The Next Food Network.."Star"?

[hsm]

I thought the audience's uncomfortable, cool response when he came out was well-deserved.

What with all the Paul/Jag awareness, I had to read this a few times before I got your point.

As much as I think some of these (did I say "some?") reality shows might be heavily influenced by producers and networks, Rory got the shock of her life when Emeril announced Amy's name. I'm also sorry she couldn't have just plastered on the Miss America Runner Up smile. I also noticed that Emeril congratulated Amy when he first came on stage. Unfortunately, he didn't have it together enough to also offer congratulations to Rory (as a finalist) to cover his little faux pas - and it wasn't on the teleprompter. (Yikes, he looked like he was on heavy steroids.)

[Dignan]

This was sure a peculiar show, though I missed a lot of it because Bear Grylls' food show was more interesting.

One bit I did catch was when Rory introduced her cowboy, who was in the studio audience. The camera focused on him, but with a shot that was about a thousand yards out. His was but one head amongst others in the middle distance. I thought it odd that they didn't frame him. Did they show him more distinctly in her little background expose'?

[kathryn sossen]

Wow- gotta agree- Emeril looked terrible- I caught the faux pas when he congratulated Amy too. I also wondered where her husband was- very low key. Felt sorry for Rory, but the meltdown was a little much. Bourdain on Ruhlmans blog was a gas. On to next season.

[Reignking]

Did they show him more distinctly in her little background expose'?

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Yes, he was interviewed...but you're right, the stage shot was strange. Maybe he wasn't used to all 'dem fancy lights and stuff

I wouldn't be surprised if JAG is hired as a cook, somewhere...perhaps by Flay.

[Terrasanct]

I missed the final episode--is there anywhere to see it? I looked at the food network online but they only had a small clip.

[LoriZig]

I thought the audience's uncomfortable, cool response when he came out was well-deserved.

What with all the Paul/Jag awareness, I had to read this a few times before I got your point.

As much as I think some of these (did I say "some?") reality shows might be heavily influenced by producers and networks, Rory got the shock of her life when Emeril announced Amy's name. I'm also sorry she couldn't have just plastered on the Miss America Runner Up smile. I also noticed that Emeril congratulated Amy when he first came on stage. Unfortunately, he didn't have it together enough to also offer congratulations to Rory (as a finalist) to cover his little faux pas - and it wasn't on the teleprompter. (Yikes, he looked like he was on heavy steroids.)

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Ha! Yeah, I guess that would be a little unclear, considering some of the context around it! Oops!

And THANK YOU-- I thought that he congratulated Amy and not Rory when he came out, but I was reading Harry Potter at the same time and my husband assured me that he said something to both. I knew it!

I also agree with you 100% that Rory really did get the shock of her life. She really thought she had it in the bag.

I actually feel a little bad for poor Emeril. That whole debacle of rolling him out was kind of sad.

[LoriZig]

I missed the final episode--is there anywhere to see it?  I looked at the food network online but they only had a small clip.

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Terrasanct, I don't know of anywhere online, but the Food Network is re-broadcasting it all over the place. Here's what I took off of TVGUIDE.com

FOOD Thu, Jul 26

9:00 PM Finale

FOOD Fri, Jul 27

12:00 AM Finale

FOOD Sat, Jul 28

2:00 PM Finale

[Morgan_Weber]

I was in my car yesterday, listening to the Ron & Fez Show on XM, when they announced that Amy would be on for an interview. She did a good job. Of course, she couldn't get very real, because she can't "show the network in a bad light". But caller's asked some pretty good questions--and some tough questions regarding the JAG debaucle. I think she was as honest about the incident as FN would let her be...glossing over most of it in a wonderfullly 'coached' manner. More than likely Ron & Fez will be replaying it this weekend.

I do wish Amy the best, even if Food Network doesn't get behind her 100%. I think she's a good cook and has some good chops. Once Paul went home, she was my pick.

M

PS. Amy did talk about her husband on the R&F show yesterday. I think they're doing fine. She said nothing that would make me assume otherwise.

Edited July 24, 2007 by Morgan_Weber (log)

[MarkIsCooking]

Glad to hear Amy was chatting about her husband and all is well there. I was talking with someone who said that - based on the description of Amy's home life, living on a compound, etc., that she might be into polygamy. I think my friend has been watching too much of the Big Love series. [Fun show, by the way. I think the guy is superman. 3 wives, a business, lots of kids and he's been thinking about maybe adding wife 4.]

-Mark-

[hsm]

Good. I was hoping that Amy and her husband chose to keep he and their kids (mostly) out of the famewhore spotlight. Another thought - the kids don't need to see her lose, if that were to be the case, and if she won, do they really need to be embraced by Uncle Emeril, Cousin Tush and the big balloons?

[Dignan]

Did they show him more distinctly in her little background expose'?

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Yes, he was interviewed...but you're right, the stage shot was strange. Maybe he wasn't used to all 'dem fancy lights and stuff

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I was reminded of "A League of Their Own," when they showed the not so attractive Marla Hooch in the newsreel. First, all the pretty girls in closeups, the Marla across the diamond in position at 2d base.

"And Marla Hooch! What a hitter!"

[chappie]

My mom, a hopeless Food Network devotee, is tragically addicted to this show and will not make the switch to Top Chef despite my repeated proddings.

