Off The Telly - Stacey’s final scenes in Barry

Episode Date: September 25, 2024

Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things on and off the telly. This week they find out how Jo's last filming day on Stacey's street in Barry went, plus they chat about Friday Night Dinner which is one of Nat's fave shows all of time. They also see what all the fuss is about with The Perfect Couple on Netflix starring Nicole Kidman, and chat about finally getting round to watching The Split.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 this week are:20:50 - Friday Night Dinner 28:40 - The Perfect Couple 32:55 - The SplitGet 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 Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Hello and welcome to Off The Telly from BBC Sounds. I'm Natalie Cassidy. And I'm Joanna Page. And this is the podcast where we have a catch-up about the telly we've been watching this week. There might be a little bit of swearing and we might ruin some shows for you, but, you know, that's the aim of the game, quite frankly. That's our aim, on these little meetings where we meet up

to cock it all up for everyone. Oh, it isn't really. Sorry, that sounds really horrible, doesn't it? Well, it's another virtual recording this week because we're both so busy filming, aren't we, Jo? I know, but I think I'm... You know how you were feeling a bit feisty last week? I think I'm feeling virtual recording this week because we're both so busy filming, aren't we, Jo? I know, but I think I'm, you know, like how you were feeling a bit feisty last week. I think I'm feeling like that this week. I've woken up and I'm feeling a bit like, oof, oof, like that today.

Oh, you look like an angry seagull. I do a bit, mind, don't I? Yeah. Or an angry pigeon. Yeah, I was looking at a pigeon yesterday, actually, because I was travelling back from Cardiff, back home. And I was looking at a pigeon and I look at pigeons in a whole other different way than I did before now. And I saw it. And first thing I did was look at its feet to have a quick examine of its feet to see what they looked like. And it had really, really nice feet. And then I thought, oh, I could just pick that up if I wanted to.

I didn't. I let it get on with its life. But I just did think, oh, I love little pigeons now. They're lovely. Have you ever seen a baby pigeon? Yes. Oh, you have? Yeah, I've examined a baby pigeon. Because you don't really see them, do you? They look like scrotums. Have that in your mind when you look at one and you'll know exactly what I mean.

Oh, lovely. I remember that. I will expect a text message from you, right? I will. When you actually do do this because you will know exactly what I mean. I will 100% have a look and maybe I will put two pictures together to see. Yes, and let me guess.

Yeah, to guess which one's which. Yes. Do you feel now, though, really that confident with animals? Because it's really interesting, isn't it? Now you've done that show. It is quite amazing that it's a telly show, but you've really enjoyed it and also gained a skill. Well, yeah, because I was voicing it.

I was doing the voiceover for the episodes yesterday. And you know now that I'm out of it and I'm just looking in, I was just thinking, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I did all of that. And I remember because when you're in it, you know, it's a bit scary and frightening at first when you're learning all these new skills. But you just get on with it and you throw yourself into it. Now, on the outside, I'm just like, oh, my God, I can't believe I did all of that. And I'm with these birds of prey and there are these talons and I've picked one up. And I just thought, my God, now I'm basically running around having cups of tea and having a laugh and, you know, just basically having fun. And I thought I'm into a completely different opposite world now.

Well, you say you've been having fun, but I saw something on Instagram this week. You filmed The Last Time in Stacey's Road. Oh my gosh, the last ever time on Trinity Street. I was crying again. And the last ever, ever time in Stacey's house that she, you know, grew up in. In Stacey's house, Gwen's house, the last ever, ever time. Throughout the day, we were walking around and they said we could take like a little memento type thing and so I was thinking okay what am I going to steal and then they said you don't need to steal you just just tell us what it is

that you want so I chose a little thing well and then I ended up choosing two things and um I think I might take this little picture. And then there was a little ornament, like a little ornament vase type thing, which I said I'd just like to take that as well. Just two little things to remind me. But, you know, like, oh, my gosh, when we went in there to film on the last day, all I could think about were all the different scenes that we'd been doing there. Well, of course. It was amazing. It brings back so many memories.

It was like, you know, when you go off to drama school or university and you come home for Christmas back to your house and you're like... No, not really. Well, you already were working. You already had become like an icon and a child star and then a fully-fledged actress. You were in the square by then with your trumpets.

And you come back and you look around and it's like, oh, I'm home again. And, you know, and it's painful because it's got so many memories and it's so raw. I was thinking about when Stacey was going, you know, fuck together, next together,

fuck together, you know, trying to teach Nessa how to, you know, go down the aisle. And then when Stacey came in trying on different black business jackets to see, you know, before her work meeting. And oh, my God. And, you know, it's the first time I sat down at the table to eat an omelette.

