What's going on with the Food Network?
Have the FN folks lost their minds?? About the only thing worth watching on that channel is Barefoot, and they've whitteled her shows down to once a day and have scrapped her completely on the weekends...Good grief! Thoughts?
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34 Comments:
I'm still a fan of 30-minute meals, Throwdown, FN challenges (mainly the cake ones) and Iron Chef. But I don't care much for any of the new stuff. My all-time favorite is Good Eats, but I've seen all of those!
buffy at 10:12PM on 08/10/08
I've been wondering this myself. There was a time when I could watch the Food Network for hours, but that time has passed. I never catch the Barefoot Contessa, Good Eats comes on when I'm not home and the rest is just bad.
PumpkinBear at 10:59PM on 08/10/08
I like the commercials. Triscuits anyone?
JerzeeTomato at 12:12AM on 08/11/08
I've been watching Fine Living for some of the older real cooking shows. PBS on Saturdays is nice. Love Emeril Green. I still enjoy Good Eats, but I wish there were some new episodes.
beth1 at 1:23AM on 08/11/08
Good eats. FN is a fairly new channel in my area (about 3 yrs) and to be honest, in that 3 yrs its gone from bad to worse.
huneybumper at 7:20AM on 08/11/08
They are only showing what sells. You know how business works. As soon as people stop becoming sheeps to the slaughter being glued to the tv watching reality type shows/contests (don't people have enough drama in their lives?!?), their advertisers will notice this, which in turn will make the network execs change things. What kind of changes they make, who knows? :)
Cassaendra at 7:24AM on 08/11/08
LTEC - Your emphatic post echoes concern throughout the culinary community about the decay of TVFN programming. Unless this cycle of culinary television silliness comes to an abrupt end, TVFN won't have enough credibility to claim knowledge of how to boil water.
If you try really hard, you can scare up some worthwhile programming. Here is the schedule for Saturday, August 9. If I were stranded at home in front of the lobotomy box all day with a couple of broken limbs, I'd watch:
Chiarello @ 7:00 a.m.
Giada @ 7:30 a.m.
Nigella @ 8:00 a.m.
Jamie @ 9:30 a.m.
Giada (again) at 1:00 p.m.
Ellie Krieger @ 1:30 p.m.
Flay (possibly one of the two shows beginning at 4 or 4:30 p.m.)
(Apparently TVFN believes those who watch quality cooking instruction are all "morning people." I happen to be one so that suits me just fine. :D)
No Paula. No Rachael. No Neelys. No Shamdra. No Robin. No other unknowns who have yet to impress me. No fluff programming (Secret Life, Food Detectives, etc.) POSSIBLY one of the challenges if they don't have that stupid "move the cake" step. True competitions are fun to watch i.e. Hawaiian Challenge.
The exception would be Anne Burrell who is on Sunday mornings. A newcomer to TVFN, she's larger than life but her food is definitely worth making (albeit with a little less salt). Burrell is finding her way on TVFN and the hope is that she'll calm down just a tad.
Alton Brown (Good Eats) is not on Saturdays but his show is definitely worth watching.
chiff0nade at 7:36AM on 08/11/08
@ chiff.. "Shamdra" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!
I had the pleasure of doing an immense load of cupcakes on Saturday night and even though I pay an astrnomical amount of money for Directv, there wasn't a damn thing on. From 7pm-3am I watched the curry challenge on ICA THREE TIMES.
I miss new Ina's. At least she isn't slobbering and groping people.
ChelleyD01 at 7:58AM on 08/11/08
I can't tell you all how THRILLED I am the Olympics are on!! ;-)
izatryt at 9:23AM on 08/11/08
I think FN might be getting the hint. Ellie Krieger is now on every afternoon in my area @ 2:30 p.m. What a welcome change. Tyler Florence is fantastic but he needs new shows. The Saturday lineup in my area is quite good for FN. Hands down, PBS rocks with Lidia, etc. I continue to get really embarrassed for Paula when I run into a Paula's Party episode. Am I the only one who feels this way? I can't understand why anyone would want to watch Paula try to emulate Lucille Ball. "Let it go, Paula, and save your dignity. Stay in the kitchen." Geez...
dianeb at 9:28AM on 08/11/08
i used to be able to watch the fn for hours on end..... now, eh.
