Off The Telly - What Shall We Watch? TV Heroes

Episode Date: October 18, 2024

In this bonus episode Nat and Jo hear from listeners about their favourite TV heroes, ranging from proper 'heroes' like Jack Bauer in 24 to absolute icons like Pam in Gavin and Stacey. Plus Nat tries to explain to Jo what a 'hun' is.Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things on and off the telly. 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.Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

I absolutely love these What Shall We Watch episodes. Me too. I think they're my favourites. I just like hearing from people and I like the fact that when you hear a voice note, it unlocks a memory sometimes. It always does, doesn't it? Thank you so much for that. And please, please send them in.

Because we can't do these eps without more messages and more voice notes. So please send them in. Heroes today, Jo. We are doing your TV heroes. Now, it can be actors, actresses, reality stars, anybody really that's been on the TV that you consider a hero? I mean, where do we start with this one? I don't know, right?

But I did find it quite difficult. Me too. Because I've watched, like, so much stuff and I've got so many characters that you can then kind of think, oh, my God, TV hero, like, poof, you know, who are we going to go for? I don't know what to do and where to go with this. I think I'd have to start with David Jason. Oh, my God, you're obsessed with David Jason.

I know I am. I am. Do you know who was on This Morning this morning? Was he really? Why? It's a sentence that I never thought I'd say. Why was he on This Morning? It was just celebrating six decades of television, you know.

Of him on television? Oh, wow. But he looked really well. And I just think he's an absolute hero for everything he's done. Yeah, so is he a hero, like, in your eyes, as in, oh, my God, he is just my hero just because I love him. Not a hero as in, you know, like, going and saving a cat from a tree. No, no, a hero as in my hero iconic hero i think i'd say the same though

about steve mcfadden who i also mention all the time yes because i think he's a hero he's one of my heroes boring but true well i feel quite bad because i've kind of gone the other way and my tv hero doesn't have such really nice sort of like, oh, my God, because, you know, you really respect them and admire them and think that they are amazing. I've got, like, loads of different ones, but I'm going, boom, plumping straight for Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in 24.

No, I get it. Because he looks like he could throw me over his shoulder and save me. I like it. I really, really like it. And I was also going to go all the way back to kind of other heroes in which you watched as a child so you could go right back and i feel like even kind of cartoons that i used to watch and you know kind of all of that sort of stuff it really unlocked a lot this yeah i've been sort of pondering over it god well well with jack bauer right and 24 it took me back to the early days of when i first started watching box sets yeah and when you knew

that you could finish an episode and go bump right onto the next one and with 24 i mean the first series i'd never seen anything like it and he was just absolutely amazing and i'm talking hero now as in there is a man and he is going to save your life yeah he is going to go through all sorts of different obstacles people planes bullets everything the whole shebang and you know that if you're with jack bauer he's just going to save you yeah so i thought i'm going to have to plump for him as like my ultimate hero. But I'm also going for June Osborne from The Handmaid's Tale. Oh, okay.

Yes, because, oh my God, I just remember watching, I remember watching a scene where I think she's pregnant in it and I was pregnant in real life and it's where they take her to the house and she eventually meets her daughter who she's been trying to her to the house and she eventually meets her daughter, who she's been trying to get to for years and years now.

And she's, you know, Hannah, isn't it? And she's finally, you know, they've brought Hannah to her to sort of shut her up for a bit. And she's pregnant. And I always remember just sitting and just watching that scene and how obviously as a mother, you would be so distraught inside. And so just completely distraught and bereft. And you finally got your child back. Although she can't really remember you because it's been such a long period of time.

And I remember in the scene, she doesn't cry. She holds it together. Yeah. And talks to her daughter because she knows she's only got this time with her. So she wants to make it happy. And she doesn't want to distress her. And I just remember just thinking, I was just so distraught after watching it

that James had to say to me, do you want to have a glass of water? Because I was just like so distraught. But June Osborne in The Handmaid's Tale, especially the beginning series of it, where it was like really, really amazing. You know, the way that she's fighting against everything that's going on now and

you know what the men are like and what the whole you know that religion and what the system is like and all of that just fighting fighting fighting against that I would say that she's my other TV hero. Is there something wrong with me do you think because I've gone I've not thought of anything with any complexity behind it at all

I then went for I then went for Bette Gilroy. Who's Bette Gilroy? She's a hero. Correlation Street. What I call a Bette Lynch. Someone like Judy Goodyear with a blonde hair. That's it.

