23/12/2022
Given the literal and metaphorical heat inside a restaurant kitchen, it would seem to be a perfect crucible for drama. So it's surprising that there hasn't been a top-flight restaurant-centred show – ok, Bob's Burgers aside – until this June, when Hulu production The Bear premiered in the US and quickly became the breakout hit of the summer. In a star-making performance, Jeremy Allen White plays the fine-dining chef returning from New York to his native Chicago to take over his family's sandwich shop following the su***de of his brother. But as he tries to revive its fortunes, he comes into conflict with the joint's long-standing staff, as does his new hire, keen young sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri). Altogether, it makes for the very opposite of comfort TV, both tightly wound and exhilaratingly kinetic – as well as mouthwatering, for carnivores at least, with its depiction of Chicago's famous beef sandwich, among other things. (HM)
Available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK