Julia - on sky anyone watching?

[Netaporter]

I loved the film with Meryl Streep playing Julia Child but this new series staring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child is just fabulous. Sarah Lancashire is a brilliant actress but is outstanding in this role. Great cast supporting also. Anyone else watching?

I can’t believe I’ve got to episode 5 and only just realised that Simca is Isabella Rossellini. She looks just like her mother, Ingrid Bergman. This has certainly been the best episode all round.

If it helps @Umanresources i got to episode 7 before I realised 😂

My mistake. I’m on episode 7 too 😂

I spotted her straight away. She is very like her mother.

I'm in episode 7 too.

On* .....wish I had been in it 😄

I feel so bad for Simca. Julia seems to have had no qualms at all about literally gobbling up her collaborator’s work and profiting massively from it.

I know Simca keeps saying she doesn’t want the fame and glory - but I don’t recall Julia ever inviting her to share it. Why is she never invited to the US to appear on the show?

Is that how it was in reality? I recall my 1980s/90s volumes had two or three names on the cover (I have forgotten the role of Louisette Bertholle) but Google shows volumes with only Julia Child listed as author.

@TottersBlankly did Simca exist? I know some characters are made up for the show. (Off to Google)

Yes, Simca is Simone Beck, who did exist!

In S 1 I thought of Julia as cuddly and lovable. Now am seeing she is not a good friend. She expects everyone to wait on her hand and foot, and endure her PDA with Paul ( Avis, Simca, Judith) but won't do the same for them.

@Juniper68 Simca was real. The third author Louisette Bertholle isn’t cast which is puzzling given that Julia wears the ‘L’ecole des trois gourmandes’ badge on the show and she is definitely not dead at the time the series is set in.

I wonder why?

Just googled Simca, what an interesting woman. Apparently she wasn't comfortable in front of the camera and came across cold.
There's an autobiography. I'm going to try and get it.

Good idea, @Juniper68 - I may do the same (though my unread list is piling up). I probably knew a little about her decades ago but it’s all gone from my head.

I lost my old copies of the books and can’t find satisfactory newer editions. Mine falls open on a quiche recipe that can’t be bettered. But the connection to Madhur Jaffrey is really fascinating; I didn’t realise who she was at first in that scene. (I have Caribbean and African cooking as part of my heritage - but I use Madhur Jaffrey’s method for cooking rice for pretty much all cuisines. And everyone I feed is always impressed.)

It's been cancelled:

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/sarah-lancashire-julia-cancelled-newsupdate/

Oh well … All the characters (and the TV show) had reached more or less ‘happy’ endings - so I’m not sure there’d have been much more to explore.

Avis’ evolving love life?

Judith’s career?

Alice’s combining of marriage and career?

No doubt all the actors will go on to other things that are maybe even more appealing.

😭😭😭😭

I didn't think it would be more than one series, so I was pleased with two.

sidebar but I'm boxsetting New Girl and was surprised and pleased to see legend Madhur Jaffery's cameo anyone caught that?

There's loads of of background info in Julia Child's book My Life On France, which explains the relationship between her and Simca (and Louisette) really well over several chapters.

*in

Mmm …@xraydelta - it’s only that the portrayal of Julia in the show makes me think I’d like an account of Simca not from Julia’s pov!

I've just rang my local library to see if they can get Julia Child My life in France. They don't have it but the librarian said she'll see if they can buy it?

It’s £4.99 on kindle if this helps

Thanks I've gone back to books now. The Kindle is gathering dust somewhere. I've just ordered it for 2.80 Inc postage from Abebooks.
I'll tell the library once they reopen.

I have the book, but I actually got it on audible too last year and I've been listening to it while driving around in the car. I think there are still free trials on audible if that helps someone too?

It is very good. And there were scenes in both series that I recognised.

There was an excellent podcast for series one. I haven't looked for one this series yet as I binge watched it 😆🙈 But the podcast for the first series explained their source material and motivation for why characters were portrayed like they were, and for series one it wasn't just her own account. I shall have a dig around.

I've just finished it,not sure it warranted a second series really so I'm glad there won't be a third.