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

[cooksdelight]

Someone needs to start one of those online petitions asking FN to do an all-stars season with the following 16 people..... (name the best).

[Bella]

I can't believe I'm treading into these dangerous waters, but ...

 

Many people change careers, and in many of those career changes we draw on skills we used previously in order to create a niche or make ourselves stand out. Using myself as an example, I began as a computer programmer, moved to marketing research and analysis, and now work as a writer in the science and economic fields. The common thread that I've built on is a facility with data analysis.

 

Similarly, Valerie Bertinelli has shifted her career. She was an actress, then she was a SAHM who developed an interest in cooking, then she wrote a cookbook, and now she's on FN in various capacities. She brings to FN a level of comfort in front of the camera and an interest in food, both of which are essential for FNS. I don't mind her being a judge on FN, and I wouldn't object if she were to come onto FNS as a judge. Yes, a regular series judge. I prefer her to LBH, in fact.

 

I am prepared to be scorched for that opinion.

 

Anthony Anderson, OTOH, does not appear to have written a cookbook. But if he were involved in owning a restaurant beyond just being an investor, I might defend him, too.

[mlp]

 

Similarly, Valerie Bertinelli has shifted her career. She was an actress, then she was a SAHM who developed an interest in cooking, then she wrote a cookbook, and now she's on FN in various capacities. She brings to FN a level of comfort in front of the camera and an interest in food, both of which are essential for FNS. I don't mind her being a judge on FN, and I wouldn't object if she were to come onto FNS as a judge. Yes, a regular series judge. I prefer her to LBH, in fact.

 

No scorching from me.  I totally agree.  I never watched the sit com she was on long ago so I had no opinion of her when she showed up on FN  although I did know who she is.  I've liked her in everything she's done so far.  I can't stand Giada and much prefer VB.  Also, I find her far more attractive than Giada.  She's darling and she's 55! 

[Westiepeach]

No scorching from me. I agree with you. I think Valerie has the cooking chops AND she is comfortable in front of the camera. Look at Tiffani Theissen. Her show is pretty good. I want to learn something from the cooking shows I watch. The one "actress" show I do not care for is the one with Hailey Duff - "Real Girl's Kitchen" - or something. Just don't like it for some reason.

[GaT]

I can't believe I'm treading into these dangerous waters, but ...

 

Many people change careers, and in many of those career changes we draw on skills we used previously in order to create a niche or make ourselves stand out. Using myself as an example, I began as a computer programmer, moved to marketing research and analysis, and now work as a writer in the science and economic fields. The common thread that I've built on is a facility with data analysis.

 

Similarly, Valerie Bertinelli has shifted her career. She was an actress, then she was a SAHM who developed an interest in cooking, then she wrote a cookbook, and now she's on FN in various capacities. She brings to FN a level of comfort in front of the camera and an interest in food, both of which are essential for FNS. I don't mind her being a judge on FN, and I wouldn't object if she were to come onto FNS as a judge. Yes, a regular series judge. I prefer her to LBH, in fact.

 

 

I had no idea Valerie Bertinelli was on the FN in any capacity, does she have a show? I've never seen any commercial for her in anything.

[cooksdelight]

I had no idea Valerie Bertinelli was on the FN in any capacity, does she have a show? I've never seen any commercial for her in anything.

"Kid's Baking Championship" is her show, and a new one premiering next week.

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2015/07/valerie-bertinelli-on-valeries-home-cooking/

[GaT]

"Kid's Baking Championship" is her show, 

 

That explains it, I avoid shows with kids like the plague. 

[Snarklepuss]

Valerie's newest show won't have kids in it, from what I have read.  It'll just be a talk and stir format.  I actually saw cookware at Marshall's a couple of years ago with her name on it, and then there was the cookbook.  I thought "Now every celebrity wants to get into the act".  So it didn't surprise me when she turned up on Food Network on a kid's baking challenge.  Because you know everyone thinks of Valerie Bertinelli when they think of baking, doncha know?  I actually think FN is far more interested in capitalizing on people who are already famous to draw in viewers these days, even if those people aren't really chefs.  And of course ripping off chefs who first became famous on other networks.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[Rick Kitchen]

Anthony Anderson has been a judge on Iron Chef.  He's also active as a diabetes educator.

