Search - Pie in the Sky: Series 2 on DVD

A MENU OF COP CORRUPTION & INVESTIGATION WITH A SIDE OF COME

Harold Wolf | Wells, IN United States | 12/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Series 2 is even better than Series 1--which was fantastic. The episodes are suspenseful mystery, great character dialogue, a 2nd but parallel restaurant scene plot, and a broader implementation of comedy (still more cop than comic or chef though). It all add up to 5 stars, newly improved from gold to platinum.

For newcomers, "Pie In The Sky" is the name of the Crabbe restaurant introduced in the first series (see my 5-star review.)

Chef/cop Crabbe (Richard Griffiths) still wants retirement from police investigation in favor of the PIE IN THE SKY restaurant. But blackmailing Police Chief Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair) needs his sometimes odd ways of getting at the facts. Wife, Margaret (Maggie Steed) is still doing her numbers thing with the restaurant and occasionally assisting with undercover cop work while understanding little about her husband's cuisine. Beautiful & promoted Det. Sgt. Sophia Cambridge is Crabbe's assigned aide in crime fighting. More cast is familiar, and the stories are great. British mystery plus laughs; so what's the down side? All those in-your-face looks at Chef Crabbe's delicious Steak & Kidney Pies without getting even one taste. It is maddening.

10 super episodes, each about 49 minutes, and every one seeming to top the entertainment level of the previous. SUBTITLES available too, we were confused a few times with the British slang, but some new words brought laughs as we deduced their meanings. Griffiths's bio and cast filmographies complete the bonuses. It's the episodes and food looks that are "Pie In The Sky" "To Die For" good.

Episodes:
1 HARD CHEESE: Crabbe forced to look into crime of a prowler/thief woman's underpanties. His cheese vendor may be poking around in more places than the Swiss cheese.
2 BROWN BREAD: Title phrase is slang for dead. A lefeless man in the restaurant's restroom is connected to 1/4 million pounds. A crime for Crabbe.
3 POLICEMAN'S DAUGHTER: Fisher's daughter runs away & Crabbe must find her. A disgusting look at Stargazy Pie--golden crust with 8 fish heads protruding.
4 THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Did the restaurant's fish supplier murder? Crabbe's wife gets involved fishing for clues.
5 DEAD RIGHT: Kitchen staff increases Crabbe's chicken coop egg production while he looks into threatening notes to a professional medium.
6 BLACK PUDDING: Senility, memoirs, greedy nephew, & kitchen squabbling make for a funny mystery. Senior fun.
7 SWAN IN HIS PRIDE: Fisher forces Crabbe away for investigating a drowning of lady cop while the restaurant kitchen drowns from burst water pipes.
8 THE MILD BUNCH: Crabbe's assigned search for Coverly sisters, aged-con-check bouncers parallels tracking the secret of bread & butter pudding perfection. Delicious episode.
9 MYSTERY OF PIKEY: Teenage Pikey must be caught to end local robberies but the chef is thinking pike as in the fish.
10 LEMON TWIST: Fisher, Cambridge, and Crabbe have a seminar weekend as the restaurant gets a rave newspaper review. Success has it's ups and downs. My wife and my favorite episode.

Fantastic TV British Mystery (Comedy drama) series of several years running. I recommend Series one and Series 2 of PIE IN THE SKY. And will there be another Series on the menu in the future? I'd bet on it, this is too good to stop with just 2 sets."

The British are DELICIOUS!

Mrs. Charles Dickens | U.S.A. | 12/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though I'm not British I rate this series as:
DELICIOUS!
Personally, the British to me write the BEST ghost & detective stories in the entire world! Once you watch their series or read their books you get HOOKED.
Long live England!



"

Surprisingly great!

Rida I. Morwa | Beirut, Lebanon | 11/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I purchased this product, I was afraid that it was going to be this slow old boring movie. But it was quite the contrary. For those people who like detective series, I strongly recommend this one. You will enjoy every bit of it!"

A different Richard Griffiths

Sharon C. Richardson | Capitola, CA USA | 12/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If the only thing you've seen Richard Griffiths in is Harry Potter, you're in for a surprise. The detective/restaurateur character Griffiths plays in "Pie In The Sky" is gentle and intelligent - both traits not seen as Harry's uncle. After watching quite a few of these individual programs on PBS, I was really anxious to get my hands on as many of the stories as I could. As DI Henry Crabbe, Griffiths is definitely the star, and carries the programs in both, rather different, roles, but the rest of the cast, and it changes through the multiple series, shows a group of characters with more than one dimension. Part of the drama in the programs is the fact Crabbe wants to retire from the Police force, just be a chef and run his restaurant (named "Pie In The Sky"). The program lasted through five series in Britain, so there must have been a lot of viewers. Unfortunately, it took close to ten years(!) for it to get to the U.S. - at least to my local PBS affiliate. Too bad, I could have been watching it and buying the DVD's lots sooner."