El chef

I really enjoyed this series. A pity it was only four episodes long, as I felt the narrative could have been developed further (or is that waiting for series two?). A very well observed drama about life in a busy, fine dining kitchen, and all the crap that the overworked, underpaid staff have to deal with on a daily basis, as they struggle with the demands of work whilst trying to reconcile that with a personal life. Not a very good advert for anyone considering a career in fine dining, but all the better for that. Well written, well acted, and convincing portrayal of life behind the scenes in the financially driven modern world of the fine dining experience.

This had me gripped from the very first scene. Fast moving, sometimes at a manic pace, this was partly shot on a hand held camera which gave a feel of the insane pace this drama moved along at.

There were some outstanding performances from a stellar cast, with the star of them all, Stephen Graham, making brief appearances as he is slowly introduced into the series after his dramatic exit in the prequel movie, which this series is based on.

I found no fault in this production. It is a masterpiece of film making and acting at its best. The good thing is there are more episodes to follow and I look forward to watching them all.

This was a welcome relief to my fruitless search for decent drama on Netflix. So thanks to the BBC for serving up a tasty dish. Fast moving, and sometimes difficult to watch much of the time, thanks to the predictability of the story lines. I don't agree with those who have given a low rating based on the predictable story lines. That doesn't stop it being a strong drama.

Similarly I don't have a huge problem with the fact that all the main characters have their own demons. This is fiction and a drama so we can't expect them to be boringly perfect.

I hope there is a new series and I hope the budge extends to more episodes.

Like, A LOT. Trust me when I say, this is the best thing on UK TV at the moment. It is stressful just watching it, but that's only because of how engaging it is. The pace and camera work make you feel like you are there in the kitchen, being pulled back and forth between tasks. It reminded me greatly of my own work experiences.

The cast are incredible and their characters interesting.

It is not important to watch the short or movie versions that predate this series, as it stands perfectly well on its own. However I would highly recommend doing so as they too are incredible, and would help you avoid writing reviews stating that this has copied a show the original concept predates by 3.5 years.

My only complaint, wanted more episodes!

This is quite simply the best thing the BBC have ever done. This is all they should do now. They should leave the news well alone. An absolute masterclass of acting and directing. This really is next level stuff, it draws you in and just doesn't let you go. No spoilers but half way through episode 2 I suddenly realised I wasn't breathing. Just stunning in every department. It's not confirmed yet, but there will be a second series, it's too good for that not to happen. Yeah 'The Bear' is good, but this makes it looks like a very poor mans copy. British drama used to be the envy of the world, keep this up and it will be again. SUPERB!!!