen. What's he like? He was there and he was there with his mum and I think his dad was around and he had lots of people there, you know, looking after him. And I just, I just, well I just kind of had to remember that he's a human being. And I did want to give him a big cuddle and I just said, I just want to say you've been absolutely spectacular. And then I just

spoke to his mum and said, you must be so proud. How are you feeling? Because obviously it must have blown up so much. It's just, you know, such a shock, but you know, getting on with it, just very, very normal. You just think, please don't change. Yes. Please remain like that. Grounded. It's so funny, isn't it? He was a lovely, lovely, lovely young boy. Oh my gosh. I bet you did just want to go and give him a cuddle and just.

He was brilliant. Really lovely to me. Oh gosh. And my Eliza was absolutely furious. Was she? Was she? Yeah. She loves him. Does she? Yeah. She'd kill me for saying that. He's just so adorable that I think he's so, I find it heartbreaking because watching the third episode you see him and he's just a little boy. Absolutely. And then he just changes and then he gets angry and then he stops himself from being a oh god I find it heartbreaking and I just wanted to pick him up and I just wanted

to just give him a cut. You can tell he's got such a natural talent because the way he was chatting on this morning because you know, watching the interview and he's like, oh yeah, I think it was about 44 pages and they started with the third episode. They filmed that first. Oh my God. Well, oh my God. Wow. And he just sort of takes the truck in and taking it in his stride. But yeah, it was lovely to meet him, really lovely. But you should watch the fourth, please do. Oh god, it's just, it's honestly, it's

incredible, the second episode when they're in the school. I mean, it's just, oh it's just, the whole thing's just, it's upsetting and it's worrying and it's like, but it's just amazing. Well this week they have announced Netflix they are putting that out to all secondary schools around the UK on a certain channel so it's free for them so that you don't need Netflix and they're putting it out too. I mean it's made such an impact but yeah we've done it we've been there when we've done it but I just wanted to see if you'd finished it. But I've got to say episode three episode episode three, the two-hander, utterly incredible, incredible.

Amazing. Do you think you could learn all those lines for the hour and not fuck it up? Yes, and you could as well. Yeah. Yeah, we would be able to. Would we? Yeah, of course we would, definitely. Yeah, we would. Definitely.

I sometimes do, I do put myself down, I think. Of course you do. Of course you'd be able to learn the flipping lines. Yeah, I would. You're an actress and you're an amazing actress. Of course you do. Of course you'd be able to learn the flipping lines. Yeah I would. You're an actress and you're an amazing actress and if you were going out and you were doing a play which was like three hours long you'd remember all of those as well. But what was amazing about that was just like the little glimpses because there was one time when Owen sort of like stumbled over a wood and it was like well that is what happens in real life and he kept going and it just makes it completely real.

You know the yawn? Oh, yes, incredible. That was ugly. He didn't, he wasn't meant to yawn. Yawn. Yeah. And he said that. And she says that.

Yeah. And you see that, you know, you see the little glimps in his eye. And he has a little laugh and he's smiling. And then he goes, it's just amazing to watch, isn't it? That is why I love improvisation, though. I think more things should be improvised. I think you should have a little through line. Yeah. And I think improvisational dramas should make a bit more of a comeback. Yeah. Yeah. I think they'd be good. You don't know what's

going to come out of it. You don't know what's going to happen. No. Yeah. Get a bit of magic. Well we've also had absolutely loads of voice notes about adolescence. I mean we're still talking about it this week. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it was just so brilliant. But let's hear our next voice note is from somebody who wants to talk about adolescence. Oh, okay, brilliant. Hi, I wanted to talk about adolescence and fully in agreeing that it's just an amazing

