The Cooks: articles


The Cooks starts sizzling

Network Ten, and celebrated producer Penny Chapman (The Road from Coorain), are pleased to announce that a new Australian drama series The Cooks commenced principal photography in Sydney this week, with a vibrant ensemble cast featuring some of Australia’s finest young actors.

The Cooks begins with the return of Gabe Francobelli (Toby Schmitz) a young hot-shot chef who comes back to Sydney’s inner-west after a year away working in the top kitchens of Europe. Gabe is shocked to find his family restaurant has closed down, having lost the battle to rival restaurant “R & R” run by Rita (Rhondda Findleton) and Gabe’s former classmate and lover Ruth (Kate Atkinson). With help from two of his best mates Sachin (Nicholas Brown) and Dishpig (Leon Ford), Gabe reinvents his family restaurant renaming it “Snatch and Grab” and throws down the gauntlet to the girls. The battle of the restaurants begins: Classmate vs Classmate. Lover vs Lover. Boys vs Girls.

The Cooks sensational cast includes Rhondda Findleton (Grass Roots, The Hard Word), Kate Atkinson (SeaChange, Fat Cow Motel) Toby Schmitz (The Rage in Placid Lake), Nicholas Brown, Emma Lung (Peaches, Garage Days), Leon Ford (Go Big, Changi) and Bojana Novakovic (Marking Time, The Monkey’s Mask).

Network Ten’s general manager—network programming, David Mott said, “After the huge success of Jamie’s Kitchen for Network Ten we’re thrilled to be the first Australian drama series to go behind the scenes of a fast, furious kitchen into the young sexy world of The Cooks.”

The 13 x 1 hour series will be produced by Chapman Pictures in association with Network Ten and Foxtel, and will be telecast on TEN in 2004.

October 16, 2003
Network Ten publicity