13 March 1994(1994-03-13)– 17 August 1997(1997-08-17)
Pie in the Sky is a British policecomedy drama starring Richard Griffiths and Maggie Steed, created by Andrew Payne and first broadcast in five series on BBC1 between 13 March 1994 and 17 August 1997, as well as being syndicated on other channels in other countries.
The protagonist, Henry Crabbe, while still being an on-duty, "semi-retired" policeman (much against his will), is also the head chef at his wife's restaurant "Pie in the Sky", set in the fictional town of Middleton and county of Westershire.
Premise
Crabbe's portrait of Alexis Soyer that hung on the wall in his kitchen.
The series focuses on the life of Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, who serves in the police force for the fictional county of Westershire. After 25 years on the job, Crabbe wishes to retire and set up his own restaurant, and is brought one step closer after an attempt to catch a high-profile criminal backfires, leaving him shot in the leg. His boss, Assistant Chief Constable Freddie Fisher, is unwilling to let Crabbe leave the Westershire force, and so frames him for taking a bribe, effectively blackmailing him into taking on occasional cases when required.
As a result, Crabbe finds his life divided between his duties as a police detective, and a chef in his new restaurant — "Pie in the Sky" — which he runs with his wife Margaret. Each episode thus focuses on two separate plotlines, in which one sees Crabbe investigating a case, while the other sees him, his wife and their staff dealing with a problem that affects their restaurant.
Cast
Richard Griffiths as DI Henry Crabbe, detective and restaurant owner. He is an astute detective, a lover of food, and a great cook.
Maggie Steed as Margaret Crabbe, Henry's wife. She is an accountant and cares little for good food herself, but works in the restaurant and supports Henry's venture, as long as it makes a profit.
Malcolm Sinclair as ACC Freddy Fisher, Assistant Chief Constable of Police, Henry's boss. He is most concerned with furthering his career, but recognises that Crabbe is an excellent detective.
Bella Enahoro as WPC [Later DS] Sophia Cambridge, detective (Series 1—4). She is a trustworthy officer who accompanies Crabbe on most cases.
Mary Woodvine as WPC Jane Morton, police constable (Series 5), accompanies Crabbe on most cases in Series 5.
Derren Litten as PC Ed Guthrie, police constable (Series 5), accompanies Crabbe on most cases in Series 5.
Joe Duttine as Steve Turner, chef (Series 1—2). He is an ex-criminal but an honest worker, and a good young chef.
Nicholas Lamont as Gary Palmer, chef (Series 3—5). Like Steve, he is an ex-criminal, an honest worker and a good young chef.
Nick Raggett as Leon Henderson, a food supplier for the restaurant, and occasional worker in the restaurant.
Alison McKenna as Linda Walker, waitress, and girlfriend of Steve (Series 1)
Ashley Russell as John Dawson, waiter (Series 1—2)
Henderson's neighbour finds a dismembered corpse, which may prove the innocence of an imprisoned man. A visiting French policewoman Marianne Dupont (fr:Marianne Borgo) gives Crabbe a gift of Alexandre Dumas' Dictionary of Cuisine.
10
10
"Endangered Species"
Lawrence Gordon Clark
Andrew Payne
15May1994(1994-05-15)
Margaret and Henderson side with Reynard the Fox in opposing a new bypass, while Henry must question his loyalties.
Series 2 (1995)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
11
1
"Hard Cheese"
Jim Hill
Andrew Payne
15January1995(1995-01-15)
Henry investigates a prowler fond of older ladies, and begins to suspect the celibate supplier of his cheese.
12
2
"Brown Bread"
Martin Hutchings
Andrew Payne
22January1995(1995-01-22)
A corpse vanishes from the Pie in the Sky's lavatories, and Henry soon finds himself investigating a counterfeit currency.
13
3
"The Policeman's Daughter"
Jim Hill
John Milne
29January1995(1995-01-29)
Fisher's daughter joins a squat on Henderson's field, and Henry is recruited to bring her back.
14
4
"The One That Got Away"
Martin Hutchings
Richard Maher
5February1995(1995-02-05)
The fish farmer's fiancé appears to have been murdered, and it's up to Henry to save his best trout supplier.
15
5
"Dead Right"
Jim Hill
Lizzie Mickery
12February1995(1995-02-12)
Henry becomes entangled with a self-publicising psychic, and together they solve the mystery of a missing girl.
16
6
"Black Pudding"
Danny Hiller
Andrew Payne
19February1995(1995-02-19)
Henry is reunited with his hero, Hillary Smallwood, and becomes embroiled in her nephew's wicked plot.
17
7
"Swan in His Pride"
Lawrence Gordon Clark
John Milne
26February1995(1995-02-26)
Henry goes undercover in Bath to investigate the local constabulary, who are using a serial killer to mask their errors.
