What's Wrong With This Show, And How To Fix It.

[iggysaurus]

I am in the camp that this is all scripted.

 

I honestly think that these people are all basically actors. As in, they might be real people who cook or run blogs or whatever their stated occupation is, but in the context of auditioning for this show, they know going into it that they are hired to play a particular role that is scripted by the producers.  I can't prove this, obviously, but that's my strong hunch.  

[Snarklepuss]

I honestly think that these people are all basically actors. As in, they might be real people who cook or run blogs or whatever their stated occupation is, but in the context of auditioning for this show, they know going into it that they are hired to play a particular role that is scripted by the producers.  I can't prove this, obviously, but that's my strong hunch.  

 

I have often had the same suspicion over the years.  I even thought that about Lenny.  I sometimes don't believe they could possibly not have known the guy was a train wreck and hired him just for some side-show laughs.  I don't think they ever banked on the public voting him in, though, and when his ugly videos came out they had to decide to make him disappear.

[cooksdelight]

I honestly think that these people are all basically actors. As in, they might be real people who cook or run blogs or whatever their stated occupation is, but in the context of auditioning for this show, they know going into it that they are hired to play a particular role that is scripted by the producers.  I can't prove this, obviously, but that's my strong hunch.  

 

By the time the show is over, they are calling themselves "chef".

 

It wasn't always that way. A lot of the previous contestants were working chefs, or at least had their own business as a private chef. Danushka is a private chef, and I've seen some of the food she cooks -- it's gorgeous. Linkie Marous is a traveling chef, working for Big Green Egg doing cooking demos all over the place. So is Martie Duncan, she does food shows constantly and is working on a cookbook. Even Justin, who refused to conform to a stand-and-stir show, owns a restaurant. The show has become a parody of what it used to be. Arnold is the only one that I know has a restaurant, but he's never there. He's on the road doing TV appearances.

[chessiegal]

The first winners, "The Hearty Boys" (Dan Smith and Steve McDonach) had a catering business, and I've seen them on the PBS show "A Moveable Feast" that features various professionals in the culinary world, along with Jeffrey Saad, a contestant who didn't win but got another show where he traveled around. Kelsey Nixon, who didn't win, went to culinary school, and now has a show on CC "Kelsey's Essentials" co-produced by Bobby Flay, and Nathan Lyon, who didn't win, had a show on Discovery Health "A Lyon in the Kitchen" and now is on the PBS show "A Greener World". So they've had people with credentials.

[Gregg247]

Most, if not all, of the contestants have cooking credentials of some type, and most seem to know what they're doing in the kitchen.  Sure, they may screw up a dish when there's a tight time limit, or some hinky "twist" that throws them for a loop, but these guys pretty much know much more than how to microwave a Swanson dinner.

 

I know that every season, viewers complain that many of the contestants are 'retreads" from other cooking shows like Chopped or Top Chef.  They may be famewhores, but they're at least famewhore cooks.

 

This show has 3 goals, and I think that's where the problem lies.  They need a quality cook.  They need a quality cook who can also present well on TV.  They need a quality cook who can present well on TV and be entertaining in a reality show setting.  Finding a contestant who meets 2 of these 3 criteria seems to be the limit as to what they can do most seasons.  When contestants try to fake it by pretending to have all 3 criteria, we end up with "actor-y" behavior.

[Bella]

This show has 3 goals, and I think that's where the problem lies.  They need a quality cook.  They need a quality cook who can also present well on TV.  They need a quality cook who can present well on TV and be entertaining in a reality show setting.  Finding a contestant who meets 2 of these 3 criteria seems to be the limit as to what they can do most seasons.  

 

Yes, that's it! 

 

I was recently in a professional situation in which a job had gone unfilled for a long time due to no one having the precise qualifications sought. Another person asked "and where do you propose to find this unicorn?" FN has gone on a unicorn hunt, but they keep finding rhinos and horses instead.

[cooksdelight]

They need to go back to the mentor system, with three teams... and have former contestants be those mentors. Who better to advise them? Bob and Susie need to be front and center more often, too.

[Jesse]

I remember one of the seasons feeling like all of the challenges were much more directly related to the prize of the job. Of course now I don't remember which season or what the challenges were, but there was a lot more talking straight to camera, focus on describing the experience of eating a thing, etc. Maybe it was the three-team mentor season? 

