Best Sbs On Demand Podcasts (2025)

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Coming together in celebration 23:36

Play Pause

3y ago23:36

23:36

Earlier this year, people gathered to mark Refugee Week at an old school building nestled in the bush at Fryerstown in Victoria. The event was a celebration of refugees and the community they are a part of. There was music, an abundance of food, and several familiar faces from this series.

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Ten years after fleeing Afghanistan Hussnia is still grateful for the simple things 25:19

3y ago25:19

25:19

Hussnia and her family fled Afghanistan more than ten years ago as refugees. Even after many years living in regional Victoria, nothing is taken for granted in her household.

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Ku Htee’s journey from a Thai refugee camp to community leader in Bendigo 26:37

3y ago26:37

26:37

Before arriving in Australia Ku Htee had never been outside of the Thai refugee camp she had grown up in. She had never been in a car, and she barely spoke any English.

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Baby whisperer: Joy's midwifery skills in demand from Kenya to Horsham 29:11

3y ago29:11

29:11

Originally from Kenya, Joy moved to Australia as a skilled worker. The people of Horsham welcomed her and her family, but Joy had to work extra hard to prove her skills as a midwife.

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Nita created her own sense of community in Australia with Gamelan 25:31

3y ago25:31

25:31

When Nita first moved to Australia from Indonesia with her husband Aaron, she found it hard to connect to a community. She was used to a culture where you had people surrounding you all the time. It took time and a move to the regional city of Bendigo to work out how to find a community here in Australia.…

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Teen Rebel: Rebecca's path from South Sudan to Bendigo 31:16

3y ago31:16

31:16

Running away from home at the age of 16 to join the rebel army sounds like a plot from young adult fiction, but that decision was the start of Rebecca Wour's journey to find home in Australia.

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Full circle: Duang’s journey from Northern Thailand to Central Victoria 26:56

3y ago26:56

26:56

When she was five years old, Duang sold home grown vegetables at the local market in her small town in Thailand to help her family survive. Seventy years later, after a full and varied life, Duang is once again selling food at her local farmers markets here in Australia.

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Lhamo's journey across the Himalayas by night, to a new life in Australia 27:05

3+ y ago27:05

27:05

Lhamo was heavily pregnant with her daughter Tenzin Nagi when she escaped across the Himalayas, moving only at night with her husband and other refugees. 28 years later they live in regional Victoria, with Tenzin grown up and working as a nurse. She helps her mother share their journey in this episode of New Home.…

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New Home: a podcast about refugee and migrant women in regional Australia 4:46

3+ y ago4:46

4:46

Sensational headlines, fear campaigns and dehumanising language can be all that we hear about migrant and refugee communities settling in Australia. And too often migrant women are framed only as the mother of the children or the wife of the male refugee. But each one has her own story and reasons for travelling across the world to put down new roo…

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Talking 'Why Women Kill' S2 with creator and showrunner Marc Cherry 28:04

3+ y ago28:04

28:04

Series creator and show runner Marc Cherry joins Fiona to talk all things 'Why Women Kill', as we get set for the premiere of season two on SBS and On Demand in January. We talk 'Desperate Housewives', the origins of his love of froth and drama, and he many that ways his late mother continues to inspire him. A must listen for fans of 'Why Women Kil…

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Talking 'La Fortuna' and Oscars with writer/director Alejandro Amenábar 27:12

4y ago27:12

27:12

We're back with a companion to 'La Fortuna', SBS Australia's sweeping 6-part adventure-drama, written and directed by Oscar-winning Chilean-Spanish director, Alejandro Amenábar. The story spans two continents, and stars Stanley Tucci as a treasure hunter with a dubious moral compass, whose actions provoke a high profile international maritime legal…

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Talking 'Muhammad Ali' with directors Sarah Burns and David McMahon 1:01:55

4y ago1:01:55

1:01:55

We're back with a companion to 'Muhammad Ali', an epic 4-part documentary biography of one of the best-known men of the 20th century. Fiona is joined by Sarah Burns and David McMahon, co-directors, co-producers, and writers of the epic series which screens across SBS this month, and will stream at SBS On Demand. It's a fascinating conversation abou…

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The Playlist 146 - Bye Bye Ben (!) / 'In The Heights' / Movie Musicals / 'Loki' 39:20

4+ y ago39:20

39:20

It's the end of an era as we break into Ben's last day at SBS to record his final episode of 'The Playlist'. We're not crying, you're crying. Instead, we're breaking into song as we celebrate movie musicals. Ben's also been watching 'Loki' and does his best to explain the plot (a trouper to the end). Then when we can't avoid the subject of his leav…

