With the launch of HBO Max in the UK this week, there’s all sorts of new viewing opportunities when it comes to finding something to watch. For fans of British TV icon Sarah Lancashire, we’re here to report that her comedy-drama Julia – which first aired in 2022 – is available to watch on the streaming platform.
Here the Happy Valley and Black Doves star plays the titular character of Julia Child, a real-life cookbook author and TV personality. The drama is set in the ’60s, around the time that Child worked on making her hit TV show, The French Chef, which premiered in the United States during the early years of the decade, and stayed on the air for around 10 years.
Julia, which ran for two seasons, was widely well-received by critics, with the series currently boasting a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
HBO
In a review for season one, The Times said: “It’s a magnificent show, simultaneously joyous and melancholy, subtle in its emotional complexities, with a Mad Men-like attention to period detail and a perfect supporting cast…”
Meanwhile IndieWire called it “the ultimate comfort television”, going on to say that it “wraps the audience in the joys of cooking”. The publication’s review also went on to point out the show’s “sweet performances from actors all at the top of their game”.
In a four-star review, Guardian added: “The performances are wonderful, almost old-fashioned, reaching for a classic cinema feel. The script is wordy and busy, which adds to the effect.”
HBO
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Of course, this isn’t all that HBO Max is bringing to UK audiences this week. Perhaps the biggest release to come along with the platform’s launch is the debut of The Pitt, which has received widespread praise and acclaim in the US and is only just now becoming available for UK viewers to enjoy.
Created by ER’s writer R. Scott Gemmill, and starring ER actor Noah Wyle, the medical drama has been praised as one of the finest examples of the genre.
The Pitt has already proven to be a huge success following its initial premiere back in 2025, having also scooped a number of accolades, including Golden Globe and Emmy Awards. A second season has already been released in the US, and a season three is also on the way.
Julia is available to stream on HBO Max.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Â Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. Â As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).Â