{"id":37283,"date":"2023-09-27T17:37:25","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T15:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1897646"},"modified":"2023-09-28T07:57:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T05:57:50","slug":"boiling-point-review-stephen-graham-takes-a-backseat-in-this-stellar-slice-of-tv","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/boiling-point-review-stephen-graham-takes-a-backseat-in-this-stellar-slice-of-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"Boiling Point review: Stephen Graham takes a backseat in this stellar slice of TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a series not primarily concerned with Andy Jones \u2013 but it’s for the best. <\/p>

By Morgan Cormack\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 27 September 2023 at 15:37 PM<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 5.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

Fans of Boiling Point<\/a> have long been scrabbling for details on the new BBC series, keen to see what exactly it\u2019ll be about, how the format will change and what the hell happened to Andy Jones (Stephen Graham<\/a>) after his dramatic heart attack at the end of the 2021 feature film.<\/p>\n

Exact plot points have remained a closely-guarded secret \u2013 and for good reason, too, in hindsight. Why would you want to ruin the surprise?<\/p>\n

What I can tell you, having watched all four episodes, is that this new Boiling Point is a perfect example of what stellar character-driven drama is \u2013 and it even has a familiar one-shot series opening that will surely make you tense up with memories of the film.<\/p>\n

Where the movie focused on one particularly chaotic night in Dalston restaurant Jones & Sons, the show carries on eight months later \u2013 and follows Andy\u2019s previous sous chef, Carly (Vinette Robinson<\/a>), who is forging her own path with a new venture, Point North.<\/p>\n

Most of the team has jumped ship from Jones & Sons, providing many a familiar face, as well as a bunch of new characters<\/a> that Carly has employed.<\/p>\n

\"Vinette\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Vinette Robinson as Carly and Stephen Odubola as Johnny in Boiling Point.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Boiling Point TV Limited\/James Stack<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The series maps the highs and oh-so-very lows of running a restaurant in a modern climate where people often favour takeaways over fancier modern British fare, having to contend with the ever-increasing cost of goods in a post-Brexit food supply chain, as well as an ongoing cost of living crisis that leaves some of those working at Point North struggling.<\/p>\n

While it has its own fair share of drama, Point North isn\u2019t the main character here, and perhaps unsurprisingly, neither is Graham\u2019s Andy Jones.<\/p>\n

The heady concoction of drugs, alcohol and stress saw Andy\u2019s fate left on quite the cliffhanger in the film, but he\u2019s back and struggling to make sense of life without his beloved restaurant.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for the same fiery, no-nonsense head chef, he\u2019s not to be found here. Instead, the series more realistically explores what life looks like for Andy now, which includes a constant flitting between feelings of isolation, betrayal, loss and anger.<\/p>\n

Graham\u2019s scenes \u2013 mainly with wife and co-executive producer Hannah Walters<\/a> as Emily \u2013 are still captivating, especially given the awkward fall from grace that is being chronicled. But Graham isn\u2019t the main draw here; it\u2019s Robinson and her loyal troop of chefs and front-of-house staff, aka the Point North family.<\/p>

The natural chemistry of the cast is one that was heralded again and again in the film\u2019s acclaim, and here, once more, the magic of having such an ensemble isn\u2019t to be taken lightly \u2013 it truly is a work of magnificence.<\/p>\n

Scenes of improvisation are still woven in through the drama, giving a similar feel to the film, where jokes and jibes are quickly swapped in the midst of a busy service.<\/p>\n

But the characters themselves are what will keep people engrossed in those four very special episodes, and likely leave them pining for more.<\/p>\n

With such an expansive cast and so many different stories to tell, the series does a grand job of zoning in on a collection of them. They provide a similar feeling of stress to the predecessor, but the show\u2019s quieter moments also focus in on thought-provoking storylines around mental health, poverty, addiction, gender identity and invisible illness.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Musa (Ahmed Malek), Jake (Daniel Larkai), Jamie (Stephen McMillan), Emily (Hannah Walters), Billy (Taz Skylar) and Bolton (Shaun Fagan) in Boiling Point.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Boiling Point TV Limited,Kevin Baker<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Where Boiling Point could\u2019ve dived deep into the motivations behind the dishes on the menu or gone through the process of each chef seeking to hone their craft, the drama instead focuses on the people within Point North.<\/p>\n

If you want to learn how to perfectly sear some venison, tune into a cooking reality show \u2013 because here, you\u2019re learning about humanity, emotion and so much more.<\/p>\n

The series satiates the nosiness within all of us, and it\u2019s a true wonder why restaurants haven\u2019t been used as a setting in more British dramas like this one before. Well, something tells me they wouldn\u2019t be as carefully considered in pulling it off than the Boiling Point team.<\/p>\n

While scenes of the kitchen very much have the feel of a happy family, the way the drama closes in on certain characters and their lives proves that, when it comes to work, we are all guilty of putting on a well-meaning fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n

Life is hard in a multitude of ways, and through characters like Johnny (Stephen Odubola), Jake (Daniel Larkai), Robyn (\u00c1ine Rose Daly) and Jamie (Stephen McMillan), to name a few, we go beyond the kitchen and into their personal lives.<\/p>\n

Unlike the film, we\u2019re physically exiting the kitchen here and venturing into homes to find out more about the people behind the chef whites and aprons \u2013 and it makes for some of the most compelling TV.<\/p>\n

The emotions you feel in the show, almost like a dinner service in a restaurant, can go from dizzying highs to heartbreaking lows. Without spoiling anything, all the episodes have elements of both \u2013 but the poignant one that will linger with you long after watching is in episode 2, with\u00a0McMillan and Walters especially shining bright.<\/p>\n