And I brought back so many memories. So then when we finished filming at about seven-ish, it must have been, we all came out and all of us together walked all the way up to the crowd at the end who'd been so wonderful and have been there supporting us all day I mean the people who live on Trinity Street have just been absolutely wonderful and so supportive and just part of the show and just you know when you've been acting you see them peeking out of their window or you might see them you know coming back from school and they're so lovely and all the crowd at the end and as I was was walking up, oh my God, tears were just streaming, just falling over the outside of my eyes, just falling down. I had just no control over it. And I just remember looking at them and the sun was setting.

And then we said goodbye. And then I remember turning around to walk back to the car and looking back and just thinking, wow, I'll never experience this again. All of this love from everyone and all of this support and this amazing experience and the love I feel for all of the cast, I'll never, ever have this again all of this love from everyone and all of this support and this amazing experience and the love I feel for all of the cast I'll never ever have this again and I just got in the car and was just crying I think I'm spending most of my flipping time crying it is so iconic though and what a wonderful thing to be a part of you know it's just brilliant absolutely amazing it's just oh

my gosh we are all like a big family and it just does feel it's just oh my gosh you just feel it's so just raw and then amongst all of that we've just got flashes of utter hysteria where I'm just laughing at everybody because they're all just so funny and just so lovely and oh so how have you been you've been busy you've been up and down and everywhere. What's been happening? It's been a super busy week, but really enjoying myself, looking at lots of different products for this programme. Yeah. Oh, and for those who don't know about this documentary I keep banging on about, it's going to be out probably at the end of the year or maybe the beginning of 2025. And it's a show called What's the Big Deal deal and i'm going around looking at lots of different

things that we buy which is really good and it's kind of a bit of presenting for me which is really fun and a bit fresh it's hard yeah it's just just full-on isn't it when you're doing a documentary and i feel you know you don't really know what you're doing from one day to the next which is very unlike me because i'm a bit of a control freak as you know well yeah that uncertainty you know you're not sure what's happening and it's all quite last minute, isn't it? Yeah, it's all a bit last minute for me. But having a really, really fun time. Where was the last place that you were at?

Last night we were in Crawley. Oh yeah? Watching a tough mudder. Oh nice. Have you ever done one of those? No, right. But a couple of months ago, I said to James, they were doing a Tough Mudder, like sort of advertising it around school, saying, do you want to do a parent,

you know, all parents together or all kids and parents all sharing it together. And I said to everybody, let's do it. Let's do a Tough Mudder. And James was just like, oh, my God, you can't even run down the street. You do realise what a Tough Mudder is. And I was like, yeah, I've got like a positive mental attitude and I've decided I'm going to do it. So I will. He said, you do the Tough Mudder and then there's a 10K run at the end. And I was like, well, it doesn't matter if you walk it. And I said to some people, stag do's do it. So you can do it running around with a can of lager in your hand, can't you? And he said, you do realise you've got to climb up walls and stuff and i said well i'll go around if i got some men with me they can

drag me up and he said you won't be able to do it and so his negative attitude stopped us from doing the tough mudder although when it did come to the end i did think i'm quite glad i didn't do it it did look pretty pretty electrocute you don't they at the end yeah but they were covered head to toe mud we were filming about shower heads so it's that sort of thing the muddiest place to go let's test the shower heads so that was quite good

but no not in a million years I'd do one of those thank you oh my god so for the show did they ask you if you would

participate in a bit of the Tough Mudder if I had been your producer I would have said right come on we need to convince Nat today that she's got to participate somehow in the Tough Mudder so we, they didn't. If I'd have been your producer, I would have said, right, come on, we need to convince Nat today that she's got to participate somehow in the Tough Mudder so we can put it on her.

They said no. They didn't even ask. Did they know not to go there? I think so. I think you'd be blinking good in a Tough Mudder. I think you'd definitely get round. You'd be good. I think if I train for these things, I think we can all do it.

It's like you said said if you put your mind to something you can do it right yes you can I was not in the mood on a Friday afternoon in Crawley all I was thinking

was it's going to take me two and a half hours to get home oh god yes yeah but there you go it's been a fun week yeah

we've had to record this on a Saturday morning early doors because we're both so busy during the week at the moment. But later on tonight, we're going to see Wynne and Strickley. Are you going? Yes, I sent him, he sent me a message saying, when can you come?

So I said, look, I've got this Saturday, because the next two Saturdays I'm going to be working. So I said, I've got this Saturday, if you want me to come or not? And he said, yes, yes, come. So me and James, and I can't wait, you've got a ticket for James as well. So James, this is the state of our lives, right? James, because we're always in tracksuit and t-shirt, James went into the wardrobe to try and pick out like a suit jacket

to look like he doesn't just wear khaki shorts and a navy t-shirt for the whole of his life. And he got his, well, there was only one jacket that fit him. He put it on and he was like, oh, thank God, I've got something that fits. He looked down and there's all moth holes all the way down the sleeve. A moth has completely and utterly eaten the whole of his jacket. Had a good old feast. Yes, it had to pop out yesterday. And he's bought himself a blue velvet jacket.

