Pie in the Sky: Series One
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DVD details
Actor: Richard GriffithsBrand: GRIFFITHS,RICHARD
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 488 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-05-12
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
DVD Reviews of Pie in the Sky: Series One
DVD Review: We've Been Missing Something Tasty Over Here
Summary: 5 Stars
"Pie in the Sky Series 1," a British mystery television series that happily mixes cooking and crime, has been seen only in spotty syndication on public television stations on this side of the pond. The show, made by the British Broadcasting Corporation, is a comedy/crime/drama that debuted on BBC1 in the United Kingdom in March 1994 and ran for five series. It now comes to us as a 3 volume boxed DVD set, comprising ten episodes that run approximately 488 minutes, plus an 18-minute bonus program. And, among the usual bonuses, subtitles: bless you, Acorn Media.
The show stars Richard Griffiths (a Tony-winner on Broadway for "The History Boys," also the film of the same name, The History Boys; he's also featured in the Harry Potter films); and make no mistake about it, along with his everyman looks, the man can act. I saw him in "The History Boys" on Broadway, and his performance certainly rated that Tony. He plays Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, an intelligent, sensible, mild-mannered man, who, after 25 years on the force, has lost his hunger for what the job can provide, and is ready to pack it in and open his own restaurant, "Pie in the Sky." But the police force isn't ready to let him go. So he bounces back and forth, cooking delectable steak and kidney pies, and solving crimes. "The Times [U.K.]" describes the show as "as much a pleasure for culinary enthusiasts as it is for crime fans," and, by Jove, I think they've got it.
Griffiths receives solid support from Maggie Steed ("Shine on Harvest Moon"), as Margaret, his accountant wife, who's not all that pleased at suddenly finding herself a restaurateur. The rest of the company, led by Malcolm Sinclair (Casino Royale) as ACC Freddy Fisher, with whom Crabbe trained, and worked; and Bella Enahoro as the particularly lovely D.S. Sophia Cambridge, also turn in excellent performances. There are also some distinguished guest stars: Michael Kitchen (Foyle's War: Series 1-5 - From Dunkirk to VE-Day); Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy ); Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father), and Julian Fellowes (Monarch of the Glen: The Complete Collection), among others. The BBC hasn't stinted on extras; streets and cop shops bustle as they should. Nor has the BBC stinted on location filming: the fictional restaurant "Pie in the Sky," was located on the Old Town High Street in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in premises that were then a florist, but have since become a restaurant called "Pie in the Sky."
The episodes are: "The Best of Both Worlds," "The Truth Will Out," "An Innocent Man," "Once a Copper," "A Shot in the Dark," "Undesirable Elements" "Passion Fruit Fool," "A Matter of Taste," "Who Only Stand and Wait," and "Endangered Species." The mysteries are, by and large, ingenious and original, and the cooking tips are helpful. We've been missing something tasty over here.
Description of Pie in the Sky: Series One
The delectable British detective series
After 25 years in the force, Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths, The History Boys, Harry Potter) has lost his appetite for the job. He plans to take early retirement and open his dream restaurant, Pie in the Sky. But his accountant wife, Margaret (Maggie Steed, Shine on Harvey Moon), doesn?t think the numbers add up. And his boss, ACC Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair, Casino Royale), needs him around to handle those delicate cases at which he excels. Although craving retirement, Crabbe discovers that crime solving can be just as hard to resist as his signature steak and kidney pie.
This lighthearted British mystery series blends criminal investigations and culinary adventure for the "perfect way to while away the afternoon" --The Times (U.K.). Guest stars include Michael Kitchen (Foyle?s War), Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings), Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father), and Julian Fellowes (Monarch of the Glen). As seen on public television.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE interview with star Maggie Steed, production notes, biography of Richard Griffiths, and more.
Perfecting a recipe is like solving a crime, suggests Pie in the Sky, the clever British mystery series featuring sleuth-turned-chef Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths, The History Boys). After being shot by a notorious embezzler, Crabbe tried to retire from the police force so he could open a restaurant--but his weaselly superior officer, ACC Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair) blackmails him into remaining a detective. Thus begins Crabbe?s dual career, which of course proves handy as mysteries feature everything from omelets to edible snails. He?s assisted at the restaurant by his wife, Margaret (Maggie Steed, Sensitive Skin), despite her maddening indifference to food; he?s assisted in his investigations by DS Cambridge (Bella Enahoro), who works for Fisher but whose sympathies lie with Crabbe.
Pie in the Sky has an excellent balance of suspense and humor, exemplified by the very first episode?s opening: The snappy banter of policemen on a stake-out turns abruptly taut when a car careens into their territory, then segues into an elegant and almost eery face-off between Crabbe and the embezzler (played with crisp malice by Michael Kitchen, Foyle?s War). Some later episodes are more conventional, but odd narrative turns are a staple of the series (in one episode, it turns out a crime was never committed in the first place!). Griffiths is probably best know as Uncle Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series, but others know him as lecherous Uncle Monty in Withnail and I--which only demonstrates this superb actor?s remarkable range. His approach to Crabbe is almost gentle, yet with a decisive, cunning undercurrent. The ten episodes of Pie in the Sky: Series 1 unfold like a well-made meal: Unexpected yet delightful flavors are revealed with each bite. --Bret Fetzer
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