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I watched an episode of this last night sort of unintentionally...I guess I've never watched it before, but judging from this episode, this show is terrible! Top Chef is way better.

Hillary
Chew on That

I watched it last night to see if Lisa would get booted off first. Awful show!!

I was so annoyed that they didn't even really tell the one who was kicked off (Corey?) why she was kicked off. They took Corey's own words and said she was so "dark". Is "dark" a new name for tongue-tied? For deer-in-headlights? Don't those two FN execs fall in the same category?

About Lisa, I thought the last of those died out in 50's boarding schools.

@Blue Iris - lmao here.

@Butrflygirly - That's Lisa. I really wanted her to get booted off last night. She really needs a reality check!

You're hooked, @izatryt. Admit!

What Lisa needs is a body check, like they do it in hockey. See, I've started hating her now, to avoid the rush later on.

I didn't see the show last night - is Corey the comedian from Last Comic Standing a couple seasons back? Corey Kahaney? It looked sort of like her in the commercials, but I wasn't sure.

Why wasn't last year's Food Network Star among the Food Network "stars" judging last night? Maybe because the network really didn't promote last year's winner's show, and it died a swift death? I feel a little bad that I can't even remember last year's winner's name! If the network didn't work with it's newest "star" to develop a good show ( which would only be in their own best interest) then why bother with the whole competition? The Neeleys? Where the heck did they come from?
Sorry ... I kind of went off on a little tangent there ...
Yes, Lisa has to get knocked down several pegs, and so does Nipa! I'll give it a couple of more episodes before I bail.

Amy Findlay won last year and her show bombed 3 minutes after it started. I agree about Nipa too, but Lisa has me aggravated more. I will watch it this week, then make a decision whether or not to continue. This is a "one show at a time" decision.

@Markbb: Yes. Why do they glare at the contestants? No matter how un-likeable (is that a word?) and/or lame the contestants are, they deserve some honest and helpful criticism of the way they appear on TV, being that they apparently want to be on TV.
All I can figure is that FN hopes another Guy Fieri will fall into their laps and they won't have to do the hard work of developing new shows?

Thanks, Blue Iris and brooke29. If I recall correctly, yeah, she was pretty funny and got rather far in the show.

OMG! I tried watching it last night, but it was just painful for me. Top Chef is so much better, and I feel like Food Network is trying too hard to compete with it.

Who actually has "made it" from the winners of those shoes, as far as getting anywhere with their own show? Correct me if I'm wrong, but not many, if any have...

Oh Food Network, what's happened to you...

terrible, terrible, terrible!

What is really sad here is that the FN has become fodder for non stop criticism by just about anybody who has an interest in food. What does this say people?

This show is so stupid. I watched 10 minutes after seeing the contestants (including the Posh Spice twin) and had to turn it.

Hell's Kitchen RULES! Top Chef stinks. I don't like that show anymore.

Gordon Ramsay is funny and at least he doesn't sit behind a table and say "please pack your knives and go."

@Paris, haha, I called her Posh Spice too!

@Paris and Southern_Bella: If you could only hear me yelling at the TV. Get Posh Spice off the show...I loved it when she annoyed Alton and that stupid flower fell from her head. She said she was going to reference "The 3 C's" in her commercial but stopped after 2-or maybe that was me tuning her out...Cooking, Community Service, and...?

@ Southern_bella and Butrflygirly - yes! I found it absolutely brilliant that Alton was really, visibly annoyed by Lisa - and if I remember correctly, she was the only one who drew that kind of reaction from him. I also told my husband at some point that if I heard about her "3 C's" one more time, my head was going to explode. They were, if I am not mistaken: Cooking Education, Community Outreach and Culinary Crafts. Have I mentioned that I am cursed with a very good memory? Don't ask me why I remember this. I have better things to do, really.

I wasn't planning on watching. That Corey person from Last Comic Standing was competing? What? Are the copious headliner road gigs she must have booked from her early brush with reality fame drying up? She wasn't able to leverage 45 minutes of material into a sitcom? I'm shocked. [/sarcasm]

Nope. Still not gonna watch.

@fatitalianbroad - Good one! ROFL

I got such a bad taste in my mouth from the drama on Hell's Kitchen that food-contest winners don't really interest me. Guy Fiero won one of those contents, right? I can't watch 10 seconds of him.

