What to watch tonight: Carême (Apple TV)

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What to watch tonight: Carême

Where: Apple TV

Available episodes as of this writing: 2

Watch the trailer here

What’s it about? Carême stars Benjamin Voisin as the titular Marie-Antoine Carême (also known as Antonin Carême), a celebrity chef from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. Yes, that Napoleon – for non-history buffs, a quick trip to Wikipedia might be in order. He was working as a pastry chef for a man he considered his father when a chance encounter led to him getting entangled in the messy politics of the powerful. 

The trailer described Carême as a chef, spy, and lover – he was all three in the first couple of episodes alone. After his father was arrested, Carême was forced to work for, with, and against the powerful Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. Historical figures Joseph Fouché (this is the scary violent investigator you’ll see following a bombing) and Joséphine Bonaparte (Napoleon’s wife) also make appearances.

Is Carême based off a book? Yes, it is inspired by the book Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Carême, The First Celebrity Chef by Ian Kelly.

Is there sex and nudity? Yes, from the very first scene.

Is it historically accurate? I am far from an history expert and I have not read the book Carême was based on, but I would say, not so much. Carême took parts of the life of an historical figure and wove it into what is, so far, an entertaining story. Also, real life Josephine is known to have had affairs, and this is shown here.

If you don’t usually watch historical TV shows, should you watch Carême? Yes! Carême is fun, frothy, and diverting. If period shows are not your usual jam, this French comedy erotic drama is a good place to start.