[Bella]

They need to go back to the mentor system, with three teams... and have former contestants be those mentors. Who better to advise them? Bob and Susie need to be front and center more often, too.

 

Face Off did this last season. There was a lot of fan trepidation at first, but it worked pretty well. OTOH, on Project Runway's misbegotten Threads spin-off, the same concept was ghastly.

 

I do agree that they need new mentors, regardless of who those people are. And more Bob and Susie.

[cooksdelight]

Without Alton, Bobby and Giada are just "there" for me. Alton was a great addition and a good mentor. Heck, promote Jeff and Alex to hosts, they are doing so well in Star Salvation, I'd rather watch them out front.

[HyeChaps]

IMO, there must be a camera challenge every week.

[cooksdelight]

IMO, there must be a camera challenge every week.

That used to be the norm, I think. I seem to remember a season where they had a 30 or 60 second camera challenge each week. Even that time they were at the Farmers' Market.

[GaT]

They need to go back to the mentor system, with three teams... and have former contestants be those mentors. Who better to advise them? Bob and Susie need to be front and center more often, too.

Except if they have teams, they'll just continue to eliminate 1 person from each team on a rotating basis so that the teams stay even. We'll all be trying to remember whose turn it is for a team member to be eliminated, & who actually should be eliminated won't matter.

[cooksdelight]

True, as every show that has teams or men vs. women does that. Maybe stick with the mentoring system, with them mentoring everyone out of sight of the judges. With the mentors having NO input during the judging process. That's where the problems start, when Bobby or Giada start fighting for their favorite to stay.

[smiley13]

I was not a fan at all of the teams because inferior people stayed in the competition because it was not the week for their team to lose anyone.  That team concept almost cost Martie a chance to do a pilot because they were all inexplicably in love with Justin and they were on the same team.  

[Earl Is Dead]

Except if they have teams, they'll just continue to eliminate 1 person from each team on a rotating basis so that the teams stay even. We'll all be trying to remember whose turn it is for a team member to be eliminated, & who actually should be eliminated won't matter.

One thing I appreciated about The Taste is that they did not do this.  Poor Nigella ended up with zero people on her team by the end of each season, but at least they seemed to be eliminated honestly.

 

I too enjoyed the mentor season and would second another, provided Alton was one of them.  Almost any of the FN personalities would be better than Bobby and Giada at this point.  Not that they don't give sound advice at times, but they seem to be towing the FN party line a little too much for my taste.  Instead of pushing for yet another delightful home or semi-pro cook who can regale me with stories about their grandmothers/adorable children/years growing up in the south/travels to Thailand, find an actual chef who can teach me something I don't already know.  Or maybe put a show on FN that we haven't seen a dozen times before.  I wish that were really the goal of TNFNS.

[needschocolate]

Except if they have teams, they'll just continue to eliminate 1 person from each team on a rotating basis so that the teams stay even. We'll all be trying to remember whose turn it is for a team member to be eliminated, & who actually should be eliminated won't matter.

 

True, as every show that has teams or men vs. women does that. Maybe stick with the mentoring system, with them mentoring everyone out of sight of the judges. With the mentors having NO input during the judging process. That's where the problems start, when Bobby or Giada start fighting for their favorite to stay.

 

Face Off eliminated the person who should be eliminated, no matter how many people were left on the teams and one mentor was out a week or two before the finale.  But there is no way a FN show would do that, they would keep things even and make sure everyone had someone in the finale. 

 

Can't Bobby and Giada (or, better yet, Alton and Alex) be mentors without there being teams?  Each contestant meets with one mentor each time to get advice and pointers.  Maybe Bobby one week and Giada the next.  Or have the mentors be people who aren't also judges - let it be a different food network celebrity each week.  These people need more coaching than they get from judging.  They keep giving the same comments each week - Emilia, be friendlier - Alex, don't just list ingredients - Dom, relax and don't walk off the set - yet they keep making the same mistakes.  They obviously need someone to show them how to be friendlier, talk about the food, get over camera shyness. 

[chessiegal]

As long as they are getting the ratings they want/need, I don't see any reason for them to change anything. If it works, don't fix it.

