It’s another packed week on Geektown Radio, as Dave is joined by Darryl from Hollywood North News to chat about the latest TV, film and gaming news! This week, we’ve got reviews of Netflix’s genre-bending monster drama ‘Below’, Marvel’s ‘VisionQuest‘, and the latest seasons of ‘The Diplomat‘ and ‘Time‘. Plus, Dave has been sinking plenty of hours into Planet Zoo 2, although its rather buggy launch has made things interesting! On the news side, we discuss Ryan Coogler’s The X-Files reboot, the unlikely pairing of Nicolas Cage and Antonio Banderas for True Detective Season 5, and a whole host of renewals, cancellations and UK premiere dates.
Below, VisionQuest, The Diplomat & Planet Zoo 2
We kick things off with our usual look at what we’ve been watching and playing, and Darryl has been working his way through a rather eclectic collection of shows.
First up is ‘Below’, a six-part Netflix thriller starring Josh Hartnett (Penny Dreadful) and Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire), which begins as a fairly straightforward sea monster horror story set in a remote Canadian fishing community. However, as Darryl explains, it doesn’t stay that way for very long! Over its six episodes, the series apparently manages to bounce between creature horror, psychedelic supernatural drama, science fiction, and something resembling a Disney film about a person befriending an animal. Quite the genre identity crisis, but Darryl reckons it’s an entertaining ride!
Next, he checks out ‘Coven Academy‘, the new supernatural teen drama on Disney+, which follows a group of young witches and warlocks attending a magical boarding school in New Orleans. With its mix of vampires, teenage drama and supernatural mysteries, there are definite shades of ‘The Vampire Diaries’, ‘Legacies’ and ‘Charmed’, although the unusual 22-episode season, with episodes mostly running under 20 minutes, gives it a rather different feel.
Then there’s ‘Matchbox: The Movie’, starring John Cena (Peacemaker), which somehow turns Mattel’s little toy cars into an international espionage action movie. Darryl finds some enjoyment in the action sequences, although the connection to the original toys is, shall we say, somewhat tenuous. Apparently, owning a few Matchbox cars as a child is all the justification you need to become a globe-trotting super-spy!
Things improve considerably when Darryl gets to Marvel’s ‘VisionQuest’, which has launched on Disney+ with its first two episodes. He’s particularly impressed with the way the series brings White Vision’s story forward, along with the return of James Spader (The Blacklist) as Ultron and some rather wonderful AI characters.
Dave, having already seen all eight episodes ahead of his interview with showrunner Terry Matalas, agrees enthusiastically. Without giving anything away, he explains why he thinks it ranks alongside ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Loki’ as one of Marvel’s strongest television projects.
Darryl also catches up with ‘Neagley’ on Prime Video, and both hosts agree that the spin-off delivers some excellent character work, strong plotting and a more satisfying balance of action and story than the most recent season of ‘Reacher’.
Meanwhile, Dave has been busy with Planet Zoo 2, the sequel to the zoo management game which consumed well over a thousand hours of his life the first time around. The good news is that the new building tools, aviaries, aquariums and improved scenery systems are fantastic. The bad news is that the launch has been plagued by bugs, including some which have blocked progress through the career mode. Dave explains what’s working, what’s broken, and why he’s still optimistic about the game’s future.
On the TV side, Dave has finished Season 4 of Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’, starring Keri Russell (The Americans), which continues to deliver a brilliant mixture of political thriller and dark comedy. He also reviews the third series of BBC prison drama ‘Time’, starring David Tennant (Doctor Who), which moves the action into a young offenders institution. It’s another superb piece of television, although definitely not something to watch if you’re looking for a cheerful evening!
The X-Files, True Detective & More TV News
Moving into the news, there are plenty of renewals and cancellations to discuss.
The BBC has decided to rest ‘DIY SOS’ after 27 years, although a new spin-off revisiting previous builds is planned. Meanwhile, Prime Video has cancelled ‘The Rig’ after two seasons.
