If Stephen Graham’s return to our screens in his next major drama, Nocturne, is feeling a little far off (ahem, this October), don't fret because the 53-year-old actor has another superb drama that you can stream in full now. Introducing Boiling Point, the BBC series that features what is, in our opinion, Stephen at his best - and we highly recommend binge-watching it tonight.
The nail-biting follow-up to the 2021 film follows head chef Carly (Vinette Robinson) who runs her own restaurant with the help of her former boss Andy's (played by Stephen) staff. Andy, meanwhile, is dealing with the aftermath of a heart attack, the loss of his restaurant and a past that haunts him more than ever. It’s a brutally realistic and eye-opening series that’s only made more watchable by another unforgettable performance from Stephen.
With Boiling Point available to stream now, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot and how you can watch it.
What is Boiling Point about?
The four-part drama, which first aired on BBC One in 2023 and is a continuation of the hit 2021 film, picks up six months after the film ends. If you’re not familiar with the film, it follows Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) who’s the head chef at upmarket London restaurant Jones & Sons and is struggling, to say the least.
Filmed in one continuous shot, we follow Andy as he makes his way to work; he’s newly separated, dealing with addiction and finding it increasingly challenging to keep on top of everything in the restaurant. Along the way, we meet his frustrated sous chef, Carly (Vinette Robinson), and, as the restaurant prepares for the its busiest day of the year – Christmas –Andy is about to reach breaking point.
The TV series picks up several months after the events of the film and we find Carly now running her own restaurant with former boss Andy's staff. Head chef Carly is battling to forge a name for her new Dalston restaurant, Point North, and we follow the team as the stresses of keeping the restaurant running bear down on them amidst a hospitality industry in crisis.
The pressure is once again on to draw in new, hungry customers and she faces a financial squeeze to keep the business profitable. Somehow, however, the team must find a way to manage their complicated personal lives whilst creating quality food day in day out. We also, of course, meet Andy himself again, who must face his new reality of having no restaurant to run.
Who’s in the cast of Boiling Point?
The cast of Boiling Point includes:
- Stephen Graham (Adolescence) as Andy
- Vinette Robinson (Six Four) as Carly
- Hannah Walters (A Thousand Blows) as Emily
- Ray Panthaki (Marcella) as Freeman
- Gary Lamont (Rivals) as Dean
- Áine Rose Daly (The Cursed) as Robyn
- Taz Skylar (Cleaner) as Billy
- Daniel Larkai (Malpractice) as Jake
- Stephen McMillan (Toxic Town) as Jamie
- Hannah Traylen (Ridley Road) as Holly
- Izuka Hoyle (Ludwig) as Camille
- Stephen Odubola (Blue Story) as Johnny
- Shaun Fagan (Kate & Jake) as Bolton
- Joel MacCormack (Safe House) as Liam
- Ahmed Malek (The Swimmers) as Musa
- Cathy Tyson (Mona Lisa) as Vivian
- Missy Haysom (Changing Ends) as Kit
Is there a trailer for Boiling Point?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Boiling Point below.
Is Boiling Point any good?
Yes – it’s better than good. It’s a genuinely nail-biting series that gives a no-holds-barred take on what it means to work in a restaurant kitchen. Our only complaint is that given Stephen Graham’s character had a heart attack at the end of the film, we don’t see quite as much as we’d like of him in the TV series (spoiler: he's not dead though).
How can I watch Boiling Point?
All four episodes of Boiling Point are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now. If you want to watch the film first, you can stream it on Apple TV or Prime Video.
What other Stephen Graham dramas can I watch now?
If you’re a crime drama fan, we’d recommend Time. Stephen plays prison officer, Eric, who finds himself blackmailed by inmate, Pete (played by Kadiff Kirwan), who learns a secret about his personal life. You can watch Time on BBC iPlayer. To see a creepier side to Stephen, we’d suggest A Patch of Fog. Stephen is fantastic as mentally unstable loner Robert Green, who develops an infatuation with TV personality Sandy (played by Conleth Hill). A Patch of Fog is available to watch on Disney+.
