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Food Network and Cooking Channel: One is about food


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7 hours ago, Gharlane said:

Was it Iron Chef Japan who was replaced? I remember it being Iron Chef Chinese for some reason. The replacement may have been late in the show's run, but I remember Iron Chef Italian being even newer and seemed to have been added as an afterthought. Heck, I don't think he always came up on the risers with the the other three,  but if he did, he was chosen. 

Yes, there were 3 Iron Chefs Japanese it turns out. 

Iron Chef Italian was Masahiko Kobe.  I read that he sadly passed away after a fall at his restaurant.

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19 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Do they still show the ratings for cooking shows? I was wondering if The Kitchen's ratings are still so (unbelievably) high. 

The person who used to post the FN ratings hasn’t been on the thread for quite some time. I do miss seeing (and shaking my head) at the ratings. I guess we could go back to his/her old posts and see what his source was so we could look them up ourselves. Gosh, it really has been a long time. I hope the poster is ok. 

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1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

The person who used to post the FN ratings hasn’t been on the thread for quite some time. I do miss seeing (and shaking my head) at the ratings. I guess we could go back to his/her old posts and see what his source was so we could look them up ourselves. Gosh, it really has been a long time. I hope the poster is ok. 

Some longtime posters just drop out. There used to be a person who posted about the wonderful meals she cooked (seemed like every day). A few months ago those posts disappeared. I miss them--they were inspiring!

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16 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The poster who posted ratings is ny1221, and listed the source as Showbuzzdaily.

Food Network ratings

I think one of the reasons they stopped posting is that the Showbuzzdaily site briefly went offline in mid 2021 due to increased difficulty getting access to ratings information.  I learned from this site that they had been providing that information for free for quite some time and then suddenly for undisclosed reasons lost access to it.  They went back online sometime after with some ratings info., but it doesn't look like they post the specific FN ratings on one chart anymore and it looks like that's not posted anywhere else now either since the "TV By the Numbers" site went offline.  The closest thing I could find was the Showbuzzdaily Top 100 cable ratings on any given day.  I also found the top 100 cable ratings on "Spoiler TV", but both of those tables don't account for all FN show ratings because although "Restaurant Impossible", "Beat Bobby Flay", "Chopped", "The Great Food Truck Race", "Valerie's Home Cooking", "The Kitchen", "The Pioneer Woman", "Guy's Grocery Games" and "Supermarket Stakeout" show up in the top 100 no other FN shows generally do other than special series like "Beachside Brawl" and "Tournament of Champions".  

Speaking of "The Kitchen", it still shows up in the top ratings on Saturdays, most recently at #7 on June 18th according to Showbuzzdaily here:

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-6-18-2022-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Most of the other shows mentioned above are also in healthy positions on the top 100 cable ratings chart overall.

Edited by Yeah No
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 Is anyone else watching Me or the Menu?  I can't believe that I am...nor that I'm admitting it.  OMG these people are effed in the head.  It's like that drama queen at work x 6.   

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On 7/7/2022 at 11:01 PM, Maverick said:

 Is anyone else watching Me or the Menu?  I can't believe that I am...nor that I'm admitting it.  OMG these people are effed in the head.  It's like that drama queen at work x 6.   

Watching.  OMG - one of them (female) has the absolute worst voice.  It is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Literally painful to the ears.  She is the one where they are wanting to have a little hideaway in the basement bakery. Also very bossy.

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On 7/28/2022 at 6:10 PM, Maverick said:

The show just disappeared so clearly it wasn't doing well.   What a shocker.   

Sadly it's still here,  just got shoved to Thursday.

Cowboy hat and party girl are still around, as is the natenatenate show and your other favorite scripted couples 😉

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On 8/5/2022 at 5:44 PM, Maverick said:

 Maybe they just stopped the second airing then, which is when I watched.   I'm not sad I'm missing out.

They aired 6 episodes.  I binged them all last weekend.  Only one couple---the couple near Chicago with the restaurant that serves Spanish food---even seem to remotely have a chance. Kathleen/Nate, Randi/Jeanette, and Alan/Nicole will not have successful relationships, and I think Nicole has zero chance of ever getting anyone to invest in any business after she walked out on the pop-up.

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On 9/7/2022 at 7:51 PM, Ohmo said:

They aired 6 episodes.  I binged them all last weekend.  Only one couple---the couple near Chicago with the restaurant that serves Spanish food---even seem to remotely have a chance. Kathleen/Nate, Randi/Jeanette, and Alan/Nicole will not have successful relationships, and I think Nicole has zero chance of ever getting anyone to invest in any business after she walked out on the pop-up.

I looked up Kathleen/Nate's food truck biz after the first episode aired and there nate was, waving inside the food truck at an event near me, the photo taken just days before.

I'm pretty sure a lot of the stories are either entirely tv fluff/acting, or in the case of these two, probably based on things that did happen early in their relationship, but repeated and amped up for tv. 

Back on Food Network talk though, someone mentioned guy's game night which I'll pass on as well. (Too many years of watching him be obnoxious on GGG, I guess)

I've also caught this year's Halloween shows (in september?!) Sadly Halloween wars has even MORE screens for Zak to phone it in and be annoying.