i love good eats, mario is always good. but who wants to see elaborate
cake decorating night after night. i don't think most people will be doing that anytime soon.....
and upwrapped???? who wants to actually see how they make junk food. leave it a mystery. some of the stuff is interesting, but i don't enjoy seeing huge vats of tootsie roll batter, et. al.....
giada -- too much. too cutsey. i don't trust skinny cooks anyway. i think the fn is losing viewers. i, too, watch the fine living network just to get away from the food network.
i also enjoy public tv's cooking shows. lydia, julia, jacques -- now they're class acts.
pooch at 9:28AM on 08/11/08
Guess Anne Burrell is shooting 13 new shows for FNTV (thank God) and she seems to be missing from the Sunday morning line up right now. So couldn't they re-run some of her shows especially for the people who didn't catch her first time around? They don't seem to have a problem airing older shows (saw an Alton Brown episode from 2004 the other day).
Also noticed none of her recipes are available on the website. They use to be...what gives?
Right now I use FNTV as white noise when I'm on the treadmill.
bessfour at 10:20AM on 08/11/08
I certainly agree with most of you that there is nothing on for most of the evening. Every once and in awhile Alton Brown does something interesting but I am soooo sick of Rachel Ray and her EVOO and Yummo and her zillions of products and magazines and ditto for Paula Deen. As for Mr. Bam himself, find him too much show and not enough cooking.
I do have to say that although I am not a continual viewer, I do enjoy the Nealeys (certainly not healthy and do get sick of them gushing over each other) and Guy's Big Bite.
I consistenly watch only Ina and as someone else mentioned, they have cut her back-but with good reason. As much as I like her, some of her shows have been on about 5 times now so I am glad she will be reappearing in the fall with some new shows-apparently no coincidence that she is coming out with a new book at the same time!
And what is with all the boobs (I mean the physical ones!) Between Giada and Nigella, I really don't think they have much cooking talent, but put some low cut shirts on them and they will make everyone take a look. Wow-that sure is how I look when I cook! (NOT!)
I hope this previously good network wakes up and takes off what I think are now reality food shows and puts back on the ones that really show you how to cook a meal or some interesting tips.
suschef at 11:42AM on 08/11/08
I passed the point of outrage a couple of years ago. Now I'm just tired and sad.
I miss the "real" cooking shows from the past. I loved watching and learning (even tho I'm a personal chef, there is always something new to learn!!) Now they are talking down to us so badly that I can't watch anymore...at all. I loved Barefoot Contessa, Tyler's Ultimate, etc. Also, not on FN, but the old Greatest Cooks series. And Too Hot Tamales? Remember them? Loved that show.
I know that they are intentionally attempting to "not intimidate the home cook"...WHAT?! Like all "home cooks" are idiots that have mentally-disabled cooking IQ's???? (Sorry, outrage came back for a weary second.) Anyway, whatever....they're making a serious mistake in their programming and it's going to come back to seriously bite them in their rearends. We'll see Bob Tuschman in a year or so having left FN for some work. Bunch of fools.
Chef Jo at 12:08PM on 08/11/08
There's not much to add here. You've pretty much all said it for me.
I will say this, though: If/when Ina goes, they lose me completely. She is the only one on that network I watch with any regularity at all. And, I would rather watch a Barefoot re-run than ANY of the new shows they have on now.
Their programming is horrendous.
Brownie at 12:53PM on 08/11/08
@ Brownie....Amen to that !!!!
letthemeatcake at 1:05PM on 08/11/08
I feel badly that I don't really like watching Ina. I think that she is a great cook, but to be honest, she is too staid for me. However, she is one of the more experienced and capable chefs on ths network, so it's nice to see her every now and then.
I just think that the network is just trying to play to the lowest common denominator, instead of how it used to be: trying to elevate the home cook a notch or two. It's just depressing.
I love Good Eats, but he needs to make more episodes. I also enjoy the challenges once in a while, along with Tyler Florence and Mario (I miss Molto Mario, anyone else?). I wish that they would just take a cue from FLM and PBS and once again try to take the home cook and raise us up a level.
@suschef: I am with you. Between Nigella and Giada, I feel like I need to go out and get some work done in order to cook! It's depressing!