Oh, very swish. He's gone from wearing khaki shorts, flip-flops and a navy T-shirt all the way throughout all seasons winter included that is what i look like look at every single day there's never any change no change of the t-shirt because he buys the same one from john lewis that's it that's all he buys he wouldn't even try any other shop it's the same khaki shorts that is it now it's been for years that's what i look at he's gone from that to wearing a blue velvet jacket. I don't know who he's become.

It sounds very Craig Revel Horwood. It's very, very fitting. He won't look out of place at all. He looks good. It's a long afternoon, that. Well, I know. It's like a good few hours. Oh, Jo.

I'm super jealous that you're going to Strictly tonight. What are you wearing? That's what I was going to ask. Well, I think I'm wearing, I don't know, because I never dress up. I've got this one dress, but it's got a bit of a high neck, but then it's a cut out there,

but I don't know if I feel a bit boring. But Eva said wear that because it's a bit sparkly. I've got this really simple pantsuit, which is quite nice. And then there was a little yellow dress, but I don't think that's sort of fun enough. I mean, look at me as if I think everybody's going to be looking at me when there's like so many dancers on the dance floor. But yeah, I think I want to wear something fun, something a bit flirty, because this will be it now. This is going to be my last night out in probably another couple of years.

I won't get to go out on a night out again. So this is it. I've got to make the most of it. Well, I'd definitely maybe go for a dress not a pantsuit Well I was thinking that I was thinking that Yes

Yeah I mean for starters dealing with the toilet situation and zipping having to get the whole thing down I just don't think you want an all in one you don't want to be asking

Shirley Ballas to help you in the toilet and all of that it's embarrassing I know I know having to get the zip all the way up the back

Yeah Oh I hope you have a lovely time Oh I just got to have and all of that. It's embarrassing. I know, I know. I'm just getting the zip all the way up the back. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I hope you have a lovely time. Oh, I just got to have a couple of glasses of wine or something. I'm going to take some food with me in my bag because they've said it's a long, long time. So I'm going to take some food. I'll have a little mini picnic.

I might take a little hip flask as well. Take that into the studio. Got to make the most of it. This is my big night out. Big night out. I'm going to be watching tonight with the children. Oh my God, yes. And I shall spot you and I shall read the room and see what evening you're having. Yes, yes. Yeah, lovely.

I might give you a secret sign. If I'm having a good time and they come and like talk to me or if I see a camera and I think I might be on I'm going to give you a secret signal so you know if it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down all right what you're gonna do a fiddle with my earring if you see me when the camera's going past and I just do a thing like that with my earring you're having a great time okay perfect it's that time in the pod where we get to hear from our lovely listeners we've got Okay, perfect. It's that time in the pod where we get to hear from our lovely listeners. We've got a voice note here from Estelle, who's got a suggestion for us.

I want to suggest that you do a quiz night, because Monday nights for me is quiz night. Love BBC Two. You've got House of Games. You've got Mastermind, followed by Only Connect, followed by University Challenge. I'm clever, but sometimes even I struggle to get one answer right. Tonight I did really well on Mastermind. Some weeks I don't get any.

I like it. I am in. I love quizzes. Great idea, Estelle. Well, also, last week we were both saying how much we absolutely loved Colin from Accounts. I've now finished the first series. I'm on to the second series. I absolutely love it. And let's hear what Claire, one of our listeners, has to say about it. Just wanted to hop on quickly and say thank you so much for a brilliant podcast.

I listen to you guys every week. i work from home on my own mostly so it has replaced that kind of office banter for me where we used to talk about what's on telly and what everyone's watching so thank you so much love to think you were talking about colin from accounts the other day as well um it's one of my favorite favorite shows uh i think the two lead stars are just amazing together um they are married in real life so that helps with their chemistry um for anybody that does love that show they did another show years and years ago called no They're just amazing together. They are married in real life, so that helps with their chemistry. For anybody that does love that show, they did another show years and years ago called No Activity.

Still a comedy, but a very different style of comedy, but might be worth checking out if you love those two together. Oh. It is lovely that they're married in real life, isn't it? It is. It's really good. It is really good. I love the pair of them together.

Oh, my God, when I watch the one where it's her birthday party and he's trying to be all cool and he's trying out different outfits and then it all goes wrong and then they break up and, oh, my God, it's so good. It's so good. It is so, so good. Finally, let's hear this voice note here. This one is from Baz. Hi, guys.

