Boiling Point review: Stephen Graham takes a backseat in this stellar slice of TV
This is a series not primarily concerned with Andy Jones – but it's for the best.
Fans of Boiling Point have long been scrabbling for details on the new BBC series, keen to see what exactly it'll be about, how the format will change and what the hell happened to Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) after his dramatic heart attack at the end of the 2021 feature film.
Exact plot points have remained a closely-guarded secret - and for good reason, too, in hindsight. Why would you want to ruin the surprise?
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 – and it even has a familiar one-shot series opening that will surely make you tense up with memories of the film.
Where the movie focused on one particularly chaotic night in Dalston restaurant Jones & Sons, the show carries on eight months later - and follows Andy's previous sous chef, Carly (Vinette Robinson), who is forging her own path with a new venture, Point North.
Most of the team has jumped ship from Jones & Sons, providing many a familiar face, as well as a bunch of new characters that Carly has employed.
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.
While it has its own fair share of drama, Point North isn't the main character here, and perhaps unsurprisingly, neither is Graham's Andy Jones.
The heady concoction of drugs, alcohol and stress saw Andy's fate left on quite the cliffhanger in the film, but he's back and struggling to make sense of life without his beloved restaurant.
If you're looking for the same fiery, no-nonsense head chef, he's 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.
Graham's scenes – mainly with wife and co-executive producer Hannah Walters as Emily – are still captivating, especially given the awkward fall from grace that is being chronicled. But Graham isn't the main draw here; it's Robinson and her loyal troop of chefs and front-of-house staff, aka the Point North family.
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The natural chemistry of the cast is one that was heralded again and again in the film's acclaim, and here, once more, the magic of having such an ensemble isn't to be taken lightly - it truly is a work of magnificence.
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.
But the characters themselves are what will keep people engrossed in those four very special episodes, and likely leave them pining for more.
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's quieter moments also focus in on thought-provoking storylines around mental health, poverty, addiction, gender identity and invisible illness.
Where Boiling Point could’ve 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.
If you want to learn how to perfectly sear some venison, tune into a cooking reality show - because here, you’re learning about humanity, emotion and so much more.
The series satiates the nosiness within all of us, and it’s a true wonder why restaurants haven't been used as a setting in more British dramas like this one before. Well, something tells me they wouldn't be as carefully considered in pulling it off than the Boiling Point team.
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 façade.
Life is hard in a multitude of ways, and through characters like Johnny (Stephen Odubola), Jake (Daniel Larkai), Robyn (Áine Rose Daly) and Jamie (Stephen McMillan), to name a few, we go beyond the kitchen and into their personal lives.
Unlike the film, we're physically exiting the kitchen here and venturing into homes to find out more about the people behind the chef whites and aprons – and it makes for some of the most compelling TV.
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 - but the poignant one that will linger with you long after watching is in episode 2, with McMillan and Walters especially shining bright.
Elsewhere, actors like Larkai and Hannah Traylen are given their time to shine in episode 3 as usually cheeky kitchen porters Jake and Holly, while episode 4 has a moving focus on the front-of-house staff, albeit arguably slightly too late in the series.
The snapshot of episodes are well constructed, but alas, some more time or further episodes would have made the fourth's shift to some of the waiting staff feel slightly less rushed and more considered. After all, Point North is a business that can only succeed because of everyone involved, right?
New characters like Musa (Ahmed Malek) and Kit (Missy Haysom) provide intriguing snapshots of the wider world, but I only wish they had more time to be explored.
Moaning about the four-episode run aside, Boiling Point isn't to be compared to other kitchen-based dramas or films; it feels like it's forging its own way in TV right now, and it's been a long time coming.
This is a production that has embraced the diversity that working in hospitality can bring, employing that talent both in front of and behind the camera, and this is what can happen when you focus on cultivating rising stars.
There's plenty more meat left on the bones of pretty much all the storylines explored so far, and many more characters to dive into.
So, what are you all waiting for? Set your reminders and let's dive into the stressful world of Boiling Point all over again, so we can make sure the BBC secures more episodes in the pipeline.
Boiling Point premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 1st October. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Like this? You might want to try Power. Available now on Lionsgate+.
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