Off The Telly - What Shall We Watch? TV Villains

Episode Date: August 2, 2024

In this bonus episode they hear from listeners about their favourite TV Villains! They cover shows like EastEnders, Footballers Wives, Game of Thrones, The Demon Headmaster, plus find out who could be seen as a baddie in Gavin and Stacey.In Off the Telly, Natalie and Joanna talk about what they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, and what you’re all watching at home. From new shows to comfort telly to guilty pleasures, there’s no judgement here. What’s kept us all glued to our screens this week?Self-confessed TV addicts and stars of two of the biggest shows on our screens, EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey, Natalie and Joanna are the perfect companions to your weekly viewing habits.Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Unit Manager: Lucy Bannister 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 What Shall We Watch from BBC Sounds We're back with another bonus episode which arguably are our favourite ones to do

I love these Oh I love these Jo do you? Yeah I love them And it's because we get to hear more from you lot at home Yeah Such a treat So far we've done Comfort Telly Guilty Pleasures Childhood Telly I love these, Jo, do you? Yeah, I love them. And it's because we get to hear more from you lot at home. Yeah. Such a treat.

So far we've done Comfort Telly, Guilty Pleasures, Childhood Telly, Tear Jerkers, TV Crushes, Super Sleuths, and now it's time to hear about your favourite TV villains. I can't believe that we've done so many. I know. This week it's all about who your favourite villains are off the telly. Jo, who do you like? Do you know, right? I'm going to go in with a bit of a surprise one.

Go on. It's about 20 years ago. Yeah. And I remember being quite young and I was watching London's Burning and the actor, George Costigan, who is a really nice fella, was playing this fella in London's Burning

who was going out with Josie, the firewoman. And I will always remember she went on a date with him and she gets friendly with him and then she invites him back to the flat and I didn't know who the hell he was anything else he'd been in she invites him back to the flat and then I think he makes a move on her and I think she sort of fights him off and says get out get out of the flat and you and she sits in the living room in shock and then you hear him walk out and then you hear the front door go and he goes and shuts the front door and then she sort of gets up and then she goes to walk out into the hall to sort of you know go up to bed or something i will never forget

she's the doorway's there and there's like a little doorway into the kitchen and the lights off yeah and as she goes to walk past you just see his shadow in there and he's pretended to walk out and he's pretended to shut the door and as she goes past he comes out of the shadows he grabs her and then he assaults her I will never ever ever forget it and it was just an episode of London's Burning I will never forget it

he utterly terrified me and years later my James was in Emmerdale and George Costigan was in it and obviously then I'd seen him in Rita Sue and Bob too I'd seen other work you, that he's done and everything because he's done loads and he's a fab actor. But it is ingrained in my memory,

in that very early memory, him as that villain, as that baddie. And I remember meeting him for the first time and I was so freaked out. I met him in real life. He was a lovely fella, but his performance was so like scarred into my brain of how brilliant and how scary and how awful he was that was there and so he has I've always remembered it it's 20 years ago wow what about for you tv villain for me has to be phil mitchell oh god yes well actually nat

I think our first voice note is about Phil Mitchell. Oh, amazing. Best TV villain has got to be Phil Mitchell. The storyline that's coming up for him now is going to be amazing. I don't care. Yeah. Whoever's listening, I don't care what soap you're into. And I know I'm biased.

But I think Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell, is the best TV villain. Yeah, I agree with him. He's good. He is so good at what he does, and I am frightened of Phil. Are you? Yeah. I'm very good friends with Steve, but as soon as I step on set and Phil is there you can't help but not be

scared of Phil yeah what's it like does he change yeah of course yeah absolutely but he just commands respect I feel and he commands the room yeah in a way I I personally think for me Steve is one of the best actors I've worked with just because I want to be on top of it I want to be on top of my game

I just want to do the best I can when I'm around him because he's so good and I think Phil as a character what he's been through affairs

and prison and alcoholic and a heroin addict and a crack head and a crackhead. And I just think he's done everything. He smashed up the pub. He's set fire to things and him and his brother Grant. But he's kind of stood the test of time.

And I really, really think he's brilliant. And he's my favourite TV film. Oh, my God. I remember when I was in drama school years ago, he came in and he gave us a talk. Really? And he sat down in the room and he started talking and I I just remember and I always remember him saying you need to have a tv and one of the students was like I don't have a tv I don't want a tv I don't know and he was like my biggest piece of advice for you is like people watching but you

need to watch stuff on tv so you can see what you like what you don't like what is obvious what is and and I always remember him saying that, and I just remember seeing him and just sitting there. Because he's Phil Mitchell, and he's got such commanding presence, isn't he? And you're sitting there and you're like, oh, my God, oh, my God, it's him. I'll never, ever forget that.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of him being like, that's his character? Yes, yes. Sonia and Phil have had quite a few tear-ups in their time. What was that like? Amazing, actually. He had to come Sonia and Phil have had quite a few tear-ups in their time. What was that like? Amazing, actually. He had to come in, and it was years ago. I think Sonia had helped Lisa with her baby.