TV show and all the acting was incredible, all the camera work was absolutely amazing. But I think the important thing to talk about here is the fact that, yes, we do need to talk to our teenagers, but we also need to ask the question about what are we doing with our teenagers with social media? And in fact, my two younger children did not have social media until they're 16. And when I spoke to the younger one, who's just about 17, he had no idea about the emojis or anything with the nastiness about social media. We do have frank and open conversations about the likes of Andrew Tate

in the house, but the fact is social media is so much of the unknown as was explained in adolescence about the meaning of emojis meaning something completely different to what we thought they did, that we do need to think about what are we doing, how are we going to protect our children. My children started off with what we call a brick phone and then they moved on to a smartphone when they were older, but on the premise that they didn't have social media and that their telephone would go off at a certain time at night, which used to increase by age, and they'd put their telephone downstairs. They all had iPhones, normally my old ones, and so we put them on a family plan,

which meant that we could see what they were doing and if they were on social media, even at 16, if they were on social media for too long, it meant I could have that conversation to say why are you spending 20 hours a day on social media? So I think there are mechanisms already out there to help protect our children. And I'm not saying that we need to be spying on our children at all,

but I think protecting our children, having an open conversation, being able to say to them, the reason why I don't want you to have social media is this reason, and having them understand that. Mmm. It's very sensible. Well, amazing what you've done. Mmm.

Yes. I couldn't do it. Really? Do you not think so? Well I've not. I'm the Liza. So when did you give Liza a phone? A phone came, she got a phone when she was year eight. So I did hold it out for quite a long time.

Yeah. So yeah, that's around about 13ish isn't it? 12, she's one of the oldest. And then social media, a year and a half, about a year after that with TikTok and then another year for Instagram. Oh God, I can't bear it. I feel so, because I'm still not up there yet with them. No, I know, but I still feel, because I've even dragged it out for those few years, I do, I think the longer you drag it out anyway anyway the better. It's just however far you can go and

everyone's different, everyone's child's different, people's opinions are different but what she said about, I've said it all the time, it's another job. It's another job. So you don't just give your child a phone, you need to check it, you need to know what they're doing on it. Eliza's Instagram account is on my phone so I can check what she's doing at all times. Again, guilty of it, I don't really use TikTok. I'm on TikTok but I don't know how to use it. Do I check that as much as I should?

Probably not, but you've also got to trust your children as well and I do have very frank, open conversations at all times with her. So that's all you can do really. Everyone's different and you can only do your best. You can. But I don't think you should feel like you're failing. And I think again, there's a lot of pressure now. It's like a competition now, who's checking the phones more, what you do. Also after 16, you know, there's an element of do they need more privacy? Are you spying on them?

Yeah. Do you know what I mean? It's really, I think it's such a huge subject and there isn't a right or wrong but I think if you give your child a phone with social media on it, you need to keep tabs on it a little bit. That's what I say and just keep having those conversations. You've just got to keep talking, haven't you? Just keep being open and just keep talking. All the time. And Eliza just says, Mum, you drive me mad. I'm fine. I'm not looking at anything bad. I'm looking at makeup. I'm looking at this. And I do believe her. Yeah, I was chatting to someone the other day and she was saying that she has these

frank conversations with her daughters and that, you know, after watching Adolescent, she's like, do you know what these emojis mean? Are you involved in those? And her daughters were like, no, Mum, I just like looking at stuff with cats. Eliza was like, honestly, mum, really, I don't know what they are. And it's interesting, though, because it has sparked massive conversations online and on TikTok and all of that. They're playing all the clips and none of her friends knew what the emojis were and all the boys and, you know, they're chatting about it, though though it sparked conversation and none of them know which I'm quite pleased about yeah but again yeah the show's done wonders

it's done brilliantly well for loads of reasons. It sparked a conversation, people are talking about it. Definitely. Witness the destruction of Earth, stumble upon the ancient planet of Magrathea and dine at the restaurant at the end of the universe. Enjoy this dynamic remastering of the original BBC Radio 4 full cast serial, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford after all, but from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Beetlejuice? I don't know. Why do you think it's the sort of thing you're likely to say? Drink up the world's about to end. Start listening to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy primary phase available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks. The last one laughing you know that you were talking about the other day. I went to the

screening did you see it? Well yeah I haven't seen a whole one all the way through. I've just seen clips of it. I want to watch it. It looks absolutely brilliant. We finished it. Finished the whole thing. It looks so good that you know I always end up watching stuff when I'm settling bow in bed. James said to me, I want to watch that. That looks really, really good. I really liked Bob Mortimer. Oh, he is brilliant. He's so good. I really liked Bob Mortimer. Oh he is brilliant. He's so good. He's such

a genius. Simple idea. Why are the best ideas simple? Yeah. It's just them in a room for a day, six hours or whatever it is and they can't laugh. Oh my god. It is absolutely hilarious. They're not even allowed to smile are they? And then you've got Bob Mortimer just chatting away. Spoiler alert though. Yeah. I am going to say one thing. Yeah. There is a cameo from one of your favorites. Oh. And he comes in. Yeah. And it is hilarious. Possibly one of the funniest parts. Oh I've seen it. I've seen it. It's Danny Dyer and he comes in and he's being Harry Potter and stuff. It's brilliant. Oh my god I've seen a clip of that and it's with Rob Beckett and Rob Beckett's trying not to laugh and then he says I had to actually think I was going to physically fax it. That's it. Really, really good. No, genius telly and can I be on the next series please?

