Pie in the Sky will finally be available as a Complete Collection this Tuesday, November 1st from Acorn Media. Previously released as five separate sets, the series follows Detective Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths, The History Boys, Harry Potter), who is nearly at retirement. Looking forward to opening his own restaurant, Crabbe is deeply disappointed when he is investigated for taking a bribe. Though Crabbe is completely innocent, his superior, Assistant Chief Constable Freddie Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair, Casino Royale, V for Vendetta), uses the incident to force Crabbe to take occasional cases. Thus, Pie in the Sky follows Crabbe as he simultaneously serves as a police detective and a chef in a restaurant that shares the series title.
Crabbe just wants some peace, but it seems he will never have it. Fisher puts him on a number of cases over forty episodes, constantly pulling him out of the kitchen. Thankfully, he has some help on the force. Sophia Cambridge (Bella Enahoro, Mister Johnson) is his partner for much of the run, while Ed Guthrie (Derren Litten, The Catherine Tate Show) and Jane Morton (Mary Woodvine, Doctors) help out in Series 5. Crabbe is obviously the brains of any partnership, seeing that the police force will not allow him to retire. But the trio aren't completely incompetent, and are enough help that Crabbe can get back to his restaurant periodically.
Not that things are much calmer there. For one thing, his cheap wife, Margaret (Maggie Steed, Clatterford, Born and Bred), who has no palette to speak of, actually owns Pie in the Sky, so Henry is often beholden to her. Not to mention, there are plenty of other employees on staff, including chefs Steve Turner (Joe Duttine, Coronation Street) and Gary Palmer (Nicholas Lamont, Going Off Big Time), both around for about half the show each. Leon Henderson (Nick Raggett, The Sins, Arcadia) supplies the produce and helps clean up. Plus, there's John the waiter (Ashley Russell, Jupiter Moon), and a rotating number of waitresses, including Sally (Marsha Thomason, White Collar, Lost). Not that Henry hates any of these people, as he is a gentle, kind soul — but there is certainly no rest for the weary.
Pie in the Sky is a light-hearted romp, never taking itself too darkly. Yes, there are crimes that need solving, and dishes that need cooking, but Henry takes both just about as equally serious. That, in of itself, lends a sense of fun that won't be found in the hard boiled dramas that dominate networks today. This distinction is a nostalgic hook, sure to entice many new viewers looking for something different.
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