Netflix announced this week that it has ordered a documentary series from filmmaker David Gelb profiling a handful of figures from the international culinary world. The series, Chef’s Table, is the first original documentary series to be greenlit by the company.
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The streaming service’s vice president of original documentary and comedy, Lisa Nishimura, revealed the new original series at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to Variety.
“We want to continue to support the best in nonfiction storytelling,” Nishimura said. “While some stories are best told as feature length films, others, like Chef’s Table, greatly benefit from being able to communicate their story in a multi-episodic fashion. We’re fortunate to have the flexibility to match the story with the best format.”
Netflix will likely drop Chef’s Table‘s six separate parts into its streaming catalog in its usual bulk release format, leaving it up to viewers whether to gorge on the new offering in its entirety, or patiently savor each episode.
One of the executive producers and directors for the project, David Gelb is perhaps best known for his 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, an acclaimed portrait of 85-year-old Tokyo sushi master Jiro Ono. Other minds behind the camera include executive producers Matt Weaver, Andrew Fried (Boardwalk Pictures), and Brian McGinn. Fried, McGinn, and Clay Jeter share directing credits with Gelb.
So far there have been six chefs announced for the service, implying that the show’s six individual episodes might each be dedicated to a single chef. The following chefs will be featured on Chef’s Table:
- Ben Shewry – Attica Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia
- Magnus Nilsson – Fäviken in Järpen Sweden
- Francis Mallmann – El Restaurante Patagonia Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Niki Nakayama – N/Naka Restaurant in Los Angeles
- Dan Barber – Blue Hill in New York City and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, N.Y.
- Massimo Bottura – Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy
The show will premiere in 2015 within every Netflix-serviced country’s individual catalog.