18
8
"The Mild Bunch"
Danny Hiller
John Milne
5March1995(1995-03-05)
As two pensioners go on a fraud spree, the inclusion of Dundee marmalade in their trademark pudding motivates Henry to find them.
19
9
"The Mystery of Pikey"
Danny Hiller
John Milne
12March1995(1995-03-12)
Two posh children take advantage of a poor fisherman, and Henderson falls in the river.
20
10
"Lemon Twist"
Lawrence Gordon Clark
Andrew Payne
19March1995(1995-03-19)
Henry goes on a management training course, while Pie in the Sky is mobbed following a glowing review.
Series 3 (1995-96)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
21
1
"Money Talks"
Martin Hutchings
Andrew Payne
31December1995(1995-12-31)
Henry stakes out a pizza parlour. John and Steve have left. A new chef, Gary arrives and helps Henry catch the pizza gang.
22
2
"Game Pie (In the Sky)"
Martin Hutchings
Richard Maher
7January1996(1996-01-07)
Henry caters for his friend's pheasant shoot, where Fisher is among the guests. A member of the estate staff is shot and killed and it looks as if Fisher accidentally shot him.
23
3
"Irish Stew"
Keith Boak
Christina Reid
14January1996(1996-01-14)
An Irishwoman books the restaurant for a wedding banquet for her and her new husband. Byron's briefcase is stolen from his hotel and Henry is suspicious of his reaction.
24
4
"Doggett's Coat and Badge"
Danny Hiller
John Milne
21January1996(1996-01-21)
Charles Rider, a wine-loving regular at Pie in the Sky, is being threatened, and comes to Crabbe for help.
25
5
"This Other Eden"
David Innes Edwards
Matthew Leys
28January1996(1996-01-28)
Henry investigates thefts of valuable plants from gardens, while Margaret unknowingly employs the chief suspect.
26
6
"Coddled Eggs"
David Innes Edwards
John Milne
4February1996(1996-02-04)
While recovering stolen cars, Henry apprehends a larger smuggling ring headed by two Russians.
Series 4 (1996)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
27
1
"Devils on Horseback - Part 1"
Malcolm Mowbray
Richard Maher
15September1996(1996-09-15)
Henry and Margaret spend a day at the races with her new client Bob Bishop. The corpse of stable lad Ben Tucker is found in a horse-box. Keeley Hawes appears in an early part.
28
2
"Devils on Horseback - Part 2"
Malcolm Mowbray
Richard Maher
22September1996(1996-09-22)
Margaret stumbles on the killer. Meanwhile Nicola is annoyed when a school friend appears to be making a play for Gary.
29
3
"Chinese Whispers"
Bill Pryde
Andrew Payne
29September1996(1996-09-29)
The Chen family's Chinese takeaway is the target of an arson attack, but Mr. Chen will not go to the police. His daughter Mei asks Henry for help.
30
4
"New Leaf"
Keith Boak
Robert Jones
6October1996(1996-10-06)
Henry must guard a safe house protecting an uncooperative star witness. He eventually wins her over with his cooking.
31
5
"Breaking Bread"
Paul Harrison
Robert Jones
13October1996(1996-10-13)
To save money, Fisher employs a new company to supply the police canteen. Arrests go down and Fisher relies on Henry to find a reason to get rid of the new company.
32
6
"Gary's Cake"
Bill Pryde
Andrew Payne
20October1996(1996-10-20)
When the restaurant is robbed, Henry closes down to do his own investigation, solving the crime in time to mark two years of Gary giving up alcohol with a celebratory cake. Guest stars Steven Hartley
Series 5 (1997)
No. overall
No. in series
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
33
1
"Squashed Tomatoes"
Bill Pryde
Andrew Payne
29June1997(1997-06-29)
Cambridge is gone and Henry is saddled with two new staff members. At the restaurant, Nicola has left and Gary is unhappy.
34
2
"Ugly Customers"
Simon Massey
Niall Leonard
6July1997(1997-07-06)
Henry's team goes to the garish Luxor Hotel to protect a jury. Back at the restaurant Sally learns to get the better of a sex pest.
35
3
"Pork Pies"
David Innes Edwards
John Milne
13July1997(1997-07-13)
Henry and the squad go to a meat factory where animal rights protesters are demonstrating against the owner. Henry finds the sausages contain soya and are wholly meat-free.
36
4
"Cutting the Mustard"
David Innes Edwards
Robert Jones
20July1997(1997-07-20)
Henry is called to a school where a student has been beaten up by local youths. Henry finds a member of the Chemistry Department staff selling Ecstasy tablets.
