Julia (Seasons 1–2)

Julia (2022) is an HBO Max biographical drama you can watch online on iFILM. It follows the moment a tall, middle-aged, gloriously cheerful Julia Child more or less stumbled into hosting a cooking program on Boston public television — and ended up inventing a format whole networks now live on.

Sarah Lancashire plays Julia; David Hyde Pierce is her husband Paul, the quiet ally in her corner. This is the early 1960s, when no one thinks a housewife counts as an audience, producers wince at the idea, and a woman past fifty decides the kitchen deserves prime time anyway. The ensemble brings in Bebe Neuwirth, Fran Kranz, Isabella Rossellini and Judith Light, with episodes handled by Melanie Mayron, Scott Ellis and Charles McDougall among others.

It isn't really about recipes. It's about one stubborn person nudging a culture forward, brushing up against early feminism, the new strangeness of TV fame, and the fear of looking foolish on camera. Good for anyone who likes a warm character drama and doesn't mind craving butter afterward. Stream Julia (2022) online on iFILM.