Boiling Point producer on The Bear comparisons: "We were here first"

The new four-part series will follow Carly (Vinette Robinson) as the head chef of new restaurant Point North and delve into the stories of some familiar faces like Stephen Graham's Andy Jones, as well as new characters in the Boiling Point universe.

But the fast-paced, action-packed show is already garnering comparisons to Disney Plus hit The Bear, on account of the two being based in the world of the professional kitchen.

Well, talking about the comparisons to RadioTimes.com and other press, star and executive producer Hannah Walters said it's "because it’s just a kitchen-based drama, that’s it".

"There aren’t that many kitchen-based dramas. There are kitchen-based shows in reality terms, but there’s not that many kitchen-based dramas – you’ve literally got The Bear and Boiling Point. But, you know, we were here first."

She added: "It’s amazing, it’s just not Boiling Point."

The film premiered in 2021 and was an expansion of the 2019 short film of the same name. Like Walters underlines, The Bear premiered on Hulu in the US in 2022 before airing season 2 this year.

Speaking about the appeal of setting a drama like the pair of these in the kitchen, Walters said: "[Boiling Point has] also got that formula that works so well, back when dramas were really good in the '80s and '90s - like The Street, Clocking Off - where you’ve got that hub, that place, you’ve got that microcosm and then you’ve got the bigger picture and you get to follow each character each week.

"You get to invest your time in all of that, it’s going back to that real drama, staying true to character-driven shows as opposed to plot, plot, plot.

"As humans, we’re nosy, we want to look into people’s lives, we’re voyeuristic, we want to know what’s in people’s heads."

Read more:

• Stephen Graham's Boiling Point series confirms BBC air date
• Stephen Graham says Boiling Point isn't just TV, it's "next level"

Similarly, series star Izuka Hoyle, who stars as Camille in the drama, said: "I find it so interesting that we are compared so much to The Bear, because when you dissect them, we’re quite different TV shows - but what it does open up is that there’s not enough TV shows about the intricacies of working in hospitality.

"Because I think if there were, you’d be able to separate them more and realise that. There’s a need for it – it’s also the ultimate playground. What better way to show a slice of life?"

The new show follows many of the team from the film to Point North eight months after the shock cliffhanger of the film.

According to the synopsis: "We follow the team as the stresses of keeping the restaurant running bear down on them amidst a hospitality industry in crisis.

"With the pressure to draw in new, hungry customers and the financial squeeze to keep the business profitable, the team must find a way to manage their complicated personal lives whilst creating quality food day in, day out."

Boiling Point will air on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday 1st October at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

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