PRESSURE cooker

STEPHEN GRAHAM and VINETTE ROBINSON on a TV sequel to their hit restaurant-set film

- SEAN MARLAND

BOILING POINT

SUNDAY, 9PM, BBC1 DRAMA (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER)

Stephen Graham and Vinette Robinson served up a smorgasbord of drama in acclaimed 2022 film Boiling Point, which chronicled in real-time the relentless pressure of life in a London restaurant’s kitchen on the busiest night of the year.

Now, Line of Duty star Stephen and Six Four’s Vinette are reprising their roles as chef-on-the-edge Andy and his protégée Carly to continue the story in a follow-up series on BBC1.

The four-parter picks up the action six months after the events of the movie, which ended with Andy collapsing with a suspected heart attack following the stressful shift.

‘The film was brilliant, and we were very pleased with it, but we never dreamt it would end up getting a BBC series,’ explains Stephen, 50. ‘The director phoned me to say the BBC wanted a spinoff, and I said, “That sounds like a great idea, but I’m dead!” He just replied, “Or are you?”’

Well, clearly not, but we don’t see Andy in his chef whites running a busy service in this week’s opening episode, which, instead, rejoins his old team, who are now working at a new Dalston restaurant, Point North.

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 

Andy’s former sous-chef Carly has stepped up as head chef and is trying to carve out a name for herself in the highly competitive hospitality industry.