[Snarklepuss]

I am so over Bobby and Giada for so many reasons, both to do with how they perform on this show and in their personal lives it's not funny.  I say replace them with Alex and Jeff, and bring back Alton.  Alex and Jeff are doing so well on Star Salvation it's really bringing out how much better the show would be without the other two.  And the show sucks anymore without Alton.

 

I also think that Tuschie and Susie should be on more.  I still have not gotten over their relative absence after so many seasons.  Now when they do show up they seem so out of context and coming from left field.  It sucks.

 

I was a fan of the team/mentor concept but I actually read somewhere that the season they did this was a huge fail with the fans, who supposedly did not like it.  I wasn't paying attention to social media that season so I don't know how true that was, but I agree that I don't like how it seemed contrived that the teams all stayed the same size until the end.  Didn't like that but didn't like "The Taste" either where every season Nigella lost her entire team before everyone else.  So I like the idea of having mentors that are not also judges - Perhaps past winners or other FN celebrities.  Lord knows they have enough of them to spare and it would be nice to see some variety beyond Bobby and Giada who I just can't overstate enough how much I am over.  They could have the mentors redistribute the teams when things got lopsided, kind of the way Gordon Ramsey does it in "Hell's Kitchen".

[HappyDancex2]

I'm not even sure who they are trying to find anymore...I think this is a classic Seinfeld in that we are watching it because it's on TV!

By their own admission, Bobby, Emeril and Mario would have never morphed into FN celebrity chefs based on their early performances. These things can be learned, despite how bad things may appear initially. I think a lot of the TopChef contestants would be willing hosts in training but FN isn't really looking for a new star.

[Totale]

From episode thread

 

 

Oh, I agree the tasks are probably mapped out AFTER they have the cast. But they don't know if their food truck owner will make it to the food truck challenge, and so on.

 

I know I'm a cynical bastard but it looks to me like they pick a winner and alternate (lucky for them Demaris worked out) and a couple of other top prospects, and the rest are chum.  They have to plan the set, place the products and script the tasks ahead of time.  They have the luxury in the early weeks of deciding who's expendable on any given week from the pool of expendables, but by halfway I think they've fleshed out direction of the rest of the show to speed up production.  By then the editing monkeys have a good pool of headshots and snappy non-specific comments like "Oh, no way..."/(splice in)/"kumquats?"  and can start working ahead. There's nothing any of these people can do or say that can't be directed from that point - we can't taste the food so if the judges say "That's terribly bland with no flavor at all" they could be munching on heavenly ambrosia. Do a good job on camera and they'll say you're cold, fuck up and they'll say you're charming (as the audience says "Wha?").  Even low-rent TV production like this is horribly expensive, I just can't buy that anything important or potenially costly is left to chance.

[cooksdelight]

Totally agree with you on how they have picked the winner before the first show is even on the air. It's becoming more and more evident on other shows as well.

[Snarklepuss]

I have been saying that for years, especially about this show.

[smiley13]

I do think they pick a couple of strong candidates and then have some middle of the pack ones, and then the bottom dwellers who really have no shot.  A number of the ones they cast seem to have been on something else before, so they have a pretty good idea what they are capable of.

[Bella]

Years ago, word was that America's Next Top Model ran like this: Cover Girl, the sponsor, would pick their 2-3 favorites, rank them, add another couple of alternates, and inform Tyra et al of their preferences. The "contest" would be run, biases toward the chosen girls being obvious both on the show and behind the scenes, and Cover Girl/Tyra would wait to see if any of the chosen girls would crash and burn. Sometimes that happened, which would call for a revised ranking. Then Cover Girl would ultimately pick the winner and tell Tyra and the judges who to select. Afterwards, the winner would usually disappear and/or one of the other girls would thrive as a model without the help of the ANTM powers-that-be.

 

I suspect that FNS operates quite similarly. 

[ari333]

Kumquats.... hehehehehehe

[Lillybee]

They seem to be going away from what a cooking show should be. I want to watch a show where I can learn new recipes and/or new ways of doing things. I do not want to watch a show with grandkids, dogs or cowboys. I hate that the contestants are forced to reveal things about their lives because if they can cook that is all I care about.

[chessiegal]

They seem to be going away from what a cooking show should be. I want to watch a show where I can learn new recipes and/or new ways of doing things. I do not want to watch a show with grandkids, dogs or cowboys. I hate that the contestants are forced to reveal things about their lives because if they can cook that is all I care about.