Halloween Baking Championship this year seems good though, watching episode 2 now as I type this.

I'm seeing yet another Bobby flay show being advertised nearly every break; "Bobby Flay's triple threat" is what they're calling it. Strangely, he's not competing in it. Who knows? Maybe FN finally got the memo people were tired of his rigged wins on "Beat Bobby Flay."

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 Remember when Tuesdays on Food Network were synonymous with Chopped?   Welcome to 2022---where Tuesdays are Wanking Nite on Food Network.  Apparently all new shows are about stroking the egos of the same dozen or so "super awesome" chefs they keep fixating on.   And we know they're super awesome chefs because they keep telling us so.   Two new shows tonight--Triple Threat and Out Chef'd--and both are about the same cast of characters going up against other supposedly awesome (but not in the FN Kool Kids circle) and home cooks.,   Spoiler alert:  the Kool Kids usually win.   The prize money is super awesome too.   If the real chef wins on Triple Threat they get a not to shabby $25k but the odds of them winning are close to winning that $1B lottery a few months ago.   The home cook only has to get one judge to pick their dish over the Kool Kid but wins the grand sum of $5,000.   Clearly they moved away from Chopped because it was so expensive, what with that $10k prize that was set well over a decade ago. 

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2 hours ago, Maverick said:

 Remember when Tuesdays on Food Network were synonymous with Chopped?   Welcome to 2022---where Tuesdays are Wanking Nite on Food Network.  Apparently all new shows are about stroking the egos of the same dozen or so "super awesome" chefs they keep fixating on.   And we know they're super awesome chefs because they keep telling us so.   Two new shows tonight--Triple Threat and Out Chef'd--and both are about the same cast of characters going up against other supposedly awesome (but not in the FN Kool Kids circle) and home cooks.,   Spoiler alert:  the Kool Kids usually win.   The prize money is super awesome too.   If the real chef wins on Triple Threat they get a not to shabby $25k but the odds of them winning are close to winning that $1B lottery a few months ago.   The home cook only has to get one judge to pick their dish over the Kool Kid but wins the grand sum of $5,000.   Clearly they moved away from Chopped because it was so expensive, what with that $10k prize that was set well over a decade ago. 

How many mish mashes of "super awesome" chef competitions can they push on us?  They have so little creativity anymore they just keep imitating the same formula over and over again to DEATH by recombining the same cast of characters.  I admit I watched a few episodes of "Alex vs. America" but that got boring after a while.  

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On 9/28/2022 at 3:35 AM, Yeah No said:

How many mish mashes of "super awesome" chef competitions can they push on us?  They have so little creativity anymore they just keep imitating the same formula over and over again to DEATH by recombining the same cast of characters.  I admit I watched a few episodes of "Alex vs. America" but that got boring after a while.  

I guess going back to having cooking shows featuring top chefs is beneath all of them at FN? It's just gotta be competitive shows...or nada?

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1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

I guess going back to having cooking shows featuring top chefs is beneath all of them at FN? It's just gotta be competitive shows...or nada?

Unfortunately all of network TV seems to be moving toward more competitions of all kinds because of ratings with the younger set.  I don't know if that's the best strategy though because the streaming channels are not shying away from scripted dramas and reality shows that don't involve competition.  So they're just forcing people to go to streaming services to see those things.

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4 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

If you want to watch stand and stir cooking shows, PBS is your friend. FN still has stand and stir shows.

Yeah I knew someone was going to point that out.  I know about PBS, but I was talking about network TV.  FN's instructive cooking shows pretty much all air on weekend mornings.  And there are precious few of them.  And the PBS offerings are in my opinion getting a little boring after 25 years of some of the same or similar stuff over and over again.  No offense to "Test Kitchen", Lidia, Ming, Jacques, Sara and everyone else because I love them, but I'm kind of bored after all this time.

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What might be popular is a cooking show where they take old favorites and lighten them w/o also removing the flavor (or has someone done this already?) Geez...one source for recipes, the Washington Post?  I no longer search eagerly for recipes on Wednesdays (the food Section day). It features the worst sounding food concoctions I've ever seen.  

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42 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

What might be popular is a cooking show where they take old favorites and lighten them w/o also removing the flavor (or has someone done this already?)

Yes - Ellie Krieger on Ellie's Real Good Food, which airs on PBS. 😉 I think it was Eddie Jackson's POV when he won FNS, then they gave him a barbecue show. 🤷‍♀️

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I'm seeing yet another Bobby flay show being advertised nearly every break; "Bobby Flay's triple threat" is what they're calling it. Strangely, he's not competing in it. Who knows? Maybe FN finally got the memo people were tired of his rigged wins on "Beat Bobby Flay."