The only reality-based food program I've ever really enjoyed 100% is one shot at Johnson & Wales called Cooking School Stories. I remember the students and techniques and found the food prep very interesting. The instructor (chef) was constructively critical at times but didn't attempt to humiliate or verbally eviscerate his students in the interest of entertainment. The series wasn't grandiose or a characature of the culinary profession which is probably why it flopped.

I want to know why Sandra Lee was on the judges' panel...all she did was whine about the bread and talk about how much she hated curry.

I am going to make dinner in my stilettos tonight! I was waiting for someone to bring up aunt sandy. ;-O My husband was begging me to change the channel. But it was like watching the OJ chase......I just couldn't push the button!

@bangieB - Right On!!

@chiff - Right On!!

@chiff - inadvertently, Sandy provided my favourite minute and a half of the show (I wrote about it yesterday, way upthread). Or rather, Giada did, because of the way she reacted to Sandy's comment. I loved every second of it. That said, I also kept repeating, like a crazy person, "how can she judge food??? It is so wrong, on so many levels!"

I too has happy to see Nipa as a contestant. I was really put off by her arrogance! Maybe after this past week she will settle down. I hope so as I only want to hate one contestant!

@annien - I hope it isn't too many eps in the future because I am not sure how much of this I can take. I have a tiny threshold for....Actually, I am not sure what "for" is this time. :-O

No wonder Emeril is moving to FLN!

I'm actually a fan of the show. The competition combines two of my loves, food and performance. I enjoy the extra layer added by the fact that great cooking does not necessarily a great tv host make. Also, as intriguing as the food on Top Chef is, I just can't deal with that level of overwrought interpersonal drama. People are cruddy enough to each other in the real world - I'd rather not have my often precarious faith in humanity further destroyed by watching contestants psychologically shred each during my leisure time. And yes, I know that the show intentionally tries to portray the contestants in a relatively positive light because it's necessary to the branding of the new show that will hopefully be created. Don't mind. (Though of course, they have to have a delicious cartoon villain that people love to hate, hence the casting of Lisa. Those of you crying for her dismissal will be missing her like crazy once she's gone - count on it ;-)).

I agree that Nipa's coming off pretty badly. It's really a shame - she teaches at the cooking school I volunteer at, and I've audited one of her classes, and she was absolutely wonderful! Super down to earth, lots of fun, great food. Either she's super nervous and overcompensating as a result, or a victim of manipulative editing, or both.

I watched an entire day of reruns a week or so ago and what i liked about the show was that the judges are not nearly as snarky as Padma Lakshmi is on Top Chef; but dearly beloved, why oh why is this show even on the air? Never again will i waste an entire day watching this (or anything like it) even while i am working in the kitchen at home. Don't care for Giada, either-- she's kinda snarky and exactly WHAT are her credentials, anyway?

Oh yes I thought it was Posh spice

I remember Kelsey from her show on local cable. She is sooooo Provo I can't believe it.

I watched the first 2 seasons of TNFNS but missed the third one. I can't believe that if it's going to "change you life forever" you would put a winner like Party Line on at 4am!!! Oh and that's doubly confusing because FN here goes to infomercials until 7am.

I just watched the season opener of season 4 today and I'll probably keep watching it just to see Lisa go. She just isn't someone who seems like she can work with other people and/or be a part of the FN "family". (Plus I can't wait to see her biff it in those heels too!!)

However, what I really want to say about all this is WHY aren't they giving the challengers from Bobby Flay's Throwdown their own shows?????? Most of those people are already being fooled into thinking they're on a FN show and they do great, right off the bat! Offer them the shows they thought they were going to be on in the first place and we could avoid all this silliness and maybe get some good new shows! (Like the Muffaletta challenge that was on this afternoon. A sandwich show, like they thought they were on would be great and they were naturals!)

I caught part of the new contest - only watched because of what I read here. Lisa wants to be connected to the 3C's, but I think of her as the 3P's.........Pretentious Pompous Posh. Cooking in heels is hilarious. OTOH, can you see her flopping around in Mario's orange clogs? I hope they keep her around for awhile - it would be fun to see her knocked off those high heels and breathe the same air as the rest of the population.

We have all learned that it makes absolutely no difference who wins anyway. FN is SO dumbed down and it's such a shame. Shamdra is a judge????? Holy Cool Whip! I'll watch the "STARS" (GAG) if I happen to run across it, but it's not high on my list. Only a few keepers left as far as interesting cooking shows are concerned and that's all I'm interested in seeing.

@chiffonade - Yup, chiff, 'tis true; Sandy was a judge. Methinks she finagled a spot on the panel to give herself credibility.