'The Bear' Season 5 and the 10 Best TV and Movie Chefs to Watch on Sling TV
In honor of ‘The Bear’ season 5 on FX, we cooked up this list of 10 more real and fictional TV and movie chefs to watch on Sling.
It’s closing time for The Bear.
FX’s Emmy-winning comedy-drama returns with back-to-back episodes on Thursday, June 25 at 9pm ET to serve up its fifth and final season. Picking up the day after Carmy’s fateful decision in the season 4 finale, the eight-episode season takes place over the course of a single, stormy shift at the titular Chicago restaurant.
https://youtu.be/ojjCvICC86c?si=k-Z1iGc21OPFM9Fv
If you’ve been following the show since its Emmy-winning debut in 2022, it feels like you’ve grown alongside these actors and characters, many of whom have gone on to massive success in the years since. Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon-Moss Bachrach have all won Emmys for their performances and they all have a chance to cook in this final season. Without getting into spoilers, The Bear season 5 brilliantly fuses all of its ingredients – relatable, human, and flawed characters; recognizable interpersonal conflicts among coworkers; the ghosts of familial trauma; and a generous dash of laugh-out-loud comedy – into a rich and savory dish. The genius of the show is that it understands what makes fine dining such an indelible sensory experience and translates that into a story that not only mirrors those themes but the mess left behind in the kitchen of those chasing perfection one bite at a time.
As we gear up for the high-intensity chaos of The Bear season 5 on Sling, we’re looking back at the TV and movie chefs who paved the way. From the screamers to the dreamers, these are the icons who made us realize that the kitchen is the most dramatic room in the house.
To watch season 5 of The Bear with Sling, use the link below to subscribe to Sling Blue with FX. All shows listed are also available with Sling Blue unless otherwise noted.
The Chaos Kitchens (High Stress, High Drama)
There’s a very specific energy that comes out of the pressure-cooker conditions of a busy kitchen. This category is for the perfectionists who treat the line like an active battlefield. They don't just cook food; they obsess over it until it breaks them.
- Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (The Bear): The modern poster child for culinary burnout. Carmy represents the gritty, unglamorous reality of the industry—panic attacks in the walk-in, the self-loathing of a committed artist, and the masochistic streak that keeps them coming back for more.
- Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen / Kitchen Nightmares): The real-life foundation for every angry fictional chef. Ramsay turned the kitchen dressing-down into an art form, but his enduring popularity comes from the fact that beneath the screaming is a genuine genius who respects the craft. When Gordon pays a compliment to the chef, they know they’ve earned it. - Watch with Sling Freestream.
- Chef Julian Slowik (The Menu): The morbid extreme of the burnt-out fine-dining wizard. Slowik represents what happens when a chef reaches their breaking point from too many pretentious food critics and tech-bro clients. - Watch with FXM (Available with Hollywood Extras).
The Comfort Food Crusaders (Good Vibes Only)
https://youtu.be/gFjHGCw9btk?si=UA_-3BesXlJ6b68Q
Not every chef is chasing a Michelin star. These figures are all about accessibility, culture, and touching the soul through a really good sandwich. Watch these when you need a "palette cleanser" that celebrates the pure joy of eating.
- Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives): The absolute king of comfort food. Fieri carved out a massive TV empire by completely ignoring high-society fine dining and putting a spotlight on local, greasy-spoon legends across America. - Watch with Food Network.
- Chef Carl Casper (Chef): The cinematic antidote to The Bear. After a high-profile meltdown ruins his reputation in fine dining, Casper rediscovers his love for his craft (and his family) through a humble Cubano food truck. - Watch with Shout! Movies on Sling Freestream.
- Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations): The legendary line-cook-turned-philosopher whose adventurous and empathetic spirit inspired us all. Anthony Bourdain didn't just show us what people ate; he revealed how food connects us across borders. He remains the gold standard for culinary storytelling on television. - Watch with TRVL.
The Protein Protagonists (The Fictional Legends)
https://youtu.be/Tm7DcVtwrQE?si=5PtkP1K4iLQ9GjJI
These are the beloved fictional icons who managed to cook up compelling stories—and entirely capture our hearts—all while standing over a stove. Watch these for the nostalgic characters who proved that great chefs can come from anywhere.
- Remy (Ratatouille): Pixar’s tiny French mouse inspires us because his love of cooking is completely pure and uncomplicated. He truly embodies the late, great Chef Gusteau’s motto: "Anyone can cook." - Watch at 7:15 PM on July 5 on Freeform.
- Monica Geller (Friends): Long before The Bear made kitchen stress cool, Monica was introducing 90s sitcom audiences to the relentless, controlling, and highly competitive nature required to make it as a head chef in Manhattan. - Watch with TBS.
- Artie Bucco (The Sopranos): The quintessential tragicomic chef. Artie just wanted to run Nuovo Vesuvio and feed people good, authentic Italian food, but he constantly found himself caught between his culinary passion and the dangerous, moody mobsters occupying his tables. - Watch with HBO.
The Pressure Cookers (The Reality Competition Royalty)
https://youtu.be/2RYrbpdU3eQ?si=N2jq5wqxTS-As2gT
These are the arbiters of taste—the real-life titans who turned food critique into peak primetime television. Watch these when you want to see real culinary talent racing against an impossible timer.
- Tom Colicchio & Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef): The recipe card for modern food television. They brought a level of prestige and tough-but-fair critique to reality TV that elevated the entire genre, turning line cooks into household names. - Watch with Bravo.
- Bobby Flay (Beat Bobby Flay): The ultimate culinary final boss. Flay turned his sheer competitive streak into a television sport, challenging chefs to beat him at their own game in front of a live studio audience. - Watch with Food Network.