Baz the Trucker. Just like to say, love the pod. I think it's absolutely fantastic. It's a great refreshing listen. I've only recently got into podcasts, usually listen to music, you know, to pass the time whilst driving but um used to are fantastic it's like your old school pals and um you know you just get on so great love the

recommendations recently started listening to sorry watching the alan carr Carr changing ends. I think that's fantastic. Love Alan Carr, but the show's brilliant. Keep her up. The only criticism I would say I've got of the show is there's not enough episodes. You need to keep us truckers entertained. Cheers, guys. Love yous. All the best.

Aw, Baz. That's so nice, Baz the trucker. Going along in his great big lorry. You don't kind of assume, do you? I'm not being, you know, I'm not being, well, I am being stereotypical, but you don't expect a trucker to enjoy me and you. Yeah, I know. So that's really nice, isn't it?

That is. That's really lovely. I'm really pleased he's enjoying Changing Ends. Do you know, right, I got a message on set from Steve, our first, and Dave Lambert, who was really young when we first ever started Gavin and Stacey, and he was working on it. He has now gone on and on and on, and he's done Changing Ends. And he sent a message through to me from Steve saying,

Oh, my God, can you tell Joe and Nat, thank you so much. It meant such a lot that they loved the show. And I was like, oh, my God, I haven't heard from Dave Lambert for ages. Steve the First, not Steve Steve. Yes, because we were talking about you the other day. Steve, yes, you're Steve from EastEnders. You're not Steve. Steve, yes.

He's first in it. He's first. So Steve was always our first. Yeah. And he's always been our first. and he is absolutely and utterly gorgeous. And we've got our second as well, Sophie Hebron. She's come back. You do know that Sophie Hebron and I worked together when I was little and she was my second AD.

Oh my God. And she gave me a jumper, which was a blue swimming jumper with Cassidy on the back, years ago. And Sophie, I messaged the other day because I saw that she'd put something up about you and I said, love you to bits. And you've also got Ian on cameras.

Yes. Do you know Ian as well? Mark's mate is Ian. I know everybody you're working with. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's amazing. What a lovely bunch of people.

Such a gorgeous bunch of lovely, lovely people. All our old gang back. And it's so nice. Do you know, I think it was on the second or the third series, and me and Sophie were there, and she said, Jo, I've got us tickets to go and see the polo. Do you want to see it? So I said, yes, OK.

We drank so much and then we ended up in this VIP tent type thing. I remember Leonardo DiCaprio was sitting in the corner. We got absolutely blotto and I had such a dreadful hangover and I had to carry on filming. It was awful. Do you know what I like about you? What? It's the classiness, I think.

Oh my God, we got so drunk, but we had so much fun. Did you speak to Leonardo DiCaprio? Of course we did, and we were too blinking drunk to even form a sentence, let alone form a sentence to Leonardo DiCaprio.

You did skim over the fact that Leo was in the corner, which I found quite interesting. Yeah, he was in the corner, which I found quite interesting. Yeah, he was in the corner. He did look very mysterious. So we were like, oh my God, look, he's very mysterious with lots of girls like hanging around him. We weren't those type of girls though.

We wouldn't have been able to be those type of girls. There was nothing sexy or anything about us. We were doing the mad dancing on the dance floor. That's the fun, isn't it? That is the fun. Yes, yeah, yeah. And I thought, I think that probably the reality is not as good as my image of him in Romeo and Juliet.

So we'll just leave it there. Yeah. Leave it there. Yeah. You do know that myself, myself, when I was sort of 14, 15 as Sonia and Jamie Mitchell. Yes. So Sonia and Jamie, I get a lot of people sending me a picture of Sonia and Jamie and calling us Leo and Kate from Titanic. I know, but I can see that.

I think that's lovely. It's very sweet. Yeah, that's really sweet. It's a bit of a meme. You know, it's a bit of a meme. But I was actually thinking, when you first said that then, my brain went straight to Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio from Romeo and Juliet.

And I was thinking that the pair of you could be that. And then I thought, oh my gosh, yeah, then Titanic. But I was thinking more, you know, Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio from Romeo and Juliet. And I was thinking that the pair of you could be that. And then I thought, oh my gosh, yeah, then Titanic. But I was thinking more, you know, Claire Danes. And when she's got the little angel wings and she's got long, dark hair. I was thinking that of you. Oh, that's lovely of you. Yeah. Romeo and Juliet's one of my favourite films.

Oh, you know, I put it on the other day to try and get Eva to watch it. Because I thought she might be old enough to actually watch it. I'd forgotten how sort of mad an MTV and whatever it is. And it was a bit too much for my senses. I mean, I just absolutely loved it at the time. And I think if I sat down and watched it now, I would just love it if I was watching on my own.

