PODCAST · tv
Pilot TV
by Empire Magazine
From the creators of The Empire Film Podcast, Pilot TV is your essential guide to every TV show that matters, providing a weekly rundown of all the new must-see TV shows dropping across streaming, terrestrial, satellite, cable, and beyond. Join Empire's James Dyer, Heat's Boyd Hilton, Steph Seelan, and Kay Ribeiro as they bring you breaking TV news, reviews of the week's major shows, and interviews with some of the biggest names in TV. Pilot TV is here to make sure every minute you spend in front of the box is a minute worth spending. Served with a heavy helping of insider knowledge, irreverence and humour, Pilot TV won't just keep you informed, amused and entertained, but is guaranteed to save countless hours of your life. Because you can’t watch *everything*. Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to Pilot+ for a bonus episode every Thursday, in-depth spoiler specials, and early, ad-free access to the regular show! Find out more at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer no
Episodes
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Adultery, This City Is Ours, and The Audacity. With guest Linda Cardellini
Inclement weather sends Steph into a rage this week, but thankfully isn’t enough to deter Crystal Lake star Linda Cardellini from swinging by the pod (32:24-42:10). Elsewhere, we find out what Boyd has been watching (and who he’s been seeing, and what’s on at the theatre), plus Steph mistakes…
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VisionQuest, Crystal Lake, and It Gets Worse. With guests Mike Flanagan, David Oyelowo & Hayley Atwell
Three (count them!) guests this week as horror maestro Mike Flanagan comes into the Pilot TV studio to chat all things Carrie (and much more besides) (37:45-1:01:49), Plus Treasure Island stars David Oyelowo and Hayley Atwell also drop by to tell us where X marks the spot (1:14:32-1:27:03).…
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Treasure Island, The Party, and Time. With very special guest host Russell T Davies
Steph is ill this week so we’ve drafted in a replacement host to cover her absence. That host? The Notorious RTD himself! Having just co-penned his memoir with one Boyd Hilton, Russell joins the pod to chat all about his storied career, what it’s like to work with Boyd and share the details of…
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Carrie, Kill Jackie, and Pierre. With guests Sienna Miller and Dominic West
On this week’s show, WAR stars Sienna Miller and Dominic West collar Boyd to talk their divorce drama on Sky Atlantic (48:50-1:01:51), plus we dissect the recent list of The New York Times’ 100 greatest TV shows of the 21st century. Show-wise, it’s Stephen King time again as Mike Flanagan has a...
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WAR, Break Clause, and Blue Lights. With guest Siân Brooke (and Ziggy)
We have a dog in the studio this week (very good boy 13/10) as guest Siân Brooke brings her miniature sausage dog Ziggy in to see us (and also to talk about the new series of Blue Lights on BBC1)(35:19-1:02:34). The rest of the show sees us banished to our respective homes, however, as we beam in...
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Youth, The Blame, and The Split Up. With guests Sharon Horgan, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren
On this week’s show we have a trio of guests as Sharon Horgan joins us to talk Youth on HBO Max (28:01-35:17), while Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan chat all things Mobland on Paramount+ (52:22-1:04:14). Elsewhere, we talk through the winners of this year’s Primetime Emmys, Steph reminisces about...
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American Hostage, Slow Horses, and Crew Girl. With guests Patrick Brammall and Sanjeev Bhaskar
We have a guest double show this week as not only does Boyd chat weith Sanjeev Bhaskar about The Split Up (1:09:19-1:25:55), but Patrick Brammall joins us in the studio to chat Lat Seen (and, let’s be honest, Colin From Accounts) (26:24-51:12). There were tears. Plus, we head back to the…
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Colin From Accounts, and The Gentlemen. With guests Paddy Young and Jack Shep
In this week’s podcast we discover precisely why Steph is playing the new Harry Potter (and why you should never visit the zoo during a heatwave), we take a trip back to the ‘90s in search of reboot fodder, plus Boyd launches into an extended discussion of Bond themes (which apparently ties back…
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Vigil, Trigger Point, and The Rainmaker
We’re off to the Arctic circle this week with the return of Rose Leslie and Suranne Jones’ investigative thriller Vigil on BBC1 (40:00), putting the ‘boom’ back in ITV with the return of VIcky McClure’s Trigger Point (48:07), and getting our Grisham on in the arrival of The Rainmaker, also on ITV...
