"A good watch. My favorite part of the show was the glimpse into the Seattle Area food scene in the 60s(?)/70s/80s. It's always tough to grapple with the conflict that arises in my heart when a character brings undeniable beauty to the world but also manifests inexcusable torment upon others, especially when those others are sometimes young and vulnerable. It's precarious for a story teller to look pragmatically at life like Jeff's and present the stunning incongruity of character from so many vantage points. I felt complicated feelings while watching, and they have echoed. This makes me wonder should I take away a star, but that would be blaming the subject matter!"
Jenny
"As someone who was a big Frugal Gourmet fan back in the 80s, and an owner of his cookbook of the same name, I found the documentary to be very interesting. I was less impressed by the editing which, especially in the final episode, was very choppy with dialogue missed as a result. How did that get by the final viewing without correction? I especially appreciated hearing from Jeff's accusers whom I found to be extremely believable. I don't think for a minute he was innocent of the crimes he clearly committed. I do, though, still remember him with high esteem for his achievement as a pioneer of television chefs, and for the educational element he brought to his shows. In the end, he was clearly a sad and conflicted man with many demons he was never able to exorcise."
Tammy
"The Frugal Gourmet taught me how to cook,, and that family is food. We left the States for what would be 12 years overseas in 1993, I knew nothing about what he did for years, until I went to try and introduce my kids to his shows and they were gone. I am so sorry for what those boys went through and so appreciative for this docuseries."
Dan
"Really interesting and great depth of information. It felt fair and balanced. The filmmaker did a great job of exposing the issues surrounding forgiveness, anger, friendship and more."
Alice
"Extremely good documentary. Challenging, baffling, moving, saddening. Extremely well told and well shot. Highly recommended for documentary fans."
Ppppp
"I enjoyed how the series was split into two acts with episode three being the turning point. Showing photos of the younger versions of the young men involved, indicating that they were probably one of Jeff's targets was subtle foreshadowing that I appreciated. Since it was pre internet there wasn't really a lot to look at video wise, but the clips included were doozies. If you haven't already, this would make for a great audio podcast series as well. A lot of 80s kids like me were disappointed when the scant news about this came out. Thank you for fleshing the story out for us."
Amy
"Very thorough and thoughtful, presenting as many sides as possible. I'd known of the scandal (& had enjoyed "The Frugal Gourmet" quite a bit), but not in any detail. This filled in the missing pieces from friends, co-workers, business partners. A reminder that this kind of thing was handled very differently "back in the day." It's a fair representation."
Judy
"I thought that this was one of the best documentaries I have watched and seemed to give many different views of what was at least one of the most important media stars of the foodie world.
And I bid him Peace."
Doug
"This is a bittersweet watch. Having grown up watching Jeff Smith I was aware of the accusations as they were unfolding. This documentary (I watched the 5 episode version) is thorough and never slants to one side. You make your own judgement ,which is what any good documentary should do. The director lets the people being interview just talk. Sometimes at length. It feels almost like a stream of consciousness. All of this works. The first 2 episodes are filled with joy then, as the story unfolds, it gets uncomfortable. You learn things you never knew. Some parts feel patchy as if he was trying to connect every piece of footage he shot. This causes some repetition. I am curious to see how the film version plays out. I wish they had interviewed Gary or at least got a quote. How do you reconcile a person's actions with their contributions? This film puts that decision in your hands. This is a solid albeit sad documentary that needs to be streamed on a major platform."
Perry
"It was very interesting hearing from people who knew Jeff Smith personally and from different eras of his life. The story of a man financially ruined by health problems who returns to be one of America’s most famous TV chefs while skeletons lurk in his closet is a compelling story."
Micah
"I found this documentary to be exceptionally compelling and well done. I was a huge fan of The Frugal Gourmet and the show was definitely a foundation for my love of cooking. I watched as a young person and found Jeff to be engaging, interesting, informative and entertaining. I am sad his life was so very complicated and tragic, for him & the people he hurt. The documentary was riveting to watch and while you never know for sure, I hope it's portrayal was accurate and did give victims some light and validation to their injury."
Amy H
"Very well done. Well researched and well told."
Mrs Nedwof