I watched episode 2. I liked it enough to keep watching but not to watch regularly... and it'll get bumped if I need space on the DVR. I might have more to say later but I like that it seems relatively chill but competitive. It has a hangout vibe and while the music is dramatic (though no where near as bad as Masterchef), the people involved aren't hamming it up like it's the end of the world if they don't win. It's pretty friendly. The stress comes from cooking within the time limit. The competitive part comes from strategy (choosing a Titan you think you can beat/ingredients that play to your strengths in the last round, playing to what the judge seems to like, etc.) No caviar or anything but I like that they seem to giving them a lot of ingredients and equipment to play with rather than it being all about limitations. It has Iron Chef energy in that way. Here are the ingredients, make the best thing you can. It does also have inevitable top chef energy because two of the Titans are from Top Chef. I remember Brooke as an unimpressive cook but they were really selling her and, if nothing else, she's become really good at narrating from the sidelines. She has become someone who gives producer soundbites without needing prompting from a producer. Michael Voltaggio is a little more charismatic than I remember. He's still not "big" on camera but he has a more affable vibe. His new look is HILARIOUS though. Jet black hair with all the tattoos and the way he dresses... I don't want to be mean, but if you saw it, it's giving off a very specific energy...

Speaking of rigged though... are cooking shows subject to game show rules? Because the scoring system seemed insane. Taste is subjective anyway, but I think I'd be more accepting if there weren't number scores or if there was more than one judge. Because it seemed way too easy to "cheat" the scores, at least in this episode.

Spoiler

Round 1: The competitor got 9. The Titan got 7.

Round 2: The Titan got 9. The competitor got 6. 

Round 3: The competitor got 13 and the Titan got a high score... maybe 18.

Two rounds with almost perfect scores seems ludicrous, as does the convenience of a tie going into round with the scores basically swapped (aside from 1 point). And then the competitor got such a low score in the last round, it was insulting. Maybe the judge truly hated it but if he couldn't accept the dish by that much, I don't think he had the right palate to be the sole judge. 

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10 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Speaking of rigged though... are cooking shows subject to game show rules?

I'd say no - they are entertainment. Are they playing for money or bragging rights? Judging food is too subjective. It's not like there is a right or wrong answer as in Jeolpardy!.

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I'm enjoying the Halloween Cookie Challenge. It's nowhere near Great British Bake Off chill. But it looks somewhere between a Netflix show or Food Network Star rather than the other saccharine baking shows on FN and I like that it doesn't have a host hamming it up. It is WAY toned down from Justin Willman, Jonathan Bennett, Nicole Byer, Mikey Day, etc. I don't feel like someone is constantly making jokes at me or shouting. The judging is Top Chef style but it's very... compliment sandwich. It's pretty friendly judging and they always find something nice to say to go along with the constructive criticism. 

Episode 1 had the strongest contestants so far. The episode 2 contestants were notably weaker (e.g. mostly relying on piping tips, stencils, etc. The episode 3 contestants were a little closer to episode 1 but they seemed to struggle with time management and what was asked of them so we didn't see anything like what they showed in their portfolios. People played it very safe. 

I mainly started watching for Ro but it's a pleasant show to watch at night and it doesn't make me hungry. 

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I don't watch a lot of Food Network, but do enjoy the holiday baking shows.  The Halloween Baking Championship in particular has been a nice way to spend an evening.  The creativity of the contestants, the host (don't remember his name, but he's funny), and the judges who are always kind are just what I need when my usual tv fare (old mysteries, true crime or news) just isn't going to do it.

As an aside, I'll never understand the appeal of Guy Fieri.  The commercials with him yelling about one thing or another are obnoxious enough, but a whole hour of that?  No fucking way.

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13 hours ago, Kitty Redstone said:

As an aside, I'll never understand the appeal of Guy Fieri.  The commercials with him yelling about one thing or another are obnoxious enough, but a whole hour of that?  No fucking way.

I remember watching his first show, in which he cooked for his pals in his mother's basement. His pals were just as douchy as he and he cooked extra greasy food (like lasagna with peperoni) and a pitcher of a fruity cocktail. 🤢

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On 10/1/2022 at 10:30 AM, chessiegal said:

If you want to watch stand and stir cooking shows, PBS is your friend. FN still has stand and stir shows.

I've noticed that Magnolia Channel has a few stand and stir shows but they are usually only on Sundays in the middle of the day.  

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FN needs to be renamed the Fieri Network. I looked at today's schedule. From 8-11 AM they offer Thanksgiving specials. But from that point on, until the next daggone day it's that same-old-same-old DD&D show.  

Edited by annzeepark914
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18 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

FN needs to be renamed the Fieri Network. I looked at today's schedule. From 8-11 AM they offer Thanksgiving specials. But from that point on, until the next daggone day it's that same-old-same-old DD&D show.  

Ii's Friday. They do DDD marathons every Friday. Have been doing the same thing for years.

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Sunny from The Kitchen has finally landed a FN show where she can yell. She's a part of  NFL Tailgate Showdown which started this month. I'm not watching just going by the promos for the show with her in them. 

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6 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

I find the timing of the tailgate show to be strange.  Football season,  except for pro playoffs (rot in hell, Rams. You couldn't beat the Seahawks?) is over. Why not run that show during prime tailgating time?

They're gearing up for "The Big Game!"

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