Doesn't that pheasant look pleasant?

April 26, 2022 8:23 AM

Eat well, ride a motorcycle. A small celebration of Two Fat Ladies, the joy of eating, travel, and not giving a hoot. Episodes can be found on Youtube.
posted by PussKillian (22 comments total)

I loved this show so god damned much. What happened to the world?
posted by The Bellman at 8:33 AM on April 26, 2022 [5 favorites]

It's not a pleasant pheasant, it's a pleasant pheasant's mate. That pheasant's only present 'cos the pleasant pheasant's late.
posted by Paul Slade at 9:44 AM on April 26, 2022 [11 favorites]

Aaaaah thank you for this! I have one of their cookbooks. The butter. THE BUTTER.

Jennifer:
There's not a man on my ottoman, there hasn't been one for weeks.
There's not a man on my ottoman, he's gone off to fight the Greeks.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 10:28 AM on April 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

I really enjoyed that show but haven’t thought about it in ages; thanks for bringing back some fond memories!
posted by TedW at 10:33 AM on April 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

The DVD set is an absolute joy to watch. But it does hearken back to a different era. These two women were polite and decent human beings, but would never walk on glass for fear of offending artificially delicate sensibilities.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:27 AM on April 26, 2022

This is what my late wife liked to watch in hospice care. I believe they were a comfort.
posted by aesop at 11:47 AM on April 26, 2022 [12 favorites]

We still say "I'm all for nutmeg" around the house whenever it's mentioned.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:17 PM on April 26, 2022 [4 favorites]

When Jennifer Paterson was dying in hospital, Clarissa Dickson Wright brought her some champagne and delicious snacks for the two of them to enjoy together in her last few days. By all accounts, it was rather a jolly occasion.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:58 PM on April 26, 2022 [9 favorites]

Somehow I've never heard of them! Thanks, PussKillian.
posted by HotToddy at 1:27 PM on April 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Thanks for turning me onto this! I just torrented the first 4 seasons and gave the first episode a watch. It's so relaxing! No fancy graphics, no background music telling me how to feel, just good food, relaxed conversation, cooking tips, and two badass old ladies
posted by signsofrain at 3:35 PM on April 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

No fancy graphics, no background music telling me how to feel, just good food, relaxed conversation, cooking tips, and two badass old ladies

I'd been aware of the show for a long time but had never seen any of it until this FPP. This is a great description and I'll be watching more of it.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:46 PM on April 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

They always had such enthusiasm! It was lovely to watch then, but even more refreshing today somehow.
posted by ninazer0 at 7:02 PM on April 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

Over 20 years later, and I'm still recovering from the shock of seeing the Christmas episode where they fixed an glace bomb dish for a bunch of choir boys that was like half butter.
posted by groda at 1:17 AM on April 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

If anyone's looking for a similar vibe, there recently was a short lived PBS series called "Food Flirts" which featured two 70+ year old sisters (and longtime cooking consultants for WGBH, amongst other very notable accomplishments) who traveled around to area restaurants looking for good food.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:07 AM on April 27, 2022 [2 favorites]

I loved this show, but I can't remember how I watched it in the early 2000s. Did I get VHS tapes from the library? Was it on PBS?
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:01 AM on April 27, 2022

I was trying to figure out the same thing- how did I watch these before YouTube? I think they must have been on PBS?
posted by PussKillian at 8:05 AM on April 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

I definitely remember checking them out from the library after catching a few episodes on PBS.

Clarissa's anthology of food essays Food is worth a look if you can find a decently priced copy!
posted by CheeseLouise at 8:36 AM on April 27, 2022

If you Yankee compadres like this sort of thing you'll probably also like The Hairy Bikers.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 9:25 AM on April 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

In this magic age, I found my favorite quote from the show on YouTube: "None of this nonsense about yogurt instead of cream. Yogurt is not instead of cream."

I also remember them asking why Americans pronounce "griddle" as "girdle," something I, an American, have never heard in my life.
posted by FencingGal at 5:08 PM on April 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

My grandma was a Midwesterner who lived alone (my grandpa being an early casualty of the Vietnam war and her second husband of the bottle). She was very introverted and liked nothing more than to stay home with some British show or another playing in the background while she cooked or futzed about. When she died I got her videos and wore out her 2 Fat Ladies VHS tape. Listening to these delightful women was and is still a way to commune with her over the decades.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 7:14 PM on April 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

I remember being disappointed in later years when Dickson Wright was vocal in defending fox hunting. Sort of the opposite of Brian May and badger culling.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:04 PM on April 27, 2022

My parents and I would drop everything when this show was on. Bless these ladies and their incomparable zest for life and good eats.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 9:58 PM on April 28, 2022