Celebrity Cooks
Encyclopedia
Celebrity Cooks was a Canadian
cooking show
independently produced by Initiative Productions and aired on the CBC
from 1975 to 1979 and on Global
from 1980 to 1984. It was syndicated throughout Canada
and the United States from 1980 to 1989. It was hosted by Bruno Gerussi
who introduced various celebrities who chatted with them while preparing dishes for the audience. As such, it was considered a hybrid between a cooking show and a talk show.
Despite a shoestring budget, the show was a high quality product. It was criticized for its apparent inability to get more than strictly minor celebrities for the show, although it was still a highly rated program at the time. The show was taped in Vancouver, British Columbia, concurrently with Gerrussi's starring role in The Beachcombers
which was also filmed in the vicinity. Due to his visibility on Celebrity Cooks, Gerrussi became the pitchman for one of the first brands of microwave oven
s to be sold for home use in Canada.
Among the guests who appeared on the show was a pre-stardom David Letterman
. According to the book TV North, guests were paid between $196 CAD
(for Canadian performers) and $350 CAD (for American performers). American performers were paid more to offset the cost of higher travel expenses.
Other guests included Margaret Trudeau
(aired 3 February 1978), Jean Beliveau
, Barry Morse
, Elayne Boosler
and Bob Crane
(in his last televised appearance). Crane's appearance on the show was scheduled to air in 1978, but Crane had been murdered before the scheduled airdate. Out of respect for Crane's family, the episode was never broadcast. However, the taping of Crane's episode was recreated in the 2002 film, Auto Focus
, in which actor John Kapelos portrayed Gerussi. Hermione Gingold
was the guest for the program's first broadcast on 15 September 1975.
The film Heart Like a Wheel
, the story of female race car driver Shirley Muldowney, features a scene where Muldowney makes an appearance on a Canadian cooking show that appears to be a thinly disguised version of Celebrity Cooks. In the scene, the show's host is portrayed as a chauvinistic womanizer.
Following the end of production in 1979, episodes of Celebrity Cooks were seen on the Global Television Network
.
The show also led to the creation of Celebrity Cooks cook books:
This show inspired "The King of the Q" Ted Reader
to take up cooking.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
cooking show
Cooking show
A TV cooking show is a television program that presents the preparation of food, in a kitchen on the studio set. The host of the show, often a celebrity chef, prepares one or more dishes over the course of the show, taking the viewing audience through the food's preparation showing all...
independently produced by Initiative Productions and aired on the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
from 1975 to 1979 and on Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
from 1980 to 1984. It was syndicated throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States from 1980 to 1989. It was hosted by Bruno Gerussi
Bruno Gerussi
Bruno Gerussi was a Canadian television actor born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, best known for the lead role in the CBC Television series The Beachcombers...
who introduced various celebrities who chatted with them while preparing dishes for the audience. As such, it was considered a hybrid between a cooking show and a talk show.
Despite a shoestring budget, the show was a high quality product. It was criticized for its apparent inability to get more than strictly minor celebrities for the show, although it was still a highly rated program at the time. The show was taped in Vancouver, British Columbia, concurrently with Gerrussi's starring role in The Beachcombers
The Beachcombers
The Beachcombers is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that ran from October 1, 1972 to December 12, 1990 and is the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canadian television...
which was also filmed in the vicinity. Due to his visibility on Celebrity Cooks, Gerrussi became the pitchman for one of the first brands of microwave oven
Microwave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
s to be sold for home use in Canada.
Among the guests who appeared on the show was a pre-stardom David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
. According to the book TV North, guests were paid between $196 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
(for Canadian performers) and $350 CAD (for American performers). American performers were paid more to offset the cost of higher travel expenses.
Other guests included Margaret Trudeau
Margaret Trudeau
Margaret Joan Sinclair Trudeau Kemper is the former wife of the late Pierre Trudeau, the 15th Prime Minister of Canada.-Early years and marriage:...
(aired 3 February 1978), Jean Beliveau
Jean Béliveau
Jean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
, Barry Morse
Barry Morse
Herbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
, Elayne Boosler
Elayne Boosler
Elayne Boosler is an American comedian.Boosler was born and raised in Brooklyn, the youngest child and only daughter of a Russian-acrobat father and a Romanian-ballerina mother...
and Bob Crane
Bob Crane
Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
(in his last televised appearance). Crane's appearance on the show was scheduled to air in 1978, but Crane had been murdered before the scheduled airdate. Out of respect for Crane's family, the episode was never broadcast. However, the taping of Crane's episode was recreated in the 2002 film, Auto Focus
Auto Focus
Auto Focus is a 2002 American biographical film directed by Paul Schrader that stars Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe. The screenplay by Michael Gerbosi is based on the book The Murder of Bob Crane by Robert Graysmith....
, in which actor John Kapelos portrayed Gerussi. Hermione Gingold
Hermione Gingold
Hermione Gingold was an English actress known for her sharp-tongued, eccentric persona, an image enhanced by her sharp nose and chin, as well as her deepening voice, a result of vocal nodes which her mother reportedly encouraged her not to remove. She starred on stage, on radio, in films, on...
was the guest for the program's first broadcast on 15 September 1975.
The film Heart Like a Wheel
Heart Like a Wheel (film)
Heart Like a Wheel is a 1983 biographical film based on the life of drag racing driver Shirley Muldowney. It stars Bonnie Bedelia and Beau Bridges....
, the story of female race car driver Shirley Muldowney, features a scene where Muldowney makes an appearance on a Canadian cooking show that appears to be a thinly disguised version of Celebrity Cooks. In the scene, the show's host is portrayed as a chauvinistic womanizer.
Following the end of production in 1979, episodes of Celebrity Cooks were seen on the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
.
The show also led to the creation of Celebrity Cooks cook books:
- 1977: Celebrity cooks, recipe book II (Fforbez Enterprises/Initiative Productions) ISBN 0088976021
- 1979: The New Celebrity cooks cookbook (Methuen) ISBN 0458942804
This show inspired "The King of the Q" Ted Reader
Ted Reader
Ted Reader is a Canadian chef and author of several cookbooks.A native of Paris, Ontario and a graduate of George Brown College’s culinary management program, Ted credits his mother as well as his grandfather for giving him a passion for cooking. Watching Celebrity Cooks on TV after school, he...
to take up cooking.
Key people
- Executive Producers: Keith Large and Derek Smith
- Host: Bruno GerussiBruno GerussiBruno Gerussi was a Canadian television actor born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, best known for the lead role in the CBC Television series The Beachcombers...
- Cooking Consultants: Helga Theilmann and Joan MitchellJoan MitchellJoan Mitchell was a "second generation" abstract expressionist painter. She was an essential member of the American Abstract expressionist movement, even though much of her career took place in France. Along with Lee Krasner, Grace Hartigan, and Helen Frankenthaler she was one of her era's few...
(OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
), Sue Morton (VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
)