But she's 11 and it was quite clear quite early on that it was still just a bit too much for her. So we sort of switched that off straight away. We hadn't even got very far. When one of them, Mercutio, I think it was, got these big guns out, started flipping them and I just went, OK, then, OK, there's too much. And so we had to switch it off.

But, oh, my God, you remember him in that film. That was just like... It was amazing, wasn't it? Amazing. And one of the best soundtracks, I think. Anyway, we'll stop talking about film because this is a telepodcast. I know. Look, it's because we haven't seen each other and we're chatting, isn't it?

Lovely. Right now, Jo, I really want to talk to you about Friday night dinner. I cannot wait to see what you think. We're also going to have a chat about The Split, which a listener recommended last week, and The Perfect Couple, which everyone seems to be talking about at the moment yes it brings me so much joy for the autumn to be here and the autumn telly's on now joe honestly then but just love it so much halloween first halloween first we've got bonfire night as well but i just absolutely love this time

of year and i can't wait to talk to you about Friday Night Dinner. Do you know what's lovely, right, is that I started watching it this week. And what's lovely is that I just keep hearing your voice because you are such a huge fan of it. And you told me so many bits and bobs, like Paul Ritter, who plays the dad. So basically I've started on series one, episode one. Yeah. I'm doing it from the very beginning. And Paul Ritter, dad, is behind the boxes

because she's trying to get him to check his stuff out, mum is. And he appears like that and he's got no top on because he's hot and all I can think about was you. But they so perfectly got what family life is like and what dads are like james is in his khaki shorts all the time right and he's normally completely bare chested because he's always hot why your dad's always hot it's very funny isn't it what did you honestly did you like it are you enjoying it i liked it it started the two boys came in and i love the pair of them anyway um i

think they're just brilliant. And I just love the cattiness and the fact that they're grown men now, but they're still putting salt in each other's glasses. They're still calling each other stupid names. They're still winding each other up. Because when you're there with your siblings, you just go back to, boom, straight back into what relationships are like, you know, when you go back home.

I love mum. I love Mark Heap from Next Door who keeps coming in and having to use the toilet. I mean, oh my goodness, just brilliant. I love the whole thing where they're trying to move the sofa bed and that mum is really annoyed because dad hasn't moved it yet. The amount of times I've been like that with James because he's not done the job I want him to do. And then it turns out he should have done the job because something's happened and it needs to have been done now. I just thought it was really funny. Dad, who has got his hearing aid so he can't hear everything and he's trying to get his little stash of all of his

magazines and all of that stuff and pass them on to his sons to keep them out of mum's way. I thought it was brilliant. I thought it was really, really funny. I think it's something... Who did you watch it with? I watched it... No, I just watched it on my own because I was in Cardiff. Oh, of course. So I was watching it in Cardiff. So I watched it on my own.

But I thought Eva would love it. I can see what you mean as well about the spits of swearing. They went, shit on it. Shit on it. It's that, isn't it? Shit on it. And then at the end, mum eventually just goes, shit on it. I think my favourite character's got to be Paul Ritter, who's dad.

And he's eating food out of the bin. Why are all men like that? Because James is like that. Mark's not like that. Is he not? No, Mark's not like that. Mark's not ever hot either. Isn't he?

No, I've very rarely seen him with a bare chest. Only in the absolute height of summer and if he's in the garden working. Wow. Maybe it's that James is older and it's men of a certain age suddenly go all right t-shirt off because i'm hot and i'm going to start eating out of the bin because there's nothing wrong with that food i've seen james get a takeaway out of the bin before now and go i don't know why you've put it in the bin there's nothing wrong with it and then start eating it. I thought that was like normal. Is that not normal? Any listeners, right? Is that normal? Have you seen your husband or have you got a takeaway out of the bin and gone, there's nothing wrong with this. I'm going to eat it. I'm trying to think

if I've eaten anything. I haven't eaten anything from the bin. I think I've eaten something from the bin, actually. I found some chew-its in the cupboard and I thought, no, put them in the bin and then you won't eat them. And I chucked them all in the bin and then I thought, ah, this is silly. And I put my hands in and I got them all out and I just ate them all in one go, still standing by the bin. Yeah, I've definitely eaten something from the bin.

I just can't think what it is. It's a good option. I like it. It's a good subject. So what episode are you on now then and what series? How many series have there been? I'm not on any episode. I've just watched all of them. And it's kind of always on in the house and it's on a loop. It's a bit kind of Friends-esque, you know, where it's just on.