Yeah. I'd love to do that. Oh god, it looks good. It looks really funny. As it happens, as we're talking about it, so many people have messaged in about the last one laughing on Amazon, telling us how much you absolutely love it. Right, let's listen to one of them because we've had loads of messages. Listen to this. Hi, Yonat and Jo. It's Vicky from Welling here. My first voice note to you guys. I just had to give a shout out to something me and my husband have binged watched this week. It's called Last One Laughing and it's just, the concept is so simple but it's probably the funniest thing I've watched in ages. In fact we rewatched

it again. It's great. Binged it, binged it. I'm with you. Brilliant. There's something I do have to mention though. Yes? When they restart the game. Yeah. I think they're playing in Sonia's trumpet noise. Are they? They're playing a really, really bad trumpet noise. Yeah? And I don't know where they've taken that from, but I think it's Sonia's trumpet playing. Really? Yeah.

Right, I'm going to have to listen, I'm going to look out for it. So do they have to restart? They restart because Jimmy will come in, he'll freeze the game, he'll come in, they look at a screen, he's like, you've got a yellow card, let's see how it happens. People watch their laugh back and then he's like, right, okay, restart the game. And it goes really badly, really bad. And I'm like, have they chosen that? Because I feel quite protective over bad trumpet playing.

Yeah. So why have they chosen that noise? And did anyone think of me throughout? I'd like to know the answer. Maybe. Oh, I can't wait to listen to it now. Yeah. I'm going to watch it. So when I watch it, I just have a constant reminder of Sonia. Yeah.

Oh my God. Can't get away from it right before we do any more telly chat shall we have some voice notes yes hi ladies I absolutely love the podcast I'm always a few weeks behind so I never get to voice note in about anything because you've moved on but this time I've listened the week of and you absolutely made me howl that when you were talking about your mum saying the toy boy instead of tall boy and this isn't something necessarily my mum says wrong but it's a phrase that I've never heard

before apparently it's very well known according to her and she had a meeting with the builder the other day who's coming to do some work on a house and she asked me to be there just to make sure everything was okay. And when the builder had finished, he said he was going to be there next morning about 7am and my mum said, that's fine, I'll still be in bed, so why don't you just come and knock me up? And I was like, mum, what are you talking about? And apparently it's a very well known way of saying, you know, when you arrive, just knock on the door to let me know you're here and I'll come and make you a cup of tea. But honestly, she asked the builder to come and knock her up.

Very good one. Have you heard that? Yes, yes. Knock me up. Yeah. Yeah. It is unfortunate though in a sentence to say, oh, I'm in bed. I'm going to be in bed, yeah. So come and knock me up.

Let's have another one. though in a sentence to say I'm in bed. I'm going to be in bed, yeah. So come and knock me up. Let's have another one. Hi lassies, Lindsay from Glasgow here. So I am coming on really just to thank yous for getting me through a bit of a mental be this weekend. I hit a bit of a bad June on Saturday and felt just down to be honest. I've been listening to your show for a couple of weeks now, I'm so happy I discovered that and I decided to binge listen which I have never binge listened to anything before in my life but it really helped and on top of that I took on one of your recommendations and I've also binged that. Alma is not normal. Oh my God. I have told everyone, the granny and the granny's Doug about this show. I love it. It's so good. And I only started on Saturday and I'm nearly finished. So yeah, it's amazing. So thank you

for that. Oh, that's brilliant. It is. That's a great show. It's a great show. Elmer's Not Normal. God, it's good. And she's brilliant. She's brilliant. So brilliant, isn't she? She's so good. I mean, like, such a good writer. That's so good. And just such a good actress.

