In honor of the August 7 theatrical release of the new film comedy Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep as public television icon Julia Child, WLIW21 premieres Julia Child Memories: Bon Appétit! on Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m.

The special retrospective features testimonials from noted chefs including friend Jacques Pépin (Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home), Sara Moulton (Julia Child & More Company, Sara’s Weeknight Meals), Gordon Hamersley (Boston’s Hamersley’s Bisto; appeared on Julia Child’s Cooking with Master Chefs), Lydia Shire (Boston’s Locke-Ober, BIBA, and Scampo), and Jasper White (Summer Shack restaurants, appeared on In Julia’s Kitchen With Master Chefs).

The new special also features commentary from Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia author Julie Powell, and Julie & Julia writer/director Nora Ephron, as well as some of the most memorable episodes from Child’s classic cooking series, The French Chef: “Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise,” “To Roast A Chicken” and “The Omelette Show.”

A tribute to the woman who signaled the launch of decades of cooking on television, Julia Child Memories: Bon Appetit! demonstrates why Julia Child was the first American celebrity chef.

Here’s a preview:

Donate now for The French Chef cookbook and The French Chef series 1 and 2 DVD sets!

Feeling nostalgic for some traditional Julia Child? Check out classic episodes of Julia Child cooking series at pbs.org/video.

Read recent articles on Julia Child and her legacy:
Associated Press
The New York Times
New York Post