Kaboul Kitchen

Kaboul Kitchen is a French comedy television series broadcast by Canal+. It was created by Marc Victor, Allan Mauduit and Jean-Patrick Benes. The series is based on the true story of Radio France Internationale journalist Marc Victor, who ran a restaurant for French expatriates in Kabul until 2008. The first series premiered on February 15, 2012 on Canal+ and ended on March 5, 2012. It set a ratings record for comedy series in the primetime slot on Canal+. A second series, which will have 12 episodes, has been commissioned. The series depicts the life of French expatriate Jacky who runs the popular restaurant Kaboul Kitchen in Kabul, Afghanistan. His daughter Sophie, who he has not seen in 20 years, arrives to do humanitarian work, while he is interested only in making money. The series won two Golden FIPA Awards at the 2012 Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels: one for Best TV Series and one for Best TV Screenplay. It was screened at MIPTV and named fourth on The Hollywood Reporter's list of "MIPTV A-List Projects" for the most promising series screened at the event.

Kaboul Kitchen is a French sitcom that follows a small circle of expatriates who run a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan. Its humor grows from the daily friction between French habits and an unfamiliar, often unpredictable city, from dealings with local staff and officials to the awkward politics of foreign diplomats and aid workers. The tone is light, observational and affectionate, with a steady undercurrent of melancholy about living far from home. The ensemble is the heart of the show: colleagues who bicker, scheme and cover for one another while searching for belonging, romance and a sense of purpose. Episodes lean on snappy dialogue, running gags and embarrassing mishaps rather than heavy plotting, so each installment feels like a small portrait of expatriate life. Beneath the jokes runs a quieter thread about identity, loneliness and the strange comfort of chosen family. Viewers who enjoy workplace comedies, cultural outsiders and character-driven ensemble humor will find it warm, funny and gently bittersweet. The show plays as an easygoing comedy best watched as a series, letting its eccentric cast and their small victories accumulate into something personal and humane.

Critics and viewers broadly regard the series as a sharp, warm comedy that mines the absurd daily life of French expatriates in Kabul.

• The OfficeBoth are workplace comedies built around a close-knit ensemble navigating absurd everyday routines.
• EpisodesBoth follow outsiders in a foreign or industry-driven world, mining culture clash for awkward, character-driven humor.
• ExtrasBoth use a sharp, observational comic register to examine insular social circles and their small humiliations.

Created by

Allan Mauduit, Marc Victor, Jean-Patrick Benes

Release Date

2012-02-13

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (15)

What is Kaboul Kitchen about?

A group of French expatriates running a restaurant in Kabul navigate bureaucracy, romance, and daily absurdities in a city far from home.

What is Kaboul Kitchen like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kaboul Kitchen as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Kaboul Kitchen violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Kaboul Kitchen as mild.

What did critics think of Kaboul Kitchen?

Critics and viewers broadly regard the series as a sharp, warm comedy that mines the absurd daily life of French expatriates in Kabul.

Which shows are like Kaboul Kitchen?

Shows with a similar feel include The Office, Episodes, and Extras.

How long is Kaboul Kitchen?

Kaboul Kitchen: 3 seasons, 36 episodes.

Is Kaboul Kitchen still running?

No, Kaboul Kitchen has ended.