Unbelievable. Oh, my God. Tell me why she's your hero. She's just a hero of soap. Just iconic. And I know we've kind of gone down the iconic route, but to me, hero does mean that. The other heroes, I quite like Jane MacDonald. Oh, I love Jane MacDonald.

Because she's a hun and she's a hero. But I think we should do an episode of huns. What is huns? What's huns? What is huns? What is huns? I think you've even been a hun. What is a hun? A hun? What do you mean? What is a hun? What's a hun? I'm thinking H-U-N-S. Correct. A hun. You've watched Love of Huns? No! What the hell is Love of Huns? You've not seen Hunsnet? No. I'm leaving.

What is Hands? Jo, I can't do this now. Oh, my God, what is Hands? I'll talk to you about it. This is, like, a massive thing, which is obviously going on in the world. I'm going to get Gareth Howe to phone you up. What's Hands? What is Hands?

It's just iconic women. And men. Iconic people. What, is it, like, a name for all a name for It is a play on people It is a very banterish Taking the piss 90s pop Culturey

Early 2000s You'll understand but I'm sure So is it a programme You as Stacey has been featured In a Hunsnet Or Love of Huns post. Oh, my God. So is it like saying that someone's a goat?

A little bit, but with a slightly camper view. Oh, well, when we find this. Just follow Hunsnet and Love of Huns. OK. And you'll understand. Right, okay. Another hero that I thought of earlier and it's gone would have to be Mr Bean.

Really? Why is it Mr Bean? This is right. What does it say about our personality? I know, this is what I'm saying. Because my one is Jack Bauer, because he can throw me over his shoulder and save my life. And your one is David Jason and Mr Bean.

Mr Bean's a hero, though, isn't he? He's just brilliant. He's just brilliant. We're just taking hero in a different way. We have, haven't we? We so have. You have taken Hero, literally, which is probably how we should have done Hero.

I'm looking forward to hearing the voice notes. Yeah. Because I think they'll probably be down your street. I'm looking forward to hearing. I just want to hear some more of your Heroes. Give me another one of your Heroes. Patsy from Ab Fab. Yeah.

Hero. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, she is, yeah. Victoria Wood. Yes, Victoria Wood's a hero, yeah. Dawn French. Yes. Victoria Dibley, hero.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I could go on. Paul O'Grady was a hero. He was, wasn't he? Amazing, Lily Savage, hero. Yeah. Before we get into the hero voice notes, we've had so many voice notes about costumes that we did in a previous ep,

I just thought we'd play a couple of those. So, listen to this. I was really interested, actually, listening to the stuff about the costumes. I remember watching a documentary on Friends and how they picked a colour palette for each character and how that was done I just find that fascinating and actually once you start to notice it you really notice it if you're not I mean you sort of see the colors that they pick for each each character and actually even if you haven't noticed it you can probably close your eyes and think what colors would go with what character and you normally normally turns out you're right anyway uh just a really quick one as for onesies oh you're missing out on a treat going you need to wash your onesie plenty of softener on it and um yeah make sure

that because once something smells nice then there's nothing better have a good bath or shower plenty of body lotion and then um get your onesie on with a lot of stuff and honestly it'll just transform your life thanks girls bye she's just telling you to have a wash and wash your onesie she's distressed that you said you barely have a shower. I can't help it. I just, in my mind, see a onesie as something which you don't really wash a lot. A bit like a dry robe. When you're in your onesie, do you wear underwear?

Sometimes I do, and I'll openly say sometimes I don't. It needs a wash, doesn't it? It does need a wash. They get hot, those things. They do. I would say most of the time I don't wear underwear in it because I get up in the morning and I just put it straight on and sometimes I'll be in it all day.

I'm... I love the way that I've almost rendered you speechless. It's just the things I could say. I can't say yeah I think I might go back beef monster munch spring to mind I think I'm going to go back home now to the bathroom and I

might pick my onesie off the hook on the bathroom door and give it a bit of a sniff and then I might consider washing it oh goodness me And then I might consider washing it. Oh, goodness me. We've got another voice note about some iconic earrings. In fact, before we go on to iconic earrings,

what would your palette be? Oh, for Stacey, right, I think my palette would be yellows, sort of a bit like a sorbet, you know, like yellows, pinks, peaches, you know, baby blues. I'd say that sort of colour. There was a stage, I think, when I went a bit like black and a bit browny sort of. I had like some brown boots. But yeah, I'd say quite sugary sort of colours. What about Sonia?

