Psychoanalysing TV's most complex characters

Comic and rapper Ben Bailey Smith is to host a new podcast series set looking at the most complex characters on TV.

In Shrink The Box the stand-up – who performs as Doc Brown on the comedy circuit– will be joined by psychotherapist Sasha Bates to put their favourite fictional characters on the couch, and analyse why their behaviour causes them so much drama, and why we find it so fascinating. 

Those being analysed will include  Succession's Shiv,  Omar from The Wire and Ross from Friends,.

Producers say: ‘Ben and Sasha will explore why these characters make certain decisions, what would happen if they made different ones, and what we can learn from their mistakes.

‘Shrink The Box promises the perfect combination of psychology, self-help, and the best TV since the birth of the box-set. 

‘Sasha brings her expert opinion to the conversation, whilst Ben, a writer and long-term beneficiary of therapy, taps into how these characters are brought to life so effectively. 

‘In each episode, Ben and Sasha will discuss what we've learnt about the character, and see how this can be translated into useful takeaways for our own lives’

The show is  made by Somethin' Else and Sony Music Entertainment and will launch on January 31.

They  will discuss the following characters:

Tony Soprano from The Sopranos
Walter White from Breaking Bad
Beth Harmon from The Queen's Gambit
Omar Little from The Wire
Fleabag from Fleabag
Don Draper from Mad Men
Wanda from Wandavision
Arabella Essiedu from I May Destroy You
Danny Rayburn from Bloodlines
Vanessa Keifer from Atlanta
Ross Geller from Friends 
Shiv Roy from Succession

Published: 24 Jan 2023