 

This. But that seems to be the way of commercial TV. Support your local PBS stations.

[Joe Blow]

As I said before, this has increasingly become a "too few ingredients / too little time" type competion -- especially over the last couple of years.  Switching ingredients, having everybody make something completely different in the same amount of time, making people make things they were either forced to or didn't really know how to...but, most of all, creating challenges that never let people cook to their POV, no matter what it is.  It's become one more cooking game show more than anything..

[smiley13]

Often all of these time restraints that are imposed prohibit them from making a dish that may have been really good.  We don't get a good idea of what these people can or can not do.  If they are hosting a show, they will have ample time to plan and prep their food.

Edited July 25, 2015 by smiley13

[cooksdelight]

Yes, how many times have we seen someone prep a dish and put it in the oven... then turn around and pull the cooked dish out of another oven. Voila!

[Tonypitt]

For some reason Food Network seems to like these shows that seemed designed to deemphasize good food for the sake of drama.  I enjoy Chopped (although I stopped watching it regularly some time ago), but I refuse to watch Cut Throat Kitchen even though I really like Alton Brown. 

 

It seems to me that if you really were looking for the next Food Network Star, the last thing you'd want to do is run him/her through a gauntlet of activities that would serve to make them look bad.  I wish they'd give them relevant challenges with appropriate time to prepare.  But then they'd deemphasize the drama, which is what they seem to be after.

 

I've seen this same evolution with Project Runway (Not sure if it's even still on. I stopped watching mid-season a couple of years ago.) and somewhat with Top Chef (Although TC seems to dialed this back and gotten back to it being more about the food and less about the drama).

[GaT]

Personally, I think the easiest way to fix this show is to really use it to find the next Food Network star with their own show & following, & stop using it as a ratings grab itself. Use it for what it was originally meant for. 

[Tonypitt]

Personally, I think the easiest way to fix this show is to really use it to find the next Food Network star with their own show & following, & stop using it as a ratings grab itself. Use it for what it was originally meant for. 

 

They kind of did that with the show The Next Iron Chef.  I enjoyed that show.  Too bad they don't need any more iron chefs.

[GaT]

They kind of did that with the show The Next Iron Chef.  I enjoyed that show.  Too bad they don't need any more iron chefs.

No they don't, & the ones they keep picking are kind of lame, Jose Garces & Marc Forgione? Not impressed, & don't get me started on the way FN kept pushing Alex Guarnaschell until they could finally give her the win without it seeming too obvious.

[HyeChaps]

Mentors could help any and all of them.  The team thing---we know they will always even out.

[NikSac]

Mentors could help any and all of them.  The team thing---we know they will always even out.

 

Except for that show with Nigella Lawson on it. (blanking on the show name for some reason).  They have no problem taking her team to 0 members right away.

[chessiegal]

Except for that show with Nigella Lawson on it. (blanking on the show name for some reason).  They have no problem taking her team to 0 members right away.

 

The Taste.

[NikSac]

The Taste.

 

Thanks!  Yep, Nigella is always done a few episodes in.

[biakbiak]

I haven't watched a winners show since Aarti, I did like her point of view but the reason I watched was because it premierd the week after the show ended so never been invested in "viewers choose."

[StaceyNotStacie]

I wish they would do an All-Stars season of this show with contestants from previous seasons.  I'm guessing that a few of them have had a lot more television exposure since they originally competed on the show, so the contestants wouldn't be as awkward on camera.

[bluepiano]

You have to remember that finding a new "star" is just the hook of this show, and the real purpose is entertainment. Which TPTB obviously think means a lot of contrived, game show type drama, usually involving a ticking clock. As actual FN shows are all scripted and edited, being able to dash around grabbing ingredients and rushing through cooking preparations with someone yelling "one minute to go, 20 seconds" etc. are not necessary skills.

 

In reality, FNS isn't that different than much of FN programming, which has the same game show mentality. I get that if you want to see actual cooking you're now supposed to watch the Cooking Channel. But I'm probably not alone in feeling that FNS would actually be more entertaining if they let the contestants produce the best food they're capable of, without a lot of high pressure gimmicks.

Edited July 31, 2015 by bluepiano

[cooksdelight]

I was comparing Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef to a game show, then I realized that this show is much worse. In a recent episode, they were given cards on a board which would determine what and how they presented food, much like a contestant on a game show would be given to compete for that brand new car.