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PLUS Dark Matter
Have a free episode of PilotTV+ on us! We’re back into the multiverse on this week’s Pilot+ as we delve into the second season of Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter on Apple TV+. And assuming that it is indeed the ‘real James, Boyd and Kay, the team also break open the postbag to tackle a series of...
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The Terror: Devil In Silver, Dog Park, and Fightland. With guests Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler
We have not one but two Green Lanterns on this week podcast as both Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler put up with James fanboying both over Lanterns on HBO Max and of course the fact that Chandler IS Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights (clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!) (39:38-1:00). Elsewhere...
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Lanterns, Ludwig, and Sunny Nights, plus Animation Education
We’re back to a full house this week as James returns from his holidays, and an even fuller house than that, in fact, as we have a surprise ringer parachuted into this week’s line-up. In a bid to address to the team’s ongoing reluctance to become au fait with animation, we’ve invited animation...
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House Of The Dragon Season 3 Spoiler Special. With showrunner Ryan Condal
As a special bonus, we're making our House Of The Dragon spoiler special available to everyone! For more of these, early, ad-free access to the main podcast and a second show every week, subscribe to Pilot+ for not very much money at all! www.empire.supportingcast.fm House Of The Dragon reached…
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The Shards, Hit Point, and Alley Cats
Apparently, it’s our 400th episode so to celebrate we invite special guest Darren, our esteemed editor, to join Kay, Steph and Boyd for the opening ‘What we’ve been watching’ segment, which is full of surprises. We also look back to the very first episode, before reviewing the Bret Easton...
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Possession, Benidorm Is Murder, and Lioness. With guest Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais is our guest this week, talking all things Alley Cats, and yes, it’s an animated show, but a very very adult one. We’re also celebrating James’ absence with another two-hander between Boyd and Kay who together review Possession with Gugu Mbatha-Raw on Sky & NOW, Benidorm Is Murder...
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The Vampire Lestat, Furious, and The Rapture
Furious is definitely the word for this week’s show. Not just because we’re reviewing the serial killer show of the same name on Disney+, but because that is a perfect summation of Steph’s mindset going in. As incandescent as we’ve ever seen her, Steph Hulked out over one of this week’s shows but...
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The Crow Girl, Ride Or Die, and The Hawk. With guest Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy is our guest in the studio this week, talking both her new show Lucky on Apple TV and her (and Steph’s) love of dogs (32:50-50:51). But that’s not all, because the team also talk through the TV teachers they wish had filled them with knowledge during their formative years and...
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The Westies, Ann Droid, and The Five Star Weekend. With guests JK Simmons and Tom Brittney
We finally unveil (in typically shambolic fashion) our shows of the year (so far) list in this week’s episode as an arcane mathematical formula is applied to our individual favourites, distilling them into the definitive (probably) top 10 of everything out in 2026 to-date (17:33). Plus JK Simmons...
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The Dark, Human Vapor, and X-Men ‘97. With guest Esther Smith
Esther Smith is our guest on this week’s show, talking all things Trying Season 5 (38:15-48:52). Plus we pick through the wreckage of the TV schedules this week to try and find shows that haven’t been consumed by the world cup, only to stumble across a Scottish crime drama in The Dark on ITV...
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The Bear, Silo, and Elle
Ever wondered what a ‘winter show’ looks like? Well fear not because Steph clues you in on this week’s show as we dive into another triad of televisual entertainment. First out of the gate this week is the final season of The Bear on Disney+ (51:06). Will the restaurant keep its doors open? Will...
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Sugar and The Agency
We’re down to two shows this week as the world cup (or embargoes, depending on who you ask) closes its vice-like grip on the airwaves. But what a pair they are: we’re back in the spy business with Michael Fassbender in the return of Paramount+’s espionage drama The Agency, and on the missing...