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The Playlist 145 - Julie Delpy talks 'My Zoe' (Interview) / Jean Smart appreciation / The Unusual Suspects 46:18

4+ y ago46:18

46:18

French cinema great Julie Delpy joins us on this week's show to talk about her latest film, 'My Zoe'. which offers a unique take on motherhood than we're used to seeing on screen. Then Ben and Fiona convene the Jean Smart Appreciation Society, on the strength of Mare of Easttown and Hacks. Then they share what they've been watching at SBS On Demand…

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The Playlist 144 - Halston / The Underground Railroad / Shrill 22:53

4+ y ago22:53

22:53

In this episode we take a walk down the New York City catwalk with Ewan McGregor in Netflix’s series on fashion designer 'Halston', take a trip on 'The Underground Railroad' in Barry Jenkins' adaptation of the 2016 novel for Amazon, and binge on the final season of Aidy Bryant's 'Shrill' on SBS On Demand.…

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The Playlist 143 - The Oscars 2021 / Andra Day ('The United States vs. Billie Holiday') interview / 'See What You Made Me Do' / 'The Handmaid's Tale' 58:04

4+ y ago58:04

58:04

This episode, Fiona and Ben are dissecting a very different Oscars ceremony this year, picking out the highlights and lowlights, evaluating the winners and losers, and asking if the Academy Awards continue to matter? Plus Fiona has an interview with Andra Day, the Oscar-nominated star of 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'. And Fiona and Ben off…

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The Playlist 142 - Sci fi relationship dramas 'Made for Love', 'Soulmates' & 'The One' / Harry Macqueen, director of 'Supernova' with Colin Firth & Stanley Tucci / 'Deadwater Fell' / 'Support the Girls ... 41:21

4+ y ago41:21

41:21

This episode we’re in a technologically designated mood for love, as we discuss a trio of shows imagining the next step in relationships - 'Made For Love' (Stan/HBO Max), along with 'Soulmates' (Amazon Prime/AMC) and 'The One' (Netflix). Fiona also speaks to Harry Macqueen the director of a new melancholy relationship road movie starring Stanley Tu…

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The Playlist 141 - 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' / 'Collective' / 'Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire' / 'Line of Duty' 33:16

4+ y ago33:16

33:16

Zack Snyder's fans demanded that his vision be set free from meddling studio execs and the gun-for-hire director who replaced him on 'Justice League', and Warner Bros. listened. Was it worth it? And Fiona and Ben descend down a dark path of exposing institutional corruption, in the Oscar-nominated investigative documentary 'Collective', the second …

1
The Playlist 140 - Awards Season News: Golden Globes & Oscar Nomination Predictions / Celeb Exposes & the Harry and Meghan Interview / Wandavision 49:57

4+ y ago49:57

49:57

With Oscar nominations around the corner, we take a look at awards season as it hits full swing including the recent Golden Globes, and with Harry and Meghan's royal sit down interview with Oprah capturing the world we look at what the recent trend of celeb exposes says about our fascination with fame. And in What Have You Been Watching we dissect …

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The Playlist 139 - Mads Mikkelsen interview ('Another Round', 'Unit One') 25:17

4+ y ago25:17

25:17

Today we're joined by the one and only Mads Mikkelsen, who jumps on a Zoom call with Fiona, to talk about his star turn as a day-drinking teacher in Thomas Vinterberg's Another Round. How much is too much when you play drunk on screen? How did the team overcome a personal tragedy to pick up and carry on with the film's production? What does he reca…

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The Playlist 138 - 'Minari' / Lee Isaac Chung Interview / 2020 Wrap 50:39

4+ y ago50:39

50:39

In our first The Playlist for the year, we take a look at 'Minari' - the story of a Korean migrant family attempting to start afresh in rural Arkansas - which is attracting plenty of awards season buzz - and Fiona speaks with the film’s writer/director Lee Isaac Chung. We also think back on the year that was, and what’s exciting us for the year ahe…

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The Playlist 137 / Interview with Brandon Cronenberg / 'The Crown' / Wedding Movies 52:21

5y ago52:21

52:21

Fiona speaks to Brandon Cronenberg, the writer/director of new sci fi horror flick 'Possessor' starring Andrea Riseborough and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ben takes a look at the new season of The Crown with Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, as Prince Charles finds his Princess and lives happily ever after (maybe?), and in a very s…