So the baby, gosh, the baby now is Tilly Keeper, who's in everything. Oh, my gosh. Louise, she played Louise. So, yeah, it was how long ago? 20 years ago. We're going back a good 20 years, whatever played Louise. So, yeah, it was, how long ago? 20 years ago. We're going back a good 20 years, whatever. Yeah.

And I'd helped Lisa take, you know, get away, run away. And Phil comes to the door and bashes the door down. It's like, where's my baby? Where's Lisa? Where is she? Yeah. And, you know, Sonia's like, I don't know. I don't know, Phil.

Oh, my God. And we did all this kind of, you know, pushing me. And it was brilliant. Screaming. I was like, I've made it now. God, yes. Once you've done a scene like that with Steve McFarlane, you've made it.

Right, come on. Let's have another voice note. My favourite TV villain has got to be Dick Powell, Gavin and Stacey. He just sells fish. How can Dick Powell be a villain? He just sells fish. How can Dick Powell be a villain? He just sells fish. I can't even remember Dick.

Exactly. Who is Dick? Well, Dick Powell is just talking in Welsh and he sells Bryn fish. I don't know how Dick Powell can be a villain. Why does she think...

Oh, I think Bryn gets annoyed because Dick Powell sold him some phones and everything or something that's not working. Oh, maybe that's it. Oh, God. See, you can't get away with anything.

You can't, can you? Really, we really can't. Flipping. Even the fishmonger. Even the fishmonger. Who had a couple of dodgy phones. He's the TV villain. Branded as a TV villain for that.

It's quite exciting, really, isn't it? I think he should be pleased with himself for making such an impact. Yes, I'd be pleased with myself for that. Me too. Let's have another one. Dean Wicks from EastEnders, only because he's a true definition of mean. I mean, who turns around and poisons their own daughter to make them stay because they're so self-absorbed?

It's beyond me. So, yeah, Dean Wicks. Yeah. Oh, God. EastEnders has had some really bad villains. Bad, bad villains. Yeah, Dean, played by the lovely Matt D'Angelo. He's a very good actor.

He's a very, very funny boy, actually. We get on very well. But, yeah, he's horrible. Poisoning your own daughter? Yes, yes. To stop her from going away. God't it awful yes what did he poison her with i think her own medication oh god because she's sick she's sickly you know within the show yeah and i think he kind of stopped her meds or upped her meds or something god and. And she was going to go away and travel to see the mum or whatever.

And he didn't want her to go. But he's a really nasty piece of work. EastEnders has had some really good villains. I mean, they've been really awful, haven't they? It's always like at Christmas time and stuff as well, isn't it? You can be guaranteed to have something bad happen. Yeah, it's always a bit of drama going on. Yeah.

It's always a good fight or something. I wonder what's going to happen this year, Jo. I know. I don't know. Well, I can tell you what, a villain will be involved. I bet you. I bet you. Shall we have another voice note?

Yes. Let's have another one. Hello, my name's Prit V. I'm going to choose two villains, both Aussie. One's definitely going to be Mr Paul Robinson, Stephen Dennis from Neighbours. And the other one, he was in Home and Away, roughly 2016, Dylan Carter. They are my choices. Wow.

I don't really remember Paul Robinson as being really awful. I don't either, but he was a baddie, wasn't he? He was, wasn't he? But he just always, I just have such good memories of Neighbours and it was always just really nice. I know what you're saying. I thank you for your voice note, but I am quite shocked at your choices

that you've gone for 20 year old Australian soap opera Yeah but you know what's actually coming out in this is that when you say TV villain you imagine Simon Cowell or you know like well I was going to say as well Paul from The Traitors you know like massive huge big characters but actually what this is turning out to be

is just things which have actually affected you which aren't like big tv villain but actually just normal people and yeah and something awful has happened and it's stuck with you yeah it's very very interesting let's have another one hi nat and joe uh my name is shay gotta say it first i love the podcast it's it's like a comfort kind of listen for me when I'm working I'm a housekeeper so you know I need something to pass the time um my tv villain so I don't know if many people know her but she's from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and her name is Lisa Vanderpump now a lot of people wouldn't consider her to be a TV villain as such, but I think she

is and she has been known to, you know, rub someone up the wrong way, you know, manipulate someone, make them think something different, if that makes sense. But yeah, Lisa Vanderpump is my favorite TV villain. She's been gone from the Housewives now for about four or five years, I think. But she does also have her own show, which I highly recommend, called Vanderpump Rules. And that has about 10 seasons. It includes all the staff from her bar called Sir, which is in Beverly Hills. But yeah, it's a brilliant show.

