I Bid You Peace - Five-Part Frugal Gourmet Docuseries

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America Trusted Him. Then the Allegations Surfaced.

One Story. Two Ways to Watch.

4.5 from 200+ verified viewers

I Bid You Peace — named for Mr. Smith’s signature sign-off — will shed fresh light on the case.

Julia Moskin

‘I Bid You Peace’ gives us a detailed, fascinating and, yes, disturbing portrait of a complicated and reportedly damaged and dangerous man.

Rick Kogan

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Released directly to audiences — no streaming platform, no edits, no ads, no regional restrictions. Watch the film in a single sitting, or go deeper with the five-episode series.

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4.5

Based on 271 verified purchases

Series

"So well done. I appreciate the years of interviews, expense and honesty that has contributed to the making of a truly captivating series. My mother watch his program faithfully, sometimes quoting him and bought cookbooks ( one of which I still have). I watched at times. Busy getting married and having children towards the end of his downfall. I’m so glad I purchased this mini series/documentary, and my 30 year old daughter and I looked forward to watching at the end of the day and was disappointed when it was finished. So many difficult and conflicting emotions surrounding Jeff Smith and the lifestyle he lived, in comparison to the lifestyle you saw."

D Hogan

Verified Purchase

Series

"My wife and I enjoyed the program very much. The only complaint I would have is that watching via the internet was not as easy"

Robert

Verified Purchase

Series

"I was a huge fan of The Frugal Gourmet show back in the day. I remember being shocked when the news story broke. The documentary did an excellent job of showcasing Jeff Smith's career and successes, while exploring the dark side of his life. It was well researched and informative."

Mel

Verified Purchase

Series

"Amazing documentary that didnt hold back. Having grown up in the 80s jeff’s show and books were a staple in my home. When the scandal broke i was completely shocked. This documentary does an amazing job of presenting the information with an unbiased approach. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoyed Jeff’s work."

Trc

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All reviews from verified purchasers · See all reviews

Five-Part Series Episode Guide

Episode 1

I Peddle Enthusiasm

55 min

Raised in Seattle, Jeff Smith's love of food, religion, and teaching turns him into a beloved campus chaplain—and then an unlikely TV chef. As The Frugal Gourmet is born, early success collides with debt, illness, and choices that threaten everything he's built.

Episode 2

Keep Your Fingers Bent Under!

62 min

A single TV appearance catapults Jeff to national fame. Bestselling books, global travel, and PBS stardom follow—but behind the charm are rages, excess, and growing doubts about who Jeff really is, both on-screen and off.

Episode 3

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

41 min

Returning to Seattle, Jeff searches for reinvention as cracks widen behind the scenes. New projects mix food, faith, and spectacle, but chaos and troubling behavior mount—until one unexpected phone call threatens to shatter everything.

Episode 4

Whatever I Do, I'm Forgiven

60 min

Public accusations explode into a reckoning. As multiple men come forward, long-whispered rumors surface, dividing supporters and exposing patterns once ignored. With a lawsuit looming, Jeff's legacy—and credibility—hang in the balance.

Episode 5

Peace?

57 min

After the fall, "The Frugal Gourmet" fades from public life, isolated and haunted by unanswered questions. Friends, critics, and survivors reflect on his impact, struggling to reconcile generosity with harm—and asking whether peace was ever truly possible.

Total Runtime: 4.6 hours • 4K Quality • Subtitles Available

Why It's Sold This Way

Buying direct means you get to watch what the filmmaker intended, with two versions to choose from.

The Complete Story — Two Options

The complete story in a single sitting, or the full journey, told across five chapters.

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From the Filmmaker

About This Project

Growing up in Seattle in the 1980s and 90s, Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet was a household name. A former Methodist minister, he became an overnight sensation teaching America to cook through his PBS cooking show. He reached an estimated six million households each week across more than 300 Public Television stations nationwide, and authored 12 cookbooks, many of them New York Times bestsellers.

But behind the public success lay a darker story. At the height of his career, Smith's carefully cultivated image collapsed under the weight of shocking revelations, forever altering his legacy and changing the way the public viewed a beloved national figure.

I set out not only to examine the life of Jeff Smith, but also to grapple with his legacy — and what it reveals about how we, as a society, respond when public figures we admire are accused of terrible behavior. His story has never before been told in its entirety, and this independent production is the first to take on that challenge — a story that predated the #MeToo movement — and confronts the cultural reckoning around power, celebrity, and accountability.

Questions or press inquiries?

chris@ibidyoupeace.com

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The Film

1 hour 46 minutes

~~Originally$9.99~~ $4.99

The full story told in a single 1 hour 46 minutes sitting
Ideal if you want to watch it like a movie, start to finish

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Subtitles in 40 languages + English closed captions
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Best Value

The Series

5 episodes + film

~~Originally$19.99~~ $9.99

All 5 episodes, unfolding the story in depth over 4.5+ hours
The film version also included — same story, single-sitting format

Unlimited streaming access
Watch on any device — desktop, tablet, mobile, smart TV via AirPlay & Google Cast
Subtitles in 40 languages + English closed captions
Progress tracking across devices
Filmmaker-controlled platform — your purchase directly supports the creators

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