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The French Chef

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The French Chef
Child demonstrating how to cook an omelette on the first season of The French Chef
GenreCooking
Created byJulia Child
Directed by
Presented byJulia Child
Theme music composerJohn Morris
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons10
No. of episodes199
Production
ProducerRuth Lockwood
Production locationsWGBH Studios, Boston, Massachusetts
Running time28 minutes
Production companyWGBH-TV
Original release
NetworkNET (1963-66)
PBS (1970-73)
ReleaseFebruary 11, 1963 (1963-02-11) –
January 14, 1973 (1973-01-14)

The French Chef is an American television cooking show created and hosted by Julia Child,[1] produced and broadcast by WGBH, the public television station in Boston, Massachusetts, from February 11, 1963 [2] to January 14, 1973. It was one of the first cooking shows on American television.

The French Chef was first shown with a pilot on July 26, 1962.[3] After two more episodes were broadcast in the summer, the show premiered as a regular weekly series on February 11, 1963.[4] The immensely popular show went on to air for 206 episodes. It is credited with convincing the American public to try cooking French food at home.[5]

The show grew out of a special presentation Child gave on WGBH based on the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking which she co-authored. The French Chef was produced from 1963 to 1973 by WGBH for National Educational Television (and later for PBS). Reruns continued on PBS until 1989, and were airing on Cooking Channel as of 2010. As of September 2016, episodes were being rerun on the new Canadian cooking channel Gusto, and later, Makeful. As recently as March 2017, reruns of the show were also seen on the American Public Television Create channel.

The original episodes were available on the PBS streaming service as of 2020. In July 2021, certain episodes were added to the Pluto TV lineup, together with other Julia Child cooking programs.[6]

Format

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The French Chef introduced French cooking to the United States at a time when it was considered expensive restaurant fare, not suitable for home cooking.[citation needed] Child emphasized fresh and, at the time, unusual ingredients.

All of the recipes used on The French Chef had originally appeared in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but for the show, Child chose mostly the more domestic recipes from the book,[citation needed] although such showpieces as Beef Wellington, various sorts of soufflé, and some ambitious pastries also made it into the mix if they seemed within the reach of a home cook without staff.

The show was done live-to-videotape from start to finish, leaving little room for mistakes. The resulting occasional accidents became a popular trademark of Child's on air presence, used as "teachable moments" to encourage viewers to relax about the task's demands.

Certain elements became motifs: Julia's fondness for wine; her distinctive voice; her staunch defense of the use of butter (with margarine invariably referred to as "that other spread") and cream; her standard issue "impeccably clean towel"; and her closing line at the end of every show: "This is Julia Child, Bon appétit!"

History

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So good is she that men who have not the slightest intention of going to the kitchen for anything but ice cubes watch her for pure enjoyment.

— Time magazine cover story from November 1966[7]

Child's first appearance cooking on TV had been by happenstance: a guest for another show on WGBH had canceled their appearance, as did the backup guest. Child was invited to do a cooking demonstration, which received positive feedback and prompted executives to order a pilot.[8]

When the show began, the budget was so low that "volunteers had to be recruited to wash dishes, and the food sometimes had to be auctioned to the audience afterwards to cover expenses."[7]

In 1964 Child received a Peabody Award, crediting her for doing "more than show us how good cooking is achieved; by her delightful demonstrations she has brought the pleasures of good living into many American homes."[9] In May 1966, her show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Achievements in Educational Television – Individuals.[10]

The August 27, 1968 episode of The French Chef (rerun from an episode sometime in 1965) ended with the unexpected collapse of an Apple Charlotte.

The October 31, 1971 episode of The French Chef (on its ninth anniversary) was the first U.S. television show to be captioned for deaf viewers.[11]

The show was produced by Ruth Lockwood and directed by Russell Morash, Russell Fortier, David Griffiths and David B. Atwood.[12] Film composer John Morris wrote the second theme song for The French Chef.