On the brighter side, ‘The Split Up’ is returning for a second series, ‘Waterloo Road’ has been renewed through Series 20, and Apple TV has commissioned a second season of ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’. HBO has also announced the surprise return of ‘Girls’, with Lena Dunham reuniting the original cast for a five-episode revival.
Elsewhere, we discuss the return of ‘Friends’ to Channel 4, the upcoming vampire comedy ‘Eternally Yours’, and ITV’s acquisition of ‘The Galway Bay Murders’, which rather wonderfully brings together two Star Trek veterans, Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager) and Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
There’s also a premiere date for ‘Frisco King’, the ‘Tulsa King’ spin-off starring Samuel L. Jackson (Secret Invasion), alongside the first trailer for the new ‘Baywatch’ series, featuring Stephen Amell (Arrow) as the grown-up Hobie Buchannon.
Prime Video has ordered ‘Rally’, a new YA tennis drama from The Vampire Diaries creator Julie Plec and tennis legend Andre Agassi. Dave and Darryl discuss whether the premise has enough appeal to survive in Prime Video’s notoriously tricky YA drama landscape.
Then we get to one of the week’s more intriguing casting announcements, with Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) and Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro) confirmed as the leads for ‘True Detective’ Season 5.
The new season will take the anthology series to Jamaica Bay in New York, with Night Country showrunner Issa López returning. Beyond the two characters’ names, details remain rather thin on the ground, but it’s certainly an interesting pairing!
Apple TV’s ‘Down Cemetery Road’ has also been adding an impressive collection of actors to its second season, including Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) and Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), joining returning leads Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) and Ruth Wilson (Luther).
Finally, we get into Ryan Coogler’s reboot of ‘The X-Files’, which has officially been ordered to series by Hulu, with Disney+ confirmed as its UK home.
The reimagining stars Danielle Deadwyler (Station Eleven) and Himesh Patel (Station Eleven) as two FBI agents assigned to a long-shuttered department investigating unexplained phenomena.
However, one rather large question remains. Is this a complete reboot, or does it exist in the same universe as Mulder and Scully?
With original creator Chris Carter involved as an executive producer, there’s certainly scope for connections to the original series. Dave and Darryl discuss whether following the approach of the recent ‘Quantum Leap’ revival might be the best solution, allowing the new show to establish its own mythology without completely ignoring everything that came before.
Although, given the increasingly convoluted alien conspiracy plotlines of the original, perhaps leaving some of that mythology buried wouldn’t be the worst idea!
What’s Coming To UK TV?
As always, we finish with our look at the biggest shows arriving on UK television over the coming week.
Highlights include the return of ‘The Terminal List’ on Prime Video, Channel 4’s new comedy ‘It Gets Worse’, and ‘The Audacity’, a Silicon Valley drama arriving on HBO Max from writer Jonathan Glatzer.
Netflix brings back ‘Lupin’ for a fourth season, while BBC One launches ‘The Northumbria Mysteries’, a new daytime detective drama set against the beautiful Northumberland countryside.
Paramount+ has new seasons of ‘Boston Blue’ and ‘Sheriff Country’, while ITV premieres Danny Brocklehurst’s relationship drama ‘Adultery’.
Finally, BBC One brings back the acclaimed Liverpool crime drama ‘This City Is Ours’ for its second series.
There’s certainly plenty to keep you occupied, assuming you can find the time to watch it all!
We also have a little podcast housekeeping this week. Dave’s full interview with ‘VisionQuest’ showrunner Terry Matalas is now available on the Geektown YouTube channel, with an audio version also in the podcast feed. Plus, there’s a special Halloween episode of Geekstorians on the way!
Dave and Darryl will also be heading to MCM London Comic Con this weekend, so next week’s Geektown Radio will be a little different, featuring interviews recorded at the event before we return to our usual format the following week.
You can find Darryl and his coverage of Canadian-produced television over at Hollywood North News, while Matt’s various podcasts are available at Entertainment Talk, and Domingos’ film and TV coverage can be found at The Sunday Film Club.
Geektown Radio Episode 506 is available now on your favourite podcast platform and below!
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