Julia (2022)

This is an authorized portrait of a celebrity — albeit an unlikely and, by all accounts, wonderfully down-to-earth celebrity, which Julia certainly captures.

Each episode of Julia is named after one of Child’s signature dishes, from “Coq Au Vin” to “Boeuf Bourguignon” to “Chocolate Souffle.” And like any good meal, even if you didn’t enjoy every single seasoning, you’ll still be savoring Julia long after the final bite.

Earnest and elegant. ... Julia lovingly crafts a portrait of a happy marriage—that of Julia and Paul Child (Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce), plucky, older aesthetes with a passion for the senses. As it progresses, Julia widens its scope to embrace workplace politics, early feminism, and the downside of celebrity, all side dishes that bake more gradually.

It settles in by episode three, and begins to feel like an indulgent treat, even if it remains a little uneven. The performances are wonderful, almost old-fashioned, reaching for a classic cinema feel.

Thus far there are no surprises, just resplendent competence.

"The French Chef" exposed Americans to the joy of being in her company for half an hour every week. "Julia" delectably continues that tradition.

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.

Lancashire is much more naturalistic than Streep, giving us her character’s fury and self-doubt as well as her scheming and charisma.

Yes, Julia has some flaws, but its good qualities outweigh the missteps. Most importantly, the show feels like the Julia Child it wants to portray: warm, generous, driven, imperfect, charming, and in love with feeling good.

Lancashire’s Julia is touching and complex. ... “Julia” is pleasant, easy to watch, and, of course, filled with delicious-looking food and the obsession with it. Don’t worry, you can’t gain weight from watching.

When “Julia” works best, we’re on the set of the TV show or at home or at dinners with Julia and Paul and their closest friends. Sarah Lancashire captures Julia’s essence without delving into impersonation, while David Hyde Pierce infuses Paul with humanity and heart.

“Julia” is the ultimate comfort television that wraps the audience in the joys of cooking, with sweet performances from actors all at the top of their game. Just sit back and enjoy this one with your favorite dessert and wine.

In this series, Child’s flame burns brighter when the camera lets the people around her in. It would have been nice if the show believed in its title character enough to let her be flawed and expect the audience will find her captivating nonetheless.

If you don’t expect a lot of conflict or high drama, you should be able to sit back and enjoy Julia for the light, fun biography it’s intended to

Prolonged exposure to Mr. Hyde Pierce’s Paul might indeed annoy anyone—it certainly annoys Avis. But so might Julia: Ms. Lancashire’s sing-song delivery might have been more tolerable over six episodes than eight. But one of the lovely things about the 5-foot-8 actress’s portrayal of her 6-foot-2 character is the love Julia bears for her husband, the enthusiasm she has for what becomes a late-in-life mission to educate an awakening American public via a new medium and the generosity she shows her colleagues.

It indulges in clichés without self-consciousness or self-awareness. It’s an earnestness that won’t be for everybody, but being conventional doesn’t preclude occasional fun bits of media-savvy insight, an abundance of well-photographed food and a towering — in every sense — central performance from Sarah Lancashire.

“Julia” is by no means a must-see series but it will be a want-to-see show for a segment of the audience that’s historically been undervalued by ad-supported TV networks.

It’s mostly happy to skip along the (admittedly very charming) surface. This is especially frustrating given how strong the acting is across the board; these are actors who could handle stories with more heft, if given the chance. ... It’s especially strange how much intriguing material “Julia” leaves on the table considering how much it otherwise struggles to find quite enough to say within its eight episodes.