Traveller at 1:17PM on 08/11/08
What is up with the continual "cake" shows?! between the "Ace of Cakes", and cake competition and challenges, it's just not that interesting to me. I'm sorry, but I just don't think that Sara and Giada are exceptional cooks that warrant tv shows. They cook like myself or people that I know, okay but not tv worthy. I don't agree with some others, including the blogger who stated feeling the network is trying to cater to the "lowest common denominator". Not wanting to assume, but when speaking to some, they tend to "fess" up to meaning new southern minority cooks, and southern food audiences. No one mentioned Paula, though which I found odd, and had to point it out to them. Even as a white woman, I find it offensive and outright overt on their part. There's nothing "low" about southern cooking which has been around since the beginning, and with all of its butter, fatty ingredients and southern "Yaw"lls", is still preferred. There's nothing wrong with 3 or 4 southern cooks out of the entire lineup on the network. Cooking "Light", fancy-named sauces, baked foods, etc. does not necessarily make a dish any more high-class than a good southern dish, regardless of whether a person feels they're catering to a new audience or not. I do not think that it brings down the "prestige" of the network; and all offer an array of dishes similar and equal to the other cooks. Ironically, most people I know feel that both Paula Dean, the Neeleys and the new star Aaron are the ones that brought life to the network!
sassy at 6:18PM on 08/11/08
If Alton Brown wasn't on FN, I wouldn't be watching it.
The only shows I watch on a regular basis are Good Eats and Iron Chef America.
Can't wait for AB's Feasting on Waves!
miseenplace08 at 9:52AM on 08/12/08
new episodes of Good Eats are starting to creep in there. Just saw a brand new episode last night.
wickedlady at 3:20PM on 08/12/08
Glad to know I'm not the only disillusioned one here. My early 20's were spent watching cooking shows on Saturday morning on PBS and I still miss the Two Fat Ladies. I too watched FN for hours or had it on as background. I still watch Alton and can't wait to see what he does in Feasting on Waves (we sailed for 2 years from San Diego and through the Panama Canal). But frankly I watch No Reservations on the Travel Channel and Fine Living these days. What I would really like to see are more cooking/history shows that really tell it like it is. For instance the truth about why the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Rock...it was not because they chose it, but because they were drinking up the sailors' beer. Then the show can go into the history of beer, how it's made how to cook with it, and how it helped start the revolution. Instead we get how to make a meal that I quit cooking years ago.
Ezzie at 3:32PM on 08/12/08
Sassy, I am the one who quoted, QUOTED!, the producers of TFN in saying they "don't want to intimidate the home cook". This is directly from their mouths and not an assumption on my part. That being said, I am no snob against Southern cooking, being a sixth-generation Texan myself. It has nothing to do with Southern vs. any other regional cooking style. It has everything to do with the powers that be no longer aspiring to something more educational and less entertaining. I don't watch "food television" to be entertained....I watch to learn and be inspired. Or, I did. I have to find instruction and inspriration elsewhere now...and that, my Southern friend, has absolutely nothing to do with what part of the country the food being prepared comes from.
Chef Jo at 5:47PM on 08/12/08
I think FN should inspire home cooks to be better, and if not better, more innovative, and even if not that, different than their daily bread and butter cooking. Something like Ina, or even Giada (her recipe difficulty is lower than her top, but they usually turn out pretty good), or Alton, where you learn something new, and not have to watch an old woman grope other party guests in a drunken haze.
browntown at 5:35AM on 08/13/08
Did you hear that gurgle and swoosh? Nearly deafening! It was FN being flushed to reside in crap hell. Damn shame.
PerkyMac at 9:37AM on 08/13/08
Wow, PerkyMac. That's pretty severe.
