Sometimes all you need is a good old-fashioned dose of nostalgia through a comforting TV series to make everything feel a little better. If you’re on the lookout for the ultimate comfort watch, look no further – we’ve unearthed a forgotten gem Pie In The Sky – a Midsomer Murders replacement so soothing that won’t want to skip an episode.
Swap Midsomer for the fictional town Middleton, where we meet DI Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths), a longstanding detective who’s desperate to give up policing to fulfil his dream of running a restaurant with his wife. Sadly, a sneaky blackmail plot forces him to remain in the force, leaving Henry to juggle cooking in a restaurant and catching criminals across five glorious series. Who said men couldn’t multitask?
Intrigued? With the series available to watch now, here’s everything you need to know about Pie In The Sky, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Pie In The Sky about?
The series, which first aired on BBC One in 1994, introduces us to DI Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths) who has served on the force of the fictional county of Westershire for 25 years. He’s more than ready to swap his handcuffs for utensils and set up his own restaurant with his wife Margaret (Maggie Steed)
When Henry is shot in the leg while racing down a high-profile criminal – he believes retirement is finally within his reach. However, his boss Assistant Chief Constable Freddie Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair) is unwilling to let Crabbe leave. To make matters worse, he’s framed by a corrupt officer for taking a bribe, so he’s blackmailed into helping out when he’s needed.
The five series centre around his unconventional double life divided between sleuthing and cooking in the restaurant. For a flavour of some of the drama: a customer dies in the restaurant toilet and his corpse vanishes; Henry searches for two elderly con artists who leave their victims bread-and-butter pudding, and a restaurant regular’s expensive bottle of wine attracts the attention of gangsters.
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Who’s in the cast of Pie In The Sky?
The cast of Pie In The Sky includes:
- Richard Griffiths (The History Boys) as Henry Crabbe
- Maggie Steed (Fisherman’s Friends: One And All) as Margaret Crabbe
- Malcolm Sinclair (A Belfast Story) as Freddy Fisher
- Bella Enahoro (Aria) as P.C. Cambridge
- Joe Duttine (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) as Steve Turner
- Nicholas Lamont (Man And Boy) as Gary Palmer
- Nick Raggett (Enola Holmes 2) as Henderson
- Alison McKenna (The Ambassador) as Linda
- Ashley Russell (Murder in Provence) as John
- Samantha Womack (EastEnders) as Nicola Dooley
- Marsha Thomason (The Bay) as Sally
Is Pie in the Sky any good?
Yes – while it’s definitely not going to induce heart palpitations, or give you nightmares, Pie In The Sky is exactly the sort of drama that makes for perfect comforting viewing. The series defies the ordinary tropes of the crime genre by having a detective-stroke-chef as the lead, and the collision of the culinary and policing world is a twist that provides endless, unpredictable entertainment. If you’re missing the eccentric characters and cases in Midsomer Murders, Pie In The Sky is the perfect series to watch next.
Is there a trailer for Pie In The Sky?
Yes – you can watch the full trailer for Pie In The Sky below.
How can I watch Pie in the Sky?
All episodes of Pie In The Sky are available to watch now on Channel 4 and U.
What other crime dramas can I watch now?
For another throwback watch (although it’s grittier than Pie In The Sky) we’d point you towards Inspector George Gently, where the eponymous anti-corruption inspector takes a rash and young DS John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby) under his wing as they solve a string of complex crimes in 1960s North East England. Inspector George Gently is available to stream now on Netflix. If you’re after something more modern, but equally cosy, we’d recommend Agatha Raisin, in which the eponymous sleuth, played by the brilliant Ashley Jensen, solves an assortment of murder cases in a supposedly sleepy Cotswolds town. You can watch Agatha Raisin now on Acorn TV via Prime Video.
