The Cooks

The Cooks was an Australian television drama series that ran for one season on Network Ten during the summer of 2004/05. It was a co-production with subscription television and screened on the UKTV channel on Foxtel. It was produced by Penny Chapman and Sue Masters. The directors were Tony Tilse, Ian Gilmour, Brendan Maher and Ian Watson. The Cooks was about the love and war involving the staff of two restaurants on the same street. R&R's Restaurant was run by chefs Rita and Ruth, with waitress Argentine Carmelita. Across the road at Snatch and Grab, its chefs are Gabe and Sachin, who's of Indian descent, with Dishpig at the sink. The Cooks was a spin-off of a telemovie called Temptation, which screened in 2003, starring Colin Friels as Roberto Francobelli.

Directed by —, The Cooks leans on a strong ensemble — Bojana Novaković, Emma Lung, Nicholas Brown — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2004.