First-look images have dropped for BBC1's Boiling Point TV series, which will be based on the acclaimed movie starring Stephen Graham, about life behind the scenes at a top restaurant.
The four-part show will pick the story up eight months later, with Head Chef Andy Jones (Graham) recovering from a heart-attack, while his former sous chef Carly (Vinette Robinson) leads their old team at a new London restaurant.
When it was first released as a film in 2021, Boiling Point was met with huge critical acclaim and received four BAFTA nominations and four BIFA Awards, and with all the cast from that film set to return, the series looks set to be unmissable television.
“We are over the moon to get the band back together," says Boiling Point’s executive producers. "Along with the creative team of Phil, James and Matt Lewis (DOP) we have our incredible original cast back. Not only that, we are excited to introduce new members to the Boiling Point family. We are immensely grateful to the BBC for giving us this moment and we are all raring to get going on the series.”
Dealing with various themes, including the stress of working in a top restaurant, balancing family life, influencer culture and substance abuse, the film was praised for its hard-hitting take on the world of hospitality.
Director Philip Barantini - who also co-wrote the film — was also heralded for his "one-take" approach to filming and will be back behind the camera for the four-part series, while co-writer James Cummings also returns as a producer.
Here's everything we know about the four-part Boiling Point TV series..
Boiling Point TV series release date
The BBC have confirmed that filming began for the series in Manchester on Monday 30th January, with Stephen Graham posting a photo on his Instagram account to mark the start of the shoot.
The four-part series is expected to air on BBC and be available on the BBC iPlayer in 2023. International distribution will be handled by BBC Studios.
Boiling Point TV series plot
A BBC press release says the four-part drama will pick up eight months on from the end of the film, which followed Andy Jones, head chef at upmarket London restaurant, Jones & Sons.
According to a BBC press release the new series sees Sous Chef Carly as Head Chef at her own restaurant, with many of Andy’s original team alongside her. As the pressure mounts to keep the restaurant full, Carly begins to feel the magnitude of responsibility that comes with running her own place.
A BBC synopsis reads...
"Eight months after her mentor Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) suffered a heart attack, head chef Carly (Vinette Robinson) is battling to forge a name for new Dalston restaurant Point North alongside her old kitchen crew.
"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."
Shot in one-take, the film followed a chaotic evening at the restaurant, which saw a customer suffer an allergic reaction, staff clash in the kitchen and one of Andy's old business partners demanding £200,000 he claims to be owed.
The film ends with Andy, who has been struggling with drug and alcohol issues, collapsing and his staff calling his name...
Boiling Point cast
Stephen Graham (The Walk-In, Time) will return as Andy Jones, although whether he's still working as a chef following his troubles in the original film remains to be seen.
Vinette Robinson (Doctor Who, Sherlock) will also be back as Carly, now Head Chef at her own restaurant, while the BBC have also confirmed that Graham's wife Hannah Walters (Time) will also return as restaurant owner Emily.
They will be joined by the film’s co-stars with Ray Panthaki (Marcella) reprising his role of Freeman, Gary Lamont (The North Water) back as Dean and Áine Rose Daly (Hanna) returning as Robyn.
Meanwhile Taz Skylar, Stephen McMillan, Hannah Traylen and Izuka Hoyle will also reprise their roles from the award-winning film.
Joining them are new cast members Stephen Odubola, Shaun Fagan, Joel MacCormack and Ahmed Malek, while BAFTA award-winner Cathy Tyson (Mona Lisa, Help) joins the cast as Carly’s mum, Vivian, and newcomer Missy Haysom makes their television debut playing Kit.
Stephen Graham on Boiling Point TV series
In a BBC press release, the series' executive producers Hannah Walters and Stephen Graham said:
“We're beyond thrilled to be bringing Boiling Point the film to the small screen. The incredible reaction to the film, its story and specifically the characters along with the huge desire to know more and delve deeper into their worlds has led us to create a drama series with the BBC in which we will keep the audience gripped, intrigued and involved in each of the characters’ journeys.
"Although we have hung up our feature-length one-shot boots, our audiences can still be excited by extraordinarily lengthy shots and camera techniques that will complement the pure naturalism that was the essence and soul of the film.
“To be able to explore and go on a journey with our established and new characters will be a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions, but a rollercoaster you will want to keep getting back on. Our aim is to make powerful drama which reflects social realism, raising real-life issues which have an effect on each and every one of us."
Boiling Point writer James Cummings says: “When we made the Boiling Point feature film, there were so many ideas left on the whiteboard that it always felt like a possibility we would come back to this world. The response to our film has been incredible and hearing the way it has resonated with people in the hospitality industry has been nothing short of amazing. Restaurants are an intersection of different people from different backgrounds, all dealing with a variety of social issues - and I am so proud to be using our series as a vehicle to tell those stories with a cast of characters that we have already fallen in love with. Food will fly and tears will fall!”
Rebecca Ferguson, executive producer for the BBC, says: “Like many others, I was stunned by the absolute thrill ride that was Boiling Point. The opportunity to expand this break-out hit into five new unmissable episodes of television was too good to miss, and it’s an absolute pleasure to build on my existing relationship with Philip Barantini and work with this incredibly talented team of film makers to bring their vision to BBC One and iPlayer viewers.”
Boiling Point TV series trailer
There's no trailer for this one yet, but we'll be sure to post it here as soon as it lands.
