The Honeymoon Period

We return once more for our round up of 2021. This time we're tackling TV. There's comedy, drama, sci-fi, satire, and - of course - police procedurals!    You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a star rating on Spotify.  

As we wave goodbye to 2021, we jump on the podcast to discuss our Top 10 favourite films of the year. Mark has taken this task INCREDIBLY SERIOUSLY. Elaine has not. What controversies lie within Mark's extensively researched and meticulously deliberated list? And will Elaine's laptop - containing her hastily cobbled together rankings - have enough battery to make it to the end of the episode...? ...

Finally! After our Matrix re-watch (see earlier episodes), we eventually managed to see the fourth Matrix film. Was it worth the wait? You have to let it all go… fear, doubt, and disbelief… Spoilers at 10:00. You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and leave us a star rating on Spotify

Our review of that little seen indie film Spiderman: No Way Home. Spoilers from 8:45. Enjoy! You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave us a star rating on Spotify

We complete our Matrix re-watch with The Matrix Revolutions. We get off to a fairly grumpy start (!) but end up having lots to say about cast changes, our indifference to the fate of Zion, and our thoughts on the ending and its implications for The Matrix Resurrections (which we haven’t seen yet, so don’t worry no spoilers here). Thanks for joining us on our re-watch. And Merry Matrix-mas! You can...

I'm gonna be iron like a lion in Zion…. Our Matrix re-watch continues with The Matrix Reloaded. Grossing $741.8 million worldwide, The Matrix Reloaded was the eagerly awaited follow up to The Matrix. But how does it fare today? We mull over the plot, visual effects, and character names. We also spend way too much time ruminating on the sex scenes… Enjoy! You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram -...

We're back with a bumper-sized catch up episode, filled with so much TV and film it's like Christmas Day has come early (but not for Elaine).  For TV, we've been watching the latest MCU Disney+ TV Show, the Christmas-themed Hawkeye (4:49). We’re also still agog at the ending of Season 3 of Succession (15:14) – we indulge in a quick spoiler-free chat about the season as a whole. For movies, Elaine...

Welcome to the real world…. and the film that introduced us to Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity. We’re returning to The Matrix, 22 years after we first saw it via a cardboard-backed DVD case. But how does it hold up? Will Mark get all the biblical references this time round? And what exactly is a Nebuchadnezzar? Enjoy! You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you could leav...

We’re doing a Matrix re-watch! In the run up to The Matrix Resurrections, we’ll be watching a film from The Matrix franchise (in order, obvs) every week and releasing a Down The Rabbit Hole episode with our thoughts. In this introductory episode, we jump back to 1999, delve into our relationship with the films, and – weirdly – end up singing the theme tune to the Sweet Valley High TV show.   How d...

Put down the Twinkie, and move the spores, molds, and fungus to one side - we've been to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife! We talk about our history with the franchise and our spoiler-free thoughts about the film, before peeking behind the portrait of Vigo and going for full-on spoilers. Don't go past 29:00 if you've not seen the film! If you'd like to see a walkthrough of the Ghostbusters 8-bit video...

Surprise Surprise! In this week’s unexpectedly Cilla Black heavy episode, we look at some of the most talked about TV shows and movies out at the moment. In TV, we chat about Netflix’s biggest ever series, Squid Game (03:57), and Elaine has, obviously, been watching the latest BBC whodunnit, Showtrial (11:39). In our film section, we’re doing things slightly differently. Join us as we give our spo...

We’re back! With a *very* varied collection of TV and films reviews. Listen in wonder as we try to manage really rather extreme tonal shifts… We’re a few weeks into Series 19 (!) of Strictly Come Dancing (01:39).  How has it fared this year? And who makes Mark cry when they dance?  We celebrate the return of the Roy family (14:56) in our chat about Succession Series 3 (we’ve only seen episode 1 –...

We return with a packed show! In TV, we review the first two episodes of Apple TV’s sci-fi epic Foundation (4:41), Mark gets emotional about Series 3 of Netflix’s Sex Education (17:39), we revel in the nostalgia of Sky Max’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks (22:35), and Elaine puts in a good word for the Beeb’s period thriller Ridley Road (28:45). In our film section, Mark really wants you to see Malignan...

