Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio | Harry & Meghan | Plebs | Something from TIffany's

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Well, hello and welcome to Binge Watch, the podcast where we take a look at the hottest new TV and film releases on streaming television platforms. I'm Hannah Fernando, the editor of Woman magazine. And I'm Ian McEwan, writer on TV and Satellite Week magazine at what's watch.com. And today, we're looking at the new releases for the week starting Friday the 9, December 20, 222. From Guillermo del Toro's new animated version of Pinocchio on Netflix to the offerings on new streaming service iTVX, including a feature length finale to Roman comedy clubs.

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We'll also be looking at Festive Romcom, something from Tothany's on Prime Video, but most importantly, Harry and Meghan making headlines absolutely everywhere. But first, Ian, what is in the news? Anne Hathaway and Selma Hayek Pirro will play bitter rivals who are forced to work with each other. We know all about that, Hannah, don't we? In Netflix's Cecil Monster, which is adapted from Kotaro Isaka's 2019 book What Else is the News?

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Hannah And Oscar winner Spike Lee is set to direct an as yet untitled prime video drama following university students on an Intent Officer training program that's set to be a good one. I reckon we've got an embarrassment of riches this week, Hannah. There's so much good new stuff that we can't take it all in. But we will give you a quick name check for some of the other shows that we weren't able to preview but you should look out for. We're going to start I've been looking forward to this on Netflix.

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It's a new animated feature film from the director Guillermo del Toro. It's called Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. I think you'll recognize that name. And here's a clip. I want to tell you a story.

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It's a story you may think you know, but you don't.

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Over there. What is that?

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Papa. It's big. He's just a puppet. No, I'm not. I'm a real boy.

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So, of course, we all remember the classic Disney animation about the wooden puppet who comes to life, which doesn't actually get shame very much. Hannah, I don't know if it's available on Disney Plus. You would probably know that. Well, Guillermo del Toro, who's one of my favorite directors, he has made films such as The Shape of Water. He did the hellboy.

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Franchise. Pans Labyrinth. I mean, they're all great. And we also dipped into his Cabinet of Curiosities recently, his horror anthology. Well, he has now done a stop motion version of the story of Pinocchio.

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Of course, there was a live action version quite recently which starred Tom Hanks. That was on Disney Plus. Now, in this, we get the backstory of how Geppetto lost his son during the war. He makes Pinocchio and del Toro introduces these quiet, characteristic looking they're almost like Godlike creatures. There's one sort of in an underworld and then there's another one who decide to give Gippetto the gift of this living puppet, Pinocchio, who really looks like he is roughly made from a tree trunk, doesn't he?

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Interestingly. It sets in 1930s Italy under the rule of Benito Mussolini, the Fascist dictator who does make an appearance. Now, there's some great voice artists in this, I have to say. So you have David Bradley as Chippetto from the Harry Potter films. You and Reggregor, always instantly recognizable that he plays SebastIan J.

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Cricket, who is Pinocchio's conscience. And the best of all, you've got Christoph Voltz, who's been in a few Tarantino movies. He plays Count Volpe, who is the carnival impresario who sees Pinocchio as a way to make money. You'll also hear the voice of Kate Blanchett and also Tilda Swinton. So pretty good voice cast, but it's a very moving story.

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I must admit, it did move me to tears. It's wonderful. The circus stuff is great. The ItalIan political backdrop is well done as well. Fascinating.

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Because, of course, he set Panzel Labyrinth during the Spanish Civil War, didn't he? So I was looking forward to this. I absolutely loved it. I thought it was superb. What did you think, Hannah?

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It's brillIant. Absolutely brillIant. You always kind of worry with things like this that originals aren't kind of your memory is the original and you love it and it's going to be ruined. And I think it's funny because Disney does it a lot and they make them just better and bigger and often more scary. This just seems to bring to life the story really well.

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You're kind of captivated from the very beginning and like you say, there's some great names in there, just from a voiceover perspective, and I quite enjoyed trying to guess who they all were. But as you say, you and McGregor as Pinocchio's conscience does an absolutely great job and he's easily identifiable. For me. It will go down in history. It's just one of the greats, isn't it?

