Apple TV has renewed its Emmy-nominated drama about the first celebrity chef — who was also a spy
Fresh off a Best Drama Series Emmy nod, Apple TV has ordered a second season of Carême, its French-language drama about the chef who cooked his way into Napoleon’s Europe.
Right then, so Apple TV+ has decided it wants more of Carême, its posh French-language drama about chefs, spies, and a bit of 19th-century scheming. The show, which is already sitting pretty with an Emmy nomination for Best Drama Series (not bad at all for its first time out), has just been officially renewed for a proper second helping.
Carême picked up an Emmy nom for Best Drama Series and a 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes in its debut run.
This isn’t your bog-standard period drama where everyone’s either miserable or dead by the end. We’re talking about the original celebrity chef, Antonin Carême, who started off skint on the streets of Paris and ended up cooking his way right into Napoleon’s Europe. The bloke really did exist – he’s the main character. The show’s big pitch is that Carême’s kitchen wizardry lands him in bed (sometimes literally, sometimes not) with politicians who start using him as a spy. Decent trade-off: recipes for secrets. It's all based on the true story, though I wouldn't take every last caviar-laden detail at face value.
Who’s Back for Round 2?
Shooting for season 2 gets underway in Paris next week. Benjamin Voisin, who nabbed a César Award himself, is back in the chef’s hat as Carême. The director, Martin Bourboulon – yes, the same chap responsible for The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan – is also returning, so expect more of that burnished look and pacy plotting.
The rest of the main cast are all signed on again: Jérémie Rénier (another César nominee, in case you’re counting statues) returns as Talleyrand, while Alice Da Luz is back as Agathe. No word on surprise additions, but frankly, this is already a pretty solid French contingent.
The Bones Behind the Feast
If you’re wondering where all this intrigue and pastry comes from, the series is adapted from the biography Carême: Cooking for Kings: The Life of the First Celebrity Chef, by Ian Kelly. He’s an awarded historian, playwright, all-around clever clogs, and serves as co-creator here alongside Davide Serino. The producing responsibilities fall to Vanessa van Zuylen and Dominique Farrugia.
Carême dropped on Apple TV+ in April 2025 with eight episodes and caught on fast – both critics and viewers lapped it up, with a current 95% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. If you missed season 1, it’s all still up there to binge.