Product Details

• Actors: Lenny Henry, Claire Skinner
• Directors: John Birkin
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 30, 2005
• Run Time: 582 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0009NSCTY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,356 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Chef! The Complete Collection (Series 1-3)" on IMDb

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 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

Product 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"

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 125 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the funniest shows around. The actual DVD set is a little bit of a letdown. August 31, 2005

By Joseph Siegler TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me start off by saying that I'm a big fan of Chef. I run a Chef fan website, and have done so since August of 1996, before the third series of the show was aired. I know these episodes like the back of my hand. This show is utter brilliance. There's little weakness here. If that's the case, then why didn't I give this 5 stars?

The reason for that is that this DVD set misses a huge opportunity, and that's to be an archive of Chef! material, and ultimately that's a bit of a letdown. This is a 3 DVD set that does include all the episodes of Chef. However, there's not much else. Discs 1 and 2 have nothing more than the episodes themselves. Disc 3 has only a few extras on it, and they are:

1) A text based description of some of the careers of the three lead actors (Lenny Henry, Caroline Lee Johnson, & Roger Griffiths).

2) An interview with Lenny Henry that aired two weeks before the premiere of the first series of Chef! (3:45)

3) An interview with Caroline Lee Johnson that aired halfway through the first series of Chef! (8:36)

4) A making of/Interview with Lenny Henry about Series 3 of Chef! (7:24)

5) A bunch of trailers for other British Comedy series on DVD.

That's it. No text commentaries, no audio commentaries that are so prevelant these days on DVD sets. I would have loved to have heard Lenny Henry, Roger Griffiths, or any of the other actors talking about the episodes. Commentaries are a great way to get additional value out of a set, and much more enjoyment for fans of the series, like I am. You know there has to be more material lying around the vaults than that. Lenny could have done a commentary for each episode, or saving that at least a couple.... The fact that the set is barebones really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Additionally, there is an error in the packaging. If you look at the external box for the set which has all three DVD's in one package, the list of episodes for Series 1 is missing two. Some promotional materials claim there are only 18 episodes in this set (including Amazon's own incorrect listing information at the time of launch of this set). However, I've looked - there are definitely all 20 episodes of Chef! in this set. Disc 1 does indeed have all 6 episodes plus the Christmas Special.

But enough about the DVD's themselves. This show is one of funniest British comedies I've ever seen.

Chef! is a show about a cook named Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry) who is the head chef at a restaurant in England the Chateau Anglais. Gareth (usually just called Chef on the show) is a very good, extremely good cook, and is not afraid to show it. He is married to a woman, Janice Blackstock, and together, the two of them run the restuarant (in the first two series - In Series 3, the arrangement is a bit different). The show is based around their life running the resturant, and Gareth's rather overzealous and very loud personnel management of the people in his kitchen. Gareth, while the best cook in England (or so the show says, anyway), is an extremely high strung person, and loses his temper constantly. It's very funny when he does, and they actually manage to convey very strong emotions while staying away from actual swearing. Part of the thrust of the comedy here is that Gareth is so sure of himself, and blunders into situations and has to get himself out of them.

That's the best way I can think of to describe the show. Gareth doing his rants reminds me a lot of Basil Fawlty and his rants. There's a certain controlled "out of controlness" to the comedy here that appeals to me. This show is incredibly funny, if you like British Comedy at all, you'll really enjoy this. Even if you aren't a big britcom fan, I urge you to check it out. I think you'll like it.

Some of my favorite episodes are "The Big Cheese" (Favorite overall), England Expects, & Paris? Jamaica?. Series III takes a hit from some fans, but that's because it's not exactly like the first two. In Series 3, a bit more attention was paid to character interaction than it was in the first two series. It has a different feel, but I think it's stronger for that.

STILTON! Read more ›

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I am happy to finally have this culinary comedy on DVD October 1, 2005

By Joseph Tidline VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

I was so excited when I heard that the complete series of Chef! was being released on DVD. I first discovered this show on PBS when it would air on Saturday nights. At first I didn't quite get the show, but the more I watched it began to grow on me and it became one of the funniest shows I had seen. And as a trained chef myself I can relate to this show. The writers have done an excellent job of portraying what life is like in a professional kitchen and Lenny Henry is excellent as Chef Gareth Blackstock. While Series 3 is not quite as funny as Series 1 & 2, it is still funny and worth watching. This is a great show and I am very happy to have it as a part of my DVD collection.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My All-Time Favorite Britcom September 13, 2005

By sda

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

At LAST Chef! is out on DVD. Its long over-due. This is one of the best, funniest British comedies to grace American Public Television EVER. Lenny Henery is simply brilliant as temperamental chef Gareth Blackstock, and Caroline Lee Johnson superb as his wife Janice. Sadly, the DVD set is very much lacking in extras -- all we get are a couple little things. It would have been nice to have gotten more. But the important this is that this series is finally available.

