Boiling Point | |
---|---|
Created by |
|
Based on | |
Screenplay by |
|
Directed by |
|
Starring |
|
Theme music composer |
|
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 4 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Graham Drover |
Cinematography | Matthew Lewis |
Editor | Alex Fountain
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | BBC One |
Release | 1 October – 22 October 2023 |
Boiling Point is a four-episode British television drama miniseries created by Philip Barantini, James Cummings and Stephen Graham. Starring Graham, Vinette Robinson and Hannah Walters, the series premiered with its first episode on BBC One on 1 October 2023 and all episodes were released on BBC iPlayer on the same day. It was made for the BBC by Ascendant Fox, Matriarch Productions and It's All Made Up Productions.
Co-directed by Philip Barantini and Mounia Akl, it is a continuation and standalone sequel of the 2021 film Boiling Point , also directed by Barantini and featuring many of the same cast.
The series picks up six-months after the film ends with Carly (Robinson) now running her own restaurant with former boss Andy's (Graham) staff. [1]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Philip Barantini | James Cummings | 1 October 2023 | |||
On a night when the restaurant is full, co-owner Liam is wining and dining a group of prospective investors, but Carly abandons the kitchen staff because of a family medical emergency. New starter Johnny has bluffed his way into the position of chef de partie. His first task is to make a Hollandaise sauce, but he fails after discreetly trying to look up a recipe. The inexperienced newcomer is moved from station to station, until finally finding himself at the pass where he starts to find his feet, but when he intervenes to put out a pan fire he burns himself. When Freeman loses this temper, he is called into a meeting with Liam and Carly. On the receiving end of what he feels is an undeserved dressing down, he resigns. Pastry chef Emily visits Andy at home. Seeing the shadow of the talented chef he used to be, she attempts to mediate between him and Carly, but is rebuffed. | ||||||||
2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Philip Barantini | James Cummings | 8 October 2023 | |||
Liam has sourced a new produce supplier in an effort to cut costs, one that has substituted frozen for fresh meat. At service that evening, a new menu is being launched and Jamie has his first dessert featuring on it. His lack of self-belief is not helped by fellow chef Bolton haranguing him throughout service and the intense pressure leads Jamie to commit an act of extreme self-harm. Thanks to his training in the army, Johnny keeps a level head during the crisis and administers first-aid until an ambulance arrives. Demoted to position of commis chef, Johnny is still struggling to refine his output to the level required for a fine dining establishment. When he backs up Bolton in the dining room as Carly and Dean are dealing with a particularly rowdy couple, a mutual respect starts to develop. Carly discovers that a group of her friends are dining on one of the tables and realises how life as a restaurateur has become all-encompassing when she has a chat with them. The emotional turmoil of the evening has Emily reaching for the bottle. | ||||||||
3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Mounia Akl | James Cummings | 15 October 2023 | |||
When Carly decides to reduce the kitchen porters to one per shift in another attempt to reduce overhead costs, Holly offers to leave so that Jake can be kept on full time. Carly, unwilling to put all her eggs in one basket for a seven-days-a-week position, declines Holly's offer. Liam asks Carly if they can do a completely different menu as Point North is stepping in to host his brother's friend's wedding reception. Despite Carly's reservations, new sous-chef Nick is enthusiastic and offers to develop a menu. Emily confesses to Carly that she has fallen off the wagon. She meets with Andy for a chat in the park, where he receives a call from former Jones & Sons maître d'hôtel Beth asking him to drop by. Returning to his old restaurant, now trading under a new name, Andy is asked to sign a legal document transferring his shares in the business over to Beth, as her father has paid off Andy's loan from Alastair Skye. He discovers Freeman working in the kitchen and the two reconcile. Discovering the level of Jake's debt and his inability to provide for his family, Holly suggests she runs an errand for her Uncle Charlie; a simple delivery that will pay a couple of grand, cash in hand. Jake reluctantly agrees on the condition that he accompanies her and they split the money, although this means both of them will miss service. Andy drops in on Point North, has second thoughts and leaves immediately, but not before he is spotted by Carly. | ||||||||
4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Mounia Akl | James Cummings | 22 October 2023 | |||