This is a really, really bad show. I didn't see the finale. Rory was kind of cute, gums and all, but the rest of it washed right over me. The only thing I can honestly recall from the couple of episodes I squinted at were loads and loads of tears and those Food TV execs getting lots of face time on the judging panel.

I might have to witness the end in rerun just to see the postmorem Emeril. What happened to him? Did he OD on the corn syrup used to sweeten his garbage supermarket sauces or inhale too many fumes from the Chinese sweatshops churning out his utterly laughable flimsy plastic signature cookware?

[Cookie Dibs]

What's the deal with Emeril's show? Is FN moving him out of his timeslot? Who's replacing him?

[MarkIsCooking]

I don't know the specific ratings, but Emeril's show has been declining in positioning of late. When he was hot/hot/hot, he was on at 9pm. They moved him to 8pm at the start of primetime to try and provide some carrry-over benefit to whatever they put on after him. Now, though, they've moved him to 7pm, a much less desirable slot, so I'm assuming his ratings have slipped quite a bit. It's so hard for people not to tire of the whole 'bam' and 'I wish you had smell-a-vision' routine. I saw a recent show where he had Jacques Peppin on (promoting his new coffee table book and how can you not love JP?). I thought that show was much better than usual, but it really was due to my love of JP.

If I was in charge of FN (waiting for the job offer any day now), I would have the NFNS finale be a live show (maybe 90 minutes). I'd use the home votes to count as 50% of the final vote and the other 50% determined by judges - and - have that last show some sort of live competition/challenge. Sure, you can feather in some retrospective footage here and there when you go to commercial if you want I think the pace would be far better and the would be much more interesting. What do you think????

-Mark-

[RMeierdirks]

I just watched the clip with Emeril. Though he did only say "congratulations" directly to Amy when he shook their hands, when he addressed the audience, he did congratulate them both by name.

[kalypso]

Now, though, they've moved him to 7pm, a much less desirable slot, so I'm assuming his ratings have slipped quite a bit.  It's so hard for people not to tire of the whole 'bam' and 'I wish you had smell-a-vision' routine.

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As someone has noted somewhere, Emeril no longer fits the profile of the channel he helped put on the map.

That said, also as noted, he did not look especially healthy during TNFNS finale. He also has 2 young children under the age of 4, multiple restaurants in mulitple locations across the U.S., and needed to get his NOLA restos back up and running after Katerina. His empire include many hundreds of employees. The kids alone are enough to tire anyone out

Things run in cycles and all things eventually run their course. Emeril was at the right place at the right time when many Americans were beginning to be more interested in cooking and food. More than likely his time in the spotlight has run it's course. For all we know he may want to move on from FTV as well, whether to spend more time with his young family, open more restaurants or simply retire, we don't know. But I did notice that after his son was born the time between new episodes increased and then again after his daughter was born.

Certainly FTV is going in new directions that probably don't include Emeril, but I would also suspect that Emeril would like to go in some new directions that don't include the Food Network.

[LoriZig]

What do you think????

-Mark-

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I think you should be the producer, quite frankly!!

[rconnelly]

Wow- gotta agree- Emeril looked terrible- I caught the faux pas when he congratulated Amy too.  I also wondered where her husband was- very low key.  Felt sorry for Rory, but the meltdown was a little much.  Bourdain on Ruhlmans blog was a gas.   On to next season.

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I don't think it was a faux pas at all upon a second watching. It looked more like a general congrats to both. As far as the way he looked.... I think his underwear was too tight!

I watched Rory's reaction to losing again. I'm even more unimpressed by her poor manners. She knew she had a 50/50 chance. I just think she likes herself a tad too much. Two reality shows! Get real!

Edited July 27, 2007 by rconnelly (log)

[srhcb]

Guy's new show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" is pretty good.  Monday nights at 10 eastern.

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I thought "....Star" was stupid, and was prepared to dislike Guy's Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, but I'll admit to really enjoying the show!

It makes me want to cook hamburgers every night!

SB (who, fortunately, has no weight or cholesterol problems )(yet )

Edited August 12, 2007 by srhcb (log)

[Slamdunkpro]

Guy is much better in "host" mode than "TV chef" mode where he's terrible. But I still miss Officer Chris

[PDC]

Amy Finley's The Gourmet Next Door debuts Oct 14 and 12pm. Wow, they're not burying her early in the morning.

[kalypso]

San Diego Union Tribune article about Amy Findley and her new show.

[racheld]

Four days of shooting?

What might the salary level be for such a strenuous career?

Do all the FN "stars" do their own shows in such a compressed time frame---comparatively speaking? They could ALL live in France and just zip over from time to time.

[Reignking]

Fantastic! FN has dumbed down the show because they don't want her to be her -- apparently, being a Francophile doesn't appeal to the Rachel Ray devotees.

"She hadn't seen a reality show before her Food Network experience because she doesn't own a television."

Wow. That does explain the kids' names, though.

[Doodad]

Amy Finley's The Gourmet Next Door debuts Oct 14 and 12pm.  Wow, they're not burying her early in the morning.

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No, just up against the kickoff of the first NFL games of the day. Still a "buried", football widow slot.

And I do look forward to her show, but in repeats not football time.