The first disk, series 1, is by far the best of the lot. There are some absolutely classic Chef! moments in these episodes, and the first few are probably the best of the whole series. The second series on disk 2 is almost as good, and there are some great moments and episodes here, too.

Sadly, series three isn't very good at all. Blackstock is less [...] and more buffoon in series 3, and Caroline Lee Johnson isn't seen much. The chemistry between Gareth and Janice is a major driving force of the first two series, and without it series three falls flat. The stories in series three are more removed from the kitchen and focus more on outside events and characters, which also takes a lot of the wind out of the show. Also, most of the new characters in series three just aren't very good -- I truly hate the characters of Savanah and the new manager. The acting seems VERY forced, as are the laughs -- they don't come as naturally here as they do in series 1 and 2. I will likely not watch the third DVD much, while the first two get a real workout. But all complaining aside, I'm thrilled to finally get this show on DVD. Its about time.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Chef can rattle off twenty insults in less then a minute! September 26, 2005

By Martin Mulcahey

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

It is amazing how Lenny Henry manages to blend refined and singularly inoffensive words to create the most imaginative insults the English language has ever offered up. Not just a comedy, at times it deals with the stresses of life and marriage and the strain a career puts on both. Simply put, this is laugh out loud wordsmithing that Shakespeare would surely get a smile out of. This is the reverse Fawlty Towers, as Chef is just too good and dedicated to his chosen profession. But both provide all-time great comedy. Buy and watch it over and over, and if you are lucky you can use some of the insults at your workplace. As an aside, I agree that a commentary track would have been nice.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Chef!" Has Just the Right Comic Ingredients! September 29, 2006

By Kenneth M. Gelwasser VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

I'm so happy that the BBC culinary comedy, "Chef!" has finally been released to the DVD format. I use to catch it on my local PBS station and couldn't get enough of the ill-tempered, titled character. "Chef!" was a very funny British sitcom, which neatly observed the early 1990's arrival of the Superstar 'Diva' Chefs, who are very common today (just take a gander at cable's "Food Network"). In this show, we are introduced to hard working, cooking genuis, Gareth Blackstock (a brilliantly funny, Lenny Henry) who imperiously presides over the kitchen of the Oxfordshire, country restaurant 'La Chateau Anglais'. Gareth might be well known for the finest in French cuisine, but he also has a reputation for his rudeness and volcanic temper, which can explode at any moment, resulting in long tirades of verbal abuse.(Ex."You are a pea-brained, prat-faced, pompous, pillock-headed cretin. If you took an intensive course of intelligence injections and studied till you drop, then one day you might make it to moron third class failed!") The crux of the show is that initially nothing matters to Gareth, but creating the very best in cooking. Everything else gets second place in his life. This is all to the detriment and consternation of his smart, but long suffering/romance starved wife, Janice (an excellent, Caroline Lee Johnson), his abused cooking staff, the service staff, the restaurant's owners and even the dining clientele. During the course of three series, we watch how Gareth's obsessiveness and ego eventually wrecks complete havoc on his marriage and private life. But not all is so dark. The dialogue & plot situations are very funny. (A good example includes an episode that involves a search for English wine in Paris for a cooking contest.... It was hilarious to watch the snooty, French liquor store owners laugh in Gareth's face!) Over the course of the series, Gareth's character is slowly softened a bit and the ever changing kitchen staff is eventually given a more prominent comedic role in the show. This includes the much put-upon, Everton (Roger Griffiths), the alcoholic, old hand, Gustave (Ian McNeice, Jeff Nutall), the ditzy, love lorn American, Savannah (Lorelei King) and the owner's spoiled daughter, Renee (Sophee Walker). The show has now been released to DVD in either individual discs or in the box set, "Chef!-The Complete Collection (Series 1-3)". I recommend the box set, because it gives you a better ideal of the evolution of the show and it's characters. Extras include short, but interesting interviews with the show's stars. This is an excellent British sitcom. Highly recommended! Read more ›