Pie in the Sky

One of those yearnings for simpler, happier times led me to reflect on life in the nineties and seeing this a few times lately on ITV3 only helped to foster sentimental memories of a less complex age.

It may only be lightweight, but that's its beauty and delight. Richard Griffiths is excellent and was made for his role as the wise, phlegmatic and unconventional inspector. His portly frame hardly lends itself to much frenetic activity, but his facial expressions are a joy and all you need.

A good mix of stories, not always featuring murder, and the slice of restaurant life is a warm counter to the police activity. Plenty of understated humour from a cast of colourful characters.

In 1995 I thought that the century was ending at a pretty fast and bewildering pace, with technology and media beginning to impose itself in almost every walk of life. But watching "Pie" and remembering it all as if it were only yesterday makes me think that maybe life wasn't so fast after all. Fifteen years on and what I find so curious now is that it was made just before the world went nuts with mobile phones and The Internet. It's a show that has dated well in terms of story, but to never see anybody use a mobile phone and scant mention of computers seems strange and rather sweet.

All in all, a really good example of BBC light drama at its best, when the Corporation considered subtlety and intelligence as important as glamour and ratings.

here in new england we depend on PBS or BBC America for good English programming. I stumbled on this show last year. It is a light detective show with good character portrayals. Griffiths is great. They only seem to run the same 10 episodes over and over, i see there are 33 episodes. Might have to buy the DVD. It would be worth it.

I wonder why it didn't go more seasons. Was it not well received? Some shows are better than others, some a little fluffy, others delve more into his detectives ability to see through mysteries at his waddling slow pace. I know Richard Griffiths has done other work, I first saw him in naked gun. But i believe some of his best screen work is here.

This is a delightful series regarding a policeman with aspirations to be a chef. That delight is primarily due to the performances of Richard Griffiths and Maggie Steed. They make a great couple and seem to have good chemistry. They get on each other's nerves and yet there seems to be real intimacy between them. The supporting players are enjoyable, too, despite changes in casts from season to season. (I particularly enjoyed the character of Cambridge. Her tall smooth elegance was a nice contrast to Inspector Crabbe's portly crankiness). The exception is Freddy Fisher. His character is really just too unpleasant for such a light-hearted series. No reflection on the actor playing him! It's just that his presence was always jarring. My favorite episodes tended to exclude him. In contrast, episodes that didn't include Margaret always seemed of poorer quality. But overall, very enjoyable!

I really don't have any quibbles about this series. Until recently I could only access the first couple of series in New Zealand but have just finished a marathon of Pie in the Sky and have become totally hooked. Apparently not wanting terror, blood and guts in a detective series means that it is lightweight, if that is so, then so be it. However the story lines are decidedly chewy and the characters have substance. I did miss Cambridge when she disappeared - her clothes were stunning - and I was disappointed that Nicola didn't last the full term, but the rest of the cast/team were splendid and reacted beautifully to one another. Fisher is a complete prat, and it is a well written and well acted character that makes one want to smack him soundly on the nose. As for Richard Griffiths and Maggie Steed, no praise is high enough. It's a great watch and worth anybody's time and brain power - without getting an ulcer through stress at the same time.

Just finished watching the first four episodes of this police series via Netflix. And it's a pleasure to report that at least thus far, there have been no serial killers, blood-spattered bedrooms or lethal shoot-outs. Just a series of gentle, slyly amusing capers. Even more of a pleasure is that the central character, detective inspector Henry Crabbe, is a gourmet chef who has opened a charming little restaurant while awaiting his retirement. And to complete the pleasures, there's Richard Griffiths as Crabbe, lovingly basting a leg of lamb or whipping up a glorious soufflé when he isn't waddling off to probe some criminal conspiracy. For instance, the mystery of a bank robber, dead some 16 years ago, who has turned up very much alive in the local village. Solving such puzzles is duck soup for Crabbe. Leaving his stove in mid-simmer to hunt down a villain is another kettle of fish. If you're looking for raw red meat, this probably isn't for you. But if you have a taste for subtler fare, this series could be just the dish.