37
5
"Return Match"
Rob Evans
Robert Jones
27July1997(1997-07-27)
Henry has to solve a series of thefts from lorries and gets unexpected help from private security firm Troubleshooters. Guest stars Bruce Byron and Mark Womack
38
6
"The Apprentice"
Morag Fullarton
Ann Marie Di Mambro
3August1997(1997-08-03)
Nicky comes to Pie in the Sky, claiming he is there for work experience. Henry uses him in the kitchen and he impresses everyone. The till is robbed and Nicky goes missing.
39
7
"In the Smoke"
David Innes Edwards
Andrew Payne
10August1997(1997-08-10)
The Crabbes holiday in London. Henry discovers a friend in hiding, while Margaret finds a body in the trash. Guest stars Nicola Walker and Michael Attwell
40
8
"Smelling of Roses"
Rob Evans
Andrew Payne
17August1997(1997-08-17)
Henry loses his sense of smell and mysteriously regains it when he resigns from the police once and for all. Guest stars John Bowler and Anthony O'Donnell
Filming locations
Westershire, the fictional county where the series is set, is based on Berkshire in southern England. Although scenes in Middleton were often filmed in Marlow in Buckinghamshire, the exterior of the restaurant, Pie in the Sky, was filmed outside number 64 High Street in the Old Town in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Originally, a florist and then a toy shop, the building became a minor tourist attraction while the series ran, then housed the business of a dolls’-house maker, and as of 2019, a hair salon. A nearby restaurant at 80 High Street renamed itself "Pie in the Sky" (later becoming "Les Amants") to capitalise on the programme's popularity. In Olinda, Victoria in Australia, a very successful restaurant called "Pie in the Sky" also serves many of the TV series' recipes and especially its famous crusty steak and kidney pies. All internal filming at the restaurant was carried out at Bray Studios at Water Oakley, near Windsor in Berkshire. The local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, occasionally appears in the series redubbed the 'Barstock and Middleton Advertiser'. Freddie Fisher plays golf at Stoke Park Golf Club at Stoke Poges.[2][3][4]
Broadcast, DVD and streaming
The series was originally broadcast in the UK on BBC1 between 13 March 1994 and 17 August 1997.
In the United States, Acorn Media has released separate sets of all five series on 12 May 2009 (Series 1), 26 January 2010 (Series 2),[5] 7 September 2010 (Series 3),[6] 25 January 2011 (Series 4)[7] and 2 August 2011 (Series 5).[8] The complete series was released on DVD by Acorn Media on 11 November 2011.
The entire series is available for streaming through AcornTV.[9]
In Australia, Via Vision Entertainment have released series 1 & 2 on 21 July 2021 and will release series 3-5 on 15 September 2021.
All episodes are currently available to watch in the UK via the UKTV Play platform.
All five seasons became available in the US on BritBox in March 2023.
A Touch of Frost is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 6 December 1992 until 5 April 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield. Writing credit for the three episodes in the first 1992 series went to Richard Harris.
Midsomer Murders is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, and broadcasts on the ITV Network since its premiere on 23 March 1997. The series focuses on various murder cases that take place within small country villages across the fictional English county of Midsomer, and the efforts of the senior police detective and his partner within the fictional Midsomer Constabulary to solve the crime by determining who the culprit is and the motive for their actions. It differs from other detective dramas in featuring a mixture of lighthearted whimsy and dark humour, as well as a notable soundtrack with a title theme that includes a theremin.
Taggart is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries Killer from 6 until 20 September 1983, before a full series was commissioned that ran from 2 July 1985 until 7 November 2010. The series revolved around a group of detectives initially in the Maryhill CID of Strathclyde Police, though various storylines were set in other parts of Greater Glasgow and in other areas of Scotland. The team operated out of the fictional John Street police station. Mark McManus, who played the title character Jim Taggart, died in 1994. However, the series continued under the same name. Taggart is one of the UK's longest-running television dramas.
The Last Detective is a British TV comedy drama series, broadcast on ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable "Dangerous Davies". The series is based on the "Dangerous Davies" series of novels written by Leslie Thomas, and was filmed in the north London suburbs of Willesden, Neasden and Harlesden.
Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series, produced by the BBC, that centres on a fictional London-based cold case unit composed of CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000, and a total of nine series followed. Each story is split into two hour-long episodes, shown on consecutive nights on BBC One. A third series episode won an International Emmy Award in 2004. The programme was also shown on BBC America in the United States, though these screenings are edited to allow for advertising breaks, as well as UKTV in Australia and New Zealand and ABC1 in Australia. A total of 46 stories aired across the nine series. The show aired its final episode on 11 April 2011. A spin-off from the series, titled The Body Farm, revolving around forensic scientist Eve Lockhart, was announced by the BBC in January 2011 and ran for just one series.