The show eventually became so popular that Child's use of a particular ingredient each week would sometimes cause a surge in demand and lead to grocery stores across the country temporarily selling out of it.[8]

Legacy

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Child and WGBH would collaborate again on the series Julia Child & Company from 1978 to 1980, Dinner at Julia's from 1983 to 1984, and a series of home videos in 1985 called The Way to Cook. Child would be paired with other food personalities for two additional PBS series in the 1990s, Cooking with Master Chefs: Hosted by Julia Child which ran for a single season from 1993 to 1994, and Baking with Julia for three seasons from 1996 to 1998. She also participated in the show Julia Child & Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home which won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2001.[13]

As part of its growing Twitch Creative content, Twitch streamed every episode of The French Chef over a four-day period starting on March 15, 2016, to launch its new food channel.[14][15] Twitch reported that almost a million viewers watched the marathon.[16]

Julia, a television series based on Child and the creation of The French Chef, premiered on HBO Max in 2022.

List of episodes

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Pilots (1962)

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The three pilot episodes were subsequently taped over by the studio, a common practice at the time, and no copies are known to exist today. The subjects of the pilot episodes were revisited early in the show's run, with the French omelet and onion soup appearing in the first season and Coq au Vin in the second.

Episode Subject Air Date
Pilot The French Omelet July 28, 1962 [17]
Pilot Coq au Vin July 1962 [18]
Pilot Onion soup July 1962 [19]

Season 1 (1963)

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Child wrote that the first 13 episodes were lost at one point, but that 7 were found.[citation needed] However, PBS posted 23 episodes from the first season to YouTube in June 2022, with only French Onion Soup and Dinner In a Pot missing. Those two episodes were later posted in October 2022.[20] The first few episodes were sponsored by S&H Green Stamps; starting with Chicken Breasts and Rice, this season was sponsored by Safeway Stores.

Episode Subject Air Date
E01 Boeuf Bourguignon February 11, 1963
E02 French Onion Soup February 18, 1963
E03 Casserole Roast Chicken February 25, 1963
E04 The French Omelette March 4, 1963
E05 Scallops March 11, 1963
E06 Quiche Lorraine March 18, 1963
E07 Fruit Tarts March 25, 1963
E08 Chicken Breasts and Rice April 1, 1963
E09 Vegetables à la Française April 8, 1963
E10 Veal Scallops April 15, 1963
E11 French Salads- Mayonnaise April 22, 1963
E12 Chicken Livers à la Française April 29, 1963
E13 Roast Duck à l'Orange May 6, 1963
E14 Chocolate Mousse[21] May 13, 1963
E15 Pâtés May 20, 1963
E16 Aspics May 27, 1963
E17 Bouillabaisse June 3, 1963
E18 Lobster à l'Américaine June 10, 1963
E19 French Crêpes June 17, 1963
E20 French Crêpes II - Suzette June 24, 1963
E21 Steaks and Hamburgers July 1, 1963
E22 The Potato Show July 8, 1963
E23 Soufflé on a Platter July 15, 1963
E24 Dinner in a Pot July 22, 1963
E25 Pâté à Choux July 29, 1963
E26 Caramel Desserts August 5, 1963
E27 Cooking Your Goose August 12, 1963

Season 2 (1963-1964)

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This season was sponsored by Safeway Stores.

Episode Subject Air Date
E01 Chestnut Cookery December 23, 1963
E02 Bringing in the New Year December 30, 1963
E03 Coq au Vin January 6, 1964
E04 Cassoulet January 13, 1964
E05 Vegetable Adventures January 20, 1964
E06 Puff Pastry January 27, 1964
E07 More about Puff Pastry February 3, 1964
E08 Fish Mousselines February 10, 1964
E09 Cake for Company February 17, 1964
E10 Artichokes from Top to Bottom February 24, 1964
E11 Elegance with Eggs March 2, 1964
E12 Cold Soufflés and Bavarian Cream March 9, 1964
E13 Case for Salmon March 16, 1964
E14 Broccoli and Cauliflower March 23, 1964
E15 Veal for a King March 30, 1964
E16 The Soup Show April 6, 1964
E17 Flaming Soufflé April 13, 1964
E18 Small Roast Birds April 20, 1964
E19 Timbales April 27, 1964
E20 Fish Filets Sylvestre May 4, 1964
E21 Babas au Rhum May 11, 1964
E22 Chicken Dinner in Half an Hour May 18, 1964
E23 Rognons Sautés and Flambés May 25, 1964
E24 The Mushroom Show June 1, 1964
E25 Veal Dinner in Half an Hour June 8, 1964
E26 Broiled Chicken Plain and Saucy June 15, 1964
E27 Lamb Stew is French, Too June 22, 1964
E28 Introducing Charlotte Malakoff June 29, 1964
E29 Hot Turkey Ballotine July 6, 1964
E30 Cold Turkey Galantine July 13, 1964