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The Playlist 136 - 'The Undoing' / '4 Corners' / Interview with the stars of 'We Are Who We Are' 46:26

5y ago46:26

46:26

Fiona speaks to the stars of Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino’s ('Call Me By Your Name') first foray into television 'We Are Who We Are', we chat about political coverage in the media including the ABC’s flagship current affairs program '4 Corners' which made waves with its recent report "Inside the Canberra Bubble", Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant t…

1
The Playlist 135 - Jeremy Sims talks 'Rams' with Sam Neill & Michael Caton / 'The Queen's Gambit' / 'Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist' 40:27

5y ago40:27

40:27

Fiona speaks to director Jeremy Sims about his new Aussie flick 'Rams' with Sam Neill and Michael Caton, a remake of the Icelandic hit, we catch up on 'Leap of Faith', a documentary going behind the making of William Friedkin’s 'The Exorcist', and check out Anya Taylor-Joy as a woman making waves in the male-dominated 1960s chess world in 'The Quee…

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The Playlist 134 - 'The Trial of The Chicago 7' / 'Borat 2' / 'AKA Jane Roe' / 'Fargo' 36:16

5y ago36:16

36:16

Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne fight for their right to protest in Aaron Sorkin's film of the 1960s true story 'The Trial of the Chicago 7', we get Fiona's reaction to 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' and discuss upcoming documentary 'AKA Jane Roe' and give the lowdown on the latest season of the Coen Brothers television adaptation 'Fargo'.…

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The Playlist 133: Emmys Highs and Lows / 'Schitt's Creek' / 'Watchmen' / 'Succession' 40:58

5y ago40:58

40:58

For a second year running, Ben is joined (remotely) by John Beohm, to re-enact the spectacle of the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards complete with hazmat suits, hotel phones ringing, Jennifer Aniston putting out garbage fires, Canadian bubbles, and an alpaca.

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The Playlist 132: Nanette Burstein talks 'Hillary' / 'The Good Fight' / 'The West Wing' rewatch / 'One Night In Miami' (TIFF) 1:08:23

5y ago1:08:23

1:08:23

Our minds are very much on U.S. politics this week, given that Americans will head to the polls for the 2020 presidential election in less than 50 days. We're joined by documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein, who talks to Fiona about making a landmark biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Nothing was off limits during the 35-hours spent interviewing…

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The Playlist 131: Inside the 'Hungry Ghosts' writers' room with Jeremy Nguyen 44:10

5y ago44:10

44:10

With 'Hungry Ghosts' now streaming at SBS On Demand, we take a deep dive into the show, with a special guest who offers exclusive insight into the writing process. Vietnamese-Australian writer Jeremy Nguyen joins us from his lockdown abode in Melbourne, to talk us through the experience of drawing upon his own family's experiences, to inform the st…

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The Playlist 130: 'Lovecraft Country' / 'Watchmen' / 'Perry Mason' / Tribute to Chadwick Boseman 42:26

5y ago42:26

42:26

The horrors of 1950s America become all too real in the new HBO series 'Lovecraft Country', prompting a deep dive into recent HBO dramas 'Perry Mason' and 'Watchmen'; a tribute to Chadwick Boseman in 'Get On Up'; and a look at Netflix health and wellness exposé '(Un)Well' and SBS On Demand's 'Sydney Super Tunnel'.…

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The Playlist 129: Melbourne International Film Festival round-up / Creators of 'The Salisbury Poisonings' / 'Indian Matchmaking' 51:04

5y ago51:04

51:04

Fiona gives us the highlights of this year’s curfewed Melbourne International Film Festival - MIFF 68 1/2 - and talks with Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, the creators of the real life drama 'The Salisbury Poisonings', we talk Netflix's 'Indian Matchmaking' and click play on 'Guerrilla' and 'Burning' on SBS On Demand.…

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The Playlist 128: 'Relic' / 'The Salisbury Poisonings' / Tribute to Olivia de Havilland 27:35

5y ago27:35

27:35

A first time filmmaker spooks Emily Mortimer, Robin Nevin and Bella Heathcote in new Australian horror flick 'Relic', Fiona pays tribute to Olivia de Havilland's starring role in 'The Heiress', a community is threatened by an invisible contagion in 'The Salisbury Poisonings', and we press play on '102 Minutes That Changed America' and 'Cold War' on…

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The Playlist 127: 'Taskmaster' / 'The Very Excellent Mr Dundee' / 'Palm Springs' / 'John Adams' 46:20