Grey. Do you think just grey? Beige. Beige. I saw... There's a lot of beige. She wears a lot of beige cardigans. I saw her the other day and she was wearing a white coat with like a bit of fur going around her head.

No, it was beige. Was it beige? Yeah, it's beige. It's actually not. It's like a camely beige-y colour. Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah.

God. Neutral. Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah. God. Neutral, boring, dull. Do you think she'd ever put something in there to, like, you know... Shush it up a bit. ...spice it up a bit, yeah. Every now and again, she might get out a green cardigan for Christmas. Yeah. There's a green jumper with a bit of sparkle in it that she gets out Christmas.

Yeah. Have you had the same costume for a while? A long time, yeah. Because it must be interesting, you know, like playing a part like that and you've grown up with her and you would have a wardrobe like we have a wardrobe in real life, wouldn't you? Because, I mean, you're not going to

go, oh, for each new series or each new whatever, I'm going to get a new wardrobe and a new set of whatever. No, I keep everything. You've got Sonia's wardrobe. Yeah. No, I keep everything. And as I say, it is down to me that I wear everything. Yeah. A costume will buy me things for Sonia and I'll put it on and I'll go,

that's nice, I can't wear that. Oh, my God. If I like it, I don't want to wear it for Sonia. Do you get to choose what you're wearing in each scene? No, not really. The dresses do that. Right. So it's all hung up for you and they choose the block.

The costume designer will choose what you're wearing. But you can have an input. You know, I can say, well, she's just got up. I'd like pyjamas for that. Yeah. Can I wear tracksuit bottoms and be comfy? Is there anything that you have ever, ever worn a Sonia that you've thought, oh, actually, I like that?

I wore one dress for a wedding, which you barely saw me in it. It was sort of my head in a pew. Yeah. And actually, thank God, because the dress was really nice and I took it home. Oh, that's nice. But it was very un-Sonya. It was flowery and quite tight. Yeah.

And quite nice. Yeah. But I was pleased when it came out. I was only sort of in a pew because it wasn't very Sonya at all. Yeah. Shall we have another voice note? Yes. Let's have another one.

This is about some iconic earrings, by the way. Hi, ladies. I just wanted to say I'm just listening to your episode whilst I'm cleaning the loos. Sorry about that, girls. But I love the costume conversation and it just made me laugh because when I was growing up, my dad always used to tease me about having Pat Butcher earrings and even if you mentioned it now I reckon if I came out

in a large pair of earrings somebody would say oh Pat Butcher earrings today and that really made me smile so how iconic is that? A pair of earrings has got a new name. And everybody knows because Pat Butcher's earrings are iconic. Pam St Clement's collection of earrings. You've never seen anything like it in your life. They were amazing. And fans used to post a lot of earrings in for Pat. Yeah.

The best earrings. And can I tell you something about Pam St Clement? Mm-hmm. Her autobiography is called End of an Earring. Oh, my gosh, really? Yes. Oh, my God, that's so clever. It's good, isn't it? Yeah.

But, yes, I know what she means. If people have large earrings, you say, God, you look like Pat Butcher. You do, don't you? That's amazing, actually, when you think about it. That there's, you know, that your character...

Engrained. It's ingrained in society. Yeah. I was on set the other day, right, and I was given this bracelet to wear, and I said, and it was a gold bracelet, and I said,

oh, no, actually, could I have something a bit daintier? Because that looks like something that Mike Reed would wear down the garage. But isn't that amazing that your character is that iconic that you can go, no, I can see Mike Reed wearing that down the garage.

Yeah. You know? Do you mean Frank Butcher? Yeah. Mike Reed. Yeah, yeah. Not Mike Reed, like, in real life, but Mike Reed when he is acting as Frank Butcher.

I think in real life he probably did wear stuff like that, maybe. I think he probably did as well. God rest his soul. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, no, I know what you mean. But is it like, if you were to hear my family talk about Gavin and Stacey, you wouldn't believe it. Mm-mm.

As in, it's ingrained in how they talk. Yeah. Yeah. Cracking, we always say cracking now. Really? Everything's cracking. Aww. Cracking. We always say cracking now. Really? Everything's cracking. Oh. It is.

It's quite Welsh though, isn't it? Cracking. Yeah. Cracking. Yeah. We say cracking a lot now because of Gavin and Stacey. I heard as well from somebody recently that they also say, what's appertaining? And I hadn't, but not in this one.