Yeah, it's brilliant. It's a brilliant show. Brilliant. What are we going to do first? Shall we do Ted Lasso? Yes, let's do Ted Lasso. I love Ted. He's so sweet, isn't he lovely? Isn't Ted flipping lovely?

I want Ted to be my friend. He's so nice. I could marry him if I was already married. Oh really, could you? Well, see look, I'm still on the first series so I don't know how it ends up but right now I could marry Ted Lasso, he's ever so sweet, he brings those biscuits, he's caring, he's kind, he's really nice. And I feel I'm not too far into the first series yet but I love the concept of it but I am feeling quite bad that he's so positive and so joyful and she doesn't really, she's

only got him. He's winning her over though. He is winning her over but she brought him in. Yeah, just to cock it all up. Cock it all up. So you think she's going to be mean to him. I mean because he's winning her over. Shall we, for the viewer that hasn't seen it, just run through the beginning. Yes. So Hannah Waddingham's character, who by the way, how beautiful is she? Oh, she's amazing. She's brilliant, isn't she? She's so sharp. She's so on it. She's just really, really, you're right, just really professional. But also I like the fact that obviously she's been through an awful marriage. She hates her husband and has employed this

guy to come over to ruin her husband's premiership football team. Yeah, because she said that's all he's ever, ever cared about. All he's cared about. He's cheated on her, he's been an utter shit. And she seems so strong, she's like a ball breaker, she's really tough, she's so well put together, she's really sharp. But under it, under it.

You see her breaking, she's hurting underneath. Yeah, really. She wants her revenge. Very much so. So what I love is you've got the football team. Yeah. So no doubt throughout this series we're going to get to know all the players. This is what I'm thinking.

Yeah. You've obviously got Rebecca's character and her story and a hilarious assistant my lads. Ted's now over with his assistant coach and I just feel like it's a really colourful fun show. And then there's the girlfriend isn't there of the football player and she seems very sweet. Very very sweet. Yeah very nice and very sweet. And then obviously Ted's got a lot going on at home because his wife is saying maybe we should just have a break. She's saying she wants some space and he's on the phone telling her he loves her and then he's just so lovely, he's so nice, is he just going to go mad or something in a couple of series down? No, I think he's a good person. And I've been told that Ted Leso is a feel good show for years and years.

So I think we're gonna find that he's just joyful. But if he does remain like that all the time, he's gonna annoy me a bit. Do you think so? Yeah. Well, I dunno, cause I can't actually imagine. Well, he's probably gonna get upset about stuff or whatever. I think he's like a good, good person.

I don't think he's gonna have any nastiness to him. And I love that. He might break and be angry sometimes or whatever, but I think he's just going to be nice. He's so sweet. He just sees the good in everyone at the moment. Yes. But he's got some really great, I mean, obviously, surely he does amazingly well. Yes. And it's just a feel good, brilliant show. Yeah. They stopped after series three and weren't going to make any more. Yeah. There's been uproar in the fact that it's not going to be made again, so they're making season four. Wow. So, what do you do for four

seasons? I think this is something that I'll put on and just have it in the background. You know, like Friends. Yes. I feel like that's what it is for me. Because when I put it on I was like oh I don't like the football team. I don't like you know the fellas who were shouting in the pub and stuff and I thought I don't like the football team. They're all a bit they're not very nice to him and they're all a bit but then it's but then Ted comes in and he's this shining light and he's so nice and and he's really well written oh my god when he first arrives and Hannah Waddingham's talking and walking him through the place and just oh my god the little quips he comes out with and the one liners and the whatever and it's just so and with his American accent he just hits it every time. He's just really really good. But every time I just think oh god I

don't like the football players they're being so mean and then Ted comes in and I'm like oh god and he makes me smile and I just want to keep watching and what's his name um oh Nick Mohamed Nick Mohamed Nick Mohamed who plays the guy yeah exactly the guy and what's Nathan's job he's sort of he's sort of like an all-rounder a bit of a docks body at the football club nobody's ever taken his name or anything yeah and he can't believe it can he yes he's brilliant in it Nick Mohamed god he good. Really good. I just love when he first came on and he was like get off the pitch, get off the pitch, get off the pitch and then he found out that it was Ted Lasso and he's like I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'll give you some grass and then he just then had to go but we actually do need to get off the grass now so just can you get off. He's just, there are some really adorable people. I can't wait to see what happens as it goes on. You can see there's so much to do, so far to go. What's going to happen with Rebecca and her ex-husband and all of it. She's still discovering who's been carrying