Season 3 (1964-1965)

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This season was sponsored by Polaroid Corporation; starting with Turban of Sole, Hills Bros. Coffee joined as co-sponsor.

Episode Subject Air Date
E01 Le Marquis au Chocolate November 23, 1964
E02 Vegetables for the Birds November 30, 1964
E03 French Tarts, Apple Style December 7, 1964
E04 French Jelly Roll December 14, 1964
E05 Bûche de Noël December 21, 1964
E06 Beef Gets Stewed Two Ways December 28, 1964
E07 Ham Dinner in Half an Hour January 4, 1965
E08 Croissants January 11, 1965
E09 Chocolate Souffle January 18, 1965
E10 Four in Hand Chicken January 25, 1965
E11 Brioches February 1, 1965
E12 Veal Prince Orloff February 8, 1965
E13 Great Beginnings February 15, 1965
E14 Turban of Sole February 22, 1965
E15 Strawberry Tarts March 1, 1965
E16 The Shrimp Show March 8, 1965
E17 Salad Fixings March 15, 1965
E18 Non-collapsible Cheese Soufflé March 22, 1965
E19 Quiches March 29, 1965
E20 Fish Dinner in Half an Hour April 5, 1965

Season 4 (1965-1966)

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This season was sponsored by Polaroid Corporation and Hills Bros. Coffee.

Episode Subject Air Date
E01 French Veal Stew August 30, 1965
E02 Improvisation September 6, 1965
E03 The Empress's Rice September 13, 1965
E04 Coquilles St. Jacques September 20, 1965
E05 More about Steaks September 27, 1965
E06 To Poach a Salmon October 4, 1965
E07 Invitation To Lunch October 11, 1965
E08 Beef in Red Wine October 18, 1965
E09 Your Own French Onion Soup October 25, 1965
E10 Chicken in Cocotte November 1, 1965
E11 Queen of Sheba Cake (black & white) November 8, 1965
E12 To Poach Sole Filets November 15, 1965
E13 Chop Dinner in Half an Hour November 22, 1965
E14 Filet of Beef Wellington November 29, 1965
E15 Apple Charlotte December 6, 1965
E16 More Great Beginnings December 13, 1965
E17 Roast Suckling Pig December 20, 1965
E18 More about Potatoes December 27, 1965
E19 Steak Dinner in Half an Hour January 3, 1966
E20 The Endive Show January 10, 1966
E21 Saddle of Lamb January 17, 1966
E22 Napoleons January 24, 1966
E23 Paella à l'Américaine January 31, 1966
E24 Dinner Party First Course February 7, 1966
E25 Dinner Party Main Course February 14, 1966
E26 Dinner Party Meringue Dessert February 21, 1966
E27 Soupe au Pistou February 28, 1966
E28 Quenelles March 7, 1966
E29 Génoise Cake March 14, 1966
E30 Petits Fours March 21, 1966
E31 The Mayonnaise Show March 28, 1966
E32 Swordfish Dinner in a Half Hour April 4, 1966
E33 Ossobuco April 11, 1966
E34 Sweetbreads and Brains April 18, 1966

Season 5 (1966)

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This would be the last season to be presented by the Eastern Educational Television Network.

