'Seductive' Apple TV+ historical drama lifts lid on 'horrific' secret side of Napoleon

An upcoming drama on Apple TV+ is not one to miss for history buffs.

The new series releasing to the service this week promises an enticing tale of espionage, food and romance that could be one of Apple's best outings yet.

From leading French filmmaker Martin Bourboulon, who directed the recent smash-hit adaptation of The Three Musketeers starring Eva Green, comes Carême, the startling true story of the world's first celebrity chef.

Benjamin Voisin stars as Antonin Carême, a culinary genius who emerged from poverty to become a world-famous gourmet chef for the likes of Napoleon, Tsar Alexander and the Rothschilds.

The start of the series will follow his rise from humble beginnings as he reluctantly agrees to cook for Napoleon Bonaparte (played by Frank Molinaro), with viewers getting to see the inner workings of his lavish palace and demanding kitchen.

Lead actor Voisin spoke exclusively to Express Online to reveal why Carême is a period drama like nothing you've seen before.

"The great thing [about Carême] is it's a small story within a big story," he explained.

"We knew the general picture of Napoleon, that great emperor who conquered the world, but we didn't know what soft horror lay behind it. And one of them was cuisine.

"He was recognised by all for having the best table, he invited kings and heads of state and government, they wanted to be invited to his table just to taste the food. And, of course, he used that and he had his guests eat and drink and at the end of the meal sign whatever he wanted them to sign.

"So it was most interesting to focus on that aspect of things and go through the story of a 25-year-old boy who wants to become a chef and ends up in the Tuileries [Palace], the best place in Paris at the time, to run the finest team of cooks."

While Napoleon will appear in the series, he's certainly not the main focus, though by revealing how crucial Carême's cooking was to his reign, viewers will learn how the notorious emperor's kitchens were almost as vital as his military prowess.

Voisin's co-star Lyna Khoudri, who portrays Carême's lover Henriette, agreed: "The small story within the big story was what made it interesting. Just in terms of architecture, the story brought me to places I wanted to see on screen.

"Of course, you have the kitchens of the Tuileries Palace, and when you walk around it you can't imagine that behind the arcades and buildings there were all these people working. That I found very seductive, very attractive."

Voisin chimed in: "Yes, he went to thousands of places, so you can make a series out of that, and it would frustrate me to just make a feature film because then you'd just have two hours to focus on a few tidbits of his life, but here you can go much wider because the man had a very exciting and broad life."

Director Bourboulon also stressed that, while Carême will take centre stage throughout the eight-part drama, Napoleon's influence will be felt throughout his story.

"Napoleon is not the main character of this show," he shared. "For sure, the story took place under Napoleon's reign, but Napoleon as a character is not the main character.

"We have decided to not see him a lot. He's always in the shadows, in the back, we're always behind him.

"I think it's more a show about the period rather than Napoleon's character, compared to previous movies such as Ridley Scott's, for example.

"But we can learn a lot about Napoleon's drama and Napoleon's reign, about the divorce [from Joséphine de Beauharnais], about a lot of things."

For TV fans looking to brush up on their Napoleonic history or simply enjoy being whisked away on a steamy period adventure, make sure you tune into Apple TV+'s latest epic drama this week.

Carême premieres Wednesday, 30th April on Apple TV+.