Julia Child's Career Heats Up to a Boil as She Visits Paris and the White House in“Julia” Season 2 (Exclusive)
The charming biographical show returns to Max for another season of culinary adventures
It’s impossible to get enough of Julia Child, particularly when Sarah Lancashire channels the legendary chef’s joie de vivre with such finesse.
That’s likely why Max’s biographical series Julia is returning for a second season on Nov. 16. After making up her mind to do a second season of her cooking show The French Chef at WGBH, Julia (Lancashire) goes to France to clear her head and “do some research” because, as she explained in season 1 finale, “I need time before I can film again.”
Now PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the trailer for season 2, which picks up not long after and sees Julia experimenting with new recipes — to mixed results. Elsewhere, in the clip — which travels from behind the scenes at WGBH to the White House kitchen — Alice (Brittany Bradford) is pressured to come up with more compelling programming for the station and Julia’s book editor Judith (Fiona Glascott) experiences frustration navigating the male-dominated publishing industry of the 1960s.
Related: David Hyde Pierce Opens Up About His Role in HBO Max's 'Julia' : 'I'm Very Lucky'
Briefly panning over a seaside area of France, the trailer cuts to Julia and Simca (Isabella Rossellini) grinning, pushing their bikes along the street.
“We did well today, Simca and I,” Julia says.
“It would be a feast,” Simca adds, before the trailer cuts to a long table of lunch guests, including Julia, Paul (David Hyde Pierce) and Judith.
“It’ll be a night to remember,” Paul says.
Sebastein Gonon/Max
In the next scene, Julia and Simca pull a lumpy, fish-shaped pastry out of the oven.
“Well, that’s disappointing,” Julia says.
Simca agrees, “More blob than fish, huh?”
Cutting to the WGBH studios, Julia emerges onto the set of The French Chef, humming with energy and declaring, “Lucy, we’re home! Roll show.”
Related: Get the Butter Ready: You Can Now Rent Julia Child's French Cottage (and Cook in Her Kitchen!)
A montage spans the next several moments as the network puts the pressure on WGBH’s chief Hunter (Robert Joy).
“My board was content with nothing when all we had was nothing, but now that we have something, we want more something and less nothing,” an executive tells Hunter.
“We need new content yesterday,” Hunter tells Alice in another scene, adding, “Alice, I am disappointed.”
Sebastein Gonon/Max
'Julia' stars Isabella Rossellini and Sarah Lancashire.Meanwhile, it appears that Russ (Fran Kranz), Julia’s former producer on The French Chef, hasn’t changed he’s tune. He’s still hellbent on developing high-brow content, not programming that appeals to the masses.
“I want to take on subjects of great magnitude,” he tells Hunter.
“Vietnam. We inform, you decide,” Russ says later, earning a deep sigh of frustration from Alice as she watches from the wings.
She then explains, “While you were working on the details of this one show, I am tasked with saving the entire station.”
Related: Ina Garten Reveals the Only Fast Food She'll Eat: 'It Was Julia Child's Favorite Too'
Injecting a bit of humor into the mix, Hunter then introduces Julia and The French Chef to the concept of product placement.
“How much do you stand to make from all this?” Paul asks.
“Quite a lot,” Hunter responds.
“It may not be the best episode for that knife, though,” Paul remarks as Julia struggles to saw through a huge, dry chunk of pastry.
Sebastein Gonon/Max
As for Avis (Bebe Neuwirth), Julia’s close friend is seen dancing at a nightclub and sharing a kiss with a gentleman in her kitchen.
“What on earth has been happening here while I was gone?” wonders Julia.
“Friendship is a two-way street,” Avis shoots back. “I put up with you. Put up with me.”
Back over to Julia and Paul, the couple venture to Paris where Julia muses that she “married the right guy.” But over in the kitchen, the chef runs into some obstacles.
“You’re wasting our time with that dish!” Simca says.
“Well, we have to make compromises,” Julia argues.
Judith, meanwhile, expresses frustration with Julia, possibly referring to Julia and Simca when she declares she won’t play “referee.” But the book editor’s exasperation likely also stems from the male-dominated work culture at Knopf.
“You're a wonderful woman succeeding in a mediocre man's world,” Paul tells Judith.
“If you feel like a punching bag, you’ve never been punched, my dear,” Blanche (Judith Light) tells the ambitious book editor.
As The French Chef’s success grows, expanding into 12 more markets, Julia takes the show out of the studio, venturing as far as the White House kitchen.
Cutting to a moment where Julia slices into a fillet of fish and samples it with Simca, the chef utters a murmur of satisfaction.
“Oh! I feel like I’m a virgin all over again," she says, then quipping without missing a beat: "Well, I was until a moment ago."
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Julia season 2 premieres its first 3 episode on Nov. 16, with new episodes airing every Thursday to follow on Max.
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