‘Julia’ on succeeds on many levels
I’m not the kind of guy who uses the word delightful very often, but “Julia,” the biographical dramady streaming on HBO Max, fits the bill.
The series, starring U.K. actress Sarah Lancashire (“Happy Valley”) as the author and chef Julia Child, and David Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”) as her husband, Paul, succeeds on a number of levels. As a period piece, it offers a smart glance at a changing world. It’s also a character study that explores a singular and unique figure and reflects on shifting ideas of womanhood, domesticity and changing perceptions of the kitchen as a whole.
As television history, “Julia” doesn’t shy from the racism, sexism and class attitudes of its day, but at the same time evokes a tone entirely appropriate to its subject matter. In discovering Child’s 1961 book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” or watching her Boston-based cooking show, readers and viewers felt they had found a new friend — a smart, witty and welcoming one, to boot. Despite her odd voice and physical awkwardness, Julia Child was easy to love, and so is “Julia.”
Compare that with the recent Aaron Sorkin project, “Being the Ricardos,” which went to great efforts to turn a behindthe-scenes glance at the most beloved sitcom of all time into a humorless tale of fear, adultery and McCarthyism.
Bebe Neuwirth also stars as Avis, Child’s recently widowed best friend, setting up scenes between Niles and Lilith from “Frasier” days. A lot of “Julia” concerns Alice (Brittany Bradford), a young Black woman and fledgling producer, who encouraged Child to pursue her series.
Irish actress Fiona Glascott often threatens to steal the show as Julia’s book editor, Judith. She’s a confidante, friend and fan. Viewers may recall Glascott as Matt LeBlanc’s feisty ex-wife on “Episodes.”
Judith’s boss, Blanche Knopf (Judith Light), thinks she’s wasting her time with a mere cookbook writer when she should be concentrating on editing serious authors like John Updike. Their relationship and the show’s Cambridge setting illuminate the mid-century contempt that self-professed intellectuals had for television.
“Julia” is not without a few faults. Neuwirth’s character swears like a sailor, or a Soprano, a trait both anachronistic and unpleasant. There’s an encounter between Child and Fred Rogers that borders on too much, and a feud between Julia and Betty Friedan seems contrived.
“Julia” is not for everyone, but some discerning viewers may have just found their new favorite new show.
› Tom (Pete Holmes), a laid-off factory worker, embraces his dream to pursue professional bowling in the new sitcom “How We Roll” (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG). His wife (Katie Lowes) and mentor (Chi McBride) are encouraging, but his hovering, widowed mother (Julie White) fears that he’s taking an unnecessary risk.
› Chef Ludo Lefebvre and comedian Natasha Leggero host the new culinary competition “Rat in the Kitchen” (9 p.m., TBS). As the title implies, one of the six players is really a saboteur. Julia Child would find this pointless.