Screen Babble podcast: Nolly, Criminal: UK, Shrinking, and The Last of Us – episode 11

Screen Babble is your essential guide to everything on television, from the mainstream to the marginal. NationalWorld’s podcast producer Kelly Crichton, news and trends expert Steven Ross, and critic Alex Moreland discuss what is – and what isn’t – worth watching.

As ever, we kicked things off by discussing what we’ve been watching recently. As part of our ongoing aim to watch more international film and TV, Steven checked out two Thomas Vinterberg/Mads Mikkelsen collaborations – The Hunt and this year’s last year’s the year before’s Oscar nominee winner Another Round – both of which he enjoyed a lot more than Deep Fake Neighbour Wars.

Alex shares his thoughts on the Jason Segel/Harrison Ford comedy Shrinking and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s return to TV in Wolf Pack, while Kelly has been watching a few different things, including superpowered comedy Extraordinary, medical drama Maternal, and of course Happy Valley. She also particularly enjoyed the most recent episode of The Last of Us and the South Korean challenge show Physical 100.

Next, Alex previews ITVX’s new drama Nolly. Russell T Davies and Helena Bonham Carter take us back to the Crossroads Motel, dramatising the events that lead up to the sudden firing of one of the most famous women on television. Who was Noele Gordon? What was Crossroads? And is it worth watching?

Finally, Steven takes us back to the future with a look at a Netflix’s anthology drama Criminal: UK. The 2019 series took place entirely inside police interrogation rooms, with different big name stars playing a new suspect under investigation each week. Does the anthology format keep things fresh, or does it risk getting repetitive? Who would be an ideal casting choice if the series ever returned? And what’s David Tennant’s best villainous performance – this, Des, or Inside Man?

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for Steven’s Weekend Watch Mini-Babble, previewing all the best TV to watch over the next few days.

Listen to Screen Babble #11 here…

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