Spartacus, Man vs Baby, Revenge, and F1

Hannah Fernando: 00:00:00

Foreign. 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 group editor of Woman and Woman and Home magazine.

Ian MacEwan: 00:00:16

th December: 2025

Less than two weeks to Christmas, Hannah, including the return of Rowan Atkinson in Netflix comedy man vs Baby and more Blood and Sand in Spartacus House of Assure on MGM as the Sword and Sandals gladiator franchise returns.

Hannah Fernando: 00:00:50

And we'll also be joining Martin Compston and fellow divorcees for some payback in their Revenge club on Paramount. And getting behind the wheel as F1, the movie starring Brad Pitt roars off the grid on Apple tv. But first, in what is in the.

Ian MacEwan: 00:01:05

News, Rafe Spall, Jenna Coleman and Catherine Kelly will star in Steven Moffat's Channel 4 comedy drama Number 10, set inside the Prime Minister's Downing street residence. What else is in the news, Hannah?

Hannah Fernando: 00:01:18

Well, Apple TV series Margot's Got Money Troubles will star Elle Fanning as college dropout and aspiring writer Margot alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman as her par.

Ian MacEwan: 00:01:30

Lovely stuff. Well, let's crack on with the fun. We're going to start on Paramount plus with a new six part drama series called the Revenge Club. And here's a clip.

Welcome to Divorce Support Circle. We're here to figure out how to stop being angry and start moving on. My old man said that when women reach 40, you'll go mad. Cheers to that.

So your best friend stole your husband.

Hannah Fernando: 00:02:04

He took my dad, my job and my home. If you could rush for anything, what would it be? Get them out of my house.

Ian MacEwan: 00:02:14

I enjoyed this one. It's all about a disparate group of people who have all come to a class that is aimed to sort of support you as you're going through a divorce.

And, and, yeah, give you closure and the ability to move on. Okay, so you've got Amy Fion Edwards from Slow Horses. She plays Emily whose husband has cheated on her.

And they have Line of Duty's Martin Compston as Callum, a roofer who has a daughter with his estranged partner. You've got Douglas Henschel from Shetland as Steve, who's an ex army man. You caught Sharon Rooney as well, Amira Sayal. Oh, they're all in there.

It's great. So, yes, the idea is that they'll you know, come to terms with.

With, you know, their betrayal or whatever's happened to cause the divorce with their partner. But they all go to the pub after the first meeting and they all agree that they want revenge.

So first up is, yeah, Emily basically wants to, yeah, get her own back on her husband and get him out of the Marathal home, you know, which she made lovely for them. And now he's living in it. So a plan is hatched and they all have different skills.

So, yeah, this Tej, played by Sex Education's Chanel Cullard, is really good at tech. Then, of course, Steve is an ex military guy, so he's got good organizational skills.

And Sharon Rooney's Rachel is good at kind of role play, so she's good at kind of impersonating people in these complex setups. Stings, if you like. So, yeah, it's. It's got. It's got a darkly comic tone and I think each week one person will aim to get their revenge and they'll.

They'll plan some operation. However, you suspect from episode one that it's going to end in tears. Yes. And more. Anyway, yeah, I thought this was great fun.

It's got a really good cast and it's a fun idea. Yeah, good stuff. What did you think, Hannah?

Hannah Fernando: 00:04:33

Oh, I think it's really brilliant, as you say. It's a bit of a dark comedy, isn't it? But I feel like it's massively relatable. And I also think. I don't know about you, actually.

Probably not because you're not working in women's lifestyle magazines as such, but we get PR releases a lot about this time of year and relationships and people finding things out, office Christmas parties, that kind of thing.

And in fact, actually, we were talking at work yesterday about it and people finding out and then gathering all the evidence and you know, the old saying, revenge is a dish best served cold is kind of really the basis of all of this, isn't it, really? Which is just to kind of get all that together and then go back and kind of sock it to them. But we all know that it's not quite.

