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Pie in the Sky

TV·1994–1997·5 seasons, 40 episodes·BBC One·Comedy, Drama·50m·Created by Andrew Payne

Streaming on (US) Britbox Apple TV Channel PBSPBS Masterpiece Amazon ChannelAcornTV Amazon ChannelAcorn TV Apple TVThirteenWETA+See all

Pie in the Sky is a British offbeat police comedy drama programme starring Richard Griffiths and Maggie Steed, created by Andrew Payne and first broadcast in five series on BBC1 between 13 March 1994 and 17 August 1997 as well as being syndicated on other channels in other countries, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The series departs slightly from other police dramas in that the protagonist, Henry Crabbe, while still being an on-duty policeman, is also the head chef of the title restaurant set in the fictional town of Middleton and county of Westershire.

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01Pie in the Sky S01E01The Best of Both WorldsS01E01 · 7.0Henry lets Hooperman escape, and Fisher takes the opportunity to suspend his retirement.

Cast

Episodes by season

Season0110Episodes1994Aired 7.0Season avg
  1. S01E01Pie in the Sky S01E01The Best of Both WorldsMarch 13, 1994 7.0Henry lets Hooperman escape, and Fisher takes the opportunity to suspend his retirement.
  2. S01E02Pie in the Sky S01E02The Truth Will OutMarch 20, 1994A delusional cop seeks to bring Fisher's ally down, and Henry recruits a new waiter.
  3. S01E03Pie in the Sky S01E03An Innocent ManMarch 27, 1994Pie in the Sky becomes the scene of a corruption sting, but Henry acts in favour of his customer.
  4. S01E04Pie in the Sky S01E04Once a CopperApril 3, 1994Henry cooks a banquet for a visiting Japanese delegation, and tracks down a criminal from his past, who was presumed dead.
  5. S01E05Pie in the Sky S01E05A Shot in the DarkApril 10, 1994A narcotics investigation ends in a bitten hand for Fisher, and Henry finds a new source of escargots.
  6. S01E06Pie in the Sky S01E06Undesirable ElementsApril 17, 1994Steve investigates the burglary of Pie in the Sky, while Henry does battle with murderous private sector cops.
  7. S01E07Pie in the Sky S01E07Passion Fruit FoolApril 24, 1994The girlfriend of Henry's dry cleaner is kidnapped by a psychotic ex-lover.
  8. S01E08Pie in the Sky S01E08A Matter of TasteMay 1, 1994Henry uncovers two separate wine scams in Middleton.
  9. S01E09Pie in the Sky S01E09Who Only Stand and WaitMay 8, 1994Henderson's neighbour finds a dismembered corpse, which may prove the innocence of an imprisoned man.
  10. S01E10Pie in the Sky S01E10Endangered SpeciesMay 15, 1994Margaret and Henderson side with Reynard the Fox in opposing a new bypass, while Henry must question his loyalties.

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season0210Episodes1995AiredSeason avg
  1. S02E01Hard CheeseJanuary 15, 1995Henry investigates a prowler fond of older ladies, and begins to suspect the celibate supplier of his cheese.
  2. S02E02Brown BreadJanuary 22, 1995A diner collapses and dies in the restaurant's toilet. But when the police arrive the body has disappeared. Soon on the scene are two dete
  3. S02E03The Policeman's DaughterJanuary 29, 1995Fisher's younger daughter has left home after a row and thrown in her lot with a group of squatters. He asks Crabbe to find the girl and tr
  4. S02E04The One That Got AwayFebruary 5, 1995Bill Pritchard, an old friend of Henry's and the supplier of fish to the restaurant, is accused of murder when his girl friend's car is foun
  5. S02E05Dead RightFebruary 12, 1995Medium Faith Revelle has received a number of threatening letters and seeks police help. Freddy Fisher, having once sought advice from her
  6. S02E06Black PuddingFebruary 19, 1995In a moment of weakness famous cookery writer Hilary Smallwood has given her unscrupulous nephew Colin a Power of Attorney. He has sold her
  7. S02E07Swan in His PrideFebruary 26, 1995Fisher drags Crabbe down to the West Country to investigate the apparent murder of an undercover woman police officer. While Henry is away
  8. S02E08The Mild BunchMarch 5, 1995The man who shot PC Ian Lefebvre is due for release so Fisher wants to keep Lefebvre busy. What better than sending him off with Crabbe in s
  9. S02E09The Mystery of PikeyMarch 12, 1995There's a spate of burglaries, the local police station's closed down and the great and good of Middleton, headed by Mr. Chukky Chicken' Bar
  10. S02E10Lemon TwistMarch 19, 1995Crabbe has to join ACC Fisher and DS Cambridge on a management development seminar, but Fisher is having a crisis of confidence in 'The Job'