But I think if you start it and you just leave it to run and Eve will start watching it, it's a show which will just be a part of the household. Yeah. And I do urge anybody, if you've not seen it, if you've not seen Friday Night Dinner, you do need to watch it. You can catch all of it on Channel 4, you know.

You've got to see it. Is it something that you can just come into, like, mid season, right? Absolutely. So it's a nice little one that, say one's on the telly or say you just want to have a laugh and you put any old one on. They're all sort of individual little stories, are they? They are. They really, really are. But obviously, once you get to know the characters, you love them and you know what's going on a little bit. But they are very separate. Each episode, half an hour and you can just watch it.

Have you met the grandmas yet? No, not met the grandmas yet. It's really good, the grandmas. So they've got a grandma that they love and then they've got horrible grandma who's their dad's mum and she's really horrible. And they call her horrible grandma. It's really, really funny. She is really horrible to them. But there's different characters that come in.

Tracey-Ann Oberman comes in as well and she's Auntie Val. So the aunt turns up and, you know, it's a real community. It's very, very funny. Well, I can't believe that it's been going for like years now and that I've never watched it. And I now finally have gone, right, OK, I'm going to watch it. And it's lovely.

I mean, it is very much like Friends, isn't it? It's one of those ones that you can put on and you feel comfortable. You feel like you've got a friend there. You're just like, oh, this is just a nice bit of, it's just going to make me laugh. I'm here, it's familiar. And with my favourite characters, this is really nice. I liked it.

And my eight-year-old watches it. Oh, shit on it. Shit on it. We've actually had a message actually from a listener who's made me feel better about letting Joanie watch it. Yes. Hi, Jo and Nat. Love in the pod.

Just listen to the latest. And Nat was talking about her eight-year-old watching Friday night dinner. That program is on our TV most days. Thanks to my nearly six-year-old little girl. She absolutely loves it. And as soon as she gets home from school, the first thing she asks is, can she switch on Friday night dinner? Keep up the good work. Love you both, Helen.

So Helen's got a six-year-old onto it. Yeah. But Joanie was probably six when she started watching it. So me and Helen are in the same boat. Yeah. Isn't it nice, though, when you get those shows that you can finally sit down as a family and it's not like, you know, watching a children's thing

where you can sort of move on from the Peppa Pig or the Bluey or the whatever, and you can actually sit down and watch a show together and, you know, it's just like that you can enjoy it too. It's true, but I don't know if we should go, oh, Peppa, Peppa, Peppa, Bluey, Bluey, Bluey. Straight on to shit on it. But what is the in-between?

Teen dramas, like Heartbreak High and all of those but yeah I just think they're less damaging just because there's a few swear words in it it's family life

just get used to it get on with it yeah well I'm so glad I'm pleased you enjoyed it that yeah that you've recommended it for all these weeks

and our listeners have recommended it and I now finally have watched it and I would say you know switch it on it's brilliant it's really funny it made me laugh it made me feel happy and homely because it's family life and it's lovely so our next show that I'm very excited to talk about, because there's been so much hype about it, is The Perfect Couple on Netflix with Nicole Kidman. Oh, my gosh. It's been like everywhere. Everybody's been going on about it. I've seen loads of press for it. And I thought, all right, I'm quite excited.

It looks like it's right up my street. It's going to be one of these big Netflix, you know, a bit White Lotus-y sort of crime drama-y, you know, mystery type things. So I've put it on and I've started watching it. I'm still on the first episode. I'm enjoying it. I am enjoying it and I do want to carry on watching it and continue with it. I don't think I've been as drawn into it as, you know, as I was with like the White Lotus and those type of things. But I thought, right, I'm going to give it a go. I'm going to carry on with this. I'm intrigued. I don't know who's been murdered or anything yet.

And it starts like Nicole Kidman is, I'm assuming she's British. She's British and she's living in, is it Nantucket? Yes. And it is this super rich. Super, super, super rich family. Super rich. Golf course, succession rich. Yeah. Yes. And she's the head of the family. She's this mother. She's British. She's moved over there. She's met him, her husband. And he's Liev Schreiber, who I think is just gorgeous. I really like him. He's lovely. And so they're the head of the household. They've got, is it three sons, I think they've got?

I'm not sure who the sons, who the daughters are, whatever. There's a pregnant, I'm assuming, sister-in-law. And then one of the sons, it's the weekend that he's getting married. And he's marrying this girl who's not from that kind of background. No. And so she's coming in and, you know, they're going to get married. And on the morning of the wedding, there's been a phone call to the police and a body has been, I think it's washed up and somebody has been murdered. So the wedding is all on hold.