New Tricks is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall, and broadcast on BBC One. The programme originally began with a pilot episode on 27 March 2003, before a full series was commissioned for 1 April 2004; New Tricks concluded after twelve series on 6 October 2015. The show had an ensemble cast, of which Dennis Waterman was the only constant over all twelve series; the cast variously included Alun Armstrong, James Bolam, Amanda Redman, Denis Lawson, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Larry Lamb.
Maggie Steed is an English actress and comedian.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries is a British drama series starring Diana Rigg as Adela Bradley, and Neil Dudgeon as her chauffeur George Moody. The series was produced by the BBC for its BBC One channel between 31 August 1998 and 6 February 2000, based on the character created by detective writer Gladys Mitchell. Five episodes were produced, including a pilot special. Stylish images of the 1920s are featured, including a classic Rolls-Royce limousine and art deco fashions and jewellery worn by the title character.
Dalziel and Pascoe is a British television crime drama based on the mystery novels of the same name, written by Reginald Hill. The series was first broadcast on 16 March 1996, with Warren Clarke being cast as Dalziel and Colin Buchanan being cast as Pascoe. The series is primarily set in the fictional town of Wetherton in Yorkshire, and "follows the work of two detectives who are thrown together as partners. Complete opposites. Different backgrounds, different beliefs, different styles. They get on each other's nerves. They are continually embarrassed by each other. But their differences make them a stunningly brilliant crime-solving team."
Murder in Suburbia is a British television drama series first broadcast on ITV on 13 March 2004. The series focuses on the work of DS Emma Scribbins and DI Kate Ashurst, police detectives assigned to the murder squad of the fictional suburban English town of Middleford. In this capacity, they are supervised by DCI Jeremy Sullivan.
Inspector George Gently is a British crime drama television series produced by Company Pictures for BBC One, set in the 1960s and loosely based on some of the Inspector Gently novels written by Alan Hunter. The series stars Martin Shaw as the eponymous inspector and Lee Ingleby as Detective Sergeant John Bacchus, with Simon Hubbard and Lisa McGrillis in supporting roles as police constables in the fictitious North East Constabulary.
City Homicide is an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 and 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne. The main characters were six detectives, who solve the murder cases, and their three superior officers.
Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the Detective Murdoch novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick Bisson as William Murdoch, a police detective working in Toronto, Ontario in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The series was titled The Artful Detective on the Ovation cable TV network in the United States, until season twelve.
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries is a British detective television series, broadcast on BBC1, which was adapted from nine of the novels by Dame Ngaio Marsh, featuring the character Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. The pilot episode was shown in 1990, with Simon Williams playing the part of Alleyn. Two series followed in 1993 and 1994, with Patrick Malahide replacing Williams in the title role.
Good Cop is a British police procedural television series, written and created by Stephen Butchard, that first broadcast on BBC One on 30 August 2012. The plot centres on an ordinary police constable, John Paul Rocksavage, whose life changes forever when his best friend and colleague, Andy Stockwell, is attacked and killed in a savage ambush.
WPC 56 is a British television police procedural series, created and partly written by Dominique Moloney and broadcast on BBC One. The stories feature the first woman police constables (WPC) to join the fictional Midlands Constabulary at Brinford Police Station in 1956.
Without Motive is a British crime drama series broadcast on ITV, starring Ross Kemp as the main protagonist, Detective Constable Jack Mowbray, a born and bred Bristol detective whose world is turned upside down when he is assigned to a major murder enquiry involving a serial killer, who is randomly attacking young women, apparently without motive. Two series of the programme were produced. The first was produced by HTV, and the second by Meridian Broadcasting. Both series aired consecutively between 2 October 2000 and 1 November 2001. Both series were issued on DVD on 11 October 2011, exclusively in the United States by Acorn Media.
Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries is an Australian television drama series which began screening on the Seven Network on 21 February 2019. The series is a spin-off of the drama series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, which was based on author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels.
My Life Is Murder is an Australian-New Zealand murder mystery crime comedy-drama television series, broadcast on Network 10 and TVNZ 1. The ten part series premiered on 17 July 2019, at 8:40 pm. In the United States, the series began streaming on Acorn TV on 5 August 2019 and in the United Kingdom, on Alibi on 24 September 2019.
London Kills is a British police procedural television series, written and created by Paul Marquess, that premièred on Acorn TV on 26 February 2019 in the United States. One of Acorn TV's first original commissions, London Kills centres around an elite murder investigation squad in London headed by DI David Bradford, an experienced detective whose judgement is called into question following the unexpected disappearance of his wife.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