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House Of The Dragon and The Light In The Hall: Still Waters. With guest Javier Bardem
Thanks to the world cup (and a handful of embargoes), there are only two shows we can cover this week, but that’s okay because not only is one of the triumphant return of Game Of Thrones prequel spin-off House Of The Dragon (1:15:43), but the other is Welsh drama The Light In The Hall: Still…
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Cape Fear, Alice And Steve, and The Witness. With guests Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement
After being led astray within the liminal spaces between spaces in the Pilot TV office, Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement finally make their way to the studio this week to chat their new Disney+ comedy Alice And Steve (35:23-54:53), which we also review (1:10:45) this week. Plus we re-live our...
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Tip Toe, Two Weeks in August, and La Brea. With guest Russell T. Davies
The notorious RTD joins us on the podcast once more this week (31:27-58:11) as we take a look at his new show Tip Toe on Channel 4, which pits Alan Cumming against David Morrissey’s homophobic next door neighbour. Plus, we head off for a fornight in the sun with BBC1’s Two Weeks In August, and…
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Spider-Noir, Dear England, and The Boroughs. With Guests Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker
This week’s show has a decidedly football-oriented theme (sorry) and not just because Boydy was still on a high after Arsenal’s win but because James Graham’s award-winning theatre production Dear England lands on our screens (1:31:40), given the full BBC1 treatment. And along those lines, both...
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PONIES and Falling, with guests Emilia Clarke, Jon Bernthal & Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Two shows but three guests this week. Emilia Clarke comes into the Pilot studio to chat about her new cold-war espionage show PONIES on Sky (1:06:52-1:25:00). Plus, Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach also jump on to chat their surprise drop from The Bear, ‘Gary’ (38:07-49:32). And if that’s not...
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Rivals, Believe Me, Gary, and Off Campus. With guest Steve Coogan
Yes, we’re back in Rutshire this week as the team (well, one of us) gets to dive back into the world of Jilly Cooper’s bucolic shagathon for Rivals series 2 (1:32:54), speaking of which, we also explore the other sexy ice hockey drama with Off Campus on Prime (1:43:52), get surprised by an...
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The Cage, Secret Service, and Amandaland. With guest Jack Thorne
This week’s show sees us pick up some of last week’s biggies with Tony Schumacher’s heist drama The Cage on BBC1 (1:38:54), Gemma Arterton-starring spy show Secret Service on ITV (1:14:57), and the second series of Amandaland, which also lands on the Beeb (1:26:27). Plus uber-screenwriter Jack...
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Half Man, Prisoner, and Widow’s Bay. With guest Richard Gadd
Is it us or is it getting hot in here? No, it really is but only because Steph has been messing with the air conditioning in the studio (true). Luckily, this didn’t both Richard Gadd, who joins us on this week’s show to talk becoming a beefcake and scaring the shit out of Jamie Bell in his Baby...
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Criminal Record, Beef, and Mint. With guests Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo
Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo are on this week’s pod to talk Criminal Record season 2 on Apple TV, which we also review even though James wanted us to wait until he gets back from holiday next week because he’s watched the whole thing already. We also review Beef and Mint. That’s not a new cookery...
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Euphoria, Big Mood, and The Miniature Wife
Euphoria makes its long-awaited return to our screens this week, after a four year hiatus. But can it possibly meet Boyd’s lofty expectations when it lands on Sky/HBO Max (47:06)? And speaking of Sky, Matthew Macfadyen and Elizabeth Banks’ size-shifting comedy The Miniature Wife also lands on…
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The Testaments, 2026, and The Copenhagen Test. With guests Noah Wyle & Katherine LaNasa, Hugh Bonneville & Hugh Skinner
Guests abound once more this week as both Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa chat The Pitt with James (1:04:12-1:17:45), while Hughs Bonneville and Skinner recount their experiences making 2026 with Boyd (22:46-23:40). Meanwhile, we’re back in Gilead this week for The Testaments on Disney+ (1:17:45),...