They've all been brought into the police station and they're all being questioned. But we don't know who actually has been murdered. She's just discovered, it seems to be, that her husband has bought a bracelet for another woman. And so she's, yeah, wondering about that. And she's really like so, you know, like tense and uptight and everything is a show and everything you've got to be perfect and she's very odd, very odd. What do you think? I watched, because I'm doing loads of travelling at the moment.

Yeah. I'm in the back of kind of a cab, you know what it's like. Yes. So I watched two of them. I watched two full episodes and it's just not really for me. Yeah. I like the glossiness of it and I like the cleverness of it being kind of the, it starts off and it's the dinner

before the wedding, the pre-wedding party, if you like. So I really like the titles where everyone's, it's all perfect and they're all dancing and it's all happy. But no one in it is happy. And I'm a bit bored of watching shows where everybody's having an affair. Yeah. It pisses me off, actually. Everybody's unhappy with who they're with.

Everybody's lying to one another. Can we not just have a show where someone's happy in a relationship? I know that might be boring, but is it boring if you write something clever? No, it's not if you write something nice. I'll tell you who is good. Who? Bono's daughter. Yes, she's good, isn't she?

Eve, her name is. She probably gets really fed up of people saying, oh, Bono's daughter all the time. But Eve was in Bad Sisters as the younger sister and she was fantastic in that as well. I love her. But the acting was good. It's quite glossy.

I did enjoy the acting. I quite like the interview room. I really loved the wedding planner. I thought he was great. Yeah. But I just think we watch a lot of telly now. I quite liked the interview room. I really loved the wedding planner. I thought he was great. Yeah. But I just think we watch a lot of telly now. Something's got to grip me. Yeah.

Didn't grip me. It did make me think I would like us, because you've never seen it, to go back and do all of the White Lotuses before the next one. I've never seen it. I would love to do that, Jo. I think that we should go back, right,

and we should do season one and season two. You can dip into it whenever you want of White lotus and do that before the new one comes out because i mean that was just brilliant our final show this week is a split and it's been recommended by so many of you at home that we had to cover it on the pod now the split's been going for a while hasn't it there's a couple of series. There's a new one which is about to come out. And I have never, ever seen it. So it's on BBC iPlayer.

My mum raves about it and was just like, oh, my God, you've got to watch the split. You've got to watch the split. It's just brilliant. And it's about three daughters. Two of them were working in their mother's lawyer, you know, law firm. There's another daughter, but she doesn't work at the law firm. And one of the eldest daughter has split off now and she's gone into another law firm to work with them. And that's, I'm literally right, right, right in the very beginning.

It's just started. It's got Nicola Walker, who is just fab. It's got, oh, it's got Stephen Mangan, who plays her husband. He's just started. It's got Nicola Walker, who is just fab. It's got Stephen Mangan, who plays her husband. He's just brilliant. So I've only just, I've watched the first episode. I just loved it. I've managed to keep myself quiet away from what's in the split and what's revealed and what happens. Me too. So this is like brand new starting out for me.

And I'm loving it. Brilliant, you know, strong female performances, cracking parts for women, and it looks like it's going to be good. Yeah, I've watched a couple of them, you know, again on my journeys this week, and I really like Stephen Mangum, like him a lot. I think what I like about this is it does feel just very real. It reminds me a little bit of This Life, which I used to really love.

Me too. Just that kind of, I don't know, it's quite middle class. A little bit of me is a bit like, oh, it's a bit cringed, a bit middle class. But they are lawyers. That is that kind of atmosphere and household. It is a law, lawyers and marriage, all of that going on.

So, yeah, I'm getting over the fact that it's very middle class. Well, yeah, because when they go to the mum's, you know, the mum's 70th birthday party, and it does make me laugh, like when you watch these things and then the family or the parties are always in these, like, huge, big, gigantic London houses, which you think will cost an absolute and utter fortune. I've thought of a really good Christmas present for you. What?

Oh, no, you're not going to know. I'm not going to tell you, but I've got a really good idea. Anyway, going back to it, something that does annoy me a little bit is the stereotype, if you like, of having the sisters. and it's a bit like bad sisters. And the young one is always kind of wild and a bit feral and doesn't know what she's going to do. And the eldest is always kind of on top of it and looking after everybody. Because I don't think that's the case. Really, don't you?

Because I kind of do. I'm coming at this right from no siblings at all. So I'm just thinking about my kids because Eva is the firstborn and she really is. Like, she's sort of,

she's together, she's strong, she's much more I am the boss. No, I get what you're saying but for me, I just think it would be nice to mix it up a bit

and have one of the younger ones being a bit more responsible just to know it. Maybe because I'm the youngest one and I'm very responsible that's so true because you are I mean you are you are incredibly you you know you are responsible and you are very ordered and you know you know exactly what's going on so yeah so it's yeah it's where you come from isn't it but I tell you, I love the fact that, you know, again, I know this one is about affairs and, you know, people's relationships breaking down, but you're kind of within the world

of it because you're in the law firm and you're dealing with divorce. So again, a bit hypocritical because the perfect couple, I was annoyed that everyone was shagging around, whereas this one, they're doing the same, but I kind of feel like it's in the right world for it. Yes. But Mira Sayal has been heartbreaking. Her performance in episode two and stuff is absolutely heartbreaking. I love her. I think she's absolutely brilliant.

