Apple TV Plus is currently my number one streaming service as it just keeps serving up treats, and it's dishing up another here in the French period drama Carême.
The first two episodes have dropped today [Wednesday, April 30], and I'm already hooked on the story about the real-life French cooking genius, Antonin Carême, described as the world’s first celebrity chef.
It opens with Carême and his girlfriend Henriette (Lyna Khoudri) lusciously licking cream off each other before they're interupted by his sweet father, who says they need to get on with cooking for Napoleon's troops.
Soon, despite thinking France's leader is a "moron", Careme saves his life and unwisely turns down an offer to cook for the Emperor. The police then turn up, carting off his dad, who tells Carême to go to the Hôtel de Galliffet and ask for Talleyrand (Jérémie Renier), an ambitious and scheming politician.
Plot to kill Napoleon
Talleyrand says in return for spying for him, he will help Carême get his father released from jail. But when Careme finds himself embroiled in a plot to assassinate Napoleon, he realises he's bitten off more than he can chew. Also thrown in the mix is Fouché (Micha Lescot), a brutal police chief who's the sworn enemy of Talleyrand. Carême decides to play the pair against each other...
Thus, the series is superbly set up, making the fact that we have to wait a week for more episodes somewhat frustrating!
The French-language series — yes, you will need subtitles unless you can speak French — looks stunning, and the locations around Paris are mouthwatering. Benjamin Voisin makes for a charismatic lead who stays just on the right side of arrogance.
There are some nice lines in it, too. I especially enjoyed Talleyrand explaining the difference between France and England to the British ambassador. "In England, you have two sauces and 300 religions. In France, we have two religions and more than 300 sauces," he quips.
Having finally gotten around to watching the superb wine world drama Drops of God on Apple TV Plus, I was looking for another series to enjoy, and Carême fits the bill nicely. While I suggest enjoying Drops of God with a nice glass of wine, I'd say make sure you eat before you watch Carême, otherwise you'll suffer hunger pangs seeing all of the fabulous creations by the man dubbed the king of chefs.
Carême isn't quite in the same league as Drops of God, but it's certainly enjoyable and also, like a lot of Apple TV Plus's offerings, feels quite different from a lot of television. The cast is great, and there's plenty of intrigue to keep you entertained.
If you've not watched Drops of God, then please do, it's quite brilliant.
The first two episodes of Carême are on Apple TV Plus now, with future episodes released weekly. Here's our list of the best Apple TV Plus shows, which will guide you towards some of What to Watch's favorites.