Andy visits Carly's flat, only to find that she is at work. Invited in by Carly's mother for a cup of tea, Andy learns that Carly has remortgaged the flat. Carly's mother suggests her daughter could use some help. Whilst most of the staff go out clubbing, Carly has a rather awkward date with a male lawyer which she cuts short to join her staff at the club. Andy arrives at Point North to find only Nick still there and leaves a message with him. When Liam shows up at the club, and accidentally reveals the restaurants finances are in dire straits and drops the bombshell that he has filed for insolvency, Carly finds solace in the arms of Holly and they share a passionate kiss. Robyn confides to Dean that she has Crohn's disease. Carly finally pays Andy a visit and the two have a heart to heart. When she reveals her restaurant has failed Andy offers his support when she needs it most. |
The series is a sequel to the 2021 film Boiling Point, a one-shot film set in a restaurant kitchen. It itself was an expansion of a 2019 short film of the same name, also directed by Barantini and starring Graham. [2] [3] In October 2022 it was revealed that a series following on from the film with the same creative team had been commissioned by BBC One. [4] The series consists of four one-hour episodes with Barantini directing the first two and Mounia Akl directing the last two. [5] [6] Graham Drover is the series producer and Rebecca Ferguson is executive producer for the BBC. The series is written by James Cummings with writers Dan Cadan, Alex Tenenbaum and Nathaniel Stevens joining the team. [7] [8]
In February 2023 Steven Ogg was revealed to have joined the cast. Graham, Robinson and Walters all reprise their original roles from the film, as do Panthaki, Lamont, Daly, Skylar, Larkai, McMillan, Traylen and Hoyle. [9]
Filming began in January 2023 in Manchester. [10]
Episode one aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2023 in the 9pm time slot, [11] with all four episodes becoming available on its iPlayer streaming service the same day. [12]
BBC Studios is handling international distribution. [13]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.3/10.The website's consensus reads: "A culinary drama with palpable tension simmering beneath the surface, Boiling Point generates an absorbing amount of heat." [14]
Nick Clark of the Evening Standard gave it a five out of five stars, commenting that it "gives us just a taste of the anxiety and the adrenaline of this world. It's an extraordinary peek behind the kitchen door, and an uncomfortable one. But as a drama, the ingredients are spot on and the execution superb." [15] Another five star review came from Morgan Cormack of The Radio Times, describing it as "a perfect example of what stellar character-driven drama is." Of the casting, Morgan opined that "the magic of having such an ensemble isn't to be taken lightly - it truly is a work of magnificence." [16]
Dan Einav of the Financial Times awarded the show four stars, stating that "The main cast broadly rise to the challenge but there's a ready-made quality to some of the plotting and scene-setting. The point that chefs both depend on and deplore their customers is overstretched... It can also strain credulity to make each night revolve around a disaster." [17] Another four star review came from Nick Hilton of The Independent, again praising both the “quality of the acting” and the writing. [18] Four stars also from Emily Baker of the i , who said that the “TV version never quite matched the heights” of the feature film and bemoaned the lack of screen time afforded to Stephen Graham. [19]
The Times critic, Carol Midgley also awarded the show four stars, [20] as did Rebecca Nicholson at The Guardian, who also singled out the “excellent cast.” [21] The Observer's Joel Golby lauded "a brilliant script, a phenomenal cast and some absolutely beautiful filming" and went on to state that "this hugely stressful series is one of the best things on television this year... British TV at its very finest." [22]
The series was nominated for Best Limited Series at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2024. [23] The series was nominated for Best Drama Series, and Robinson for Best Actress, at the 2024 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. [24]
Heather Joan Graham is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy License to Drive (1988), followed by the critically acclaimed film Drugstore Cowboy (1989). She then played supporting roles on the television series Twin Peaks (1991), and in films such as Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and Swingers (1996). She gained critical praise for her role as "Rollergirl" in the film Boogie Nights (1997). This led to major roles in the comedy films Bowfinger and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Jeri Lynn Ryan is an American actress best known for her role as the former Borg drone Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager (1997–2001), for which she was nominated four times for a Saturn Award and won in 2001. She reprised her role as Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023), for which she won another Saturn Award.