And I do want to find out what's going on. But I feel that the eldest sister, she has an attraction and something went on with her and the Dutch guy in the office years ago. So it's all lots and lots to unpick and it does make you want to carry on watching it. So, yeah. Yeah, I'm going to carry on with this one. I mean, I'm still watching Only Murders in the Building, still watching Colin from Accounts and The Split Now is going to be my new one that I just carry on watching. And Meera Sayal, oh my God, when she said to Nicola Walker, I want you to represent me and give me the divorce that you would want to have. And I thought, go on, girl,

get him, get him. Yeah. Very, very good. It's good. It's good. So is that all of our shows this week? That is all of our shows this week and I've enjoyed that. It's been good, hasn't it? There's been three series of The Split.

I can't believe I've got so much to look forward to. You can catch all three series on BBC iPlayer and also keep an eye out for the new two-part special

when that's released hopefully in the next year and it's not been announced exactly when it's going to be released for the two-part special. That's exciting. I can't believe there's been three series of that.

Wow. Got a lot to look forward to. This is good. Right, before we go, I'd like to know what our listeners are recommending for us this week. You know the drill. It can be anything you're watching, old or new. Whatever you think, we'd just love to hear what you want us to watch.

Exactly. Right, let's hear this voice note from Sharon with her recommendation. I listened to the podcast with my pet goat, Bea, and we both absolutely love it. We are phoning with a recommendation and it is All Creatures Great and Small, the new version. There's a new series, which i think is series four or five starting next thursday um it's just such a brilliant adaptation of alf wright's stories um i felt a bit unfaithful when i started to watch the new version because i loved the old one so much and i still do um and they kind of stand alone from one another the characters in the new version of the stories

are maybe more nuanced and a bit more complex especially the women you get to hear their back stories but they're both just a lovely heartwarming watch and we just love it so thank you very much for your podcast

you take care both. Bye. Oh, did she say she listens to it with her goat? I mean, she's right up your street now. She is. I think that's lovely. Well, I think we should watch that. You'd enjoy that now after you're doing your wildlife stuff. Yeah.

I'm going to give that a go. Oh. And a goat is listening to us. Not just humans, but a goat is listening to us. Not just humans, but a goat is listening to us. It's because we're goats. Yes, we are. That's what they say, don't they? The goat.

Who's the goat? Footballer, isn't it? I don't know. You can be a goat. Anyone can be a goat because it's the greatest of all time, isn't it? Oh, fine. Okay, I understand. Yeah, yeah.

Very good. I like that. Thank you so much. Thank you. And thank you to everyone who's answered our call out by sending us voice notes about your favourite costumes from the telly. We've been loving them so far. So keep them coming and we'll drop a bonus ep all about them next week. Oh, God, that's good.

And we always love hearing from you guys at home. So please do send us voice notes and messages on WhatsApp. They can be voice notes about anything we've discussed today or with any recommendations that you've got. Our number is 033 067 84 704. Right, well I think that's enough from us this week. We've been watching Friday Night Dinner on Channel 4, The Perfect Couple on Netflix, and The Split on BBC iPlayer.

Now, Nat, you've got another really busy filming week coming up, haven't you? So I hope it all goes well, and we've got to catch up next week. But good luck, and have fun. Thank you so much, darling. Oh, Jo, have a lovely evening tonight, won't you? I can't wait to hear all about it. I'm so excited. I want to have a little glass of sparkly wine,

put my party dress on and make the most of it because this will probably be the last night out I get now and God, about another six months. I will have a lovely time. Really enjoy yourself. Thank you so much for listening to us, everybody. We're going to be back with more off the telly next Wednesday on BBC Sounds.

But for now, bye! Bye, darling. Bye, all. 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 audio production for BBC Sounds. I'm Helena Bonham Carter, and for BBC Radio 4, this is History's Secret Heroes. A new series of rarely heard tales from World War II.

None of them knew that she'd lived this double life. They had no idea that she was Britain's top female codebreaker. We'll hear of daring risk takers. What she was offering to do was to ski in over the high Carpathian mountains in minus 40 degrees. Of course it was dangerous, but danger was his friend. Helping people was his blood. Subscribe to History's Secret Heroes on BBC Sounds.