on with. Well, are we going to see him, the ex-husband? Surely he'll come back at some point. And is she going to do blinking Ted over? She can't. I think she's... What if they fall in love with each other? They might do. They might fall in love with each other. No, that would be good. Yeah. Soften her a little bit and maybe make him a tad more interesting. Yeah. Toughen him up a bit. A little bit. Oh, he's so lovely. He's lovely. No, he is. He's lovely. No, it's

really, really good. I can see why people have been saying, watch it, watch it. I'm going to carry on watching it because it's got my interest now. No, it's brilliant. And thank you so much for all your recommendations because it's something I wouldn't have watched. So thank you. Me too. Thank you. It's brilliant. Before we get into our next show, let's see what one of our listeners had to say about it.

Hello, lovelies. I'm just out walking the dog and in sunny Stanford Bridge in Yorkshire. And I've just listened to this week's pod, fabulous episode as always. And I wanted to share something with you that I've just started watching and I think is hilarious. So I hope you will too. It's called The Change, it's on channel four. It's written by and starring Bridget Christie,

who I think is a bit actually underrated and underexposed. She's a brilliant comedian, and it's got some really lovely characters in it, played by some really fantastic comedy actors. And it's one of those sort of, it's got real pathos, but it's also very, very funny. So yeah, check it out if you fancy a giggle. Oh, the change. Written and created by Bridget Christie. This was a show, right, that I didn't

know about. And so I hadn't heard about it. And I put it on and I was like, this is quite wonderful. For starters, Bridget Christie, she's just amazing in it. It's all about a woman who is going through the menopause and she, since probably the 1990s, has logged in notebooks. Everything she's done. Yeah, 12 minutes put the washing away, five minutes loaded up the dishwasher, one and a half minutes had sex with her husband. She's logged it all and she's then had her 50th birthday party which she has had to organize

a range, buy all the food for, do the cake, clear up afterwards. Her husband has come out he's given a speech just saying you're looking good you know for your age and you know well done you know you're doing well or whatever and she's turned around and she's gone you know what I'm going I'm going and she's gone off on her motorbike to find her tree from when she was in her youth yeah where she hid a little box and she goes down to the forest and it's all a bit folky and the music's a bit folky and she's a bit folky it's like they're sort of doing me dancing. And I love, well, I'm obsessed with Lisa Tarbuck. So to see her crop up in something, I go, oh, brilliant, it's Lisa. And I think she only does things that she really, really likes to do.

So I'm like, oh, this is going to be great. And I love the fact that this lady has disappeared from her family. Obviously, she's got grown up children who are all moody. They're sat there with her and she's thinking, what is the point? They don't even want to be around. What about when it first starts in the first episode and they're like, oh my God, you swallow so lightly.

Yeah, I'll just stop. Yes. And she's thinking, well, what am I doing here? Apart from cleaning, cooking, and doing all the thankless jobs. What am I doing? So it's set in Gloucestershire in the Forest of Deane. So she sets off on her motorbike and heads off down there and then goes and rents a caravan in the middle of the Forest of Deane. Then she goes to this place where they prepare eels. And there are

these, are they two sisters? Eels and mash. Makes me want to throw up a little bit. And she meets these two women, I'm assuming I think that they are sisters? It was a mash. Yeah. Makes me wanna throw up a little bit. Yeah. And she meets these two women. I'm assuming, I think that they are sisters. Yes. It's Susan Lynch and Monica Dolan playing two very strange, you know, quite, well, they're not strange. They're just all quite a bit wild.

They're wild. They go all down there, they're wild. They're a bit abandoned and she's renting their caravan, which their father like lived and I think died in. He died in. And she's had to clean it all out herself and she's said right I'll pay you rent for a month, I'm staying here and then she's gone off looking for the tree and she's found the box. She's found the tree extremely quickly. She found the tree straight away but she's also with me watching now, I've done about three episodes, she's just found Jerome Flynn. Yes. He's walking through the woods with a whole load of pigs and he is, I think she finds him

quite attractive and she goes back to his little cave and he makes her a little coffee which is the best coffee she's ever had. And also with this we've got the coffee shop and you've got the shop where they've got the local radio in it. Yes there's a coffee shop with the local radio station in it. Which is absolutely brilliant. Tanya Moody's in it, which is brilliant. She's amazing. I did Motherland with her. Yes, yes. So she's absolutely. So she's on the radio station. She's on the radio station as is. I mean, it's such a cast. Yeah, Jim Howick. Jim.