This show is already there. Let's see if Alex Trebek or Chuck Woolery can host the next episode.

[chessiegal]

You have to remember that finding a new "star" is just the hook of this show, and the real purpose is entertainment. Which TPTB obviously think means a lot of contrived, game show type drama, usually involving a ticking clock. As actual FN shows are all scripted and edited, being able to dash around grabbing ingredients and rushing through cooking preparations with someone yelling "one minute to go, 20 seconds" etc. are not necessary skills.

 

In reality, FNS isn't that different than much of FN programming, which has the same game show mentality. I get that if you want to see actual cooking you're now supposed to watch the Cooking Channel. But I'm probably not alone in feeling that FNS would actually be more entertaining if they let the contestants produce the best food they're capable of, without a lot of high pressure gimmicks.

 

There's not a lot of cooking going on at Cooking Channel these days either- lots of traveling around shows and even some competitions. You need to go to PBS to see cooking.

[NewDigs]

The Cooking Channel seems to have turned into some kind of repository for, imo, lots of has-beens and D-Listers. Who all seem to claim some serious cooking skills. Since when? An episode of Chopped?

Agree with chessiegal, PBS is the go-to for cooking shows.

Edited July 31, 2015 by NewDigs

[cooksdelight]

Add FYI network for the D-listers of cooking shows.

[DeLurker]

I just started watching Man vs Child: Chef Showdown on FYI (last night in fact).  I rather liked it - I don't fully understand it, but it was better than a lot of the recent offerings from Food Network or MC.

 

But I think there are too many food and cooking shows overall so the quality is going down as they try to keep expanding the genre and trying to cultivate personalities as opposed to chefs/cooks.  How many shows can Guy Fieri be on?  Or Bobby Flay?  Never liked Guy anyway, but I did Bobby.  Now I am so so tired of him.

[cooksdelight]

That's the crux of the problem with FN and others.... how do they cultivate new hosts for different types of cooking shows that people will watch?

Anthony Anderson played a detective on Law & Order.... now he's a food expert? After one appearance on a celebrity Chopped?

To me, they are missing the boat with the people they've already had on this show. Linkie Marous, Martie Duncan, Luca and Nicole... so many people who didn't win the big prize, but the people who DID when they were on the show were flops. I say give some of those folks a chance. I'd love to follow Martie around the south or wherever she goes, as she does a lot of cooking demos. Linkie is a rep for Big Green Egg. What I wouldn't give for some different recipes from her.

[Snarklepuss]

To me, they are missing the boat with the people they've already had on this show. Linkie Marous, Martie Duncan, Luca and Nicole... so many people who didn't win the big prize, but the people who DID when they were on the show were flops. I say give some of those folks a chance. I'd love to follow Martie around the south or wherever she goes, as she does a lot of cooking demos. Linkie is a rep for Big Green Egg. What I wouldn't give for some different recipes from her.

 

CD, you read my mind, I've been thinking exactly this for quite some time.  My suggestion is have an "All Stars" season like they did on "Top Chef" and "Dancing with the Stars".  Give some of the people who came really close to winning and were popular with the fans another shot at the prize.  I think that would be a hugely popular season.  I'll bet there are quite a few former contestants who would probably want to come back that the audience would be interested in seeing again.  Of course, this group wouldn't include "Pah Stahl" or Penny Davidi.  I always felt bad for Marti as Justin won the prize but squandered it, and I'm sure I'm far from alone in that feeling.  Plus Luca and Nicole from last season who lost to Lenny, another dud of a winner.  A lot of people feel like they were robbed and would like to see them get another chance.

Edited August 1, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[Snarklepuss]

Anthony Anderson played a detective on Law & Order.... now he's a food expert? After one appearance on a celebrity Chopped?

 

Oh yes, and Valerie Bertinelli has been on TV forever and everybody loves her, plus she's Italian American so that makes her deserve to have her own cooking show?  I learned my Italian grandma's recipes too but I'm not famous so I guess that's why I'll never have a show. 

I wish they would do an All-Stars season of this show with contestants from previous seasons.  I'm guessing that a few of them have had a lot more television exposure since they originally competed on the show, so the contestants wouldn't be as awkward on camera.

 

Hah, great minds think alike - I saw this only after I made my post to that effect!