It's just a network, and it has hours to fill every day. And I expect that the people who are regulars here at Serious Eats do not comprise the bulk of FN's audience. Maybe we're more serious about food than the general audience and we're willing to go further and work harder in our recipes. But they're still trying to keep their eyes on the ball - RR's audience, I guess. I like a few of the FN shows (Alton, Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell, maybe Tyler), but there's not enough of them to fill the schedule. So you see tons of these "challenges" that are basically about making ridiculous cakes. Frankly, these aren't really cooking challenges; they're engineering challenges. There are other networks I watch for those!
minstrel at 10:03PM on 08/13/08
I teach 4th grade and my students love FN and it just dawned on me...FN is striving to appeal to the average 9 year old child. This really makes sense- the food challenges, the crazy cake decorating, etc.- this is designed to appeal to the cultural, intellectual and emotional sensibilities of a 9 year old.
deefine at 10:24PM on 08/13/08
I am going to agree. I loved Dinner Impossible and then because of a little issue they up and fire Robert Irvine and replace him with Micheal Symon. I think it was a terrible move and don't get me started on the bad programming choices they have made recently such as "Jamie at Home" and "The Gourmet Next Door", yeah right.
I don't know if this appropriate but I have started a petition to bring Robert Irvine back, if you would like to participate just go to my blog and comment. I think he is awesome and one of the best that FN had. Bring him back.
http://zoknowsfood.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/bringrobertback/
Thanks and sorry if this was inappropriate to put here but if those folks can save Jericho we can save Dinner Impossible and Robert Irvine.
thatruth2006 at 10:24PM on 08/13/08
Wait just a second. I agree with this question and the majority of the responses, but what about Jamie Oliver??!! I adore him and his show; think it really rocks. His cooking is simple, he uses loads of fresh veg, he's creative, and what a great tv personality and fresh language to boot!
Why do people have a problem with his show?
It's the ONLY one I watch on FN anymore. And Alton, if I catch him.
jbeach at 1:36PM on 08/14/08
Let me just apologize in advance for the lengthy post!
It seems as if every 2 or 3 weeks there is some TALK thread about the food network & how awful it is & how it used to be better & how the culinary world is coming to an end because of FNTV's crappy programming.
Yes...it is true....prior to FNTV, one had to channel surf and find cooking programs on PBS and other stations that had alternative programming. So, I was faithful FNTV viewer since day-one (like many in the SE community) because all of a sudden there was a channel with programming that appealed to me all in one place.
In the beginning the programming was sparse and the production value was low, but it consistently got better year after year....and the inventory of shows was growing. Eventually it became a commercial success, and we all loved it....to the point of wasting entire weekends watching it.
But....at some point....the network became irrelevant. It became more about the ratings, endorsements & celebrity chef schtick than about cooking, entertaining & food.
Like Paula Deen becoming a caricature of herself, the entire network became nothing more than a 24/7 infomercial for their sponsors & celebrity chefs.
Let's put this into perspective.....it's a Cable TV Channel....one out of hundreds.....so.....just turn the channel or shut it off and read a book, magazine or start a cooking club...but don't act as if the success of sandra lee is important...switching the channel makes her insignificant, endless discussions about her make her relevant.
And if you think there aren't alternatives to FNTV, think again...there are a lot of other programs out there....here's what I found in about 30 minutes of searching my cable provider, which is the reason I chose to post...to point out that there are alternatives:
PBS Series
America's Test Kitchen
Bake Decorate Celebrate!
BBQ America
BBQ University with Steve Raichlen
Best Recipes in the World With Mark Bittman of the NYT
Chefs A'Field
Christina Cooks
Cooking Under Fire
Cucina Sicilia
Everyday Baking from Everyday Food
Everyday Food
Food Trip with Todd English
Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie
Great Food
Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan
Julia Childs: Lessons with Master Chefs (compilation of her archive of programs)
Lidia's Family Table
Lidia's Italy
Martin Yan's China
The Meaning of Food
New Jewish Cuisine
New Scandinavian Cooking
Primal Grill with Steve Raichlen
Sara's Weeknight Meals (Moulton)
Taste of the Midwest
PBS Food (or related) Documentaries
Food for the Ancestors
Hidden Korea
A Hotdog Program
BBC America
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
Last Restaurant Standing
You are what you eat.
Style Network
Big Party Plan-off
Hot Guys who cook
Travel Network
Anthony Bourdain: no reservations
Bizarre foods with Andrew Zimmern
Taste of America
Food paradise
Fine living (aka FNTV-II the classics!)
The art of the party
The Best Of
Dinner Date
Emeril Live
Follow that Food
Food Finds
Great Cocktails
THE HEAT With Mark McEwan
Iron Chef Japan
I want that Kitchen!