We waited, we watched, we… had a difference of opinion…. Bond is back.   Spoilers start at 11:20.   [We reference our "Top 5 films we're looking forward to for the rest of 2021" episode a few times. You can listen to it here ]   You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts

We return with a long awaited episode of After Work Drinks - the show where we talk about TV & Movie news. Over a drink. After work. As we approach the final months of 2021, we run through the upcoming films we’re looking forward to the most. Who doesn’t love a Top 5?! Our lists are, let’s just say… different.   Enjoy! You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you coul...

We're back!  Sorry, illness has spread around the house recently, so we're here to catch up on everything we've not been able to talk about. For TV we discuss Amazon Prime’s 90s teen drama Cruel Summer (9:30) and the BBC's flagship Sunday night drama Vigil (17:28). In movies, Mark's been to see Free Guy (24:42), back when it was a new release (like we say, it's been a while...), we've both managed...

BE WARNED: This episode starts with some appalling singing (disclaimer: Elaine has a very heavy cold). But once you get past that, revel in our ‘buzzing’ (sorry, not sorry) analysis of the original 1992 Candyman film and Nia DaCosta’s 2021 sequel. We watched the original together at home. Then, due to a strange set of circumstances, Elaine popped to our local cinema to watch the latest film whilst...

We start the pod by showing our complete ignorance of the Olympics. Enjoy Mark’s thoughts on the lesser known sports and his inability to rank gymnasts. In TV, Elaine ruminates on her devotion to Love Island (5:35). The ITV dating show came into our lives 2 years ago when we were in temporary hospital accommodation during our babies’ neonatal care. We were OBSESSED. Mark’s not joined Elaine in wat...

On a rare day off together we decided to go see James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Find out what we thought of the return of the world’s most dangerous supervillains – spoilers from 8:11. You can follow us on: Twitter - Instagram - Letterboxd We’d love it if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts

Elaine has been to see Black Widow. Mark saw it 3 weeks ago, so we can FINALLY have a spoiler filled discussion about the latest MCU film. Be warned this episode contains spoilers from the off - and a fairly prolonged section about Elaine’s big crush on David Harbour…. Oh, and at the end we talk about the trailers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Snake Eyes, and Eternals too. You can...

It’s a classic ‘Date Night’ - and Mark has got a treat for Elaine!  This week we’ll be watching ultimate mid-noughties ‘guy movie’ Crank.  Does the film hold up?  Where does it sit in the Jason Statham pantheon?  What awards did it bring home (SPOILER: not many)?  And what will Elaine make of this ‘classic’? Get your epinephrine ready, we're in for a bumpy ride....   You can follow us on: Twitter...

England's men are in their first major final since 1966 and so, naturally, we're arguing over the lyrics to a long-forgotten 2002 football hit by a pair of Northern TV legends. Well, that and who's phone wasn't on silent. Seeing as telly has been mostly football, we're doing a movie special. Mark has been to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In The Heights (4:23). Count how many times we mention th...

This week - in a discussion that won't date this podcast at all – Mark wants to talk about Euro 2020, and Elaine DEFINITELY doesn’t want to derail that conversation. In reviews, we’ve been watching a few things by ourselves. Mark’s been trying out Netflix’s new fantasy drama Sweet Tooth (5:30). And he’s finally got to see Fargo Season 4 (11.30). Elaine has, predictably, seen Sky Crime’s Murder at...

Put your fedora on and get your whip ready! We've been reflecting on an amazing week where cast & crew of the latest Indiana Jones film came to the North East.  We talk to Chris Allan - host of the IJ in the UK segment of the IndyCast podcast and all round legend - about what it means to see an Indiana Jones production rock up at one of your favourite childhood hang-outs.    You can follow us on:...

We've been out! To a cinema! Together! To see a brand new film! A Quiet Place Part 2! In this podcast, we discuss what we remember from the first film, talk about what worked and what didn't in the film, and get waaaaay too excited by some trailers. NOTE: This podcast contains spoilers for A Quiet Place Part 1 from the beginning, but we clearly say before we go into spoilers for Part 2.   You can...