Your emotions are involved. You might be angry, but you're equally as upset.

So I think a lot of people in their lifetime probably have been through something that is relatable in this, whether some. They've cheated, someone's cheated on them, or whatever they've done to. To betray them. So I think. I think. I think it's really good, as you say.

I mean, it was. It's very obvious from the, from the first episode that things aren't going to end well.

But I mean, when were they ever going to with this sort of scenario? But yeah, I thought it was, it was really fun. Six parts as well.

Ian MacEwan: 00:05:50

Don't get mad, get even.

Well, one of the great things about streaming platforms is that they quite quickly give you the chance to see blockbuster movies that you didn't manage to see in the cinema. And it's very much the case this week because F1, the movie lands on Apple TV, which I've not seen. And here's a clip.

Hannah Fernando: 00:06:18

When you look in the mirror, you see this rough and tumble old school cowboy. Doesn'T take orders, goes his own way.

Ian MacEwan: 00:06:31

Huh?

Hannah Fernando: 00:06:36

A lone wolf. Well, I have news for you. Formula one is a team sport, it always was. Listen, let's get this straight.

We all lose our jobs if you can't pull off a mirror coat.

Ian MacEwan: 00:06:59

No pressure.

Hannah Fernando: 00:07:00

Yes.

So I also hadn't seen it on the big screen and I now got it to watch, to preview for this and I actually quite like F1 and I know that a lot of people that have done articles on this are people that don't watch F1 and they talk about it from that sort of perspective, which I think is an interesting one because do you really want to watch this if you don't like F1? And the answer is actually yes, it's for everybody. But it's not really what I expected. So if you look at the sort of the trailers with this, you see.

The real drama. I mean, this is Apple tv. So it's properly dramatic, it's properly curated really well and you know, it's kind of the thoughts in the driver's head.

Brad Pitt, there's a bit of a backstory with him because he used to be a brilliant racing driver.

Kind of left the left, the industry fell off the, you know, came off the, went off the rails, wasn't living the best life and then comes back to it later in life. So you've suddenly got this brilliant racing driver up against the youngsters, sort of pit two men against each other, which is quite unusual.

It's usually two women, isn't it, in scenarios that are pitted against each other. But in this one it's two men. Course, Brad Pitt does bring it to the party.

He's attractive, he's, he's good at what he does and he has got a real sheer kind of cheesy arrogance in this, which it just sort of works. But it starts sort of giving you that you don't see the old days.

You don't see when he was younger, you don't see how he used to drive particularly, which would have been quite nice to see but I guess tricky to do. And then you see him kind of working his way, his way through trying to get some money again I suppose. And then an old.

Colleague of his owns a racing team and brings him back and that's what happens. And it is quite cheesy. It's really well done. I really, I really enjoyed it.

But this is somebody who probably shouldn't succeed because he's older in this industry I should say because when do you see much older F1 drivers? You don't succeeding and being somebody who's showing the youngsters how to do it if you like. But the kind of. Sheer want to win.

It's very pacey at times. As I say it is a little bit cheesy. It's quite dramatic and unnecessarily again at times. But.

I thought it was really good and I don't think you need to be an F1 lover to watch it. What do you think, Ian?

Ian MacEwan: 00:09:32

I agree. I really liked it actually. I was pleasantly surprised. And it's sort of the drive to survive effect, isn't it? Because.

Because that has hugely increased the popularity of F1 globally.

And I was a bit worried because F1 are actually involved in this film and I think Lewis Hamilton is an executive producer or something and you see some of the, the F1 drivers in the film. So I kind of thought if that's such a great idea. But it's, it's great, it's really, it's quite hokey as you say.

This idea that this guy who's a sort of grizzled veteran coming back. It's a perfect role for Brad Pitt. He is, he's terrific in it. And yeah he's, he's paired with this younger driver and it's.

Yeah, you've got the training montage, it's hilarious. So the younger driver's like using all the, all the technology to get fit and he's really into the social media stuff.