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It absolutely, absolutely brillIant. I kind of think everybody needs to watch this. Agreed. And some terrific songs in it as well, I should add. Now everyone's talking about it and everyone's been looking forward to it.

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It dropped this Thursday with three episodes. The new Harry and Meghan documentary on Netflix. Before you tell us all about it, here's a clip. It's really hard to look back on it now and go, what on earth happened? You hear that?

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That is the sound of heartsbreaking all around the world. She's becoming a royal rock star.

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And then everything changed. So this feels like it's been a long time coming, doesn't it? We had the two trailers that were dropped prior to the first three episodes and the second three episodes are dropping a week later. And GunnAn only knows what they will say. But this really has caused a stir and the media are calling it Harry and Megan's War on the Royals and the Media.

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And to be honest with you, it is pretty shocking. I mean, there's absolutely no doubt about it. We're used to the royals not really saying anything at all. And here they are, one of their very own, removing themselves from the family, enjoying the trappings of what that's brought them doubtlessly, and then creating a reality television show. Now, some would say the irony is lost on them, given that they were the ones who wanted some privacy and wanted to get away from the Royal family.

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And yet here they are with their own very own reality series. And it's shocking. I say it's shocking, actually. I will remove that because I don't think there's anything more that we've learned here, or particularly more than what we learned in the Oprah Winfrey interview that they originally did that caused a big stir at the time. But this is their truth, this is their version of events.

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And as I say, they sort of rake over old ground in a lot of instances. Harry likened Megan to DIana, his mother, that she's hounded by the press. I think the press will have quite a lot to say about that. And already you can see bits and pieces being pulled apart and various people trying to debunk a lot of what they're saying. Suggestion that she's been chased by paparazzi.

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Yet the footage used was from premieres, from times where they invited the press. So they talk about consistency. Arguably, it's a little bit inconsistent, but there is no doubt that this is making column inches across the globe. And I think it will be a case now of waiting to see how people feel about that. I think the British are feeling slightly crossed about it.

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It feels very hurtful, given this was the year that we lost our Great Queen. And I think it feels probably a bit tasteless, to be perfectly honest with you. And we've also got Harry's book, which is due out at the very beginning of January, which no doubt will include some more truth bombs. So I think we're going to get a lot of column inches from this and it will be interesting to see what they've got left in the last three episodes, because what would be nice, and I think what everyone have a lot of respect for, is if they carved out something for themselves. I think you need to start moving forward rather than looking back.

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And as I say, this does seem to be a bit of a war on the media and on the Royal Family, and you can only imagine how they might be feeling today. And I do question the Queen rarely put out any statements, but I do question whether the New Monarchy will be looking to put something out, because this is damaging. It is damaging. What did you think? Him I am no fan of the Monarchy or the Royals, but I watched the first episode and I did find it very interesting.

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And there is this FaustIan pact. We have this bizarre system where this one family is elevated above everyone else just because of their DNA and given lots of money and palaces. But the other side of the bargain is they get horrific press intrusion. I've always thought that Prince Harry is probably the most normal of the royals. He's the most relatable, he's relatively like someone from everyday life.

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And if you watch the footage in episode one of him as a little boy walking behind his mother's coffin and she died while being chased by the paparazzi, and he's being forced to go and talk to the crowds, he's very, very young. It doesn't take a therapist who understands why he would be incredibly angry and very protective of anyone else who comes into his life. So it's perfectly understandable why he doesn't want that press intrusion. And that goes with being part of the firm. There's a lot of trends over a lot of old ground, isn't it, the initial three episodes.

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But what I really enjoyed was seeing him and Megan, their first trip together when they barely knew each other, really, they went to Botswana and just seeing the work that he did in Africa and how important that was to him. And it's very much a couple in love, which is very touching. And when you see them together now and then, they're just very natural together. Whereas you remember with Prince Charles, with DIana, when he was asked, Are you in love? He said, yes, whatever love is.

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So, although, yeah, I'm a Republican, I will put that out there. I don't think we should have a royal family, but I did find this interesting and I very much sympathize with Harry and Meghan, and I think the press in this country have stirred up a lot of hatred against them, which is really bad. So, yeah, you can watch The Crown oh, my goodness, there. Oh, my goodness. You can watch the crown on Netflix, which is wonderful.

