Express & Star

Peter Rhodes on great drama, a Russian slogan and forgotten motorists

Boiling Point (BBC1) started life as a great little film in 2021. Set in a frantic restaurant, it was hot, spicy and the action came in bite-size pieces (see what I'm doing here?). The film ended perfectly satisfactorily with the stressed-out chef Andy (Stephen Graham) overdosing on drugs and booze, and dying in squalor.

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Stephen Graham in Boiling Point (BBC1).

Then, having killed off the star, it was decided to reheat Boiling Point and bring Andy back to life in a TV drama series of the same name. Nothing wrong with that; being undeaded is a fine gambit and worked perfectly well for Gandalf, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes and Bobby Ewing. Resurrection might also come in handy for the restaurant customer who in this four-part drama, live dangerously. You never know whether the “nut-free” course is cooked in walnut oil (cue the ambulance) or if that white powder on your plate is a pinch of salt or Chef's nose candy.

One thing is certain. If you're a restaurateur desperate to recruit kitchen staff this month, Boiling Point is about as helpful as a chocolate frying pan. Would anyone want to work there?