Ep. 42 - “By Request” THE GREAT: Comedy & Joy of Food
Elle Fanning as Catherine and Nicholas Hoult as Peter in The Great Photo: Hulu
…Given that Tony McNamara played pretty loose with the historical facts, I'm wondering if she felt the same about the food, you know. Or did she really dig into any historical documentation to try to replicate anything accurate?
Marsha Weiner, Food EnthusiastI would say that it was not factual. It was definitely for comedic value a lot of the time. There were some ridiculous requests for food that would definitely just add to the comedy for it…I got asked to make things like badger flan and moose lip pâté, and gooseneck sausage…Tony McNamara did not seem to mind about the authenticity, that's for sure.
Sam Dixon, Food Stylist for THE GREAT
In episode 42 The Boston Sisters feature the Hulu series THE GREAT by listener request from Marsha Weiner, a food enthusiast in Minnesota. Marsha shares why she wanted the podcast to feature Tony McNamara’s satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia's history.
Food has a major role.
This request gave the podcast an opportunity to have a conversation with London-based food stylist and cookbook author Sam Dixon for a behind-the-scenes look at food in THE GREAT.
Guest: SAM DIXON
Sam Dixon is a self-taught food stylist for cookbooks, magazines, film and TV, learning her craft through industry with a background in baking. She officially started her career in food at Violet bakery in East London. A love for seasonal ingredients, creativity and aesthetics was developed there. Since then, she has worked with numerous publications and brands such as The Guardian, GQ, The Telegraph, Hix, the White Company, Kyle Books, Quadrille, and Hodder and Stoughton. She is also the co-creator of Studio Feast, a food photography studio in Leighton, East London.
Sam was a food stylist for seasons 2 and 3 of THE GREAT.
SHOP THE PODCAST
A Very Vegan Christmas: Plant-Based Recipes for Celebrating in Style by Sam Dixon is available in our affiliate bookstore on bookshop[dot]org. A giftable cookbook featuring more than 70 recipes for the holiday season. Enjoy plant-based twists on iconic Christmas dishes and discover some new festive favorites. Each recipe is simple to make and packed full of flavour, making sure each meal is a true celebration.
Shop MORE book titles related to this and past podcasts on the MBGLtd affiliate page on bookshop.org. Your book purchases support independent booksellers and a small commission supports the production of the Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters podcast.
THE GREAT
Teaser for Season 3
THE GREAT, created by Tony McNamara, is based on his 2008 play on the rise and fall of Catherine the Great of Russia. The series features Elle Fanning as the idealistic future ruler of Russia, Catherine; and Nicholas Hoult as her offensive yet charming husband, Peter III.
Incorporating historical facts occasionally, THE GREAT is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia's history. Hulu describes THE GREAT as a fictionalized, fun and anachronistic story of an idealistic, romantic young girl, who arrives in Russia for an arranged marriage to the mercurial Emperor Peter. Hoping for love and sunshine, she finds instead a dangerous, depraved, backward world that she resolves to change.
The cast also includes Belinda Bromilow (Aunt Elizabeth), Sacha Dhawan (Orlo), Phoebe Fox (Marial), Bayo Gbadamosi (Arkady), Adam Godley (Archbishop Archie), Douglas Hodge (Velementov), Gwilym Lee (Grigor), and Charity Wakefield (Georgina).
THE GREAT ran for 3 seasons on Hulu ending in 2023. The series is still available on the Hulu platform for a fee. THE GREAT is rated TVMA for Mature Audiences. Visit the series website for more information.