I Bid You Peace - Five-Part Frugal Gourmet Docuseries

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America Trusted Him. Then the Allegations Surfaced.

One Story. Two Ways to Watch.

4.5 from 200+ verified viewers

I Bid You Peace — named for Mr. Smith’s signature sign-off — will shed fresh light on the case.

Julia Moskin

‘I Bid You Peace’ gives us a detailed, fascinating and, yes, disturbing portrait of a complicated and reportedly damaged and dangerous man.

Rick Kogan

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4.5

Based on 272 verified purchases

Series

"Very well done. Learned a lot I didn’t know."

Dan

Verified Purchase

Series

"This was a very well done documentary. For me, someone who grew up watching The Frugal Gourmet in the Tacoma area, it was a telling of what happened to Jeff Smith, something I was always curious about. It was more than that though. It’s about the reconciliation of the dichotomy of good and bad. The good works that are out there done by people with troubled histories. It’s about how people view those bad acts in the moment and over time. It’s about how some people can remain purposefully ignorant to behavior they don’t want to see and how some people negotiate successfully the good and bad. It further explores a lack of accountability amongst the rich, powerful, and famous who are in a position to do the most harm. This is a very timely documentary beyond just one person. I am so impressed by the number of people willing to share their stories and experiences. Thank you."

Melissa

Verified Purchase

Series

"This is one of the most thought provoking, balanced, and throughly done documentaries I have ever watched. Worth every penny. It presents the whole of his story, good and bad, rise and fall, without it being tabloid like. I found it very thought provoking, and I say this as a survivor in my own world. While one might find his friends biased, or not, the documentary itself does an amazing job of just present the completely story, as is. As I said, both the good and bad and I really appreciated that. I highly recommend this to anyone who grew up with The Frugal Gourmet, as I did, those interested in thought provoking stories and people, and as those interested in seeing in how we have progressed, or in some cases not. I personally couldn't stop until all five episodes were watched and don't think you will be able to either."

Jessica N

Verified Purchase

Series

"I was a huge fan of The Frugal Gourmet show back in the day. I remember being shocked when the news story broke. The documentary did an excellent job of showcasing Jeff Smith's career and successes, while exploring the dark side of his life. It was well researched and informative."

Mel

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Five-Part Series Episode Guide

Episode 1

I Peddle Enthusiasm

55 min

Raised in Seattle, Jeff Smith's love of food, religion, and teaching turns him into a beloved campus chaplain—and then an unlikely TV chef. As The Frugal Gourmet is born, early success collides with debt, illness, and choices that threaten everything he's built.

Episode 2

Keep Your Fingers Bent Under!

62 min

A single TV appearance catapults Jeff to national fame. Bestselling books, global travel, and PBS stardom follow—but behind the charm are rages, excess, and growing doubts about who Jeff really is, both on-screen and off.

Episode 3

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

41 min

Returning to Seattle, Jeff searches for reinvention as cracks widen behind the scenes. New projects mix food, faith, and spectacle, but chaos and troubling behavior mount—until one unexpected phone call threatens to shatter everything.

Episode 4

Whatever I Do, I'm Forgiven

60 min

Public accusations explode into a reckoning. As multiple men come forward, long-whispered rumors surface, dividing supporters and exposing patterns once ignored. With a lawsuit looming, Jeff's legacy—and credibility—hang in the balance.

Episode 5

Peace?

57 min

After the fall, "The Frugal Gourmet" fades from public life, isolated and haunted by unanswered questions. Friends, critics, and survivors reflect on his impact, struggling to reconcile generosity with harm—and asking whether peace was ever truly possible.

Total Runtime: 4.6 hours • 4K Quality • Subtitles Available

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From the Filmmaker

About This Project

Growing up in Seattle in the 1980s and 90s, Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet was a household name. A former Methodist minister, he became an overnight sensation teaching America to cook through his PBS cooking show. He reached an estimated six million households each week across more than 300 Public Television stations nationwide, and authored 12 cookbooks, many of them New York Times bestsellers.

But behind the public success lay a darker story. At the height of his career, Smith's carefully cultivated image collapsed under the weight of shocking revelations, forever altering his legacy and changing the way the public viewed a beloved national figure.

I set out not only to examine the life of Jeff Smith, but also to grapple with his legacy — and what it reveals about how we, as a society, respond when public figures we admire are accused of terrible behavior. His story has never before been told in its entirety, and this independent production is the first to take on that challenge — a story that predated the #MeToo movement — and confronts the cultural reckoning around power, celebrity, and accountability.

Questions or press inquiries?

chris@ibidyoupeace.com

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The Film

1 hour 46 minutes

$3.99

The full story told in a single 1 hour 46 minutes sitting
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The Series

5 episodes + film

$7.99

All 5 episodes, unfolding the story in depth over 4.5+ hours
The film version also included — same story, single-sitting format

Unlimited streaming access
Watch on any device — desktop, tablet, mobile, smart TV via AirPlay & Google Cast
Subtitles in 40 languages + English closed captions
Progress tracking across devices
Filmmaker-controlled platform — your purchase directly supports the creators

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