DELICIOUS SERIES 1: ROMANTIC RIVALRY IN THE KITCHEN

I was late to the table but became a fan of the series THE VICAR OF DIBLEY when it was on Netflix. The lead in that series was Dawn French and since watching that I’d seen her on shows like THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW. It was on one of those visits that she talked about her new series DELICIOUS and it sounded like one that I’d enjoy. With the release of both seasons on disc I’ve found that I was right, I did enjoy both.

The show is narrated by Leo Vincent (Iain Glen), the master chef and owner of a countryside hotel, The Penrose Hotel, a hotspot for the well to do. Vincent was once married to Gina Benelli (French) but left her when he began having an affair with Sam Vincent (Emilia Fox) who he then married. Leo has children from both women, Teresa (Tanya Reynolds) with Gina and Michael (Ruairi O’Connor) by Sam. Teresa is a strange one, melancholic most of the time and allergic to water so she carries an umbrella with her where ever she goes. Michael is more outgoing and a womanizer already while still in his teens.

Problems arise when Sam begins to suspect that Leo is having an affair, much like the one the two of them had. She thinks it’s going on with the new general manager he hired and consults Gina to find out how she knew something was going on way back when. Providing little help and telling her not to worry, Sam is still obsessed with finding the truth.

She does so but not what she expected. Instead she discovers that Leo has been having an affair with…Gina! It seems their passion for cooking and food has brought them back together at least now and then. We also discover that the creations and cooking that Leo has unleashed upon the world to high esteem all came from the recipes and instructions of Gina.

While the battle for Leo rages things take an even stranger turn when he dies of a heart attack. I know, I told you he was narrating the series. The fact is he was and is doing so, from beyond the grave. And in death he has better advice to offer than while he was alive. As the two women deal with his death they also deal with the affair at the same time. A vengeful Sam has decided to sell off the hotel and kick Gina and Teresa out of the house that’s part of the property.

Except that Leo left the hotel to Gina. As for the rest of his estate, that falls to Sam. Except that there is nothing. Except bills and debt and an investigation into how he handled his affairs by the British version of the IRS. Fortunately Gina is more forgiving and lets Sam, Michael and Leo’s mother Mimi (Shelia Hancock). And yet the two of them still but heads over various items. Eventually a problem is found with the hotel as well and it will take both sides of the dysfunctional family working together to keep them all afloat.

There are so many good things about this series it’s hard to say where to begin so let me start with the setting. The countryside, the hotel and the small town where it is located are charming and gorgeous to look at. The same holds true for the food that both Leo and Gina prepare for the guests of the hotel. It looks like a dream location for a romantic getaway, both in location and in dining.

The performances here are exceptional. Glen does a great job as the cheating husband whose passion for life and all things in general prevents him from seeing the right thing to do. French is wonderful as the wronged woman returns to her husband to be turned away again and yet survive it all. And Fox as Sam is wonderfully distraught and brings enough sympathy for her character to make her seem real and alive rather than a card board cutout.

More plot lines are involved in this season but I’d rather not give them away, suggesting instead that you seek out the series to watch. Purchase it even because my guess is you’ll enjoy every minute of it, in spite of the fact that it only lasts 4 episodes. But fear not because series 2 is also out now. So pick them both up and binge watch them as I did. You’ll be glad you did.

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