YMMV / Chef! (1993)

• Ass Pull: In one episode of series 3, Gareth suddenly displays a keen interest in film with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of one movie in general. This was never mentioned before, and never comes up again in the series.
• Fair for Its Day: Although it's very firmly a sitcom from the 90s, the show was ahead of its time in some ways. Gareth and Janice are both highly skilled yet believably flawed Black characters living relatively comfortably, and their relationship (in the first two seasons) is portrayed as a loving partnership deep down despite the constant snarking between them. Race is rarely mentioned, and when it is it's usually to call out casual bigotry or ignorance and is never at the expense of nonwhite characters.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Colin from "Fame Is the Spur" is played by Trevor Peacock, who would later be best known for playing Jim Trott in The Vicar of Dibley.
  • Mark Williams has a small role as a cop in the episode "Masterchef".
• Seasonal Rot: The first series is usually rated the highest with noticeable declines in each series, although the second series finale is one of the best episodes altogether. The third is definitely the weakest with the shift from film to video tape and the extended subplot about the failing state of Gareth's marriage. Whether it's pure horror or just not quite as good is a matter opinion.
• Values Dissonance: Gustav's alcoholism, which is treated relatively seriously in his debut episode, gets played for laughs later on in a way that can be jarring to a modern audience.

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