Sean Harris is an English actor. He played Ian Curtis in 24 Hour Party People (2002), Micheletto Corella in The Borgias (2011–2013), Fifield in Prometheus (2012), Solomon Lane in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Philip in Possum (2018), William Gascoigne in The King (2019) and Henry Peter Teague / Peter Morley in The Stranger (2022).
Stephen Joseph Graham is a British actor and producer. He began his career in 1990, with early notable roles including Tommy in Snatch (2000) and Shang in Gangs of New York (2002), before his breakout role as Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film This Is England (2006).
The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which it can change its state from a liquid to a gas.
Lee Boardman is an English actor and narrator. He has appeared in the films Jack the Giant Slayer and Love's Kitchen, and the television series Rome.
Graham McTavish is a Scottish actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dwalin in The Hobbit film trilogy, The Saint of Killers in the AMC series Preacher, and Dougal MacKenzie and William Buccleigh MacKenzie in the Starz series Outlander. He is also known for his roles in the video game franchise Uncharted as the main antagonist Zoran Lazarević in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Charlie Cutter in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
Stephen Walters is an English actor. A regular in British television and film, he has played a wide range and variety of character roles in both drama and comedy. Walters is most commonly associated with unpredictable, complex figures. He was nominated for a Royal Television Society Best Actor award in 2013 for his role in the Sky Arts drama Ragged and in 2023 for a Supporting Actor (Male) award for his role in the ITV drama Anne.
Lisa Tamsin Faulkner is an actress, presenter and television chef. She has had roles in The Lover (1992), Dangerfield (1995), Brookside (1997–1998), Holby City (1999–2001), Spooks (2002), Burn It (2003), Murder in Suburbia (2004–2005), New Street Law (2006–2007), Murdoch Mysteries (2010–2012), EastEnders (2017) and The Girl Before (2021).
Accused is a British television anthology series created by Jimmy McGovern. The drama series first aired on 15 November 2010 on BBC One and has run for two series. Each episode follows a different character as they await their verdict in court, and tells the story behind how they find themselves accused. The series has featured actors and actresses such as Christopher Eccleston, Benjamin Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Andy Serkis, Marc Warren, Naomie Harris, Sean Bean and Anne-Marie Duff as the accused in each episode.
Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, it follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the direct aftermath of the First World War. The fictional gang is loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name who were active in the city from the 1880s to the 1910s.
Jodie Comer is an English actress. Born and raised in Liverpool, Comer began her career in an episode of The Royal Today in 2008. She gained recognition for appearing in the series My Mad Fat Diary and Doctor Foster, and earned acclaim for starring in the drama miniseries Thirteen.
Joanne Victoria Hartley is an English actress born in Oldham, Lancashire who has appeared in the films This Is England, The Young Victoria, Eddie the Eagle, Slaughterhouse Rulez and Torvill & Dean and in British television series This Is England '86, Not Safe For Work, After Life, Bliss, In My Skin, Sweetheart (2021), and Bank of Dave (2023).
Boiling Point is a 2021 British drama film directed by Philip Barantini and written by Barantini and James Cummings. It stars Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Ray Panthaki, and Hannah Walters. It is a one-shot film set in a restaurant kitchen. It is an expansion of a 2019 short film of the same name, also directed by Barantini and starring Graham. It was originally planned to record eight takes of the film, but it was only possible to film half of these before a COVID-19 lockdown led to the end of the shoot.
Áine Rose Daly is a British actress and singer-songwriter who has appeared in films and television.
Hannah Walters is an English actress and producer.
Chaneil Kular is an English actor. After making his debut as Tariq Amiri on the BBC soap opera Doctors (2018), he began portraying the role of Anwar Bakshi in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2021).
Lauryn Ajufo is an English actress. She was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for her role in the film Boiling Point (2021). She was named a 2022 Screen International Star of Tomorrow and appeared on the Evening Standard list of Londoners to watch.
Philip Barantini is a British film and TV director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known for his intense one-shot feature Boiling Point (2021), starring Stephen Graham.
Hannah Traylen is a British actress and writer. She played Holly in the 2021 one-take film Boiling Point and the subsequent 2023 TV series of the same name.