He pops it and then he's the other radio. The cast is brilliant. It's brilliant. One after another. Yeah. All these brilliant, fabulous actors and they're each playing really completely different, mad, interesting characters. And I think the whole thing is brilliant because it just makes you think about the world and the world that we think, the 1950s housewife, the bloke, but then we're seeing, you know, you're just seeing a whole side of everybody, you know, which I really, really, really like. I liked it when she was in the pub for the first time and Paul Whitehouse, he comes in

and then he starts going, all right darling, can I buy you a drink? And then she just said, look, I don't want to talk to you. You can sit over there. I'm quite happy. I'm reading my book. I want to drink my pint. A woman can't do that. Yeah. What makes you think that a woman can't just sit here, drink her pint and read her book? And what makes you think that your time is more important than my time and my wanting to sit here in the quiet and just read? Yeah, but they've sparked a little friendship now and it's I just I love it. I love it. I think it's brilliant. And it reminds me because Mackenzie Crook has directed the second series. Yeah. friendship now and I just love it. I love it. I think it's fab. It reminds me because Mackenzie Crook has directed the second series. Obviously we're

not there yet but actually the feel of it reminds me of The Detectorists. So I understand why he's directed the second series. It just really has that feel of slowness, the humour. It's gentle but really interesting and thought-provoking. Yeah and it's also like a bit wild because things happen which you just don't expect and like the opening credits it looks like they're doing you know what's it called? May dancing or it's like they're doing what's it called that dancing? Not May dancing, what's it called? Is it a Morris?

Morris dancing. It looks like they're doing some sort of Morris dancing, folky sort of, sort of quite folky. I know, but I love all the music, I quite like folk stuff, do you? Yeah, I do! And it just creates this sort of, I love it because I'm watching it going, oh my god, that's exactly how I feel. I would like to get on the back of a motorbike, keep my sandals on, which I wear constantly.

I want to put my leather jacket on and I want to bomb off somewhere and I want to go and live in the woods and I want to like you know just discover myself again. But do you though? Yeah I'd love to do that. I'd love to go off for a month and live in the woods and discover myself. Would you? I couldn't think of anything worse. I'd love to like meet the pigs, I'd like to befriend them and I'd like Jerome Flynn to make me coffees but basically I think I just want to go and live with the family and some pigs

in the woods for a bit. We're going back now because you've been wanting to do this for a long time. Yeah, I just want to live in the woods really and keep wearing my sandals. Yeah, that's fine Jo, you can do that. You can do it. I love it though, I think it's brilliant. It's so unexpected. I really, really like it. I don't know, you know, what's going to happen in it.

It's all a bit wild and wacky and they've got the radio station and the cafe. It's brilliant. It's just, it's really good and she's fantastic. I think it's brilliant. So do I. Love it. The change on four. Watch it. It's certainly. Get your husbands to watch it as well. Prompted a change in us. Husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, get them to watch it. Get them all to watch it. It's fab. Love it. Make them sort of perk up a bit and think oh god, what's she watching this for? Yeah, what's she watching? What's going to happen? Better do the washing up.

Has she got any notebooks hidden in the airing cupboard? Now, before we go, we've got time to hear a recommendation from a listener. So, should we have a listen now? Yes. Hi, Jo. Hi, Nat, this is Stacey in Edinburgh. I just had to send you a voice note when I heard that Jo hadn't been able to watch Schitt's Creek. It is one of the best TV shows I have ever watched, ever. It is so funny, it's so well written, the actors and actresses are just amazing and it's really really good.

It did take me a while to get into it, not gonna lie, after the first few episodes I was ready to give up and just couldn't quite catch that Canadian comedy. It just didn't land very well with me but after the first season it just, something clicked and it was just hilarious. So much so that we have just finished re-watching the entire series and I'll probably watch it again. Love the pod. Thank you so much guys. Have a good day. Have you seen it? No, it just reminds me of Upshits Creek without a paddle.