Episode Subject Air Date
E01 Asparagus from Tip to Butt April 25, 1966
E02 Operation Chicken May 2, 1966
E03 To Poach a Chicken May 9, 1966
E04 Mousses, Bombes and Parfaits May 16, 1966
E05 Bourride and Aïoli May 23, 1966
E06 To Poach an Egg May 30, 1966
E07 Roast Leg of Lamb June 6, 1966
E08 Lobster Thermidor June 13, 1966
E09 Speaking of Tongues June 20, 1966
E10 Pipérade for Lunch June 27, 1966

Season 6 (1970-1971)

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The sixth season would be the first produced in color and would introduce a new theme tune for the opening titles. It was also the first to be presented by the Public Broadcasting Service. From this season on, Polaroid was the sole sponsor of the program.

Episode Subject Air Date
E01 Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise October 7, 1970
E02 Napoleon's Chicken October 14, 1970
E03 The Spinach Twins October 21, 1970
E04 Cake with a Halo October 28, 1970
E05 Hamburger Dinner November 4, 1970
E06 Salade Niçoise November 11, 1970
E07 Turkey Breast Braised November 18, 1970
E08 Lasagne à la Française November 25, 1970
E09 Waiting for Gigot December 2, 1970
E10 How about Lentils December 9, 1970
E11 Fish in Monk's Clothing December 16, 1970
E12 Gâteau in a Cage December 23, 1970
E13 Cheese and Wine Party December 30, 1970
E14 Curry Dinner January 6, 1971
E15 Apple Dessert January 13, 1971
E16 Meat Loaf Masquerade January 20, 1971
E17 To Roast a Chicken January 27, 1971
E18 Hard Boiled Eggs February 3, 1971
E19 Boeuf Bourguignon February 10, 1971
E20 Strawberry Soufflé February 17, 1971
E21 Spaghetti Flambé February 24, 1971
E22 French Bread March 3, 1971
E23 More about French Bread March 10, 1971
E24 Vegetable for all Occasions March 17, 1971
E25 Pot au Feu March 24, 1971
E26 Pizza Variations March 31, 1971
E27 Begin with Shrimp April 7, 1971
E28 Chocolate Cake April 14, 1971
E29 Working with Chocolate April 21, 1971
E30 To Press a Duck April 28, 1971
E31 Flaky Pastry May 5, 1971
E32 Glamour Pudding May 12, 1971
E33 The Whole Fish Story May 19, 1971
E34 VIP Veal: Poitrine Farcie May 26, 1971
E35 Brochettes, Kebabs and Skewers June 2, 1971
E36 Rye Bread June 6, 1971
E37 Flaming Fish June 13, 1971
E38 Summer Salads June 20, 1971
E39 The Lobster Show June 27, 1971

Season 7 (1971-1972)

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Episode Subject Air Date
E01 Coq au Vin Alias Chicken Fricassee October 6, 1971
E02 Mousse au Chocolat October 13, 1971
E03 Quiche Lorraine and Company October 20, 1971
E04 To Stuff a Sausage October 27, 1971
E05 The Artichoke November 3, 1971
E06 Tartes aux Fruits (Fruit Tarts) November 10, 1971
E07 To Roast a Turkey November 17, 1971
E08 French Croissants November 24, 1971
E09 Soup du Jour December 1, 1971
E10 Terrines and Pâtés December 8, 1971
E11 Madeleines and Génoise Jelly Roll December 15, 1971
E12 To Make a Bûche December 22, 1971
E13 Le Cocktail December 29, 1971
E14 Gallic Pot Roast January 2, 1972
E15 Cheese Soufflé January 9, 1972
E16 The Good Loaf January 16, 1972
E17 The Hollandaise Family January 23, 1972
E18 Tripes à la Mode January 30, 1972
E19 Sole Bonne Femme February 6, 1972
E20 Orange Bavarian Cream February 13, 1972
E21 To Stuff a Cabbage February 20, 1972
E22 The Omelette Show February 27, 1972
E23 Elegance with Aspic March 5, 1972
E24 French Fries March 12, 1972
E25 Ham Transformation March 19, 1972
E26 Ice Cream March 26, 1972

