[.ca] Chef! - The Complete Collection (Series 1-3)

Genius, genius, genius:
This show is one of the best Britcoms of all times. Feel free to mention Black Adder, Fawlty Towers and Red Dwarf in the same sentence. Although Chef! should never be COMPARED to these other shows it is certainly within the same class. Lenny Henry (comedien, actor and husband of Dawn French) plays Gareth Blackstock, chef de cuisine at Le Chateau Anglais the best restaurant in England and possibly the world! His singular passion is food. His wife is lonely and neglected, and his staff is abused, but his food is perfect. Gareth is both empassioned and sympathetic. A perfectionist and hopeless. This show while not about food takes the artistry of food preparation seriously. John Burton Race, owner of five (collective) Michelin stars, was food consultant to the series and makes a brief cameo in the episode England Expects (for more on Burton Race see French Leave and Return of the Chef on Food Network, or www.johnburtonrace.com). Gareth's long suffering wife is played by Caroline Lee Johnson. She manages to be sympathetic, supportive and understandibly overwrought. Roger Griffiths is Everton. An old school chum of Gareth's who decides to turn his mastery of Carribean cuisine into a true food career. He becomes Gareth's closest confident and willing whipping boy. Despite numerous cast changes and attempts by the BBC to turn Chef! into Are You Being Served, the episodes hold up - supported by fine writing and wonderful performances. There are only 21 episodes of this fantastic show, but the DVDs are well worth the price even if they are light on special features. Expand your infinite capacity for laughter and explore the world of Chef!

Chef! - The Complete Collection:
Lenny Henry (Chef!) upon returning to the UK from Hollywood wanted to make his own kind of television, and Chef! is the first from his own production company. The comedy is remarkable (worthy of Wodehouse) as the characters develop over the three series. The 'DVD extras' are best on the third disc, but everything is easy to manage throughout the set. You'll like Chef Gareth Blackstock as he puts his kitchen staff through the Moulinex in one scene, then supports them to the hilt in another. Each story builds the characters, but can be taken alone without losing anything. Look for cameos from such as (real life chef) Albert Roux, and for Vicar of Dibley fans - Mr. No no no no no - Yes appears as a journalist whom Chef almost destroys in one show. (Trivia - Dawn French of Vicar is married to Lenny Henry). To be honest, on TV, I didn't like series three and was prepared to loath it on DVD, but it is good and makes you feel good. This set is destined to be a classic of British Comedy - and Comedy everywhere!

Side splitting:
Lenny Henry is perfect as the crazy head chef of a french cuisine style of restaurant. The man has limitless facial expressions that are priceless. Too bad like many good British series there are so few episodes.

Oui Chef!:
Lenny Henry is simply perfect, and that goes for the show concept as well. More smart UK comedy that does not disappoint. Great addition to any collection.

A solid DVD investment.:
Any fan of British comedy will love Chef! In Chef! Lenny Henry plays the cantankerous head chef at the Chateau Anglais, an opulent French cuisine restaurant in England. The head chef, Gareth Blackstock, yells, screams and shouts insults towards his kitchen staff, and hilarity ensues. You might think that you couldn't keep a head chef shouting and berating his kitchen staff amusing for three seasons, and you would be partially right. While the first two seasons of Chef! make for brilliant comedy, the last season takes an unwelcome change from those seasons. The normally ornery Gareth Blackstock becomes much more sensitive and tame, which is not congruent with his former character. Despite the weaker third season, this television series is well worth the money if you have some to spend.