Richard Griffiths (Withnail & I) appears on Showtime’s Episodes as the star of a successful English comedy. When it comes time to make the American adaptation, he gets dumped by the network executives. They think Matt LeBlanc is better suited for the role. Coincidentally Hollywood producers followed this same logic when they adapted Pie In the Sky. They attached the project to a hunky young actor instead of finding a Richard Griffiths-type to play the semi-retired police detective that’s a full-time chef. They didn’t want to create a new Matlock for a demographic older than 29. After all the creative executives finished tossing notes into the pot , they created worthless goop. No network or cable channel wanted the revamped series because it was missing the secret ingredient: a touch of Richard Griffiths. His heft and age makes him look like a man with an appetite for justice and dining. Pie In the Sky: Series 4 contains the penultimate items on D.I. Henry Crabbe’s crime filled menu.
The season starts off with the two-parter “Devils on Horseback.” Crabbe’s wife gets involved with a man that likes the finer things in life. He’s into race horses and his farm. She’s doing his books, but there’s a strange tension between the two. She prefers his lifestyle to being stuck at the restaurant. But things take a turn for the worse when Crabbe must deal with a race track related homicide. The extended length of this story really helps in giving a full plate of action, mystery and emotion between the characters. Shame they didn’t do more shows at this length, but most viewers hate waiting for next week to see how something finishes. “Chinese Whispers” get Crabbe involved with drama happening at his favorite Chinese takeout spot. When the place catches fire, the prime suspects are locals that don’t like the Asian owner. He finds it impossible to focus on the case since the wife has entered him in a best pub grub contest. She sees nothing wrong in lowering her husband’s culinary standards for a prize.
“New Leaf” limits Crabbe to keeping a close eye on a woman due to testify against her husband. It should be a simple deal except he’s got to complicate things. He has a suspicion that makes him a target along with her. “Breaking Bread” might be a battle between a baker and a major chain over a deal to feed the police department. The baker is furious since she lost out on the contract after the manager of the major company put the moves on her. But is she angry enough to vandalize? Crabbe once more finds a food crime to pursue. “Gary’s Cake” brings crime to Crabbe’s Pie in the Sky restaurant. A rich guest gets her jewels stolen in a hold-up. An outside investigator is brought in to hunt down the guilty. Crabbe doesn’t trust the guy to catch the culprits. He’s become obsessed with proving Crabbe’s main chef’s set up the scheme. Crabbe knows better.
Pie In the Sky isn’t a sexy and young series. It’s a relaxing way to spend an evening like a fine desert and a polite mystery novel. Richard Griffiths encompasses the character of Crabbe with a sense that the man knows how to cook and crack a case. This is a series that should appeal to those who enjoy Matlock, Barnaby Jones, The Father Dowling Mysteries and Murder, She Wrote. This is a perfect snack for viewers who don’t demand their police drama be infused with youth, fast editing and super detailed scientific explanations. Crabbe keeps the recipes simple and old fashioned to make things feel good in your tummy at the end.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers for Series 4 look better than the previous ones. Perhaps in 1996 a film to video rendering took a step up in resolution? The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0. The balance between dialogue and score keeps the two properly separated. There are subtitles in case you can’t figure out the English accents fast enough.
None.
Pie In the Sky: Season 4 serves up another five tasty crimes with a double heaping of the first. D.I. Crabbe maintains his balance of life behind the badge and under the chef’s hat. This is fine dining for mystery fans that enjoy traditional tastes with just a slight twist.
Acorn Media presents Pie In the Sky: Series 4. Starring: Richard Griffiths, Maggie Steed, Nicholas Lamont, Samantha Womack and Malcolm Sinclair. Boxset Contents: 6 episodes on 2 DVDs. Released on DVD: January 25, 2011.