Whereas Brad of course is just doing like one armed push ups and running, going out jogging and yeah, it's very funny the racing, it's really exciting.

It looks great and what they do, which is quite clever because obviously as you said, a lot of people who watch this, they're going to watch it because Brad Pitt's in it for starters. They may not know anything about F1 and F1 is quite complicated. So the nuances of pit stops and tyre choice and all that kind of thing.

So they have someone sort of giving the race voiceover, explaining very clearly as if to the crowd, the F1 crowd, what is happening when say the safety car is deployed or someone does a pit stop. And so that's quite useful I think. You've got some good supporting cars.

You've got Javier Bardem is the owner, the team owner who brings Brad Pitt's character back. You got Tobias Menzies as a board member and you've got the wonderful Kerry Condon from the Banshees of Inisherin.

And she really lifts it, I think, because she's a strong woman on the F1 team. And it's quite a macho world, isn't it? F1. And she's got a good, good interplay with, with Brad Pitt I think in quite a few scenes.

So yeah, I mean it's definitely cheesy. It's quite kind of old school movie making. And you know, hokey in places. But I, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I must say. I thought it was great.

Over on MGM we have a new drama series called Spartacus House of Asshur. And here's a clip.

Hannah Fernando: 00:12:15

One day you may recount grand tales.

Ian MacEwan: 00:12:17

Of glory in the arena.

Hannah Fernando: 00:12:23

These are the hands that saw Spartacus to deserve it end.

Ian MacEwan: 00:12:28

You find yourself elevated from slave to dominus of your own house, the House of Ashen. This voice blemished by constant defeat in the game.

Hannah Fernando: 00:12:39

It's the best the House of Asses could conjure.

Ian MacEwan: 00:12:43

Yes, I am Spartacus. Hannah, as you know, this is a 10 episode series and it's part of the Spartacus TV franchise.

Now a number of TV characters have controversially been brought back from the dead over the years, haven't they, Hannah? Yes. And this, this is another case of that strange phenomenon. So there was an ex gladiator called.

Fans of the franchise will know there was an ex gladiator called Ashur who's played by Nick E. Tarrabey and he betrayed Spartacus and he was decapitated on Mount Vesuvius. Yes. Yeah. However, in this latest addition to the franchise, the Syrian, the scheming Syrian, he didn't die in that way.

He actually was rewarded for giving up Spartacus and he now has his own gladiator training school. So yeah, so you have to get past that. But you know, it's not such a problem really, is it?

So I mean this franchise is all about very violent slow motion gladiator fights that, that are really gory. And that's what it's selling. And it's, you know, quite a lot of nudity as well, bad language.

So I'm sure if you've watched the previous series, you're going to enjoy this. And for instance. Oh, well, there's something a little bit new in this because Ashur, he, in a sort of fit of pique, he kills his best gladiator.

He's kind of showing off, but he needs a really good gladiator to compete in the local Colosseum. And he spots this female slave, Achillea, played by Tanika Davis, and decides to train her up to become his top gladiator. So you've got that. Yeah.

You've got the usual. Yeah, really gory but very exciting and incredibly well shot gladiator contest. Some unusual contests in episode one, I'll say that.

But yeah, they also do this. The way the script has been written, they're trying to go for this sort of old school way of speaking.

It's a time will come when gladiators stand in arena and it's all a bit weird, just. I think they should have done it with the modern sort of, modern way of speaking it, it's just a bit, a bit stilted.

But anyway, if you like Spartacus and all those spin offs, yeah, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's more of the same, basically, but suspend your disbelief. What did you think, Hannah?

Hannah Fernando: 00:15:37

I absolutely hated it. I'm not gonna lie.

Ian MacEwan: 00:15:43

Oh, dear.

Hannah Fernando: 00:15:45

This is not for me. Absolutely not.

I mean, apart from the fact that we're just two weeks before Christmas now, this is the least Christmassy thing that could possibly come to mind. And the idea that you're feeling warm and fluffy and wonderful, that. That's just a starting point of hatred for it.