[howmanywords]

While not a cooking show but they also brought Alfonso Ribiero on as the host of the new Unwrapped. I really like him but back when it was first announced he was host I saw a couple of people griping on twitter that the CC seemed to be giving too much airtime on these stars from old sitcoms rather than showcasing actual great chefs.

[LiveenLetLive]

 

I actually think FN is far more interested in capitalizing on people who are already famous to draw in viewers these days, even if those people aren't really chefs.  And of course ripping off chefs who first became famous on other networks.

I couldn't agree more. Ugh enough with giving the C level celebrities cooking shows.

[smiley13]

Since this thread seems to have deviated away from just FNS but to FN in general, I tuned in this morning and there was Tiffani Amber Theissen. When did she migrate over from Cooking Channel?

 

I am not interested in Anthony Anderson's Carnival Food show, but may check out Valerie Bertinelli.

 

Before long, they can have a whole line-up of TV actresses playing TV cooks.

[cooksdelight]

What's wrong with this show is what's wrong with FN in general, so yeah, it's all one big basket. If they make a carnival out of picking a new cooking show host, it says a lot about the network as a whole.

[HyeChaps]

Not really arguing against Valerie B---

However, I work in a bookstore and her cookbook is in the bargain bin. Yet, Kris Jenner's cookbook is still selling at full price

[cooksdelight]

HyeChaps, I can believe that.

 

Maybe they should just give Hugh a show so he can diss on all that is crazy in the cooking world. :)

 

[xaxat]

Kris Jenner invokes the name of the brutally slain Nicole Brown Simpson in the preface to a recipe? That is just so inappropriate. I think Hugh actually went easy on her.

 

But if the Jenner/Kardashians only did appropriate things, no one would care about them. Can't have that.

 

(And who the hell needs a recipe to make that? Even during my most pothead years, I could easily concoct something like that on the fly.)

[cooksdelight]

(And who the hell needs a recipe to make that? Even during my most pothead years, I could easily concoct something like that on the fly.)

Yeah, like Ruffles potato chips dipped in chocolate ice cream. :)

I posted that link to show how absurd some of the cookbook authors and so-called food authorities are, and if you do a quick scan of FN's lineup, you'll find a few that will make you do a head shake.

This show has gone way beyond what it used to be, because in the early years we could agree "Yeah, they did a good job showing me how to cook a great meal, they should have a show." I need to see that from someone now, but they aren't putting the contestants into situations to do that. Maybe tonight they will revive the core cause of the show.

[GaT]

I love how he ends it after he tastes it, "it's food", high praise indeed.

[Snarklepuss]

Maybe they should just give Hugh a show so he can diss on all that is crazy in the cooking world. :)

 

 

Thanks for posting that - I love Hugh, wish there was more of him on TV and less of some of the others, and I'm all down with the idea of him having a show to diss on some of the crazy cooking world stuff!

Edited August 3, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[cooksdelight]

Hugh brings the snark like nobody's business. He should be here.

[xaxat]

Yeah, like Ruffles potato chips dipped in chocolate ice cream. :)

 

Ahh, but now I know to call it chocolate semifreddo with a kettle cooked potato crust and just a hint of sea salt and garlic!

[cooksdelight]

Xaxat, you rock, you're welcome to come hang at my house anytime. :)

[xaxat]

As long as you realize that, for all of the time I spend here posting about food shows, I can't cook a lick!

[cooksdelight]

I'm a personal chef, I've got the food covered. I just need you to embellish what it's called. :)

[Darth Nigel]

Maybe it's time to get new hosts.  I know...

 

Imagine if you will The Next Food Network Host starring your favorite (?) Food Network hosts and hangers-on in a multi-week multi-round elimination competition to pick the new hosts of this award-winning reality competition. Join hosts Danushka Lysek and Alton Brown in a series of elimination challenges that have nothing to do with cooking or hosting.  Competitors (probably including Amanda Freitag, Elizabeth Falkner, Scott Conant, Duff Goldman and that guy from Cake Wars) will be joined in weekly challenges by eliminated contestants from Food Network Star who will judge and critique them.

 

The web series for eliminated contestants (possibly called "I'm a Chef, get me out of here!") will be hosted by internet personality CooksDelight and eliminations will be voted on by denizens of the popular forum site Previously.tv.  

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

Hugh, Alton Brown, and Arnold diss on food and stuff. Occasional guest stars Fabio and Lee Ann Wong, maybe Dave "i'm not your bitch".   

 

There's your show, FN

[Automne]

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..

 

 

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.

 

 

 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. 

 

I agree with all of these comments. Instead of these inane competitions in an attempt to produce unnecessary drama (the drama is the concept itself "Who is going to be the next Food Network star." Do it right and you don't need anything else), have the contestants establish their show concepts right off the bat and spend the next 12 episodes cultivating said concepts for each remaining contestants.

 

Part of that cultivation can be directing the contestants away from well-paved roads and into less traveled territory. How many of the full set of contestants were doing Italian cuisine as their concept? When Giada DeLaurentiis is still on the network with new shows and a whole bunch of other chefs have done Italian cuisine (as well as that Extra Virgin show and My Grandmother's Ravioli on Cooking Channel), Italy is well-covered. Do we need another grilling show? No, Bobby Flay pretty much covered that. Now, dedicate a show to smoking and have grilling take more of a backseat, that I can get behind. I just got a smoker and I want to smoke everything I can find; I would love a show to inspire me. There are surprisingly few cookbooks dedicated to smoking. 

 

Rue was doing African cuisine. I would fucking kill for a cooking show dedicated to African and Caribbean cuisines; not even PBS has that. Ethiopian cuisine is really gaining traction, but that's such a drop in the bucket when Africa is such a huge continent with vastly different regions and so many different influences thanks to the natural environments and colonialism. 

 

And that leads me into the point about the idea that the host needs to talk about him/herself, their family, their home, their dog, etc. I'm not really all that interested in seeing or hearing about the personal lives of food hosts. I want to be educated about food. Tell me about the Indian influx in Uganda influencing cuisine until Idi Amin kicked them out of the country. Tell me how the recent migration of Chinese workers in Nigeria and elsewhere is starting to impact the local cuisine. Tell me why smoking onions before battering and deep-frying them is the best way to serve up onion rings. I don't need to know that this dish you're preparing is Kid X's favorite. Why do I care? I don't have kids nor do I want any, so you've lost me right there. Not only that, even if I did have kids, kid tastebuds are not universal. My hypothetical children might really hate your kid's favorite meal. You think Jade DeLaurentiis is going to like the same foods Todd Drummond does?

 

Have mentors to truly coach the contestants in improving their presence. If they're so bound and determined to use sitcom actors that haven't been relevant since the mid-1990s, here's a better use for them. Valerie Bertinelli, Tiffani Theissen, Alfonso Riberio, Melissa Gilbert, Trisha Yearwood, et. al. can draw from their decades of show business experience and give some valuable advice and guidance in how to be comfortable on camera. Everybody keeps telling Arnold to breathe, but nobody is there helping him do that. That's not something he can learn to do on his own in a few weeks, but Yearwood, being a singer, could probably have some valuable advice and warm-ups to help Arnold really slow down and breathe.

 

There's so much potential for FNS, but they're so focused on an outdated ratings system and appealing to a demographic that's just going to go buy the prepackaged convenience products that have bought advertisement airtime, that there's almost no point. Especially since there have been how many seasons and how many winners/runners-up have encountered any sort of success? It's like American Idol; after 15 seasons, they can only really boast about Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood having made it.

 

Not to mention that when 8 hours of the network's airtime are mini-marathons of DDD, GGG, and Chopped, where are they going to put the new shows? I would love for them to put actual cooking shows on primetime during the week (like during the summer and winter when most the scripted fictional shows are on hiatus). I'm a goddamn pastry chef, I almost always work weekends (which means thanks to WETA UK taking the place of WETA Create, I never get to watch the PBS cooking shows anymore, unless they're available on Netflix/Amazon Instant/Hulu). As well as the fact that FN's main demographic spends the weekends shuttling their children around various sporting events and lessons and playdates and whatever you people do with your kids nowadays. Not a lot of people are at home chilling in front of the TV on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

[chessiegal]

Just wanted to say that "My Grandmother's Ravioli" is not about Italian food. It's about whatevewr grandparents cook - American fare and any cuisine around the world they can find. I remember a Jamaican grandmother and several from Asia, including Thailand and Korea.

[Snarklepuss]

I don't agree that Italy is well covered on the network.  I'm an Italian American and I think there enough different types of Italian cooking to have more than one show on the channel.  Giada has never been representative of my particular cultural heritage in her cooking.  She cooks on the lighter, more Italian-Italian side of things.  Of course, now they have Valerie Bertinelli cooking her own stuff but for me that's still lacking somehow.  Nothing against Valerie but her food so far has been a little too simple for me and as much as I like her I don't feel like she's offering me anything new.  And Rachael is not the presence she once was and she has branched out into other types of cooking, not just Italian.  I suppose I never got over Mario leaving the network because he was the type of Italian chef I still think the network lacks, and needs.  Note that I'm not including all the people who are not specifically Italian cooks in there because I don't care how many other non-Italian chefs cook the occasional Italian dish, it's just not the same for me as if it came from a chef that specializes in Italian and Italian American food.  No offense to their food - Sometimes it can be very good, but I don't think that can cover Italian food well enough on the network.

 

As far as fixing this show goes, I am just so over everyone having to be a loudmouth huckster.  Do they think we need to be shouted at to get us interested in them or the food?  I think the people watching are mostly already interested in food and don't need a Billy Mays understudy to get us to watch them. I get it that they need to find an interesting personality, but that doesn't have to involve being so loudmouthed that it interferes with the appreciation of the food.  I think they're hiding their lack of real personality with a lot of yelling.  Just STFU and let the food shine, and maybe we'll find something to like about you.  I would love to see a season of people who are more low key.  Of course, I don't mean people with no personality or people that don't know how to present themselves, just people who are taken down a few notches from screaming banshee.  I am sure that the network is encouraging the contestants to outdo themselves and each other in terms of volume but I am sick of that.  I actually think I might like the contestants better if they were allowed to act like normal people, not ridiculous screaming asshats.   Just sayin'.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[iggysaurus]

I want to be educated about food. Tell me about the Indian influx in Uganda influencing cuisine until Idi Amin kicked them out of the country. Tell me how the recent migration of Chinese workers in Nigeria and elsewhere is starting to impact the local cuisine.

 

Automne, I truly don't think you, me, or most of the other people who comment intelligently on this board are the target audience for FNS (or FN in general).  We can't be, because they keep continually shoveling this repetitive, mindless crap at us and there must be a reason behind it -- it must be what sells.  The average American must actually LIKE having approximately 936 shows where some guy travels around to taste fried food.  Otherwise, I can't figure it out.

 

I would love to see the kind of programming you're describing, but I'm 100% sure it'll never happen.  American TV is not about education. Networks like "The Learning Channel" (TLC) were supposed to be educational way back in the day, but they've long since turned into nothing but trashy reality shows. The only place you can see somewhat educational programming at this point (with no "drama" angle) is PBS.  And that's a bit limited.

 

Food Network is so enamored of these "travel and taste" shows, but they never travel anywhere except different areas of America. Usually the south or the midwest. How about shows where someone travels to other countries and tries food that unfamiliar to many Americans?  That, I would watch.  But, budget issues aside, they will never have that, because they want to pander to this demographic that thinks traditional Americana is the be-all, end-all.  They want everything dumbed-down, as evidenced by the reaction every time Alex or someone would mention a foreign food. "What?? You can't expect 'Muricans to understand those fancy terms!"  (Granted, Alex didn't do the best job of making it interesting, but still.) Maybe this is an overreaction, but I just feel like FN's narrowly focused definition of what belongs on "Food TV" is sort of emblematic of the portion of America that turns a blind eye to other cultures and has no interest in being educated.

 

For a show that comes at least somewhat close to what you (and I) are wishing for (in terms of educational food tv), the only thing that comes to mind is Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown." It's not entirely focused on food, but it does provide a fascinating look at different cultures including their food.  And Bourdain's attitude couldn't be further from the sheltered, America-centric attitude I mentioned before -- he's so genuinely excited about experiencing the true essence of other cultures, it's refreshing.

[cooksdelight]

If you want to watch a great travel/food show, check out "36 Hours" on the Travel channel. Kristin, Top Chef champ a few years ago, is the cohost and it's just started...and I hope it will be around for years to come.

Food Network is about getting as many advertising dollars as they can to stay afloat. I often think they are afraid to stick their necks out with something totally offbeat because it might flop. Yet, they will put on their "formula" shows, which will also flop from time to time.

Camp Cutthroat is the best new show they've come out with this year. It's hilarious. I don't like Cutthroat Kitchen so I was hesitant, but I love this version.

[Snarklepuss]

Thanks for the tips, CD, I'll have to check out those shows.  I too have been hesitant to watch Camp Cutthroat. 

 

Iggysaurus, I've actually found some educational programming on the Smithsonian Channel.  Most channels that used to be about educational programming have descended into the same mind numbing crap as FN.  I now have to really search to find anything worthwhile.  I still find some stuff here and there on H2 and NatGeo but even those are getting more scarce. 

 

I think the masses of people who tend to watch prime time TV are those that come home from work exhausted and don't have the mental energy to really get involved with their TV.  Anything that forces them to think or interact with it is too much work.  A few years ago I went to a work related dinner and sat next to the head of HR at my company - This is a very large corporation that anyone would recognize the name of, mind you.  We started chatting about how tired we were lately and somehow the subject came up about TV shows and he told me his latest obsession was "Storage Wars".  I had to crack up, first because I never expected him of all people to watch that show, and second, because I had been suckered into watching it by my husband and had gotten semi-addicted to it in spite of myself.  Anyway, my HR head told me that he loved it because it's just the kind of mindless entertainment he wants after a hard day at work.  Something to zone out to and unwind with, not something that overtaxes him.  That never left me because I realized that a lot of really smart people must feel the same way because we certainly have a lot of mindless entertainment on at prime time.  Of course, I am not one of them.  Oh wait.....

[GaT]

How about shows where someone travels to other countries and tries food that unfamiliar to many Americans?  That, I would watch.  

That's pretty much what Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" is. He travels to places in America & the world.

[novhappy]

I believe the reason travel n taste shows are so popular, not on this board but clearly they are popular, is because those shows make the actual food accessible to the viewers. There will be diner or dive or BBQ joint near everyone or somewhere one travels to that you can actually eat the food you see on TV. Most Americans live in or near a population center, and travel to others and this type of show gives them a reason to watch even if they don't cook. These viewers are a broader demo for selling packaged products as well.

It's like going out to a restaurant that was reviewed in the paper.

I personally hate these types of shows cuz I love to cook more than I love deep fried hot dogs with Cajun bacon Harissa topping.

[xaxat]

OK, I admit it. I'm the one that killed the network you all loved.

 

I don't watch any of the cooking shows currently on the network, and haven't for a long time. I learned the basics from Sara Moulton and PBS's America's Test Kitchen over a decade ago and that was pretty much it. (Every once in a while I check in on Kimball and co.) But I did continue to watch their competitive reality shows (as all of you here know probably too well).

 

I think I am the audience (people interested in food but not necessarily interested in improving their skills in the kitchen) that the network decided to cater to. Iron Chef, NFNS, Chopped all of the baking competitions, travel shows etc. Were aimed at people like me. Not those of you that actually care about, you know, cooking.

 

So, I apologize.

[Rick Kitchen]

That's pretty much what Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" is. He travels to places in America & the world.

 

If it were anybody besides Anthony Bourdain ...

[Snarklepuss]

I think the reason for fewer cooking shows is that statistically, people are cooking less than they used to.  Their interest in food and seeing food displayed in mouthwatering ways has not diminished, though, nor has their desire to find new restaurants where they can indulge their appetites.  That's the whole reason FN has moved away from cooking shows and into "Food Entertainment".

 

I found this article on the subject very interesting:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/05/the-slow-death-of-the-home-cooked-meal/

 

I have to admit that I am one of those women who works full time and doesn't have the time nor the energy to cook as much as I'd like to.  Which is regrettable, because it's my hobby.  When I was unemployed for 2 years during the recession I cooked all the time and loved every minute of it.  But given that I work full time I just don't have the time nor the energy to devote to it the way I'd like to.  That doesn't stop me from wanting to learn more about cooking techniques, though.  I have improved my cooking skill an immense amount just from watching cooking shows, so when I do cook, I'm cooking better.  I enjoy learning and putting to use what I've learned even if it's not every day.  I guess a lot of people out there just don't care about cooking anymore.  When you have more and more relatively inexpensive prepared food out there (and some of very good) it's sometimes hard to convince yourself that making it yourself is better or cheaper.  At my age (57) even on weekends I find myself asking myself, "Should I cook or should I do housework/go out shopping/take a road trip and just grab a roast chicken from the supermarket on the way home?"  Because there often just aren't enough hours in the day (or the energy) to do one of those things plus the cooking.  It's a real issue for me, especially in the summer.  In the cold New England Winters I have more time to cook because who wants to go out on bitter cold days anyway?

[TomCorps]

I think the reason for fewer cooking shows is that statistically, people are cooking less than they used to.  Their interest in food and seeing food displayed in mouthwatering ways has not diminished, though, nor has their desire to find new restaurants where they can indulge their appetites.  That's the whole reason FN has moved away from cooking shows and into "Food Entertainment".

 

I found this article on the subject very interesting:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/05/the-slow-death-of-the-home-cooked-meal/

 

I have to admit that I am one of those women who works full time and doesn't have the time nor the energy to cook as much as I'd like to.  Which is regrettable, because it's my hobby.  When I was unemployed for 2 years during the recession I cooked all the time and loved every minute of it.  But given that I work full time I just don't have the time nor the energy to devote to it the way I'd like to.  That doesn't stop me from wanting to learn more about cooking techniques, though.  I have improved my cooking skill an immense amount just from watching cooking shows, so when I do cook, I'm cooking better.  I enjoy learning and putting to use what I've learned even if it's not every day.  I guess a lot of people out there just don't care about cooking anymore.  When you have more and more relatively inexpensive prepared food out there (and some of very good) it's sometimes hard to convince yourself that making it yourself is better or cheaper.  At my age (57) even on weekends I find myself asking myself, "Should I cook or should I do housework/go out shopping/take a road trip and just grab a roast chicken from the supermarket on the way home?"  Because there often just aren't enough hours in the day (or the energy) to do one of those things plus the cooking.  It's a real issue for me, especially in the summer.  In the cold New England Winters I have more time to cook because who wants to go out on bitter cold days anyway?

 

I think you're right on the money here, Snarklepuss.  I absolutely enjoy watching cooking shows; I love learning new techniques and recipes; I'll even go so far as to download recipes from these shows.  And then, inevitably, I let Trader Joe's and Fairway do 75% of the cooking for me because I'm too exhausted (or too hungry) at the end of a day to prepare the sort of meals I've seen on Food Network, The Cooking Channel, etc.  I think for a lot of us, real cooking has become equal parts luxury and fantasy.  That's one reason I enjoy watching cooking-oriented shows!  It's like a dream of a better life.

 

So, in this context: what's wrong with this show and how to fix it?  Either stop asking the contestants to prepare extravagant dishes in limited time periods or start asking them to prepare dishes that real people can make in that time.  Or else, go wholesale on the idea that this is in fact Food Network and not The Cooking Channel; make the distinction between a culinary authority and a chef, and start seeking the former as contestants, rather than the latter.  And then, let the challenges follow suit.

[JTMacc99]

I actually don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with this show. If they cast it well, and give me people to root for, people to root against, a good Cinderella story, and I'll look forward to it every week.

[Snarklepuss]

I think you're right on the money here, Snarklepuss.  I absolutely enjoy watching cooking shows; I love learning new techniques and recipes; I'll even go so far as to download recipes from these shows.  And then, inevitably, I let Trader Joe's and Fairway do 75% of the cooking for me because I'm too exhausted (or too hungry) at the end of a day to prepare the sort of meals I've seen on Food Network, The Cooking Channel, etc.  I think for a lot of us, real cooking has become equal parts luxury and fantasy.  That's one reason I enjoy watching cooking-oriented shows!  It's like a dream of a better life.

 

Man, you just hit that nail right on its head with "My dream of a better life" - That's it for me too, a better life in which I imagine myself in my dream kitchen making my own agnolotti with my grandma who (of course) has come back from the dead to show me how to do it.  I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I've made my own pasta, and I have a really nice crank pasta machine too.  It came out pretty decent for a novice but when do I have time to do that anymore?

 

I don't know, I just think they are kind of out of ideas with this show and it shows.  They aren't thinking of new interesting angles to make the show seem fresh.  I don't know if it's a good idea for them to rest on their ratings.  I think they should rethink the types of contestants they have on the show and stop making them seem so caricature-like.  I wonder if next year they're going to do the same thing and not look for a cook but another infomercial salesman to roam around the country looking for great BBQ - probably - ugh.  Are those the only people that watch TV anymore?  People looking for "food porn" as Tony Bourdain so aptly calls it?  I just don't get it because I've read that FN magazine is the biggest selling magazine of any out there, not just cooking mags.  Either nobody is reading magazines at all anymore or there are more people interested in cooking than they are able to attract with their TV programming.  Perhaps they need to rethink how to present cooking shows to attract more of an audience.  I think "The Kitchen" was a positive step in that direction but there have to be more things they can think of.

[cooksdelight]

I just don't get it because I've read that FN magazine is the biggest selling magazine of any out there, not just cooking mags.  Either nobody is reading magazines at all anymore or there are more people interested in cooking than they are able to attract with their TV programming.  

 

Nope, it isn't. It's #58, far behind other food magazines. I subscribe to A Taste of Home, that's my #1 favorite magazine for recipes that I actually use.

 

http://www.psaresearch.com/images/TOPMAGAZINES.pdf

[rab01]

I kind of understand why they have few cooking shows in prime time because I'm one of those people who rarely watch much of the cooking shows other than Good Eats. Here's the thing for me - if they are cooking an ingredient that I never eat, I'm out (since I don't eat pork or shellfish, that rules out more than half the recipes right there).  If I miss the start of the dish, I'm probably out also because I can't figure out the rest of it after missing the start.  That means that if I'm flipping channels, I'm more likely to watch a piece of a competition show like Chopped than I am a cooking show.

 

I'm not sure that this matters to how they format THIS show so I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place ...

[TomCorps]

<<I just think they are kind of out of ideas with this show and it shows.>>

 

Absolutely, SP.  If they'd only make up their minds about whether they want top chefs à la Chopped, or culinary pundits à la The Best Thing I Ever Ate, they'd at least be able to start thinking in new ways.  I don't know, maybe a true Food Network "Star" should be able to do both, but recent seasons have shown a serious dearth of contestants who seem able to manage this expectation.  How many "double threats" were there this season??  

 

One would expect a person who's passionate and knowledgable about food to also be able to cook, to some degree.  Likewise, it would be odd to find a wonderful cook who couldn't talk food with some degree of success.  But it's almost unnatural to be a rock star at both.  To put it in terms of my own field of knowledge, I know plenty of brilliant English professors who aren't great writers (sure, they can write, but they'd be the first to say they'll never be the next David Foster Wallace); and I've been lucky enough to know some highly acclaimed authors who have proven to be only so-so teachers.  Are there some who can do both superbly?  You bet, but they're as rare as rocking horse shit.

 

I guess that's my summary thought as to why this show has devolved in recent years.  There simply aren't that many unrecognized "Stars" to populate a cast of twelve on a yearly basis.  If this sounds cynical, I don't mean it to be.  There's a ton of talent out there in the food world.  But FN seems to have gotten too complacent or just too lazy to develop a core competition that will bring the freshest and best of that talent to light.

Edited August 21, 2015 by TomCorps

[Snarklepuss]

Nope, it isn't. It's #58, far behind other food magazines. I subscribe to A Taste of Home, that's my #1 favorite magazine for recipes that I actually use.

 

http://www.psaresearch.com/images/TOPMAGAZINES.pdf

 

I think circulation and paid subscribership are two different things and the article was referring to the latter.  Also, the article was written a few years ago when FN magazine was still new so it may have started off with a bang and gone down from there (I wish I had saved the article).  A lot of magazines are either sent with a membership like AARP or are heavily discounted and promoted and/or given away to keep circulation up to attract advertisers.  You can often get Woman's Day and Family Circle for $5 a year so that accounts for their high circulation but in real money it's not that impressive.  The article said that Rachael Ray had to change publishing companies to one that discounts heavily when subscribership plummeted, so as a result the page size and thickness has steadily diminished to keep costs down/circulation up so it can attract more advertisers.  FN magazine has plenty of subscriptions without resorting to those tactics because they have more readers willing to pay more money for their magazine.  I've noticed that they still print on the same thick, glossy paper the other mags. used to print on.  Although the article was a few years ago already and I'm noticing a steady trend downward for the price of a one year subscription.  It started out at $24.95 a year on Amazon to about half that this year.  So subscribership may be falling.  I hope it doesn't affect page size and thickness eventually.  I'm reading that a lot of magazines are now digital so I'm wondering if these numbers include digital subscriptions too.

[xaxat]

<<I just think they are kind of out of ideas with this show and it shows.>>

 

Absolutely, SP.  If they'd only make up their minds about whether they want top chefs à la Chopped,

 

 

Unfortunately, Chopped hasn't featured top flight chefs for a long time. This week it was aging B list  rockers.

[HyeChaps]

I would like them to repeat good challenges from seasons past.  Also, a camera challenge every week.

[Pallida]

Nope, it isn't. It's #58, far behind other food magazines. I subscribe to A Taste of Home, that's my #1 favorite magazine for recipes that I actually use.

 

http://www.psaresearch.com/images/TOPMAGAZINES.pdf

 

I realized I was getting overwhelmed by stacks of A Taste of Home and cancelled my subscription and rely on the emails instead.

 

Due to something I'm working on, I happen to have a link handy for looking at trends over time for circulation: http://auditedmedia.com/news/research-and-data.aspx It doesn't quite go back to the start of Food Network Magazine, but pretty close - and I'm not seeing it ranking highly for subscriptions either.  It does have a pretty high rank for single copy sales though, so they must be doing something right at the grocery checkout!

[Totale]

This is a disgusting waste of talent. They've already done a show or two like this.

Eddie should be showing us HIS food....not another BBQ-er who's already been on the network at least once.

 

Because the grilling competition on the better established "Chopped" was so compelling this season they felt the need to recreate that magic again and again.

 

I tried to watch one of these FN travel shows this week, "Taco Trip" with Aaarrrrohhn.  I love tacos.  I don't even mind Aaarrrrohhn.  They went all around Denver and met people who cooked the usual meats in the conventional way that one cooks them, and placed them on tortillas heated the way you do with the type of toppings you expect on tacos.  Aaarrrrohhn said they tasted good, I bet they do.  Now what?

[Joe Blow]

We get a few different food magazines, but the Food Network one was consistently the worst.  We gave it a chance, but it was awful!

[Wings]

This is Bobby and Giada's show, they are not going anywhere.   I am resigned to this.    

Add a third judge.  Hugh (my boyfriend) would be a good addition.  I love his wit and that is needed here.  

Tyler has to go.   Eddie should replace him.  He and Valerie would make a good team.  

Attention production- Be clear on the rules and what is expected from the contestants with each challenge.  It isn't fun watching them struggle not knowing what you expect. 

The casting department needs an overhaul.   I find it hard to believe there wasn't more variety in food styles.