Made to Order
The Martha Stewart Show
Napa Style
Molto Mario
The perfect summer party
Shopping with Chefs
The Thirsty Traveler
Wolfgang Puck
Discovery Health/FitTV
Truth About food
A Lyon in the Kitchen
Just Cook This
Blaine's low carb kitchen
HGTV/DIY
Kitchen Accomplished
Kitchen Renovations
Planet Green
Emeril Green
Supper Club
Notable Programs on other channels
Top Chef (Bravo)
Take Home Chef (TLC)
America Eats....series (History Channel)
2qrs at 2:17PM on 08/14/08
First, thanks 2qrs for that lineup. I am going to print your post because I keep getting confused as to what (good) cooking show airs on what channel.
Second, I thought a great deal of Chef Jo's post was worth addressing:
Sassy, I am the one who quoted, QUOTED!, the producers of TFN in saying they "don't want to intimidate the home cook". This is directly from their mouths and not an assumption on my part.
That's really too bad because we all know that every home cook wants another recipe for meatloaf or marinara. Do the PTB @ TVFN not think a home cook might like to whip together something impressive? TVFN should not be selling home cooks short. I was a home cook way before I owned a restaurant and I wasn't doing much less difficult stuff at home.
That being said, I am no snob against Southern cooking, being a sixth-generation Texan myself. It has nothing to do with Southern vs. any other regional cooking style.
I was so disappointed in Paula Deen because I wanted to learn more about southern cuisine. Not the insta-y'all stuff she's doing. I can't watch the Neelys for more than three minutes and I had high hopes for that show too because they purportedly own a restaurant.
It has everything to do with the powers that be no longer aspiring to something more educational and less entertaining. I don't watch "food television" to be entertained....I watch to learn and be inspired.
I want this engraved on a piece of granite and it will become the threshold over which every person must walk to get into my kitchen. Brava!
Or I did. I have to find instruction and inspriration elsewhere now...and that, my Southern friend, has absolutely nothing to do with what part of the country the food being prepared comes from.
Two snaps up, honey. Our great country features a many diverse cooking styles. I'd love to learn them all.
therealchiffonade at 3:20PM on 08/15/08
I feel likewise.
I'll usually only watch:
Good Eats
Feasting on Asphalt / Feasting on Waves
Iron Chef America
Dinner Impossible (especially now that Michael Symon is on)
For me, I watch for technique. I want my cooking to be better - to know the why and not just the how.
I wonder.
Have any of you expressed your concerns over at TFN?
They have a feedback page here.
All the best.
DanaMc at 3:25PM on 08/15/08
I 've been such a fan ever since TVFN came on my system.
The original Iron Chef caught my attention. I remember watching Sara Moulton on Cooking Live and Emeril Live at first and then I really started watching.
I starting watching Rachael Ray because she was on when I got home from work and I was making dinner. After picking up some tips, I bought a 7' Santoku chef's knife and I haven't stopped since!
All along the way I could have TVFN on all day on the weekend. Almost always something I liked. But lately it is unbearable. If it wasn't for Ina I would loose it. I love her food and I actually try to make the dishes she prepares. I just made her triple raspberry sauce and it is so good!! What a concept, watching a cooking show to learn how to cook or expand your repertoire.
For me it started with Sandra Lee and her sicky sweet "cooking" and it continues to the likes of Ingrid Hoffman and The Neely's. Plus the obvious favoritism on their Next FN Star shows. Not to mention the entire Paula Deen story. Come on, she did more to harm US/French relations in one trip to Paris..... you get the point.
The bottom line is I now have so many wonderful 'go to' recipies because of watching TVFN that it's so disappointing to see what they have become.
BostonFoodMan at 3:57PM on 08/17/08
It's a cable channel that sells advertising, folks, not an artist or a non-profit group with a cause. They wouldn't be doing what they're doing if it wasn't profitable, and it's quixotic to expect a cable network to have some high sense of integrity. I don't expect Lifetime to honestly depict women, or MTV to actually be about music.
renzata at 4:47PM on 08/17/08
PS I watch the channel seldom but I regularly consult the website for recipes, especially if it's something Emeril might have contributed or, conversely, Ellie might have lightened up.
renzata at 4:49PM on 08/17/08