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But if you want to see the documentary version, here it is, and I'm looking forward to that. The other episodes will drop later, won't they? But, yeah, well worth alert. Whether or not you're a monarchist, it's still really interesting and it's part of our national story. So, yeah, recommend it.

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As I said, it's a very busy week and one of the biggest stories of the week is the arrival of iTVX, which is ITV's new streaming platform. It's going to replace the hub. You can either opt to watch the content with Adverts, which is free, or you can subscribe and have it without. It will also give you access to BritBox. And there's some good stuff, some good new material coming up.

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So landing this Thursday, we had Aspire among Friends, which is drama about a notorious traitor starring DamIan Lewis and Guy Pierce. So it's all about Mi Six agent, Kim Philby, who defected to the Soviet Union in 1963. So, yeah, terrific star power in that. But what I've picked out to talk to you about Hannah today is a feature length finale to one of my favorite comedies, Plebs. And here's a clip.

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We're gonna war, baby.

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Not ideal. Yeah, you got an arrow in your I don't know what they're up against. Plebs Soldiers of Rome, available late of December. Stream free on iTVX. Yes.

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So it's a fond farewell to the comedy Plebs, which is set in ancient Rome. It features Tom Rosenthal, of course, from Friday night dinner. He plays Marcus. You have aurelius is played by Tom Bastin, who is the series creator. It's a very funny sitcom, historical sitcom.

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And in this finale, the boys decide. So there's Groomio, the slave marcus, Jason and Aurelius. They decide to join the army. Peace has been declared across the Empire and they think if they join the army, it'd be a really cushy number and everyone will look up to them. They'll get lots of girls and they'll get lots of free food and drink because that's what they are seeing happening with the other Roman soldiers.

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However, unfortunately for them, suddenly there's a rebellion on an outpost of the Empire and they're sent to the front line. So it's very funny. Got some great guest stars as well. You've got Patrick Baladi, who's been in loads of things since he was in the office, but he plays the Roman general and they have the leader of the barbarIans. The joke is that the barbarIans are much more civilized than the Romans.

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And you have this guy called Carrie Conradi. I think he's a big star in Norway, I think I'm right saying that. So he's playing the barbarIan leader as a sort of Sven Goran Ericsson type, very urbane character. If you've not seen Plebs, you should check it out, because I think it was an ITV hub. So it will now all be on ITV X.

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It's a really funny series. I think it's up there with the likes of Black Adder and sort of a similar vibe to Life Of BrIan, perhaps. Even so, it's very good quality, consistently funny, loads of gags in there, good performances, great characters, and you don't need to have seen the series before to enjoy this feature length finale. So, yeah, dip in. What did you think, Hannah?

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I was going to say exactly the same as you. I think it is kind of up there with the Black Adder. And I'm going to say something now which really is divisive. I do not like black hair, which my husband think is what has got into you this week. Never go on the record saying that.

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And I just have. So there we go.

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Is funny and people will like it. And I know that I am one of the few that are not breaking on things like Black Hat. I do like Life Of BrIan, though, and it probably does sit somewhere between the two, like you say. But, yeah, it is funny. I've watched this, I didn't watch much of it on ITV, previously, but, yeah, give it a go and see if you feel like I do.

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Okay, fair enough. Christmas is coming, of course, Hannah. So we thought we'd better include something a little bit festive in this week's Pod and it's on Amazon Prime Video. It's a romcom you're going to tell us about. It called something from Tiffany's.

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And here is a clip.

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I know that love is messy. If you just give me one more chance, I will be so much better. It feels like he's really trying. Does that mean that I have to start being nice to him or something? Because I can't do it, I don't think.

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Not every relationship is simple. So a lovely bumcom, as you say, totally the right time for Christmas. This is such an easy view and just absolutely does what it says on the tin. It kind of hasn't reinvented the wheel, it just is what it is. And this really does get you in the mood for Christmas.

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There are two couples that we're tracking, one couple who are not really ready to tie the knot, and another couple who are ready to tie the knot at that point in their relationship. And the two guys go to Tiffany's to buy jewelry, one an engagement ring and one a pair of earrings, and they get mixed up. And that's when the complications begin, as one of them particularly goes to try and find the engagement ring that he didn't take home with him. And there's nice looking people in it. That helps.