Yeah, I watched. I think I've watched about halfway through the first series because my friend said to me, just get through the first episode and then you'll become addicted to it and you'll love it. And I did. I got to that point because in the first few I was like oh gosh I'm not sort of really you know loving it but then I got into it and it was very funny but then I stopped watching it so I feel like I've got to just pick it up again. I just think there's a lot on to go back that far. But mind you I think you'd enjoy it because I think it's very funny. Really? Yeah it's funny. It is funny and whenever I see clips of it. Is it curb your enthusiasm funny? Yeah it is.

It is. Yeah and you love the cast because they're all from the whole. That's a very very very strong statement. No but the cast are all like the whole from all of like the Christopher Guest films and I think you can probably dip in and out of it. Maybe we should have a look at it. Yes yeah. Okay. So thanks so much for all of like the Christopher Guest films and I think you can probably dip in and out of it. Maybe we should have a look at it. Yes, yeah. Okay. So thanks so much for all of your messages and voice notes. Our next call out is for your most memorable plot twists. We're gonna have to have a good think about those, aren't we? Yeah. Because isn't it funny, right? You'll watch something and go, Oh my God, that's amazing. Oh my god, that's amazing. I don't remember anything. You can't remember them. No. Yeah. Because I'm thinking now, I'm like, oh my

god, I can't think of any flippin plot twists. I'm gonna have to do a little bit of homework for that one, Jo. Yeah. Gonna have to work on that one. Make a few notes. Yes. Yeah. We'll have to come prepared for that one. Definitely, yeah. Definitely. So yeah, we want to know what shows have shocked you the most. There's no need to give us the actual twist because we're doing a spoil things for everybody. We won't spoil things for you, but tell us your favourite plot twists. Yes. Let us know.

If it's a really old show, we'll talk about it. But if it's something that's only been on like yesterday, we will still talk about it, but we won't reveal the plot twist. Or we'll warn you. Oh Oh god it's going to be a hard one to get to. I think it'll be a good one. Send us a voice note about your favourite plot twists as well as your recommendations please. Thoughts on the telly or anything else we've discussed on the pod. The number is 033 06 784 704. That was really good. That was, that was nice, wasn't it? And it's lovely to see you again. I feel quite happy.

We're getting into the summer! We're getting it. Well, let's just have Spring First. We'll do the two Spring Firsts. See, I'm just very impulsive. I leap forward. I know you are. I'm going to be on my blinking motorbike with my leather jacket, bombing down to the woods

by tomorrow. We will, before we can say bloody sandals, you'll be on that bike, wind in your hair. Yeah, let's just concentrate on the spring first. Let's just concentrate, don't get too excited. Right, see you next week. I'll see you next week. Love you lots. Love you. Off the Telly is hosted by Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page. The producer is Georgia Keating, the commissioning editor is Rhianne Roberts

and it's a BBC Studios audio production for BBC Sounds. From BBC Radio 4 this is What Seriously? I'm Dara O'Briain. And I'm Izzy Suttie and in our new series we're bringing you short stories and tall tales. What Seriously? is packed with real- life strange but true stories that make you go What? Seriously? and provide you with excellent social ammo to impress your friends. The twist is we don't know how each story unfolds and we'll have to figure it out one fragment at a time

with our special guests who each have a mysterious connection to the tale. That's right. I am your spy expert. And I don't really want to bring you back to the real facts of the story because you're making me laugh so much, but I feel like I should. We're the only country in the world that ate the animal on our crest, like... And I never know whether to feel terrible or brilliant about that. All these engineers trying desperately to reduce the amount of dust in space and you get Izzy taking up a balloon full of glycerin.

Wow! You're welcome. I've had that one at the house. You come up with all the stuff you have. I know, right? It's like I'm reading from a sheet or something. Join us for… What? Seriously? From BBC Radio 4. Available now on BBC Sounds. Witness the destruction of Earth, stumble upon the ancient planet of Magrathia, and dine at the restaurant at the end of the universe. Enjoy this dynamic remastering of the original BBC Radio 4 full cast cereal, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford after all, but from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Beetlejuice?

I don't know. Why, do you think it's the sort of thing you're likely to say? Drink up, the world's about to end. Start listening to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, primary phase. Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.