# Julia (2022)

> A joyful biographical period drama following Julia Child as she becomes a television icon and pioneer amid the rise of public broadcasting and the women's movement.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/97212

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Daniel Goldfarb
- Network: HBO Max, Max
- Cast: Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Fran Kranz, Fiona Glascott, Brittany Bradford, Robert Joy, Isabella Rossellini
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10975574/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: joyful, witty, nostalgic, warm, buoyant

## What critics say

Acclaimed by audiences for Sarah Lancashire's warm, committed portrayal of Julia Child and its period-accurate recreation of early public television, though the second season was rated noticeably lower than the first.

## Synopsis

Julia (2022-2023) is an American biographical period drama series created by Daniel Goldfarb for HBO Max. Sarah Lancashire plays celebrated cook Julia Child, with David Hyde Pierce as her husband Paul Child and Bebe Neuwirth as Avis, a sharp-tongued figure in her orbit. Across two seasons and sixteen fifty-minute episodes, the series follows Julia's ambition to bring French cooking into American living rooms as she shapes The French Chef on a fledgling public television station. The engine is her improvisational charisma pushing against the institutional doubts, sexism, and rigid expectations of the era, while her personal life and marriage add weight. Set in mid-century America, the show captures the birth of public broadcasting, the early women's movement, and the nature of fame. Its tone is warm, witty, and buoyant, with a nostalgic eye on period kitchens and costumes, and a reflective undercurrent about womanhood and creative courage. Fans of Mrs. America, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Julie and Julia will find resonance in its blend of biography, comedy, and feminist history.

## Shows like Julia

- [The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61900)
- [Masters of Sex (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/52716)
- [Salt Fat Acid Heat (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/70875)
- [Mrs. America (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/71310)
- [Little Women (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/63081)
- [Chef's Table (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55477)
- [Sisi (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/116169)
- [The Bonfire of Destiny (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79302)
- [The Gilded Age (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/69890)
- [Carême (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/148801)

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