Celebrity Cooks

History

Celebrity Cooks began a successful run with CBC Television in 1975. Hermione Gingold was the guest for the program's first broadcast, on 15 September 1975. Bruno Gerussi served as host throughout the series.

The show moved to Global in 1980. In addition to the daytime programming, Global also developed 26 prime-time episodes. The show continued to air in Canada with Global and on a few CBS owned-and-operated stations in the United States until 1987. At that point, Initiative Productions and partners had produced 478 episodes.

Among the guests who appeared on the show was a pre-stardom David Letterman. Other guests included Margaret Trudeau (aired 3 February 1978), Jean Beliveau, Barry Morse and Elayne Boosler.

An episode featuring guest Bob Crane was recorded on 28 January 1978. Crane was murdered on 29 June, making this his last TV appearance. The episode was scheduled to air on WCBS-TV in July 1978; however, given the circumstances, it did not air at all in the United States. The episode did air five times in Canada, beginning in February 1978. WCBS's Jeff Erdell claimed that Crane was distraught and joked about sex and death during the show, claims repeated in Robert Graysmith's book The Murder of Bob Crane and dramatized in the film Auto Focus, but this has been denied by the show's producers and production staff.

In 2012, Derek Smith, the creator of Celebrity Cooks, tried to bring back the show in a new version as The New Celebrity Cooks with a new host, actress and improv comic and actress Ellie Harvie in much the same format as the original show. The show was to be produced by Smith's Upside Right Media Inc.

The show also led to the creation of Celebrity Cooks cookbooks:

• 1977: Celebrity Cooks, Recipe Book II (Fforbez Enterprises/Initiative Productions) ,
• 1979: The New Celebrity Cooks Cookbook (Methuen)

Key people

• Creator: Derek Smith
• Developed by: Derek Smith and Keith Large
• Executive Producers: Keith Large and Derek Smith
• Host: Bruno Gerussi
• **Musical Duo:**Jim Walchuck and Henri Lorieau
• Cooking Consultants: Helga Theilmann and Joan Mitchell (Season 1 & 2, Ottawa), Sue Morton & Chuck Norris (Seasons 3 to 12, Vancouver and Toronto)
• Talent coordinator: Anne Kear
• Executive Assistant to Derek Smith: Sharyn Manuel
• Series writer: Gary Dunford

References

References

1. Kirby, Blaik. (6 September 1975). "Information packs the channels in bountiful new television season". The Globe and Mail.
2. Downey, Donn. (13 February 1979). "Global planning five new shows". The Globe and Mail.
3. (1975). "Celebrity Cooks: David Letterman". IMDb.
4. "David Letterman on Celebrity Cooks, late November 1977".
5. (24 January 1978). "Maggie's Tempura (photo)". The Globe and Mail.
6. (3 July 1978). "Bob Crane". Kentucky New Era.
7. Slotek, Jim. "Sex, murder and videotape". Jam!/Canoe/Sun Media.
8. "Flipside: The True Story of Bob Crane (09. Bob Crane's 1978 Appearance on 'Celebrity Cooks')".
9. (2015). "Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography". AM Ink Publishing.
10. (2012). "The New Celebrity Cooks - Host Bio".