Customer Reviews

"A well-made film, very much worth watching. Would have been curious to know more about Smith's sons and their relationship as he aged. I assume they didn't want to be part of the documentary for reasons."

Chelsea

"I grew up watching The Frugal Gourmet when I was a teenager in Chicago. At the outset I will say that he shaped my appreciation for cooking and the history of food, so I have a favorable bias towards him. What I liked about the docuseries was that it presented both sides of all of Jeff Smith’s issues and it did not lean one way, it was presented in a very fair and unbiased way. What I really liked was in the 5th episode where the rationalization between personal and professional good/bad are discussed. What I didn’t like is minor and more of a person preference. I know some reviews have said the docuseries was too long at 5 parts, however I think the opposite. I think there were a few things that were glossed over or could have been expanded upon. I would have also like to know if anyone else was contacted and declined to be interviewed, such as Craig Wollam, his first on-air chef. Again, these are minor quibbles and nothing that detracts from the series. Highly recommended!"

William Miller

"Well done documentary. What a crazy story. Watched it all in one sitting, so there goes Thursday!!"

K. AMUNDSON

"Informative, however, could’ve been reduced to a single two hour documentary. I feel the five episodes was to justify the $20 price tag."

Pete

"What an interesting deep dive into the Furgal Gourmet. In the 5-part series you have told a wonderful story of a very complex individual and provided rich background before he became a TV celebrity. Weaving the personal recollections with articles and cuts from the TV show make this an entertaining and thought provoking documentary. I commend Chris Johnson for taking on such a complex subject and treating it with balance and insight. It is an adult subject matter, but a story that must be told. Growing up in Chicago and being an avid watcher of the show as a newly married couple the cooking lessons provided by Jeff were invaluable. By pulling together background on Jeff's early years and what may have gone on off camera the 5 episodes paint a picture of an individual that was both loved and hated, and in all likelihood tormented with his personal demons. Chris congratulations on a great piece of work."

Chuck K

"It certainly thorough. But this story could have been told at half the time, maybe less. In fact, I would have paid more for the two hour version. At times I felt like every single second of each of the interviews was used at some point in the documentary."

Brian S

"An excellent , well done film about a subject where there isn't a lot out there anymore. If one ever "googled" him you really didn't get a lot of answers due to the Internet being in infancy when the scandal happened. This film answers many questions. It's fantastic."

Mike

"I Thought it was interesting and sad. Sad he had to prey on young teenage boys and couldn't find someone close to his own age"

Steve

"Worth viewing. Lived and worked in Tacoma And Seattle during this era. Accurate portrait of Jeff Smith and his bizarre personality. It was widely known what he was up to. Sad that so many young men were victimized."

Katmai

"Very well researched documentary. Could have been 3 parts rather than 5, but was otherwise a good doc."

LR

"As someone who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, Jeff Smith was well known when I was a young cook. This documentary does a great job of explaining Smith, while offering valuable insight into the man behind the image. Fascinating story well told and researched. Highly recommended."

ScottNYC

"This was an absolutely fascinating documentary of a man whose TV persona I knew well. There were no "wrong" notes, at all - I loved it. I was especially glad to see the reporter from The Oregonian push back against that asinine priest Rev Tomter - what a bloody fool. Job well done, I highly recommend this - worth every penny."

Richard Starr