Television chefs are all over the schedules these days, but there was a time when the idea of a cooking show was quite revolutionary – and one woman helped drive the genre into the mainstream.
Julia Child is a name that will be familiar to residents of the United States as one of the first foodies to gain a television following, although her fame never quite translated to the UK.
Nevertheless, British viewers will be intrigued by this new biographical comedy-drama, given that it features national treasure Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) in the lead role.
The BAFTA winner is almost unrecognisable in her Julia Child make-up and wardrobe, while she also adopts a voice which isn’t quite an imitation of her subject, but certainly channels the cheekiness that made her so popular.
Read on for everything you need to know about Julia.
Julia release date
CONFIRMED: Julia will premiere on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Tuesday 12th April 2022.
Viewers will get the show slightly earlier in the US, where it is scheduled to drop on streaming service HBO Max on Thursday 31st March – alas, the platform is not yet available here in the UK.
Julia cast
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Sarah Lancashire takes on her first major US drama role in this hotly-anticipated series, playing television chef Julia Child, who fought her way onto the screen amid the sexist atmosphere of the 1960s.
David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) co-stars as her loving husband and former diplomat Paul Cushing Child, who was a crucial support in turning her dream into a reality.
Cheers star Bebe Neuwirth takes another key role, portraying Julia’s close friend and confidant Avis DeVoto, who worked with the chef on the French cookbooks that made her a household name.
Fiona Glascott (Fantastic Beasts) plays another literary bigwig, Judith Jones, an editor for Alfred A Knopf’s prestigious publishing house, who is another pillar of strength for Julia to lean on in her wobbly moments.
The Cabin in the Woods and Dollhouse alum Fran Kranz portrays television producer Russ Morash in the series, who is initially highly sceptical of Julia’s idea of a cooking show on his small local station.
Meanwhile, Brittany Bradford (Fear the Walking Dead) plays fictional character Alice Naman, a more junior producer at the network and a strong advocate for Julia behind the scenes.
Rounding out the supporting cast of Julia are Isabella Rossellini (Domina), Robert Joy (Don’t Look Up), James Cromwell (Succession), Adriane Lenox (Only Murders in the Building), Jefferson Mays (Perry Mason) and Judith Light (The Politician).
Julia plot: Is it based on a true story?
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Julia is inspired by the true story of American chef Julia Child, who is credited as one of the early pioneers of the television cooking show as we know it today.
She learnt how to cook during a stint living in France with her husband, Paul, who was working as a US diplomat at the time, graduating from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.
As a result, her area of expertise became French cooking, which she popularised in the United States with her cookbooks and later television show.
As is often the case with a biographical story, certain elements of Julia are more accurate than others, with some artistic licence being taken in areas where the factual events are no longer clear.
Is there a Julia trailer?
Yes! You can check out the trailer for Julia below, which sees Last Tango in Halifax star Sarah Lancashire disappear into the title role.
Julia is available on Sky and NOW from Tuesday 12th April. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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