What’s it rated? PG-13
When? 2022
Where’s it showing? HBO Max
I know, I know—what new can a cooking competition show really offer? But hear me out. This one focuses on the best meal there is—the one you’ll wait in line for an hour outside the new pop-up eatery to enjoy, the one where Champagne is basically a necessity, the one that justifies waffles at noon. That’s right—it’s brunch time!
Our three judges are Daniel Levy, Sohla El-Waylly, and Will Guidara. Contestant are given different challenges, and each has their own strengths, whether that be baking or vegan delights or down-home, Southern-style cooking. Each is vying for a cash prize that will allow them to either open or expand their culinary business.
Levy is charming, a liaison between the judges table and the mad-dash energy going on in the kitchen. El-Waylly is a chef and a tough critic. I mean, she won’t eat delivery pizza—that’s how bougie she is. Guidara is somewhere in between the two—tough but kind. This is one of those lovely shows where the contestants root for each other, work together, and collaborate. You’ll be cheering them on from episode one, and you’ll be making reservations for next weekend by episode two. (eight 52-min. episodes) Δ
This article appears in Spring Arts Annual 2023.
Watched Big Brunch because we’re fans of Daniel Levy, but found it to be a kinda half baked concept. Good enough to see it through but doubt we”d ever bother with a second season, though chances of renewal are probably slim.