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Babies, The ‘Burbs, and Your Friends And Neighbours. With guests Elisabeth Moss, Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King
This weeks show not only sees the wonderful Elisabeth Moss come in to the Pilot studio to natter with James, Boyd and (especially) Steph about Imperfect Women (7:29-33:33), but we also speak to Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King about the triumphant return of The Comeback (1:14:31-1:28:20)....
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The Pitt, Bait, and Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole
It’s quite the week this week as we go full Scandi noir with Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole on Netflix (1:10:20), adapting the author’s insanely popular Norwegian crime novels. Meanwhile, Riz Ahmed is exploring the life of a struggling actor in Bait on Prime Video (57:50), and after a year of waiting...
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Imperfect Women, A Woman Of Substance, and The Other Bennet Sister. With guests Ruth Jones and Ella Bruccoleri
It’s our (belated) International Women’s Day episode this week, with a trio of female fronted shows to tackle, from Imperfect Women on Apple (1:13:41), to A Woman Of Substance on Channel 4 (1:27:20), and The Other Bennet Sister on BBC1 (1:41:16) — for which we also speak to Ruth Jones and Ella...
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Rooster, Gone, and The Capture. With guests Kurt and Wyatt Russell
We have a Russell double bill this week as both Kurt and Wyatt join us on the pod to chat Monarch season 2 on Apple TV (33:38-54:47). Elsewhere, we’re getting in trouble on campus both with Steve Carrell in Rooster on Sky Comedy (1:03:47) and with David Morrissey in Gone on ITV1 (1:28:19). All…
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Marshals, Young Sherlock, and DTF St Louis. with guests Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin
Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin are our guests this week (42:50-55:12), chatting all things Vanished on Prime video. Plus, Steph gives her crime show recommendations for all you sofa sleuths, and we tackle this week’s trio of new (unembargoed) shows. Specifically… the latest addition to the...
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Paradise, Vanished, and Dirty Business. With guest Jennifer Garner
We may not have been able to review The Last Thing He Told Me last week but to address that injustice, Jennifer Garner popped into the Pilot TV studio this week to talk all about that show’s second season with Boydy (30:07-40:17). Elsewhere, we catch up with the latest events in Paradise on…
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The Walsh Sisters, Bridgerton, and The Night Agent. With guests Lisa McGee and Sinéad Keenan
Kay returns to the regular pod this week and (purely by coincidence) Nothing goes quite to plan as our intent to review The Last Thing He Told Me is thwarted by an inconvenient embargo. However, that’s okay because we manage to sub Bridgerton season 4 in as a last minute replacement. Elsewhere…
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Cross, Betrayal, and Small Prophets
Dad core reigns this week as we head over to Prime video for season 2 of Cross (55:24), then pivot to ITV for MI5 thriller Betrayal (1:06:55). Plus we peer into the psyche of Mackenzie Crook for his quirky new homunculus comedy Small Prophets (1:17:49). Meanwhile, Boyd beams in live from Santa...
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Waiting For The Out, His And Hers, and Silent Witness
It’s a slow week on the box but don’t let that put you off as we take the opportunity to fill some important gaps in our 2026 watch list, finally reviewing Waiting For The Out on BBC1 (55:16), catching up with batty crime thriller His And Hers on Netflix (1:07:12) and exploring just why Silent...
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Wonder Man, The Beauty, and Under Salt Marsh. With Ashton Kutcher, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos, Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Kelly Reilly & Rafe Spall
We have ALL the guests on this week’s show, including [deep breath] Ashton Kutcher, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos, Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall (31:40-50:19 and 1:23:58-1:36:53). But not all at once. Elsewhere, we come to the rescue of new Pilot listener Mel and do a deep...
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A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, Drops Of God, and After The Flood. With guests Idris Elba and Jim Field Smith
Hijack star and showrunner Idris Elba and Jim Field Smith are our guests this week, but they’re only the second most exciting additions to our line-up as this marks Steph’s debut as an official co-Pilot (if you don’t count last week’s Pilot+!). We try to ease her in gently with the latest Game of...
