Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Before I express my opinion, I am on the consumer panel that reviews Food Network shows BEFORE they are put on the air. Some are great, some good, and some are not so good.
Scripps-Howard, the owner of the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, are statistically driven. They look at ratings and they look at feedback received from viewers. The original format of the Food Network - hour after hour of cooking shows - was generating decreasing viewership. So they switrched to more watchable programming. Look, I like cooking shows but nightly Sara Moulton and Emeril Lagasse shows was getting very stale. And they were a massive step above 90% of what you find on PBS.
We almost never watch Food Network. But over the past decade, as I have taken more interest in cooking, I rely more and more on their website for recipes and cooking tips. Occasionally, via the website, I become aware of an old show that's in re-runs. That led me to DVR'ing some Anne Burrelle half hour shows -- Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, if I remember correctly.
We've also learned to turn to YouTube to learn specific techniques.
I once told a friend that I'd rather watch paint dry than watch someone cook. He said, "Yes, and you do it all the time!" And he was right -- at that point in my life I was watching three or four hours a day of HGTV decorating shows and I did, indeed, watch paint dry!
Who are they and what direction are they going in? If you've been watching you've probably seen how much their original mission has changed...if they ever had one.
If you think that they ever had a high standard for their programming content, then I have to tell you that you are mistaken. Many years ago, I can recall watching a program on Tex-Mex cooking on that channel, and the presenter (a woman whom I haven't seen on TV for many years) was unable to correctly pronounce one of the ingredients that she was using, namely Chipotle peppers. Her garbled pronunciation seemed to be a bit different each time that she referred to those peppers, but she was definitely not pronouncing them as Chi-pote-lay.
At the end of the program, they displayed her recipe on the screen and--sure enough--the peppers were spelled as "Chipotty".
Let's see...a supposed authority on Tex-Mex cooking who is unable to correctly pronounce one of her key ingredients, and who apparently also has no clue regarding the spelling of that ingredient. To me, that indicates very low standards for their programming content.
I watched Giada at my mom's house a week or so ago. Usually I don't watch those channels because I don't care about America's Next Top Cupcake or what people can make in 30 minutes using ingredients that don't go together. But Giada was on so I watched. She cooked some good-lookings things, then she ate them. Literally every single time she took a bite, she talked with her mouth full. Two shows, back to back. Every single time. Her cleavage was nice though.
I much prefer Cooking Channel as it seems to actually have shows where people can learn something about cooking, versus stupid competitions or game shows. PBS has some good options too including my favorite "A Chef's Life".
Stopped watching years ago, but before I stopped watching the only thing I was watching on the channel anymore was Good Eats. I enjoyed Tyler Florence and Anne Burrell's shows, and even (horror of horrors) occasionally RR (there were some useful quick cooking tips I picked up watching that, I admit it). I understand that the nighttime programming was getting "stale" and they wanted to mix things up, but I just don't know what kind of people actually enjoy watching cooking competitions and the same re-hashed visits to restaurants and "how it's produced" shows. Oh well, to each his own.
I do watch chopped on occaision, but I pretty much never tune into Food Network anymore where I used to watch everything they did. I miss shows like Mario's, and Emeril (though his schtick did get stale), Bobby Flay, and all the others. Shows that could inspire you to try something, or show you new techniques. It's a shame that it's become shock-jock reality tv programing now, and it is rather annoying.
I, too, get sick of the competitions with weird ingredients. I remember the earlier days of FTV--Too Hot Tamales, Sean Donnellan cracking jokes while sidekick Cathy sat on a stool offering advice on How to Boil Water. Even Two Fat Ladies was fun to watch, though I never liked their food choices.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