So I definitely recommend that. Thank you. Oh, thank you for your message. Thank you, Shay. I don't know anything about Lisa Vanderpump. Oh my God, I was so into Housewives of Beverly Hills. And Beverly Hills, I think, was the best one. I mean, it's just nonstop bitchiness and fighting and arguing. And I really got into it for a while.

Right. And Lisa, I agree with what he says, because you kind of, you don't think that she's not like the worst villain because you know she's kind of on the receiving end of a hell of a lot of stuff from all of the other wives but towards the end

of when I stopped watching it I think there was a lot of stuff going on where I think she'd done a load of stirring and then after a while after you've been watching it for a bit you kind of can't watch it anymore because it's a bit

it just gets too much and I do like Vanderpump Rules as well that's just so good if you want to sit down and you just basically want to watch just a load of people screaming backstabbing for a bit it's your cup of tea so i would agree that she is she is pretty much a you know villain and she does actually she could be a james bond villain but she does walk around with her um little dog i think is he called jiggy i can't remember sorry how big is he that big yeah he literally is that big i mean imagine that right in your hand like a little teacup dog we're talking that is jiggy oh okay that's him all right so she walks around with him in her arms all of the time well in her hand all of the time

wow yeah but she is very much uh yeah i'm not i'm not sure if i'm gonna run home and watch it yeah i don't know if it's for me no I don't think it is and I used to watch it at a very particular point in my life and then I feel like I've missed so much of it now yeah that I couldn't step back into it well you know we did a little bit of the made in Chelsea thing yes yeah is it like that worse much more fighting and backstabbing and you're dealing with wives here from Beverly Hills. I mean, my good God, some of the episodes.

I've always wanted to watch the one about real estate. Oh, Selling Sunset. Yes. Jesus. I went through like the latest series of that in about a day. Really?

And I'm not even joking. Yes. That's something that I think I'd... Oh, it's good. Is it good? Oh, it's good. I start that from the beginning. Out of all those sort of shows, that's the one that I think, oh, I'd like to have a snoop around people's houses. Let it good? Oh, it's good. I start that from the beginning. Out of all those sort of shows,

that's the one that I think, oh, I'd like to have a snoop around people's houses. Yeah. Let's have another one here. Hi, Jo. Hi, Nat. It's Matt from Cheshire here. I just wanted to say I'm loving the podcast.

I listen to it every week in the car on the way to work. You two really make me giggle with all your opinions and recommendations for new stuff on the telly. Great work. Keep it up and my favorite tv villain of all time has got to be tanya turner played by the brilliant zoe looker in footballers wives she was just so over the top she was like a joan collins for the noughties. She was just brilliant. From baby swapping and putting fake tan on the baby to stop people realising what she'd done

to hiding her husband's heart pills and then shagging him to death. She was just such a brilliant, over-the-top character. I just love her. She was brilliant. She was just completely evil, but hilarious at the same time and so glamorous. And I think it was a real gap in the market at the time for a show like that, for something just really over the top and just, yeah, complete escapism. So I'm really thrilled it's back on on i think it's itvx you can watch it now but um

i'm sure you've seen it if you haven't give it a go but uh yeah zoe looker as tanya turner was brilliant loving the work girls keep it up take care zoe lacquer as tanya turner fab it was fun fantastic everybody watched footballers wife and her, didn't they? And her character. I mean, do you remember that? She shagged him to death. She hid his tablets and she shagged him to death. Well, I always remember Gilly being in it as well. Lovely Gillian Telforth was in it. Yes, she was the mother.

And she always says, you know, she used to, you know, bend over the pool table or whatever. Because what was she carrying on with her son-in-law in it? Yeah, yeah. Oh, my God, it was so good. It was so cheesy and so over the top. So good. And the hair and the makeup and the nails.

Everything was over the top, everything. Oh, God, it was fab, wasn't it? Yeah, Zoe's a lovely girl. I did Strictly Come Dancing with Zoe. Did you? I did, and we got on really, really well. She's a lovely human being. Nothing like that at all.

