List Price: $59.98You Pay Only: $34.99 You Save: $24.99 (42%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781419807398
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
ISBN: 1419807390
Label: BBC Warner
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: BBC Warner
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 30, 2005
Running Time: 582 minutes
Sales Rank: 6566
Studio: BBC Warner
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Editorial Review:
Description:
Meet Britain's finest -- and most ill-tempered -- chef, Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry), of the prestigious Le Chateau Anglais restaurant. Each meal is a masterpiece. Just don't ask for salt. Chef Blackstock rules his kitchen with an iron ladle and puts up with no slacking. The trouble is that his underpaid and overworked kitchen staff is littered with slackers. Tuck in and prepare to double over in laughter with this hilarious and much loved comedy series from the BBC!
DVD Features:
Biographies:Cast bios
Interviews:Interviews with Lenny Henry and Caroline Lee Johnson
Other:Appearance by Lenny Henry on 'The Good Food Show'
Amazon.com:
Hungry for a laugh? The BBC serves up more than a few chuckles in this engaging sitcom about imperious chef Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry), a stern taskmaster who runs his kitchen with an iron fist, a lightning tongue, and a silver palate. The show combines some of the best elements of episodic drama and zany comedy, generously seasoned with sensual splashes of fine French cuisine. (Picture Julia Child crossed with Fawlty Towers' John Cleese following a script by the creators of thirtysomething and you get the general idea.) Blackstock is a brilliant, egotistical black chef running an all-white kitchen--until, that is, his wife maneuvers him into hiring an old school chum. Challenges mount as the restaurant faces bankruptcy and Blackstock decides to risk everything to buy it. Could fulfilling his dream wind up costing the king of the kitchen his home and savings? Supported by a talented ensemble cast, the dramatic story arc develops gradually enough to keep viewers wanting more, while individual episodes rest on more traditional sitcom gags--like when the new apprentice chef loses a Band-Aid somewhere in the kitchen but can't tell which gourmet dish it landed in. Later, Blackstock, the ultimate perfectionist, devises his most perfect mouthwatering meal and scours the shady underside of England's green and pleasant countryside for the perfect closer... the king of cheeses, an illegal unpasteurized stilton. Gradually the supporting characters are given more room to grow--especially charming young Everton (Roger Griffiths), the bumbling, insecure prep cook. When Blackstock's boorish Jamaican father (Oliver Samuels) browbeats the 'serious professional' into abandoning haute cuisine for a night featuring Caribbean food, it's Everton's legendary dumplings that save the day. (Watching him carefully prepare his Guinness punch might be worth the price of the set alone.) Those expecting the surreal hysteria of Monty Python or similar classic British comedies might not care for Chef's subtleties, but those interested in quality television mixed with fine food and sprinkled with a few decent laughs will be more than satisfied by what this show has to offer. --Grant Balfour
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Gastronominc Incredulity Morphs
I just finished the first of the three Chef DVDs. I haven't watched him for years and I am having a huge ball! If TV were like this today, I'd be as addicted as some of my friends are! Almost every episode is stuffed with quotable quotes that should be mantras for anyone with a passion in their life and Chef stretches vocabulary to the fullest! Interspersed with the broad rants we find beautifully prepared foods and gastronomic incredulity. Obviously, I'm loving this.
Watching one or two episodes per day, I can't help but notice how formulaic the episodes are but I don't see this as a detriment. Janice Wakes Gareth In Bed. Chef Berates Underling. Chef Forced To Admit Fallibility. Previous Situation Reappears. The combination of Chef's ultimate sense of fairness and self-awareness with his singular obsession with food allows us to venerate him despite his penchants for murder, dismemberment or torture.
I'm watching on my laptop so I am able to rewind to be sure I catch every word when laughter chops off a line or when the accents seem too unfamiliar. (The laugh track, if it is one, sounds authentic, not canned.) I hit pause and savor the look of finished dinners before they are sent out of the kitchen (something I greatly enjoy) and I freeze and relive the immediate joy the hired help feels when sampling the day's cuisine. I admit, I take photos when presented with beautifully prepared food and one of the small pleasures in my life is when I encounter a morsel that does ... Read More
Rating: - Perfect for the Chef cravings...
I was fairly warned by the other reviewers, so I didn't expect much out of this collection of Chef episodes. It is really the bare bones, no extras, but if you think you'll be satisfied just by watching every episode of Chef, then this is the collection for you. It will at least suffice until the day someone with some sense decides to put together an ultimate Chef collection with interviews, outtakes, and other special features.
Rating:  - Funny Because it's True
My darling boyfriend is a chef, and in turn, so are most of his friends. I am a fan of British humor, and in turn so is my darling boyfriend.
This program offers a humorous glimpse into the minds, relationships, and working style of a "typical" chef personality. Egotistical, sensitive, manic, impatient, brilliant, clueless, and downright adorable.
Although much might be lost if you don't have a chef in your life.
Rating: - Great Show
One of the best British comedies to appear on PBS. I used to work in a high-end restaurant. Lenny Henry hit the nail on the head with his portrayal of the head chef. Too bad it only lasted three seasons.
Rating: - Beware of the Chef
Chef is clearly a fantastic cook. He knows all the subtleties of mixing ingredients, bringing out taste and presenting food. He is a tyrant in his kitchen bringing fear and admiration from those around him. He is so dedicated that his wife feels left out on a personal level. They purchase the restaurant as it would otherwise go bankrupt, and have to sell their lovely cottage and porshe. Between the inner workings of the kitchen and the ones in his personal life there is little room left to breathe. The series is fast paced and full of interesting facts about cooking, among the hillarious scenarios of each episode. If you love cooking and British comedy, this one's for you.
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