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

Season036Episodes1995–96AiredSeason avg
  1. S03E01Money TalksDecember 31, 1995The restaurant is heavily in debt, and the Crabbe's new bank manager is unsympathetic. Steve and John have left for pastures new, and an ag
  2. S03E02Game PieJanuary 7, 1996Henry supplies the catering at his friend Alistair's pheasant shoot, where Fisher is among the guests. Another member of the party is shot a
  3. S03E03Irish StewJanuary 14, 1996The large family of much-married Irishwoman Kit Kelly book the restaurant for a wedding banquet for her and her new husband, American televi
  4. S03E04Doggett's Coat and BadgeJanuary 21, 1996Charles Rider, a wine-loving regular at Pie in the Sky, is being threatened. It turns out he is really Joseph Webb, an ex-burglar turned sup
  5. S03E05This Other EdenJanuary 28, 1996Di Crabbe and DS Cambridge are assigned to investigate a spate of garden thefts carried out while the owners are away for a few days. It's
  6. S03E06Coddled EggsFebruary 4, 1996Car crime is on the rise, with most of the vehicles being stolen from the car park at the railway station. Henry's problems mount as he not

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

Season046Episodes1996AiredSeason avg
  1. S04E01Devils on Horseback (1)September 15, 1996Henry and Margaret spend a day at the races with her new client Bob Bishop, who is resisting a take-over bid for his cider brewery. A myster
  2. S04E02Devils on Horseback (2)September 22, 1996Liz claims the money is winnings from a bet and Henry releases her but notes that Jerry too has a healthy bank balance and surmises he was t
  3. S04E03Chinese WhispersSeptember 29, 1996The Chen family appear to be victims of racial harassment when their Chinese takeaway is set fire to but widowed Mr. Chen will not go to the
  4. S04E04New LeafOctober 6, 1996When Fisher allocates Henry to guard Sasha Wilkes,due to testify against her gangster husband, in the police 'safe house',D.C.I. Harding,who
  5. S04E05Breaking BreadOctober 13, 1996The 'Happy Ploughman' food chain has won the franchise for the Police canteen, but is being subjected to deliberate vandalism. An obvious s
  6. S04E06Gary's CakeOctober 20, 1996An armed hold-up at 'Pie in the Sky' while jewel-rich Mrs. Burdett is present brings DS Stringer to investigate. His abrasive manner aliena

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

Season058Episodes1997AiredSeason avg
  1. S05E01Squashed TomatoesJune 29, 1997DI Crabbe's first job with his new team of PC Guthrie and WPC Morton is to guard a new housing development which has been subjected to vanda
  2. S05E02Ugly CustomersJuly 6, 1997Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths) is posted to guard a jury deliberating in a fraud case, who have been sequestered in a ghastly hotel. Crab
  3. S05E03Pork PiesJuly 13, 1997Fisher sends Henry and the squad to a meat factory where animal rights protesters are demonstrating against the owner,Mr. Trubb's use of vea
  4. S05E04Cutting the MustardJuly 20, 1997Henry and his team are called to a private boarding school where police Commander Colin Stilwell's son Alex has been beaten up by local yout
  5. S05E05Return MatchJuly 27, 1997Henry has to solve a series of thefts from lorries and gets unexpected help from private security firm Troubleshooters. Their accuracy is su
  6. S05E06The ApprenticeAugust 3, 1997As Fisher launches a campaign to make the police more popular with young people a boy called Nicky comes to Pie in the Sky, claiming he is t
  7. S05E07In the SmokeAugust 10, 1997The Crabbes holiday in London in a flat owned by ex-policeman Nick Spencer whilst he is in America on business. However Margaret finds his p
  8. S05E08Smelling of RosesAugust 17, 1997As Henry mysteriously loses his sense of smell he is intrigued when Fisher seems obsessed with arresting tyre exporter Peter Watson and susp

Season 5 ranked & reviewed

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