5y ago46:20

46:20

This week, SBS Viceland Channel Manager John Beohm takes us to task with the launch of UK comedy hit 'Taskmaster', Paul Hogan gets meta in 'The Very Excellent Mr Dundee', Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti follow the groundhog in 'Palm Springs', Alexander Hamilton has a cameo in 'John Adams', and we press play on our SBS On Demand picks.…

1
The Playlist 126: 'Hamilton' / 'War of the Worlds' / 'Disclosure' / 'America to Me' / 'Tribute to Ennio Morricone' 42:13

5y ago42:13

42:13

In a very musical episode, Lin-Manuel Miranda breaks with history in the Disney Plus release of his broadway hit 'Hamilton', and Fiona pays tribute to the extraordinary scores of Ennio Morricone (and the flicks you can hear them on SBS On Demand). Fiona and Ben also review brand new sci fi drama series 'War of the Worlds' and give their take on str…

1
The Playlist 125: Rove McManus talks 'Life Drawing Live' / 'Da 5 Bloods' / 'A Hundred Years of Happiness' / 'Shoplifters' / 'The Clinton Affair' 45:50

5+ y ago45:50

45:50

This week, Fiona speaks with Rove McManus about his passion for art and hosting Australian first 'Life Drawing Live', Fiona and Ben take a look at two very different films on Vietnam - Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' and Jakeb Anhvu's 'One Hundred Years of Happiness' - as well as offering some SBS On Demand picks.…

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The Playlist 124 - 'Big Brother' / 'Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition' / 'Gladiator' / 'Westworld' / 'Filthy Rich and Homeless' 38:06

5+ y ago38:06

38:06

This week on The Playlist, Fiona and Ben ask if Australia is really ready for another round of 'Big Brother', we finally make it to a film festival - albeit virtual - with the Sydney Film Festival, we look back at 'Gladiator' and 'Westworld' in What Have We Been Watching and offer up SBS On Demand picks from the 'Sydney Film Festival Selects' colle…

1
The Playlist 123 - Essential Black Lives Matter documentaries / 'The Great' / 'Love Life ' / 'The Beach' / What of 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' now? 39:16

5+ y ago39:16

39:16

This week Fiona and Ben recall the documentaries about racial inequality that have had the most impact upon them (13th, Burn Motherfucker, Burn!, I Am Not Your Negro, LA 92). Elsewhere in the episode, they review new releases The Great and Love Life, and they each recommend something from the SBS On Demand catalogue, for everyone still spending ext…

1
The Playlist 122 - 'Upload' / 'After Life' / 'Dead to Me' / 'Bad Education' / 'Trying' / Tribute to Fred Willard and Lynn Shelton 31:57

5+ y ago31:57

31:57

This week Fiona and Ben uncover series using humour to approach the difficult subject of death and grief including the new Amazon Prime series 'Upload' and returning series 'After Life' and 'Dead to Me', take a look at new releases 'Bad Education' and 'Trying' in What We’ve Been Watching, offer a tribute to Fred Willard and Lynn Shelton and offer u…

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The Playlist 121 - 'Normal People' / Joe Wicks from 'The Body Coach' 43:01

5+ y ago43:01

43:01

This week on The Playlist, the hit 2018 Irish novel turned iso-phenomenon 'Normal People', Fiona gets physical (from a distance) with 'PE with Kids' online sensation the ‘Body Coach’ himself Joe Wicks, we give 'Alien', 'The Shining' and 'Unorthodox' a spin in What We’ve Been Watching and offer up our iso-picks for SBS On Demand.…

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The Playlist 120: Hugo Weaving talks 'Hearts and Bones' / 'Never Have I Ever' 52:24

5+ y ago52:24

52:24

In this week's The Playlist, Hugo Weaving speaks about his starring role in the new Australian digital release film 'Hearts and Bones' about the painful legacy of war, and Mindy Kaling embraces her inner teenage girl in 'Never Have I Ever' on Netflix. We also catch up with 'The Last Dance', 'Hollywood' and 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' in What We’ve …

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The Playlist 119: 'Mrs America' / Karen O'Leary talks 'Wellington Paranormal' / What We've Been Watching 55:31

5+ y ago55:31

55:31

In another Iso-Playlist, Fiona Zooms across the ditch for a chat with Wellington Paranormal's Karen O'Leary (Officer O'Leary), who is having a very busy lockdown, as the much-memed face of the New Zealand Police Force's Public Service Announcements, in addition to her day job as an early childhood teacher. Elsewhere in the episode: Ben and Fiona re…

