Celebrity Cooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Celebrity Cooks |
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|---|---|
| Genre | cooking |
| Created by | Derek Smith and Kent Anthony |
| Developed by | Derek Smith and Keith Large |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 12 |
| No. of episodes | 478 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Derek Smith and Keith Large |
| Production location(s) | Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto |
| Production company(s) | Initiative Productions, Upside Right Media Inc |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television (1975-79) Global (1980-87) |
Celebrity Cooks was a fun Canadian cooking show that aired for many years. It was a unique show where famous people came to cook their favorite dishes and chat with the host. It first appeared on CBC Television from 1975 to 1979, and then moved to Global from 1980 to 1987. The show was also seen in other parts of Canada and the United States.
The show was created by Derek Smith and Kent Anthony. It was produced by Initiative Productions. Later, it was also produced by Upside Right Media Inc. The show became very popular and ran for 12 seasons, with a total of 478 episodes.
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Who Hosted the Show?
The show was hosted by Bruno Gerussi, who was a well-known personality. He hosted all 478 episodes! Bruno would introduce the celebrity guests, watch them cook, and have friendly conversations with them. They prepared tasty meals for everyone watching.
The very first episode of Celebrity Cooks aired on September 15, 1975. The special guest for that first show was Hermione Gingold.
Famous Guests on the Show
Many interesting celebrities appeared on Celebrity Cooks. They shared their cooking tips and stories. Some of the famous guests included:
- Margaret Trudeau (who appeared on February 3, 1978)
- Hockey legend Jean Beliveau
- Actor Barry Morse
- Comedian Elayne Boosler
- Even a young David Letterman, before he became a huge talk show host!
One episode featured guest Bob Crane. This episode was recorded on January 28, 1978. It was his last TV appearance. The episode aired several times in Canada starting in February 1978. The taping of this episode was later shown in the 2002 film, Auto Focus. In the movie, actor John Kapelos played Bruno Gerussi.
What Happened After the Show?
After its successful run on CBC, Celebrity Cooks moved to Global in 1980. Global even created 26 special episodes that aired during prime time, which means they were shown in the evening when more people were watching. The show continued to air until 1987.
Derek Smith, who created Celebrity Cooks, is now working to bring the show back! He is the executive producer with Upside Right Media Inc. The new version of the show will have a new host, actress and improv specialist Ellie Harvie. It is planned to be in a similar style to the original show.
Celebrity Cooks Cookbooks
The popularity of Celebrity Cooks also led to the creation of cookbooks! Fans could try making the recipes they saw on the show.
- 1977: Celebrity Cooks, Recipe Book II (published by Fforbez Enterprises/Initiative Productions)
- 1979: The New Celebrity Cooks Cookbook (published by Methuen)
Key People Behind the Scenes
Many talented people helped make Celebrity Cooks a success.
- 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 (They provided the music for the show!)
- Cooking Consultants: Helga Theilmann and Joan Mitchell (for Seasons 1 & 2 in Ottawa), and Sue Morton & Chuck Norris (for Seasons 3 to 12 in Vancouver and Toronto)
- Talent Coordinator: Anne Kear (She helped arrange for the celebrity guests to appear!)
- Executive Assistant to Derek Smith: Sharyn Manuel