Season 8 (1972-1973)

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Episode Subject Air Date
E01 For Working Guys and Gals October 1, 1972
E02 Small Kitchen, Big Ideas October 8, 1972
E03 Coffee and Brioche October 15, 1972
E04 Brunch for a Bunch October 22, 1972
E05 VIP Cake [Le Brantome] October 29, 1972
E06 To Ragoût a Goose November 5, 1972
E07 Sudden Company November 12, 1972
E08 First Course Sit Down Dinner November 19, 1972
E09 Main Course Sit Down Dinner November 26, 1972
E10 Grand Finale Sit Down Dinner December 3, 1972
E11 Kids Want to Cook December 10, 1972
E12 Two-Dollar Banquet January 7, 1973
E13 Puff Pastry to Go January 14, 1973

Companion books

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Two companion cookbooks were written along with the show. The French Chef Cookbook was a show-by-show breakdown of the black and white series,[22] while From Julia Child's Kitchen was a somewhat more ambitious work that was based on the color series but also added considerable extra material.[23]

DVD releases

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  • Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom (2000)
  • Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home (2003)
  • Julia Child: America's Favorite Chef (2004)
  • The French Chef: Volume One (2005)
  • The French Chef: Volume Two (2005)
  • The French Chef with Julia Child (As Seen on Public Television). WGBH 2005 [1] 3 DVDs, runtime 432 min. (2005)
  • Julia Child! The French Chef (2006)
  • The French Chef: Julia Child's French Classics (2012)[24]

References

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  1. ^ J.C. Maçek III (August 13, 2012). "Bless This Mess: Sweeping the Kitchen with Julia Child". PopMatters.
  2. ^ Boston Globe Magazine TV Week, February 10, 1963
  3. ^ "Thursday, July 26", "TV Week" in Boston Globe Magazine supplement (p. 22) to Boston Sunday Globe, July 22, 1962
  4. ^ "Monday, Feb. 11", "TV Week" in Boston Globe Magazine supplement (p. 9) to Boston Sunday Globe, February 10, 1963
  5. ^ "Julia Child | Biography, Cookbooks, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Andy Denhart (July 1, 2021). "Julia Child TV shows are now streaming free on Pluto, Tubi, and PBS". Reality Blurred.
  7. ^ a b "Food: Everyone's in the Kitchen". Time. November 25, 1966. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Temple, Joseph (September 19, 2014). "8 Facts about Julia Child and The French Chef that may surprise you". The International Wine & Food Society. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  9. ^ "Personal Award for The French Chef". Peabody Award. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  10. ^ "Personal Award for The French Chef". Primetime Emmy Award. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  11. ^ "A Brief History of Captioned Television". National Captioning Institute. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2011. While the closed captioning service was being developed, there were some programs with "open" captions airing on PBS. In 1972, The French Chef became the first television program that was accessible to deaf and hard of hearing viewers.
  12. ^ Find in a library : The French chef with Julia Child. OCLC 59134316 – via www.worldcat.org.
  13. ^ "Biography: Julia Child". National Women's History Museum. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  14. ^ "Julia Child Marathon: Introducing the Official Food Channel with The French Chef!". Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  15. ^ "Julia Child is the next PBS star to get a Twitch marathon". March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  16. ^ "Food Channel Continues with 24/7 Cooking Programming". Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  17. ^ Riley Fitch, Noel (1997). Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child (p. 279). Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 9780307948380.
  18. ^ "Julia Child Foundation". Julia Child Foundation. March 7, 2019.
  19. ^ "Julia Child Foundation". Julia Child Foundation. March 7, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  20. ^ "The French Chef - YouTube". www.youtube.com. PBS. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Julia Child (1963). The French Chef Cookbook. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 24.
  22. ^ Julia Child (1963). The French Chef Cookbook. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 424.
  23. ^ Julia Child (1970). From Julia Child's Kitchen. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 687.
  24. ^ Lambert, David (August 15, 2012). "The French Chef – Press Release: 'Julia Child's French Classics' DVD, On Her 100th Birthday". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
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