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Hijack, Starfleet Academy, and Industry. With guests Dawn French & Mark Heap, Konrad Kay & Mickey Down
We kick off the new year (for us, that is, you of course had a podcast last week) with a bevvy of guests on the show, corralling Industry showrunners Konrad Kay and Mickey Down (28:09-43:56) as well as Dawn French and Mark Heap (57:57-1:09:30), whose show Can You Keep A Secret is now showing on...
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The Night Manager, Run Away, and Red Eye. With guests Erin Doherty and Malachi Kirby
Merry New Year! Yes, it’s 2026 and — after years of hectoring from Boyd — we have a New Year episode of Pilot TV for your listening pleasure (one that may or may not have been recorded before we broke for Christmas). We tackle all the big New Year’s Day shows this episode, from Tom Hiddleston’s...
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Review Of The Year 2025
That’s all folks, 2025 is done and dusted. But you didn’t think we’d leave you all to see in the new year without a big old Pilot TV retrospective, did you? James, Boyd and Kay unveil the official Pilot TV Best Shows of 2025 list and go through it in forensic detail here, while also flagging any...
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The Lowdown, The Hunting Wives, and A Ghost Story For Christmas. With guests Paul Bettany and Will Sharpe
Paul Bettany and Will Sharpe don their frock coats for Amadeus on Sky and we speak to both of them on this week’s show as they chat all things Mozart with Boyd. Plus we wrap up a festive haul of shows for under your Christmas tree, taking a look at Mart Gatiss’ latest Ghost Story For Christmas…
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It: Welcome To Derry — An Empire Podcast Special, In Association With Warner Bros.
They all float down here. Now that It: Welcome To Derry, the prequel to Andy Muschietti's It Chapter One and It Chapter Two, has finished its eight-episode run, the Empire Podcast has teamed up with Warner Bros. to bring you a special episode in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer...
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Amadeus, The Revenge Club, and Imposter. With guest Martin Compston
We’re exacting righteous vengeance on love rat exes (not that Love Rat) in The Revenge Club on Paramount+ this week, and star Martin Compston joins us on the show for a chat about it as well. Elsewhere, Amadeus makes its debut on Sky Atlantic, pitting Mozart vs Salieri in a piano-off for the…
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Dark Winds, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, and Irish Blood
On this week’s podcast you’ll be devastated to hear that we are unable to review Taylor Swift: The End Of An Era, however don’t switch off, because we do manage to rustle up some alternatives. Dark Winds makes its return to U&Alibi (43:45)and includes what is arguably the best meta joke of the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
From the creators of The Empire Film Podcast, Pilot TV is your essential guide to every TV show that matters, providing a weekly rundown of all the new must-see TV shows dropping across streaming, terrestrial, satellite, cable, and beyond. Join Empire's James Dyer, Heat's Boyd Hilton, Steph Seelan, and Kay Ribeiro as they bring you breaking TV news, reviews of the week's major shows, and interviews with some of the biggest names in TV.
Pilot TV is here to make sure every minute you spend in front of the box is a minute worth spending. Served with a heavy helping of insider knowledge, irreverence and humour, Pilot TV won't just keep you informed, amused and entertained, but is guaranteed to save countless hours of your life. Because you can’t watch *everything*.
Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to Pilot+ for a bonus episode every Thursday, in-depth spoiler specials, and early, ad-free access to the regular show! Find out more at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer no
HOSTED BY
Empire Magazine
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Pilot TV have?
Pilot TV currently has 439 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Pilot TV about?
From the creators of The Empire Film Podcast, Pilot TV is your essential guide to every TV show that matters, providing a weekly rundown of all the new must-see TV shows dropping across streaming, terrestrial, satellite, cable, and beyond. Join Empire's James Dyer, Heat's Boyd Hilton, Steph Seelan,...
How often does Pilot TV release new episodes?
Pilot TV publishes regularly with 439 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Pilot TV?
You can listen to Pilot TV on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Pilot TV?
Pilot TV is created and hosted by Empire Magazine.
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