Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast

Natalia introduces Sam to the mockumentary sitcom that everyone won't stop recommending to him: THIS COUNTRY . Created and written by Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper, the show focuses on the day-to-day lives of two cousins, Kerry (Daisy May Cooper) and Kurtan Mucklowe (Charlie Cooper), living in a rural village in the Cotswolds. Sam and Natalia sit down to watch all three series and nineteen e...

After reviewing all the HARRY POTTER films, Sam and Natalia revisit the unofficially official eighth instalment of the Wizarding World: THE CURSED CHILD . HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD follows Albus Severus Potter (originally played by Sam Clemmett), the son of Harry Potter (originally played by Jamie Parker). After struggling to fit in at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus team...

'Learning British: A Film and TV Podcast' (or just 'Learning British') is a weekly show hosted by Sam Brown, a born-and-bred Brit, and Natalia Brammen, a Polish immigrant living in the UK. In each episode, Sam introduces Natalia to a new British film or TV show. From badly aged sitcoms to acclaimed dramas, they explore what these films and TV shows reveal about British culture, history, and identi...

Sam and Natalia watch and review Netflix's new cosy crime murder mystery, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB . THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB follows four elderly amateur sleuths who attempt to solve a murder in their luxurious Cooper's Chase retirement village. The film stars Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best, Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie, Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif, Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft, and David T...

Sam and Natalia watch, review, and rank all eight HARRY POTTER films. And, yes, they're all bad. The Sorcerer's Stone: 00:32 - 33:22 The Chamber of Secrets: 33:22 - 01:01:59 The Prisoner of Azkaban: 01:01:59 - 01:11:30 The Goblet of Fire: 01:11:30 - 01:42:12 The Order of the Phoenix: 01:42:12 - 02:06:48 The Half-blood Prince: 02:06:48 - 02:22:55 The Deathly Hallows (Part 1): 02:22:55 - 03:22:45 Th...

After rewatching THE IT CROWD, Sam and Natalia look back at Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan's sitcom, BLACK BOOKS . BLACK BOOKS is a British sitcom created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan, starring Moran as Bernard Black, Bill Bailey as Manny Bianco, and Tamsin Greig as Fran Katzenjammer. The series, set in the eponymous London bookshop, follows a grouchy and misanthropic shopkeeper after he gain...

Sam and Natalia finish their series reviewing the HARRY POTTER film series by watching THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 . Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) continues his quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes alongside his best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Topics of conversation include Ron’s characterisation, Robert Galbraith, lost causes, Reddit...

After finishing GARTH MARENGHI'S DARKPLACE, Sam and Natalia watch all four series of THE IT CROWD . THE IT CROWD is a British television sitcom originally broadcast by Channel 4, written and directed by... sigh... Graham Linehan. Set within the IT department of fictional company Reynholm Industries, the series stars Richard Ayoade, Chris O'Dowd, Katherine Parkinson, Chris Morris, Matt Berry, and N...

Sam and Natalia watch and review the penultimate film in the series, THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 1 . Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) seventh and final year at Hogwarts is interrupted by Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), whose quest for immortality has brought suffering and chaos across the Wizarding World. Alongside best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Harry m...

"Two words: telekinesis." GARTH MARENGHI'S DARKPLACE is a horror parody series following fictional horror author Garth Marenghi (Matthew Holness) and his TV show DARKPLACE , presented as real in-universe, with commentary from producer Dean Learner (Richard Ayoade), actor Todd Rivers (Matt Berry), and actress Madeleine Wool (Alice Lowe). Discontinued after poor viewing figures, GARTH MARENGHI'S DAR...

Sam and Natalia continue their series reviewing HARRY POTTER by looking back at the sixth film, THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE . Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his sixth year at Hogwarts with his best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). After finding a mysterious textbook owned by "The Half-Blood Prince", Harry works with Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore to f...

Sam and Natalia look back at the hit Channel 4 TV drama, IT’S A SIN . IT’S A SIN follows a group of gay men who move to London in the 1980s, depicting their lives across the ensuing decade as the HIV/AIDS virus begins to spread. The show stars Olly Alexander (Ritchie Tozer), Omari Douglas (Roscoe Babatunde), Callum Scott Howells (Colin Morris-Jones), Lydia West (Jill Baxter), Nathaniel Curtis (Ash...

