I have a soft spot for Chef! because I was living in Oxfordshire (where the whole show is set) when it was first aired in the early to mid-90s, and all the countryside scenes and local references ring true and make me nostalgic for that whole period. This is a warm, hugely funny, superbly scripted, wonderfully acted TV comedy which I never tire of watching over again. Despite the changes of cast across the three seasons, the three main characters (Gareth Blackstock, his wife Janice and Gareth's long suffering sidekick, Everton) remain the same throughout and offer enough continuity for the viewer. I am not sure that this show would necessarily translate well to American viewers though. I have shown episodes to American friends and they don't get many of Lenny Henry's riotously funny in-jokes, which often carry very specifically British cultural references (to certain political figures, tabloid journalism, British sports heroes, the public school system, British fast food, and so on). On the other hand Brit friends or people who're really into British culture and the sharp humour really love this show.