But what a great, it's a great pick yeah for a tv villain she was fab oh she was good wasn't she yeah brilliant let's have another one hi joanna natalie my name is amy and i am from south wales and i am probably one of many who are sending in king joffrey off game of thrones it was the most satisfying thing seeing him get poisoned to death in his own wedding I've never felt so much satisfaction in all my life than seeing that so yeah I don't think he's going to be topped in my opinion but I hope you're both having a fab time and I love listening to your podcasts thank you so much loves you thank you

aww that was lovely but turn the music down next time because all I was doing was thinking what song is that what song is

it sounded like it was very busy and nice down there did sound lovely and busy now I never watched Game of Thrones but I've seen like

loads and loads of clips yes so I kind of know different characters and what went on and stuff and I've seen his death scene and he was awful, wasn't he?

He was really cruel and I think he... See, I never watched any of them so I can't comment here. I think he was like this... I think he was the blonde one and he was very cruel and then he is poisoned

at his own wedding and it is brilliant. He does a cracking dying scene and yeah, so I can imagine how everybody can be very satisfied by that because I think he was really flipping horrible. Oh yeah, lovely let's have another one hi Nat and Jo it's Fiona here from Cornwall really love the podcast my tv villain that I really really love to hate

was Pat Phelan from Coronation Street he was so horrible he actually made me super angry but I sort of really liked him at the same time. Love the podcast. Keep doing what you're doing. Bye. Who was Pat feeling? Not my viewing, unfortunately. Growing up, my mum and dad watched Corrie.

They never watched EastEnders and we watched Coronation Street. So I have it dear in my heart. It was the Jack and Vera days. Yeah. Bette Lynch behind the bar. Sarah Lancashire as a barmaid. God. Those were my Corrie days.

But I can't remember Pat Phelan. Oh, and our very last one. Let's have one more. It'll be a good one. Just one more. So my husband has suggested Maggie from The Simpsons when she shot Mr Burns as his favourite TV villain. And mine would be The Demon Headmaster.

Love the podcast. Thanks very much. Demon Headmaster. I bought all of the books and I read them all to Eva. And now Kit's got them. And I remember watching the TV show. And when I was little, and it was really affecting me. And then I remember showing it then to my kids.

And basically, there are certain TV shows that I've sat them down and forced them to watch, but they loved it. The Demon Headmaster. That was very scary when his eyes used to turn that red. Oh, God, it was brilliant. And then, so my kids watched all of the series, but then another series started off it.

And it was with Leslie Sharp's sharp's husband so you know the actress leslie sharp yes her husband who i met years ago nicholas gleaves um i think his name is um when he was walking his dog actually and my james knows him because i think he's worked with him and i remember we were chatting and everything and then i watched um the later series come on and he was the demon headmaster. How hilarious. So I was like, oh my God, this is mad. I'm sure James done any villain parts.

Oh God, yes, actually. To be the villain. In the lakes, right? He played this fellow who was the main girl's brother and him and these other fellas attack Kay Rag, the actress Kay Rag, well, her character. They attack her. And it's bad.

I mean, it's really bad. And that's when I first met him. And I remember him telling me about it. And you probably wouldn't be able to do this these days because you'd have intimacy coordinators and things like that. Because it's a very, very tough scene that he had to film. But yeah, when I first ever met him,

he was, he just played that. And I had just seen him in that. But it was kind of balanced out then by the fact that he also was Scott Bradley in A Fireman. So I was like, OK, I'll let that go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let that one go. Let the one go. OK, well, that is it for another bonus episode of Off the Telly.

What shall we watch? I can't believe another episode. They are my favourite. Thanks so much to all of you at home because, honestly, we just genuinely couldn't do this without you. No, we couldn't do these without you. No. So, honestly, it's so important for us.

Yes. For you to send your voice notes in about different things that we ask you to do so. We love hearing from you, so please do send us the voice notes on WhatsApp about the telly and we might play it in one of our episodes. The number is 0-double-3-0-6-7-8-4-7-0-4. Thank you again for listening and we'll be back next Wednesday with more Off the Telly on BBC Sounds.

See you. 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. From BBC Radio 4, John Holmes says the C word. I am John Holmes, and last year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Following surgery, I'm recovering just fine now, thanks for asking,

but it's all been a bit weird. And I think it feels weird, not least because men don't really like talking about this stuff. So I've gathered together a load of other men who've been through it for brutally honest and, yes, funny conversations about all things cancer. Across the series we'll be hearing from, amongst many others, Stephen Fry. You saved my life. Oh my goodness. It's a wonderful thing to hear. Eric Idle. It's not the

most desirable side effect, but it's funny. And the BBC's international editor, Jeremy Bowen. I took a dump on a newspaper. John Holmes says the C word. Listen on BBC Sounds.