Plot: Leo Vincent (Iain Glen) is a successful chef with what seems to be a great life, as his business is up, he’s married to a beautiful woman, and has two children, but all is not always as it seems. His wife Sam (Emilia Fox) has begun to suspect that he might be cheating on her, which doesn’t come as a big surprise, given that she was once his mistress and she knows his unfaithful past well. In an effort to get some perspective, she calls on Leo’s ex-wife Gina (Dawn French), who knows his mannerisms well and played a huge role in his overall success. Soon Leo’s seemingly idyllic lifestyle begins to show cracks and before long, some serious problems arise. As drama is unleashed and tensions rise, how will things sit once the dust settles?

Entertainment Value: This is a drama filled soap opera style series, which is going to delight some and alienate others. I can understand why viewers might prefer a more subtle, clever approach to television, but it is nice to have variety and sometimes you just want a broad, trashy show to indulge in. The first season of Delicious has just four episodes, but a lot happens in those few installments. As I said, this has a soap opera feel, which means ample drama, dysfunction, family fights, sexual hijinks, and such, but it does retain a light hearted tone in most instances. So there’s drama to burn, but it rarely feels overly mean spirited. Even if you don’t like the broad material, you have to admire the beautiful visuals and lush photography. Delicious boasts remarkable production values that really help it come off as a polished, well executed series, just a terrific show in that aspect.

The cast is also quite good, though I am sure the constant narration from Iain Glen will drive some folks up a wall. This winds up being a classic case of “show me, don’t tell me,” as the narration often overpowers the actual scenes and is far too frequent, just getting in the way in most cases. A more careful, sparse use of the narration could have worked, but I found the overbearing presence of it to detract from the show. Dawn French shines in her role here and steals a lot of scenes, while Iain Glen, Emilia Fox, Sheila Hancock, and Vinette Robison also have good turns. The supporting cast is fine as well, though again, this material doesn’t always have the kind of depth to let them showcase their talents. The cast is strong, but I do feel like with such a loaded lineup, perhaps this could have offered a little more than escapism and light laughs. But it is still a solid show and while predictable, Delicious offers a brisk, humorous narrative that sets the stage well for potential future seasons.

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