Sam and Natalia continue their series reviewing HARRY POTTER by looking back at the fifth film, THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX . Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his fifth year at Hogwarts with his best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). After the Ministry of Magic take control of their school, Harry recruits his fellow classmates to fight against the return of...

After reviewing series one of THE OFFICE , Sam and Natalia watch and react to series two. THE OFFICE is a British mockumentary sitcom created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Series two of THE OFFICE follows David Brent (Ricky Gervais) as he battles to keep his job in Slough. Sam and Natalia sit down to watch and review the entire second series, including the Christmas...

After reviewing the first three HARRY POTTER movies, Sam and Natalia watch and react to THE GOBLET OF FIRE . Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his fourth year with Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). After Harry is chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, he joins forces with Hufflepuff student Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) to investigate a dark conspiracy...

Sam and Natalia have reviewed GAVIN & STACEY and THE ROYLE FAMILY, so it’s time to watch another acclaimed British sitcom— THE OFFICE . THE OFFICE is a British comedy mockumentary TV show, written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The show follows David Brent (Ricky Gervais), the manager of an office in Slough, and his employees, Tim (Martin Freeman), Gareth (Mackenzie Crook), an...

After watching and reviewing the first two HARRY POTTER films, Sam and Natalia rewatch the fan-favourite, THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN . Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his third year at Hogwarts with his best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). After learning that notorious criminal Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped Azkaban prison, Harry uncovers dark tr...

When the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) accidentally picks up new companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), he must return her to her hometime on Earth: 24th May, 2025. But evil lurks in the dark corners of the universe. Reuniting with old friends like Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), The Doctor faces several intergalactic cataclysms. Will Dr. Who finally f...

After watching and reviewing THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE, Sam and Natalia hop back on the Hogwarts Express with THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS . Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his second year at Hogwarts with his best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). After a new teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), joins the school, Harry discovers that the mythological...

Bannakaffalatta, strong! Bannakaffalatta, cyborg! Sam and Natalia take the TARDIS back to 2008 to review every episode of DOCTOR WHO series four , from "Voyage of the Damned" to "Journey's End". The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) reunites with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) to travel in time and space. When the Daleks return with their creator, Davros (Julian Bleach), The Doctor and Donna must join fo...

Sam and Natalia begin their deep dive into the Harry Potter universe with THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE . Does the first instalment of the Wizarding World hold up? Or will Sam and Natalia get off the Hogwarts Express early? A young English boy, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), discovers he is a wizard. After being accepted into Hogwarts, Harry joins forces with his new friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and He...

Justice for Jane! Before Sam and Natalia begin their deep dive into the HARRY POTTER film franchise, they look back at the most famous—or infamous—episode of the British cooking show, COME DINE WITH ME . In January 2016, Channel 4 released series 37, episode 1 of COME DINE WITH ME , set in East Oxfordshire. And television history was made! Beset with tense dinner conversations and fraught personal...

“It’s not just all Jesus, you know.” Almost thirty years ago, Bloomsbury released the first HARRY POTTER book. Since then, the series has become a renowned British institution. But the books and films have faced renewed backlash in recent years, partly due to J. K. Rowling’s controversial statements on transgender rights. Join Sam and Natalia as we review the HARRY POTTER franchise before the rele...

In this episode of the podcast, the Simpsons visit England! THE SIMPSONS is an animated sitcom satirising American life. It stars Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (Yeardley Smith), and Maggie. In 'The Regina Monologues' (S15E4), America's favourite yellow family visit London in search of Grampa's lost love. Topics of conversation include Australian choc...

After watching GAVIN & STACEY, Sam introduces Natalia to another acclaimed British sitcom: THE ROYLE FAMILY. THE ROYLE FAMILY centres on the lives of a Manchester-based family, the Royles, comprising Jim (Ricky Tomlinson), Barbara (Sue Johnston), Denise (Caroline Aherne), Antony (Ralf Little), and Denise's fiancé David (Craig Cash). Topics of conversation include Jessica Hynes, the cultural divide...