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It's very easy on the eye. You've got Zoe Deutsch and Ray Nicholson, who played Rachel and Gary. They're the two that they're happy enough, but they're not ready to tie the knot.

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He seems kind of younger. He's definitely not at that point. So when she opens, spoiler alert, here the box, and it's not what he's expecting, she says, I don't know what to say, and he's like, Neither do I. And then you've got Ethan, Vanessa, who are played by Kendrick Sampson and Shay Mitchell, and they are ready to make that commitment. But when he goes off to try and find that ring, what happens next?

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You can probably guess and you are probably right, but it's really sweet, it's really lovely and it's really Christmassy. So get a glass of red, kick back and watch this and feel the Christmas spirit. Well, this is the sort of thing I would normally run a mile from, I have to admit, but I I really liked it. I thought it was delightful. And just the premise of so that one of the guys who's gone for a real cheapscape present, he rushes out of Tiffany's, the famous store, and he's hit by a car.

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So the other chap goes to help him and that's where these little blue bags get swapped over by accident. And Gary, who's a bit flaky, really, as a character, when his girlfriend opens this engagement ring, he doesn't say, oh, no, that's not your present. He decides just to go along with the deception and get engaged. So, yeah, I thought it was really nicely done. A little bit of a Sleepless in Seattle vibe, perhaps, but, yeah, really nicely played.

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And then Ethan has a daughter who who was very good in this. And I think the scene stealing performance, I don't know the actress's name, forgive me. But also, why do these characters, these female characters in these sort of romcoms, why do they always run bakeries? Tell me that. Anyway, Zoe Deutsch's, business partner at the bakery, has some great she doesn't like the boyfriend at all.

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The the flaky boyfriend. And she has some very, very funny lines. Yeah. So it's will true love triumph in the end. I'm not going to reveal that.

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Spoiler, Anna. People will just have to find out themselves. But if you're looking for a romcom with a light touch, it's got some laughs in it. It's got a bit of heart, as you say. Everyone looks gorgeous.

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Yes, surprisingly enjoyable. Now we've got to that time. Hannah yes. Again, will you tell us what you've been tuning into this week? Much of my time has been watching Harry and Meghan, because you can't move for it, can you, really?

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We won't start that debate again, but, yeah, no, I have been watching that and I'm looking forward to watching the next three to see what new, hopefully new revelations they might have. I don't seem to be so far, so let's hope there's something new there. Also, though, the children have been wanting us to watch some Christmas movies, so I went and watched Home Alone. And you know what? So many films age, but that just seems to age like a fine wine.

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It really does. It so good. So, yeah, I'm watching Christmasy stuff and Home Alone was one of them. How about you? Well, so much regular stuff going on.

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Football, strictly, of course, MasterChef goggle box. Once I've got through all that, like you, I went back to an old favorite. I watched School of Rock on Netflix with Jack Black, which is just always fun, isn't it? It's absolutely delightful. We've just got time to look ahead to what we're going to be talking about next week.

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Hannah, so what's on the binge watch menu? David Tennant is back and he's playing the real life RussIan defector who was assassinated on British soil in iTVX drama Vanenko. And Katheriner Zeta Jones turns baddie in Disney. Plus's, new action adventure film spin off series National Treasure Edge of History. So we look forward to those and more.

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But in the meantime, what you before we sign off this week, as promised, a quick roundup of the shows we weren't able to COVID in this week's podcast on Paramount. Plus, there's a couple of musical offerings. The drama series George and Tammy, starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, tells the story of married country music legends George Jones and Tammy Winnett. That's well worth a watch. And the Rockumentary Liam Gallagher Medworth, 22, sees the former Oasis frontman return to the scene of one of the band's most famous gigs as a solo performer on iTVX.

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Carla Simone Spencer plays a maid accused for murder in the GeorgIan period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton, and the provocative teen drama Tell Me Everything explores the stresses to mental health caused by social media. Finally on Apple TV plus, Will Smith's first outing since his Oscar slap sees him playing a runaway slave in the feature film Emancipation. See you next week.