Tom Riley is a critically acclaimed actor. Recent TV roles include Lawrence Shepherd in Monroe, Gavin Sorenson in ITV's Bouquet of Barbed Wire, and Mr Wickham in Lost in Austen Happy Ever Afters, I Want Candy and A Few Days in September. Riley has also received recognition for his stage performances, including his role as Septimus Hodge in Arcadia on Broadway, and a nomination in the 2010 Off West End theatre awards for his role as Bach in Hurts Given and Receivedcorrect. His other theatre credits include the 2011 world premiere of Stephen Poliakoff's My City and numerous productions at the Royal Court. He plays the lead in Da Vinci's Demons, which follows the story of the artist during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence and airs on the Fox on Friday at 10pm.

Theatre: Really Really

I saw this play just off Broadway at the MC theatre club. It's directed by David Cromer and written by Paul Downs Colaizzo and stars Zosia Mamet, who is Shoshanna in Girls. It's a beautiful, brutal little play. It deals with the fallout of an accusation that may or may not be true at an American college. It's a sad, savage exploration of this generation that has been conditioned to expect that whatever they want, they deserve. It's fascinating.

Book: The Revolution Was Televised by Alan Sepinwall

This is about the seismic shift in TV in the late 1990s just at a time when everyone thought serialised TV was dead, or that the internet was going to destroy it. The Sopranos and Chris Albrecht at HBO changed everything, leading to shows such as Buffy, Breaking Bad and The Wire etc. It's fascinating – not just in terms of what that says about us as a culture, but what it reveals about each show, from start to finish, and the struggle to get these great works to the screen.

Exhibition: David Bowie is, V&A, London

I saw a sneak preview of this and it looks unbelievable: the costumes and the artwork, the film and photography – I am a huge Bowie fan. I love the new album. The way Where Are We Now? snuck out on the sly was great. He spent his entire life innovating and looking forward, and to suddenly reveal something that feels like he's looking back, is still an innovative move, as with everything else he's done, because he's never done it before.

Music: Woodkid

Yoann Lemoine is predominantly a French graphic designer and music video director. He's just released his first album. His voice is a bit like Antony Hegarty's, with lush orchestral arrangements underneath it, and these raw, urgent beats. It's beautiful. He's my artist of the year so far. I can't wait for the album. The video is stunning too – black and white, shot with a phantom camera. I stumbled across him two weeks ago, and went: "Yes! More of this please…"

Television: Louie

We're four years behind the States, but it doesn't matter. It's so universal and heartbreaking and hilarious. It's a path into his surreal mind. It's completely undefinable, unclassifiable. It's like if Curb Your Enthusiasm was happy but sad – I just watch it, it really works. There are sudden moments of real melancholy that hit you in the heart. Absolutely fascinating.

Comedy: Tim Key

I was a giant Daniel Kitson fan for many years and there haven't been many other comedians who make me laugh out loud. But Tim is divisive. I've sat behind people at his shows who have just hated it. To me there's something about his profound and nonsensical poetry – and his delivery. What he does, he's got down perfectly. He could probably make the phone book funny, so I don't even know if it's his writing, but his throwaway delivery just gets me.