Boiling Point

Available on BBC iPlayer

Although this small screen continuation of Philip Barantini’s outstanding one-shot feature Boiling Point perhaps doesn’t feel as original as it may have done in a pre-The Bear world, it’s no less impactful thanks to the stellar work of its understated ensemble cast and an emotionally far-reaching screenplay.

The series picks up six months after the events of the film and sees Carly (played by the excellent Vinette Robinson), the former sous chef of the now disgraced Andy (Stephen Graham), running her own restaurant alongside many of her old team. While that might sound like a dream come true, in the frenetic and anxiety-inducing world Barantini and co-creators Graham and James Cunning have cooked up, it soon becomes something of a nightmare.

Over the course of Boiling Point’s tightly contained four episode run, we see Carly juggle the challenges of her own imposter syndrome, the demands of her financial partner, and the everyday ordeals being endured by her staff. However, unlike the preceding film, the series is never overly focused on one character (indeed, Graham mostly plays a bit-part role), which gives its supporting cast ample time to shine. Of those assisting players, Hannah Walters, Izuka Hoyle, Stephen Odubola, Stephen McMillan, and Áine Rose Daly shine brightest, with their roles respectively covering topics as broad as alcoholism, workplace sexual misconduct, self-doubt, self-harm, and concealed illness.

If that sounds like a lot, then that’s because it is, although Boiling Point’s narrative thankfully never becomes convoluted, instead serving as a fine example of how rewarding relatable, character-driven dramas can be. This is a series about everyday people facing challenges that so often go unnoticed, even by those that we spend most of our time with, and, for that reason alone, feels like a show that is every bit as important as it is entertaining.