Screen Babble podcast: Better, Mindhunter, Love Island, and Luther - episode 13

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. This week, we’re also joined by Digital Journalist Heather Carrick, who joins us for a chat about Love Island.

As ever, we begin by discussing what we’ve been watching recently. Alex started Luther for the first time, before taking a detour to re-watch Sherlock in sync – how do the biggest BBC One crime dramas of the 2010s compare? Meanwhile, Steven has picked up Black Mirror again, particularly enjoying the Series 4 episodes Metalhead and Black Museum, and Kelly checked out The Gold and The BRITs.

Next, Alex takes a closer look at Better. The new BBC One crime drama stars Leila Farzad and Andrew Buchan as a corrupt police officer and a local drugs baron, now close friends after 20 years as accomplices – a friendship threatened when one has a sudden change of heart. Does the series have anything new to say about redemption? Can it hold a candle to Happy Valley? And is a good ending worth sitting through a dull opening?

After that, Steven takes us back to 2015, recommending David Fincher’s crime drama/psychological thriller Mindhunter. What sets Mindhunter apart from other true crime drama? Why wasn’t there ever a third series? And is it worth watching?

Finally, special guest Heather brings us up to speed on this year’s Love Island. How has Casa Amor changed the playing field? Which couples will stay together, and which are about to implode? And where is the ITV reality series going to go from here?

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 #13 here…

Screen Babble: how to follow the show

• Screen Babble is available to download on all podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify
• You can join the conversation on our Screen Babble Facebook group
• If you’ve enjoyed the show or found it useful, we’d love you to give us a rating and review, as it helps us to reach more listeners.
• You can also follow our TV coverage on Twitter @NationalWorldTV - as well as @morelandwriter and @steven_jross and @kelc100
• Do you have a TV question you’d like the Screen Babble team to answer on a future episode, or a recommendation of your own? Send it to kelly.crichton@nationalworld.com or alex.moreland@nationalworld.com