However, it's, it's, it's just too. Putting it bluntly, it's too gory. For me, it's the nudity and the language, fine, whatever. But it's just relentless, I think is the word.

It's just relentless the whole way through. And some people will like that. But I do think it's quite Marmite, something like this. And for me it's just not something happened in the background.

It's something the kids can't be around for, obviously. And there are lots of things like that I appreciate. But it's taking time from a kind of really sort of practical point of view.

I've got to kind of carve out time to watch this and I don't think I'd carve out time, particularly this time of year, to watch it. And the other thing, and you absolutely nailed it when you said this old school speaking. It's not just weird, it's annoying.

It's kind of like the whole way through, why are you doing this? And it feels like it's. It's doing it for the sake of doing it. A bit like the goriness. I just don't think it's necessary to have quite that much.

It's like, how much gorier and how much more grim can we be to create some kind of drama and effect here? And in the end, as we all know, when you're just faced with that, it becomes white noise. It doesn't have the impact that you originally wanted.

And for me, that's exactly what this was. It didn't have any impact. I kind of wanted to just switch off and disengage.

Ian MacEwan: 00:17:17

Well, there is some good news, Hannah, because we're going to finish with something very Christmassy on Netflix. It's the comedy series man vs Baby. And here's a clip. Hello. Sorry to bother you, sir. We're making inquiries about a missing baby.

Hannah Fernando: 00:17:35

A baby? A misplaced baby. What do you mean? Dad, what are you doing?

Ian MacEwan: 00:17:39

Trevor, It's a bit of a long story. I rang earlier about a baby that was left behind at St. Aldwyn's School. Let's start with your last name, sir. It's Bingley.

So the name's Mr. Bin, is that correct? Well, it's Bin and then Glee. Got it. So Bin's Your first name, Mr. Glee?

Hannah Fernando: 00:18:03

Yes. Mr. Bean, aka Rowan Atkinson is back.

I mean, he has literally made a career, hasn't he, of turning, you know, these kind of chaotic and clumsy characters into. Into comedy gold. And he's, He's. Well, you'll all remember this, this. The premise of this, but he's reviving this kind of very ridiculous.

house sitter role from it was: 2022

And that irritated me as well. And actually I was reading Interview with him, Rowan Atkinson. He was like, well, the bee was just like getting in your head.

The noise of it was so annoying. I was like, yeah, you're right, it was just so Ann. But this time he's got really unpredictable guests on his hands in the form of a baby. So it's a.

It's a four part sequel. And he's left the part he plays, has left his World of house sitting. He's now working as a school caretaker.

How the mighty Doofel know everyone is a school taker, even though they're probably trying to get rid of them. But anyway, he, he. His ex wife and daughter Maddie, they're heading to Barbados for Christmas.

He's on his own and he agrees to take on one more job because he also wants to make some money so he can help his daughter travel. I think it is. Anyway, he. It's not a peaceful break at all because after the school Nativity, the baby Jesus is left behind, the baby.

And they cannot find. I mean, it's also absolutely real because they couldn't find the parents. And of course he looks after this baby now. It is.

It's much better for me than the B1 because the baby's laughs and giggles and the odd cry is just very sweet. But there are silly things like.

Ian MacEwan: 00:19:46

New.

Hannah Fernando: 00:19:46

Year's Eve, he pops the champagne and he doesn't have a dummy. The baby cries. The dummies, you know, is a cork that's put in the baby's mouth. You know, silly things like that. The baby's put in a rucksack.

I mean, this is probably the AI is. Is absolutely on steroids in this. Really. It's, it's, it's really, it's really very funny.

I mean, I. I do find the sort of Mr. Bean type style character quite irritating after a while because everyone's kind of duped by it. But I think I'm probably in the minority saying that. So I'm being a bit miserable and a bit grinchy, but.