We don't say what's appertaining. But I was talking to somebody in Barry and she said, oh yeah, in Barry we don't say what's appertaining but I was talking to somebody in Barry and she said oh yeah in Barry we like to say what's appertaining it's very good I think that's about

one of the only things I can say in a Barry accent as well so let's have another voice note yes I'll tell you what should we get on with TV heroes

yeah go on let's have another one about heroes come on then hey lovely ladies thank you so much for all of the brilliant recommendations.

I have been doing them quite a lot while I've not been very well. Now, I know you're looking for heroes. Actually, I've probably got two. One of them

has to be Pam from Gavin and Stacey. I don't think anybody is as iconic and heroic as she is everybody goes to her I mean even when Pete is not a druggie and um they just love her and I think oh my christ is the most heroic thing you can say and I have to say as well Miranda Hart her show every time I'm ill I just put it on and it gives me that really good feel good kind of

everything's going to be okay comfort and for me that is very heroic that is she's my comedy hero if that makes sense and I think she goes through so many mishaps in that show that she makes it okay to have mishaps in life and so they're my heroes, both of them, too. Very powerful, very funny women. She's gone down my route. Yeah. Yeah, she has, hasn't she? Yes. Yes.

She's gone for her comedy heroes. Yeah. I don't think anybody's gone down my route. Well, you don't know that yet. Yeah, that's true. Well, you're the first one. But Pam, I mean, she's like such a matriarch, isn't she? Oh, my Christ.

Yeah. And, you know, she's like, she's the head of the family. She's just brilliant. Yeah. I loved it when she pretended to be vegetarian. Oh, my God, yeah, do you remember? You're eating ham, Pam. I mean, I'd forgotten just how long that, like, played out for.

Because I've only recently started watching it again. She was a bloody vegetarian for ages. Did you find the thing I was telling you about? What thing? When to start watching. Yes, I did. Good. I did.

It's good, isn't it? Yes, because I'm going to start again now with Eva. And I might see if she'll let the boys watch it too. And then I've got to incorporate then the two specials as well. Yes. Yeah, the two specials. Fantastic. Absolutely brilliant.

Right, let's have another voice note. Well, mine is the one and only Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins From Gavin and Stacey Can't help it I don't care what anyone says I love her attitude Well how can you put it Just don't care attitude

Just gets on with it Says it as it is What's occurring Love her Can't wait to see the new one on Christmas day Love you Bye That's true though isn't it

because nessa is just she's just still and she's in you know she takes no shit and she's like she doesn't change for anyone does she doesn't does she and she is just like yeah she is a hero isn't she because she doesn't take any shit and she just you know she gets on with it and stuff but she's got such a soft heart yeah she has deep down oh I think we could all have a bit of Ness couldn't we? I think I'm quite Nessa like at times. I think you are I think you are. Aren't I? Yeah

because I think you are, you're solid and you're you know. I couldn't give a shit what anyone thinks. Yeah is there anything that you do give a shit about? No not anything that you do give a shit about? No, not anything that you do give a shit about, right? What are you saying? If anybody was going to say something, is there anything?

You're like, I give a shit about my family. You're saying I just don't care about anything I do. I don't care about the family. I don't care about my work. The pod. Is there anything in life that you give a shit about? But, like, is there anything that anyone could say to you that you would give a shit about?

Not really. Not really. Yeah. Family-wise, if I were to upset someone or... Yes. In my circle of people that I do genuinely care about yeah and then i care about how they feel or what they think but outside that couldn't care less that's a really nice quality to have though isn't it i've got a big sign in my um studio at home yeah and it says what people think

of you is none of your business oh i thought you were gonna say something like i don't give a shit i'm not gonna imagine you give a shit in your studio and litter behind you it's just i don't maybe that's the next one i'll get you what i might get that next i'll just put it up in the kitchen yeah i don give a shit. That'd be a good one in the toilet, wouldn't it? It would, mind. It would, wouldn't it? It's good, yeah. I like that. But I think that is a good quality to have.

Because I think I'm quite soft, but then actually deep down... Do you care about what people think? No, I don't really care what people think or what they say. I think I'm too old now. I mean, my God, if you did care and worry about everything so much, you'd just be a nervous wreck. I know, but even when I was growing up on the telly when I was 12 or 13 and people were calling me a beached whale, I didn't really care.

