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Chef! - The Complete Collection (Series 1-3) | 
| Studio: BBC Warner
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 74.98
Buy New: CDN$ 53.01
You Save: CDN$ 21.97 (29%)
New (15) Used (2) from CDN$ 46.95
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 8697
Format: Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 1.8
MPN: WARDE2228D
ISBN: 1419807390
UPC: 794051222824
EAN: 9781419807398
ASIN: B0009NSCTY
Release Date: August 30, 2005
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item, factory Sealed. Buy direct from the U.S. and save! We only ship airmail to Canada (7-15 days).Caiman, les prix qu'on aime! Tous nos produits sont neufs. Envoi par avion des Etats-Unis
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| Editorial Reviews:
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 iFawlty Towers'/i John Cleese following a script by the creators of iThirtysomething/i 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 iMonty Python/i or similar classic British comedies might not care for iChef's/i 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. --iGrant Balfour/i
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| Customer Reviews:
Side splitting July 14, 2007
Amanda Cowperthwaite (Guelph, Ontario Canada)
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! September 30, 2006
dejesko
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. March 14, 2006
John McRoberts (Canada)
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#x27;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.
Chef! - The Complete Collection November 2, 2005
Paul (Ontario)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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).brTo 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.brThis set is destined to be a classic of British Comedy - and Comedy everywhere!
Genius, genius, genius September 7, 2005
A. Nony Mos (Halifax, Canada)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This show is one of the best Britcoms of all times.pFeel 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.pLenny 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!pHis 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.pThis 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).pGareth's long suffering wife is played by Caroline Lee Johnson. She manages to be sympathetic, supportive and understandibly overwrought.pRoger 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.pDespite 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.pExpand your infinite capacity for laughter and explore the world of Chef!
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