It is funny and it's doing what he does best. And if you like Rowan's work, this is absolutely no different and as good as, if not better in places. What do you think, Ian?

Ian MacEwan: 00:20:30

I enjoyed it. I don't particularly like Mr. Bean, but this character, he's not Trevor Bingley, he's not as hapless as Mr. Bean.

It's just sort of circumstances conspire against him and it's got a sort of. It's got an undernote of sadness in a way, because, yeah, he's, he's.

He's split up from his wife and he thought his wife and daughter were going to come and visit him at Christmas. He's.

He's broke, he doesn't have the heating on, he hasn't got any money and he loses his job in the school and the people at the school boss him around and are horrible to him. So, you know, there's a sadness underneath it. But of course the physical comedy and the facial expressions of Rowan Atkinson are legendary.

And yeah, he's, he's, you can't take your eyes off him. He's just, he's wonderful to watch. And yeah, it's feel good. Despite me saying it's got that sad understanding. It's real feel good Christmasy stuff.

It's snowy, you know, he lives in this very picturesque village. But yeah, he takes a job again, house sitting for some penthouse in London.

But he's, he's lumbered with this, yeah, this Christmas, baby mate, the baby Jesus. And yeah, it's good, good fun, good. And a supporting cast. You've got some good bods in there. Sinetrasaka. Ashley Jensen, Steve Edge.

So, yeah, a perfect Christmas fair for the whole family. Well, Hannah, my lads, we've got to that point we find out what the hell you've been binge watching while wrapping your Christmas presents.

Hannah Fernando: 00:22:10

Well, it's no surprise and very dull. It will all be change, I can promise you because of course the I'm stabbed to get me out of here final happened.

So that's done, that's been put to bed angry Ginge has won. It's all over. Probably the best. Unbelievable Evo Ian, the highest in a number of years on the voting front, which I thought was really interesting.

Yeah, really interesting. And probably dawn of a new era because of course he's not a sort of regular, whatever that means celebrity. So that's really interesting, Strictly.

Absolutely. We're nearing the end, aren't we? And then of course I've got to throw in a Christmas movie while I'm wrapping. I watched last Christmas. How about you?

Ian MacEwan: 00:22:47

Yes, Strictly. What the hell happened last week? Anyway, we won't go into that.

I haven't watched I'm a Celebrity but as a someone of the ginger persuasion, I'm pleased with the outcome.

I, of course have been watching True Crime because The brilliant Channel 4 series 24 Hours in Police Custody returns with a gripping two parter about a double murder. Check that out. Anyway, I'll stop rabbiting on. We've just got time to look ahead to next week's offerings. So what's on the agenda, Santa?

Hannah Fernando: 00:23:26

Well, I can tell you that it's the bumper. Oh yes. Oh yes. I think we need a drum roll here. Christmas binge watch.

Ian MacEwan: 00:23:34

Have you got one? Next week we'll have sleigh bells, I promise.

Hannah Fernando: 00:23:36

Oh yes, please. Oh, I went to the school Christmas carol concert this week. Get you in the mood. It really does.

Anyway, it is the bumper save the date Christmas Binge Watch podcast. And we'll be looking at the new Harlan Copen thriller Run Away, starring James and his Nesbit, Minnie Driver and Ruth Jones.

And hitting the high notes, or the right notes, I should say, with Will Sharp and Paul Bettany as composers. Mozart and Slieri in a TV take on hit stage, show and film Amadeus.

Ian MacEwan: 00:24:04

Come on and wrap me Amadeus.

Plus, get set for a new batch of Desperate Housewives in glossy US Drama the Hunting Wives on itvx, Ethan Hawke as a journalist intent on exposing dangerous secrets in the Lowdown on Disney plus and our usual roundup of all the other Christmas crackers that will be streaming over the festive fortnight. How exciting. Well, we look forward to those and to Christmas. Hope you've been. You've been good, Hannah. But in the meantime, dear listeners, keep.

Hannah Fernando: 00:24:43

Watching. It.