Oh, my God. Yeah. I've never really given a shit. Yeah. I think I'm either too tired, too busy, or too hungry to actually give a shit. Yeah. Because if someone's going, oh, you know, I don't like the sound of her voice or I don't like whatever,

I just think, okay, I'm starving. When am I going to get fed? Because I might be too bloody busy with the kids or trying to do the drop-off, trying to put the bloody washing away that you just get to the point where you're just like, oh my God, I don't care. I genuinely don't't care there's no time for it no there isn't no well we've got one more voice note so should we see what they've got to say i felt i had to leave or

try and leave a voice note um because my favorite tv show colombo falls into so many of the categories that you've asked your listeners to phone in or leave a message about um I'm an absolute Columbo fan um it's my go-to whenever I need a comfort watch I can stick that on um and I can fall asleep it doesn't matter because you know who the murderer is and you can wake up near the end and it's you haven't missed anything but it's still satisfying to see the gotcha at the end um I only really like seasons one to seven the later ones were not really my cup of tea but the early ones had such amazing stars in it like Johnny Cash and um Leonard Nimoy uh even William Shatner. So many great actors and singers that star as the murderer. Gosh, she's right, though.

There was a lot of stars in Columbo. You forget, don't you? You do forget. There's so many. And Columbo does cover a whole load of things. I mean, Columbo, detective. Columbo also costume. I mean, that long mac that he wears. Oh, absolutely. Yes. Catchphrases. Yes. I mean that long mac that he wears. Oh absolutely.

Yeah. Catchphrases. Yes. Just one more thing. What is it? And another thing. Yeah. He does say that doesn't he? And another thing isn't it? It's something like that. Or just one more thing. I can't remember. It's one of those. That's another bonus episode of Off The Telly. What shall we

watch Dan? I hope it's good, that one. It was good. Thank you, everyone, for sending us your voice notes. Keep sending them to us. Keep sending them. The number is 0-3-0-6-7-8-4-7-0-4. And I know I repeat myself a lot, but without your lovely messages, these eps can't happen.

We don't have a show without your messages. No, we don't. What's our next bonus episode going to be about? Our next bonus episode is going to be out roughly around the time of your favourite season and James's birthday, Halloween. Halloween. Oh! So I thought we could go for spooky shows.

Oh, that's good. Things that have scared you. Again, it's quite, it can be a range of things. I've already thought of some. Have you seen any of the American Horror Story things? I don't even know why I'm bothering to ask you because you do not. This is going to be your bonus episode that you hate or that you can't contribute anything to.

No, you say that. Listen, you know I think outside the box already. I'm thinking I'm quite scared of a few things that have been on television. Oh. Like the burglary when David Jason dresses up. Wasn't it? As Batman and Robin.

That scared me when they had to save the mayor. Oh, I'm going to like this one because I love watching scary stuff. Yeah. I've got a few in my pocket already. So spooky things or things that have scared you. Yeah. Will be good.

Hair-raising experiences with the television. Yes. Maybe even your own stories about your telly at home. Yes. If you've been electrocuted by it, that's a hair-raising experience. I'd say that definitely is a hair-raising experience, isn't it? But let us know your stories. Spooky stories, please.

Yeah, spooky stories, spooky tales, spooky things on the TV. Right up your street, innit? Yes. Not up my strata whatsoever. But we'll see you next time. Yes. See you next time on the next Bonus Ep. And also, we'll be shoving out another episode.

And we quite literally will shove it out the next episode on Wednesday. Why are we just shoving it out? Because that's the word, right, that naturally came to me. When we'll be shoving out another episode on Wednesday. So I thought I'd embrace it and full on go for it. I like it. So we'll be back next Wednesday, shoving out another off the telly episode for you.

We'll see you next Wednesday shoving out another Off the Telly episode for you. We'll see you then. Bye! Off the Telly is hosted by Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page. The producer is Georgia Keating. The commissioning editor is Rhian Roberts and it's a BBC Studios audio production for BBC Sounds. I'm Greg Foot and my podcast, Sliced Bread, from BBC Radio 4 is back to separate more science fact from marketing fiction. We've gone from where there's some science and we've turned it science-y.

Each week, I investigate one of your suggested wonder products, something that's promising to make you happier, healthier or greener. The cost is almost £200. It's out of my range, I'm afraid. The new series of Sliced Bread, including our 100th episode, where we'll be investigating the products promising to help slow the effects of ageing. We can hopefully slow down the ageing process and hopefully make people live healthier for longer. Sliced Bread with me, Greg Foot, on Radio 4 and Listen First on BBC Sounds.