Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein ("It Can’t Always Be Caviar") is a West German television series, an adaption of the novel of the same name by Austrian author Johannes Mario Simmel. Directed by Thomas Engel, Siegfried Rauch walks in the footsteps of O. W. Fischer, who played the protagonist Thomas Lievenalready in 1961, just one year after the bestseller had been released. The series is unique for providing a little cooking show at the end of each episode. The book also includes recipes because the Thomas Lieven character is an accomplished amateur cook.
Plot Thomas Lieven works as employee of an international bank in the City of London. Occasionally, he is the bank's courier, for he is fluent in three languages: English of course, but also German and French. In 1939, he is again sent to Germany, but this time is different because the Gestapo arrests him. Thomas Lieven, a pacifist through and through, has no interest whatsoever to even toy with the thought to get entangled in spy business, but the German secret service does not take no for an answer. So, he has to pretend compliance for the time being, just to be able to get home to England, but when he returns to London, he gets arrested again, this time by English secret service, who explain to him that it was his duty to become a double agent. Thomas Lieven is no Eddie Chapman, and the mere idea of having to go to Nazi Germany another time seems to be unbearable. He escapes to France, but is picked up by French secret service. Like German Major Loos (Herbert Fleischmann) and British Mr. Lovejoy (Rainer Penkert), French Captain Simeon (Erik Schumann) attempts to persuade Lieven that he ought to serve him. In the course of a mission in Marseille, he meets small-time criminal Bastian Fabre (Heinz Reincke), who introduces him to his boss, an attractive lady called Chantal (Marisa Mell). She falls for his gentlemanly manners and his exquisite meals, which she has in common with other ladies, and with whom he will also become acquainted during the adventures about to come: Estrella (Nadja Tiller), Yvonne (Heidrun Kussin), Jeanne (Louise Martini), and eventually Helen (Christiane Krüger), who wants to recruit him for the American secret service.
The series covers only the first half of the novel. The second half was never filmed.
Episode overview Episode Title Original Air Date Presented Recipe 01 Wie alles begann (How it all started) 11 May 1977 Sauerkraut cooked with champagne 02 Französische Küche (French cooking) 25 May 1977 Palatschinke 03 Wenn die Eisbären flügge werden (When polar bears fledge) 8 June 1977 Romanian onion salad 04 Ich heiße Mabel (I'm named Mabel) 22 June 1977 Stew of beans and goose legs 05 Tote kann man nicht erschießen (Can't kill dead people) 6 July 1977 Chop suey American style 06 Planquadrat 135 Z (Grid square 135 Z) 20 July 1977 Stuffed grey partridge 07 Shakespeare lässt bitten ( Shakespeare asks you in) 3 August 1977 Home fries 08 Lazarus 17 August 1977 "Matelotte" (French fish soup) 09 Chantal 31 August 1977 Bigos, a Polish stew 10 Die ganz feine Tour (In a very distinguished manner) 14 September 1977 Chili con carne 11 Nummer Sieben (Number seven) 28 September 1977 Swiss collarsteaks from pork 12 Nachtigall 17 ruft (Nightingale 17 is calling) 12 October 1977 Rump steak 13 Schwarzmarktgeschäfte (Black market trade) 19 October 1977 Steak tartare with caviar
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