Julia

I did not think I would like this series; for one, Meryl Streep owned the character in "Julie & Julia", along with Stanley Tucci as Paul, but half way into the first episode, I was totally absorbed into the story and the characters. Just superbly cast, well acted, the sets and the locations bring back a lot of memories.

I lived in Cambridge MA for a year or so back in the 80's, and Julia Child was a frequent sighting around Harvard Square - I would see her frequently in the bookstores and coffee shops. She was a presence, even without muttering a word.

Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde-Pierce are superb. They are Julia and Paul Child. Boston of that era was a bastion of equality, but still a product of it's time. I am glad to see that the writing is not telling a "woke" story, but an honest characterization of that time. There are times the show is as gritty as it WAS back then. Having LIVED through those times, this is about as honest portrayal as I could imagine.

Kudos HBO for bringing this story to the screen.

I can't believe I waited this long to start watching this show. Top notch cast with Sarah Lancashire (who is an absolute revelation and deserves an Emmy for this performance), Bebe Neuwirth, David Hyde Pierce, Fiona Glascott, Judith Light, Brittney Bradford, Isabella Rosselini...all in the same show? Yes please, more of that. The show is one of the best hidden gems of the year. While there's definitely still room for growth, "Julia" is, all things considered, a well-written, superbly acted, charmer of a show. I can definitely imagine enjoying another serving. I'm begging HBOMAX for a season two.

Edit: Okay, we got a season two and it's just as magnificent as the first season. The show is my favorite of all shows in the last year. Utterly fantastic performances all around.

So many things to like about this show... For openers, I grew up in Boston in the 1960's, and they did such a good job of recreating that city in that time that I was feeling nostalgic just watching the scenes with Julia walking down the street.

The casting is spot-on - I am so glad they went with Sarah Lancashire because I don't think an American actress could have replicated Julia Child's odd accent nearly as well. David Hyde Pierce is terrific in his usual understated way, and Bebe Neuwirth is always a joy to watch.

The show has a leisurely pace, but I don't mind that - it just provides more opportunity to enjoy the details. And they really got them right.

Like a lot of biography series/films there are some fictionalised elements, but this doesn't stop Julia being an enjoyable show to watch. The casting is great. Sarah Lancashire (from Oldham, UK) seems like an unusual choice to play the main role, but she does it really well. Since seeing Julie and Julia I've always had an interest in Julia Child. That film goes into how her book was written whereas this series goes into how she got on to television.

I don't know just how much is fictionalised in this series but it looks great and manages to mix comedy and serious very well. I binged the first 4 episodes in a day and am really looking forward to the next one!

I don't get the hate.

I was engrossed from the first second.

And if, if she doesn't have the perfect American accent, it's 100 times better than Dominic West's accent in The Wire, so who cares! I find the slight Yorkshire inflection works well with her idiosyncrasies anyway.

Can't wait for the rest.