Carême

"Carême," the French speaking drama on Apple TV+, serves up a delectable blend of culinary artistry, political intrigue, and steamy romance. The show is centred on Antonin Carême, the world's first celebrity chef.

Benjamin Voisin shines as the charismatic, flirtatious Carême, whose pastry prowess and herbal knowledge propel him from Paris bake shops to the courts of Napoleon's elite.

The show, loosely based on Ian Kelly's "Cooking terminology for Kings," trades historical accuracy for a spry, modern vibe, evoking the fizz of "Downton Abbey" and the kitchen intensity of "The Bear."

Carême's dishes become tools of espionage and seduction, navigating a web of power plays orchestrated by the cunning Talleyrand (Jérémie Renier). While the high-stakes plot-saving Europe through puff pastry-teeters on cartoonish, the lush visuals, copper-pot-laden kitchens, and strong performances, keep it engaging.

First two episodes - seem like an overstuffed mix of spy thriller, erotic drama, and culinary showcase - feels bloated. Some predictable twists dilute its female characters' depth, even if it fills the revisionist history bowl to its brim!

Considering having to read sub-titles, "Carême" comes off as a compulsively watchable romp, incredibly good visual splendour and lusty energy. Most viewers will forgive its historical liberties/revisionist history, and settle for its sumptuous feast, if slightly uneven, feast.

Rating: 5.5/10.

I didn't expect to like this original series from Apple+. I thought it was going to be like one of those cheesy erotic cooking videos on Tik-Tok, and Apple+ has a terrible track record when it comes to its original programming.

But, Mon Dieu, I was, how you say? Surprised.

The series is well written, and a feast for the eyes; with great period detail. They put money into this project.

Lead actor, Benjamin Voisin has bags of personality and appeal and is quite a good actor.

On another level, the French intrigue makes this a spy story, as well as, an historical one.

And the culinary aspect is very appealing.

Napoleon's years in power were a mix of revolution and novelty. This show takes the comedy angle and the taste of cuisine to take us to French capital Paris. Napoleon, Josephine, the king Louis, all the ambience of the royal figures and the details. Napoleon threw away monarchy and set Europe nobles into flames, but then he crowned himself emperor - what about that? We can picture the attack by the Jacobins, the nobles having fun, and mostly the palaces and the food like we never saw before: with art conecting food to life. Would you doubt if someone told you that Napoleon would only eat a few plates? Can you see a pattern? Please don't miss this series. It is a great miracle.

Carême" may be the most Gallic show ever made. Not because the Apple TV+ drama features enough torrid affairs to make Carrie Bradshaw blush; not even because the action unfolds in the political heart of Napoleonic Paris, enlisting such real-life figures as foreign minister Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand (Jérémie Renier), police chief Joseph Fouché (Micha Lescot) and Empress Josephine (Maud Wyler) as major characters. No, what makes this French-language show about French history so extra, incredibly French is the namesake protagonist: a dashing, seductive, single-earring-wearing spy who also happens to be a founding father of haute cuisine.

Careme is "glossy" and melodramatic and frequently risque telling of an enjoyably wild this series is a garlanded with glamour, royalty and vast historical panoramas...not a documentary".

The serous shows the characters talent in deepth and astounding ways of doing things.

The aftermath of the early period in the French revolution, as Napoléon Bonaparte proves to be no different than the previous royal dictators who continued with corruption to suppress the people with poverty. In the thick of it was the legendary chef, Antonin Carême (the superb Benjamin Voisin), who was forced to participate in the dirty political games in order to survive and save his step-father. The amazing food that Carême creates to appease the powers-that-be looks amazing, as does the production values in this fascinating thriller during a historical time of political upheaval and social unrest, where believe it or not some of France's culinary delights were born...