Two Fat Ladies is a British cooking programme starring Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright. It originally ran for four series – twenty-four episodes – from 9 October 1996 to 28 September 1999, being produced by Optomen Television for the BBC. Since then, the show has been repeated frequently on the Food Network and Cooking Channel in the US and on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In the UK, the show has been transmitted many times on the satellite channel Good Food.

Overview

The show centred on Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright travelling the United Kingdom for most of the episodes, except for one episode in Ireland and a Christmas special in Jamaica, on a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle driven by Paterson. It sported the registration N88 TFL (the British bingo call for number 88 is "Two Fat Ladies", initialised in the suffix "TFL" of the registration) and had a Watsonian Jubilee GP-700 "doublewide" sidecar where Dickson Wright rode. They travelled to various destinations, such as an army garrison and an all-girls school, where they prepared large meals, often with unusual ingredients.

Paterson's uncle, Anthony Bartlett, was Gentiluomo to the Archbishop of Westminster (Cardinal Basil Hume for nearly all of the show’s run), and so one episode was videotaped at Westminster Cathedral and another at an Irish convent. While cooking at Westminster Cathedral, Paterson cooked an original dish, Peaches Cardinal Hume.

Optomen Television's synopsis of the programme said, "The Ladies are cooks not chefs – they reject the pretensions and elaborations of haute cuisine and are aggressively unfashionable, delighting in such ingredients as clotted cream, lard and fatty meats."

Cookbooks "The Two Fat Ladies" produced four cookbooks which accompanied each of the four television series. In order: Two Fat Ladies: Gastronomic Adventures (with Motorbike and Sidecar), The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again, The Two Fat Ladies: Full Throttle and Two Fat Ladies Obsessions.

Release A 5 VHS boxed set was released in the United States in 1997 by New River Media. Each containing three episodes from the first two seasons, except for the fifth volume which contains "A Christmas Feast" for the Wolvesey Boys Choir. The Two Fat Ladies DVD set was released in the United States in July 2008. The Acorn Media UK set includes a 40-minute BBC tribute to Paterson, biographies of the stars and "six yummo recipes" in a booklet. It contains all 24 episodes across four discs. The show had previously been released in Britain as a Region 2 DVD set.

Episode list

Series overview

Series 1 (1996) No. OverallEpisode NumberTitleLocationClarissa's dishesJennifer's dishesAir date11Fish & ShellfishThe Shark's Fin HotelMevagissey, Cornwall Crab, corn & coriander fritter Gigot of monkfish with rosemary and anchovies Fish pie Scallops with leeks9 October 199622MeatWestonbirt SchoolGloucestershire Beef à la Will Moreland Chicken breasts with walnut aillade Roast "Hedgehog" (meatloaf) A.N.'s slow shoulder of lamb16 October 199633Fruit & VegetablesWestminster CathedralLondon Bubble and squeak Stuffed artichokes Tomato summer pudding Beanz meanz Fitz Peaches Cardinal Hume23 October 199644CakesHallaton, Leicestershire Ginger bread Danish apple & prune cake Galette des Rois aux amandes Chopped walnut & coffee cake30 October 199655GameLennoxlove House East Lothian Partridges with cabbage Pheasant and pickled walnut terrine Duntreath roast grouse Rabbit with anchovies and capers Medallions of venison with blackberries6 November 199666Food in the WildHawkhirst Scout Camp Kielder Forest, Northumberland Muttachar (spiced eggs) Onion soup with Stilton Trout from the Luau Shooter's sandwich Frittata with tomatoes, onions & basil13 November 1996

Series 2 (1997) No. OverallEpisode NumberTitleLocationClarissa's dishesJennifer's dishesAir date71Cocktail PartyThe Brazilian EmbassyMayfair, London Blini (with sour cream and caviar) Prawns in mackintoshes (Gambas in gabardinas) Brazilian bean fritters (Acarajé) Portuguese cod cakes (Bolinhos de bacalhau) Devils on horseback29 September 199782LunchVintage motorcycle rallyHesket Newmarket, Cumbria Clam chowder Robert May's salmon Loin of pork stuffed with cèpes or truffles Chantal's stuffed tomatoes6 October 199793PicnicMale choir inLlandudno Welsh lamb pie Mitton of pork Tartine from Provence Crème vichyssoise glacée13 October 1997104Afternoon TeaA cricket matchWarborough, Oxfordshire Queen Alexandra's favourite sandwiches Rigó Jancsi's chocolate slices Gentleman's savoury delights (shortcrust) Fresh fruit tartlets20 October 1997115BreakfastBlack Sheep BreweryMasham, North Yorkshire Corn griddle cakes Huevos rancheros Devilled kidneys Kedgeree Jugged kippers27 October 1997126Dinner1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha RiflesAldershot, Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Church Crookham Turbot with watercress and pickled walnuts Beef with chestnuts, pears and almonds Coq au vin Stuffed quail with white wine3 November 1997137 (Christmas Special)ChristmasWinchester Cathedral ChoirThe Pilgrims' School, Winchester, Hampshire Swedish red cabbage Christmas pudding ice cream bombe Mousse of the egg Roast goose with pâté and prune stuffing24 December 1997

Series 3 (1998) No. OverallEpisode NumberTitleLocationClarissa's dishesJennifer's dishesAir dateViewers (millions)141Benedictine NunsKylemore AbbeyConnemara, County Galway Broad beans with dill Tomato tartlets Lobster and mayonnaise Raspberry and strawberry shortcake2 September 19983.85152Pony ClubThe Cotswolds, Gloucestershire Pork with clams Chocolate crème brulée Welsh rarebit soufflé Pete's Pommy Pommes9 September 19984.31163The Cambridge EightBoat clubCambridge University Rabbit Isabel Asturian bean and sausage soup Peas with lettuce Cheese and honey pie16 September 19984.63174Barristers at Lincoln's InnLincoln's Inn, London Swiss chard with garlic and anchovies Salmon mousse with cucumber sauce Beef in pastry Strawberry Breasts23 September 19983.36185The Air RaceEast Fortune Airfield, Scotland Venison Pastie Chocolate egg snowballs Roasted salmon with scallops in a mustard butter sauce Red peppers stuffed with aubergine purée30 September 19984.21196Lock KeepersGrindley Brook, Shropshire Burnett's Woodcock Quercyan apple cake Soused herrings Hoppin' John7 October 19984.35207 (Christmas Special)A Caribbean ChristmasChukka Cove Polo ClubGood Hope Country House, Jamaica Rice and peas Jerked suckling pig Pumpkin Soup Spiced bun Rum Punch22 December 19983.34

Series 4 (1999) No. OverallEpisode NumberTitleLocationClarissa's dishesJennifer's dishesAir dateViewers (millions)211Potatoes GaloreJersey Portuguese fish stew Chocolate Pye Boeuf Stroganoff Crème Pierre le Grand (chicken soup)7 September 19992.27222On SafariKnowsley Safari ParkLancashire Devilled Poussin Chillis stuffed with goat cheese, and tomato salsa Lamb in filo pastry Apple pandowdy14 September 19992.87233Timber!Ardnamurchan peninsula Watercress mousse Trout baked in sea salt with beurre blanc Poule au pot Grilled peaches and cream21 September 19993.05244 (Series finale)A Day at the RacesFloors Castle, KelsoSt. Abbs, Northumberland Green beans with Roman mustard Barmbrack with rhubarb Hot buttered crab Stuffed baked codfish with a tomato sauce28 September 19993.37

Note: Series 4 was halted after the death of Jennifer Paterson shortly after completion of its fourth episode.

References

External links

Two Fat Ladies at Cooking Channel