Chef

Sharp knives and even sharper tongues! Meet Britain's finest, most short-fused chef, Gareth Balckstock.

Chef (1993-1996) is a British sitcom created for BBC One, a short three-season run of twenty half-hour episodes. Lenny Henry stars as Gareth Blackstock, a famously short-fused chef whose sharp tongue and volatile temper make his restaurant kitchen a constant battleground. Caroline Lee-Johnson plays Janice Blackstock, and Roger Griffiths plays Everton Stonehead, colleagues and rivals who keep the kitchen staff tangled in his demands. Each episode is a self-contained workplace comedy built around service pressures, staff friction, and the chaos of a busy restaurant, with Gareth's explosive outbursts driving most of the laughs. The tone is breezy and abrasive, with a warm undercurrent beneath the shouting. The show carries the spirit of a classic British office comedy, with a domineering central figure whose flaws are the comic engine. Fans of Fawlty Towers, The Office and Absolutely Fabulous will find a similar mix of volatile leads, sharp dialogue and ensemble bickering in a tightly confined workplace.

• Fawlty Towersshort-fused workplace comedy built on a tyrannical boss and kitchen chaos
• The OfficeBritish workplace sitcom with a petty, self-centred lead and office-floor friction
• Absolutely Fabuloussharp-tongued workplace comedy with a domineering protagonist and ensemble staff

Release Date

1993-01-28

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.1 / 10 (32)

What is Chef about?

A short-tempered celebrity chef's kitchen is a battleground of sharp knives and sharper tongues.

What is Chef like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chef as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Chef violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Chef.

Which shows are like Chef?

Shows with a similar feel include Fawlty Towers, The Office, and Absolutely Fabulous.

How long is Chef?

Chef: 3 seasons, 20 episodes.

Is Chef still running?

No, Chef has ended.

Where can I watch Chef?

In United States, Chef streams on Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel.