The 'New York Times' Is Not a Fan of Ted Allen's New Food Network Show
The New York Times is unimpressed with Ted Allen's new Food Network show, Food Detectives, with unkind words for the "owlish" and "oddly peripheral" Top Chef judge: "You can call it the Ted Allen Rule: the best qualification for being a reality host or judge is having been a reality host or judge."
By coining this rule, critic Mike Hale questions Allen's credentials to judge on Top Chef, and whether having Queer Eye on his resume was enough to land him the Top Chef gig to begin with.
The show's segments on baking soda (do they really make our fridge smell better?) and celery (negative calories in there?) are called "thuddingly unsurprising." The review even takes a dig at the Food Network, bemoaning its downward spiral:
Those who complain that the Food Network’s best days are in the not-too-recent past... will only feel more disillusioned after watching Food Detectives.
The second episode of Allen's Bill Nye-reminiscent food science show will air tonight at 9 p.m. EST, with topics including: the sanitary impact of double-dipping chips and ginger's role in preventing motion sickness.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
26 Comments:
I would rather see Carson do this show. It would be far more entertaining than monotone Ted. Someone call Carson, Jai and Tom can rescue this show.
JerzeeTomato at 4:19PM on 08/05/08
the show also looks like it costs a ton to produce. i like ted though, it stinks FN had to throw money at him and drag his name through the mud.
z911empire at 4:32PM on 08/05/08
I suppose I could Google this but: what did Ted Allen do before Queer Eye that got him on tv to begin with?
Amandarama at 4:40PM on 08/05/08
He was a restaurant critic for Chicago magazine and elsewhere.
me3dia at 4:44PM on 08/05/08
The quote above is the one I took away from this review. Second to that was the Rosengarten reference.
I'm sorry Allen's show is not being well received because I held out high hopes for it. If they'd let the guy cook, I think I'd enjoy his show. FN scored an inside-the-park home run with Secrets of a Restaurant Chef but it doesn't look like there will be a streak anytime soon.
therealchiffonade at 4:45PM on 08/05/08
I actually like this show a lot. Ted was always my favorite queer eye guy and appreciate the scientific approach to food things. Plus it helped end a long debate with my boyfriend about baking soda's deodorizing qualities. (I lost, but at least we know now!)
mayam at 4:45PM on 08/05/08
His Wikipedia entry says he worked for a weekly community Chicago newspaper, as a freelancer and then senior editor of Chicago magazine, and finally as a contributing editor for Esquire.
Raphael at 4:49PM on 08/05/08
I understand the appeal of the show, but most of the myths he's testing have already been done mythbusters. If he was doing much cooler, Harold McGee type stuff, I'd be more interested. The first episode was a bit of a dud though.
Phil W. at 4:52PM on 08/05/08
The whole concept strikes me as "Good Eats" meets "Mythbusters" with zero new material to add. It looks like a kids show and it lacks enough science guts to make it convincing. I had high hopes; I'll be watching tonight in case the pilot was just particularly bad.
DJ Dedd at 5:06PM on 08/05/08
It just sounds dull, despite Ted Allen, who's really rather a pleasant fellow. FoodNetwork is dull and getting duller. Is food TV in general failing?
Suddenly I remember Graham Kerr in his Galloping Gourmet days. Now THAT was FUN!
Pointy at 5:16PM on 08/05/08
Yup, sounds like a snooze fest. TVFN sucks. I'm glad I don't have cable anymore.
simon at 5:31PM on 08/05/08
He's gotta work on the delivery. Its weird, but it seems like he's telling a bad joke and waiting for us to laugh.
I really like the guy though and think he could pull it off if the subject matter improves as well as his delivery.
Kimc54 at 5:53PM on 08/05/08
2nd that - TVFN sucks!
GingerSnap at 7:22PM on 08/05/08
I didn't think the show was so bad? And it's not like the New York Times has broken any new ground in journalism since about WWII?
I guess maybe the best qualification for being a newspaper is having been a newspaper.
srhcb at 8:06PM on 08/05/08
That review couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Ted Allen is a crashing bore (with or without the other gays to prop him up). Even Padma is more insightful and witty than he is.
Tokyorosa at 10:19PM on 08/05/08
He just needs to tone it down, a LOT!
He's so over the top in our face that I want to pull back from the TV when he starts talking.
The content is typical TV Food Network low level stuff. Did anyone expect anything more?
The big problem is his onscreen delivery.
peekpoke at 12:03AM on 08/06/08
I agree with peekpoke - Ted's delivery is just over the top, and it seems like he's SHOUTING AT THE CAMERA! the whole time. With the first episode, it doesn't help that Good Eats did the exact same testing with the chile peppers in a far more engaging style in Chile's Angles (OK, that was seven years ago, but hey - it's still in reruns!).
We'll give it one more try, but that first episode was dismal.
DuncanHusky at 8:43AM on 08/06/08
I'm not sure that I'd put all the blame on the host. While Ted's a bit grating, it's the mute oompa-loompa food helpers who really put me off this show.
blueskyman at 9:10AM on 08/06/08
Other than most of the show's "tests" have already been done on Mythbusters or Good Eats, it has promise. If they can get the food techs to quit over acting and get a decent script, it could turn out well.
acroninj at 11:50AM on 08/06/08
The problem isn't Ted Allen. This is just another lame show concept from FN. Only 2 epidodes so far and it already looks like they're straining for material. Who is this supposed to be aimed at? If feels like a science show for Junior High School students. I always like Ted Allen when he's a guest judge on Iron Chef. He knows his stuff, without coming across as arrogant, like some of the other judges. But he's all wrong for this show. It's like they're trying to turn him into another Alton Brown, and that's just not his personality. (There's only one Alton Brown.)
bluepiano at 12:09PM on 08/06/08
I actually really liked the show. It was funny, informative and interesting. I think Ted Allen is a great host for the show.
EatWisconsin at 12:49PM on 08/06/08
Ted Allen is an intelligent man. This show seems "dumb" for him. As a TOPCHEF fanatic and fan of Iron Chef, I am disappointed to see him in such a role. He is much better than a host. That program is much more suited for the "Ham on the Street" host.
supersu75 at 1:11PM on 08/06/08
I recorded an ep of Allen's show and finally watched it. No season pass.
To Allen, I say not "get a life," but get a knife. If you know how to cook well enough to let the talent define your contribution on Queer Eye, you certainly know enough to keep me entertained.
The show was "cute" and TVFN doesn't need anymore "cute," they need more "pertinent."
therealchiffonade at 11:01AM on 08/07/08
As much as it pains me to admit it, I have to agree that the show itself was kind of mehh. I love Ted, so I was psyched that he was getting his own show, but like so many have said, it seems a kind of sad knock-off of "Good Eats".
That being said, I'll still be watching every week, not only for Ted, but for the knock-me-down surprise that I actually KNOW the molecular biologist that helped with the 5-second-rule test! He graduated from my school just this past spring and was in an improv comedy group with a friend of mine. I just hope they give him some better material -- he's a LOT funnier than they gave him the opportunity to be.
kfarrel3 at 11:45AM on 08/07/08
I watched part of the first episode and HATED IT! It's far too gimmicky and the science behind most of the verdicts was questionable at best. (Example: cooked shrimp harbors more bacteria than hard-shelled candy. Groundbreaking stuff.) AB (of whom I'm a great fan) might have done a better job, but I'm not sure even he could have saved FN from themselves on this one.
I don't know much about Ted Allen himself, other than his role on Queer Eye, but I agree with the other posters that his delivery is terrible. Enough with the barking already and just talk to us like we're adults!
I won't watch it again.
btcan at 5:41PM on 08/07/08
I second all opinions about how Ted Allen does not seem to have the credentials to judge anything relating to food. However, if I am wrong and he really does, he still has a problem because he doesn`t know how to express them in a reassuring way. His comments are just not intelligent, knowledgeable or even remotely intesting. Plus, who told him he is funny? Some people should just realize that they are not funny and accept it! I didn`t like him in QE and every time I see him on a panel, the show loses major points for me.
karla at 3:08PM on 01/01/09