1
The Playlist 118: What To Watch In Lockdown 35:01

5+ y ago35:01

35:01

And we're back! After adjusting to working from home, Fiona and Ben decide to swap the pyjamas for work wear (from the waist-up at least), fire up the video call and run through an extended iso edition of What We've Been Watching. They also talk impacts on cinemas and the industry, discuss virus movies & TV and do a round up of Fiona's latest inter…

1
The Playlist 117: 92nd Academy Awards recap 45:35

5+ y ago45:35

45:35

We don't know what to do with ourselves when the best picture actually wins the Best Picture Oscar. It's bold new territory for Fiona and Ben as they regroup after an historic 92nd Academy Awards telecast. Join them as they discuss the winners, losers, and importantly, how much of the outcome they predicted.…

1
The Playlist 116 - Oscar picks / Richard Stanley talks new Nicolas Cage flick 'Color Out Of Space' / 'Married At First Sight' 1:17:35

5+ y ago1:17:35

1:17:35

As the Oscar competition heats up Fiona and Ben make their predictions as to what will win ahead of next week’s awards, Fiona talks to Richard Stanley, director of the new Nicolas Cage sci fi horror flick 'Color Out Of Space', on the popularity of H.P. Lovecraft and his attempts to revisit 'The Island of Doctor Moreau', and they unpack the latest s…

1
The Playlist 115 - Marielle Heller talks 'A Beautiful Day...' and Oscar snubs / 'Little Women' / What We've Been Watching 40:29

5+ y ago40:29

40:29

Ben and Fiona are back to talk 'Little Women', and 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood', both of which have been overlooked in the Best Director category of the Oscars. Fiona then interviews Marielle Heller, director of the latter, about celebrating the legacy of a childhood icon, and about the industry's bias against movies directed by women in a…

1
The Playlist 114 - 77th Golden Globes recap 39:20

5+ y ago39:20

39:20

Ben and Fiona return from holidays to spend their first day back at work watching and recapping the 77th Golden Globes ceremony. They analyse the hits and misses of the lengthy broadcast, still agree to disagree about 'Joker', and make a case for SBS to adopt as the network tagline, director Bong Joon-ho's impassioned ode to the subtitle.…

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The Playlist 113 - Best movies and TV shows of 2019 / Celine Sciamma interview - 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' 1:37:26

6y ago1:37:26

1:37:26

As we count down the days remaining in 2019, join Ben, Fiona, and special guest John, as they count down their favourite movies and TV shows the year. They laugh, they disagree, and they realise there's not as much crossover on their lists as they expected (*especially when they make up their own rules about what constitutes the 'best' in a 'best o…

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The Playlist 112 - 'The Mandolorian' / 'Knives Out' / Timothy Spall on 'Mrs Lowry & Son' 49:58

6y ago49:58

49:58

Fiona and Ben are back in The Playlist studio after a break, to review Disney+ and its launch juggernaut The Mandolorian. FIona has been watching Knives Out, and Ben has been previewing Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over. FIona catches up with legendary British actor Timothy Spall, in Australia for the release of Mrs Lowry & Son.…

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The Playlist 111 - 'Morning Wars' / 'See' / 'For All Mankind' / 'Dickinson' 36:35

6y ago36:35

36:35

Is Apple's brand new streaming service a game changer? While Fiona takes a well deserved break, SBS Channel Manager Ben Nguyen is joined by SBS Viceland Channel Manager John Beohm to check out the platform and review all the new shows: Jennifer Aniston & Reese Witherspoon in 'Morning Wars' (AKA 'The Morning Show'), Jason Mamoa in 'See', alternate h…

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The Playlist 110 - Jillian Bell + Paul Downs Collaizo talk 'Brittany Runs A Marathon' 16:48

6y ago16:48

16:48

'Brittany Runs A Marathon' is a a welcome twist on the 'nottie to hottie' trope in a lot of female-focussed comedies. Star Jillian Bell and the filme's writer-director Paul Downs Colaizzo sit down with Fiona to talk about the marathon of making the film, and watching it take off around the world. (Fiona is flying solo while Ben is away on the Frenc…

1
The Playlist 109 - Ron Howard talks 'Pavarotti', and what he's been watching 19:02

6y ago19:02

19:02

Ron Howard calls into the The Playlist studio from the Rome Film Festival, to talk about his new documentary, 'Pavarotti', about the life and loves of Luciano Pavarotti. Elsewhere he tells Fiona about what he has been watching (in what little time he has to spare whilst making three movies simultaneously), and why, as a director, he feels compelled…