Lessons in Chemistry

In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott's dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere. She accepts a job on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives way more than recipes.

Lessons in Chemistry (2023) is a US limited series created by Lee Eisenberg for Apple TV, adapted from the novel by Bonnie Garmus. Brie Larson plays Elizabeth Zott, a gifted chemist whose scientific ambitions collide with a 1950s society that insists women belong in the home. After being pushed into hosting a television cooking show, she turns each broadcast into a lesson that reaches a nation of overlooked housewives. Lewis Pullman plays Calvin Evans, a brilliant colleague whose bond with Elizabeth grows through shared rigor and stubborn independence, while Aja Naomi King plays Harriet Sloane, a friend and fellow outsider in the workplace. Across eight episodes the engine is simple and sharp: a woman refusing to shrink her mind, a broadcast format that quietly becomes a platform, and a patriarchal world that keeps pushing back. Set in 1950s California, the series moves between laboratory corridors, studio sets and domestic kitchens. Its tone is witty and defiant, with romance and humor balanced against sexism and grief. Fans of Mad Men, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Hidden Figures will find resonance here.

Audiences broadly acclaim the series for Brie Larson's lead performance and its sharp take on 1950s sexism wrapped in an accessible, warm period drama.

• Mad Menperiod drama tones, sexism-driven workplace struggle, female protagonist in a male-dominated science field
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel1950s-set domestic comedy-drama with a woman defying gender expectations and a warm, wry register
• Hidden Figuresfemale lead overcoming institutional sexism through science, romance and an emotionally sincere tone

Created by

Lee Eisenberg

Release Date

2023-10-12

Episode runtime

47 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (430)

What is Lessons in Chemistry about?

A brilliant 1950s chemist is forced into a television cooking show, where she turns her recipes into lessons for a nation of housewives.

What is Lessons in Chemistry like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lessons in Chemistry as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Lessons in Chemistry violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lessons in Chemistry.

What did critics think of Lessons in Chemistry?

Audiences broadly acclaim the series for Brie Larson's lead performance and its sharp take on 1950s sexism wrapped in an accessible, warm period drama.

Which shows are like Lessons in Chemistry?

Shows with a similar feel include Mad Men, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Hidden Figures.

How long is Lessons in Chemistry?

Lessons in Chemistry: 1 season, 8 episodes.

Is Lessons in Chemistry still running?

No, Lessons in Chemistry has ended.

Where can I watch Lessons in Chemistry?

In United States, Lessons in Chemistry streams on Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel.