Chris Kimball is leaving America's Test Kitchen - contract dispute

[IndyRob]

I like Bridget and Julia as well, but am having trouble imagining them doing some sort of co-hosting thing.  I recently happened upon some of the very first ATK's and was stunned to see that Chris was very hands on - sharing the prep-work, and demonstrating techniques during the recipe demos.  I think they eventually found that it was better if he stepped back and became the observer.  So much so that a child wrote in to say that she liked ATK because "they helped Chris cook."

 

It seems like it would've been easy to find a personable host whose relative ignorance would be an advantage.

 

Anyway, I think it would be hard to ruin the show, and I'm quite curious to see how they'll handle it.

[rotuts]

I have all the shows in some fashion as QT movies on my comp.

 

almost all I capped myself.

 

of note from the first season:

 

everyone was much much thinner then.

 

some, now, indeed in the last season, would be politely called  ' stout '

 

Id say Stout +++

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stout

 

see # 2 first part.

 

Sooo much testing to do !

[Brown Hornet]

I don't really watch the ATK too much anymore but I did want to add that I have one of their old cookbooks for Soups and Stews and in general I think it's a fantastic reference. Unlike the show, which has obvious time constraints, the cookbook has detailed explanations about how they developed their recipes and their thought process in choosing to include or omit certain ingredients or techniques.  I found that information very helpful in developing my own preferred recipes.   

[rotuts]

@Brown Hornet   

 

I completely agree

 

the problem for me began about 15 or so years ago when a new book Id just gotten , of the format you mention

 

seemed to contained < 50 % new materiel.  I checked with the books I already had.

 

back then, I was able to call them, they answered the actual phone in Brookline MA  and admitted that 40 % or so of in the book I had in hand

 

had  previously been published in their previous books.

 

and no, they failed to disclose that then, nor do they seem to bother now.

Edited March 4, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[ElsieD]

5 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Brown Hornet   

 

I completely agree

 

the problem for me began about 15 or so years ago when a new book Id just gotten , of the format you mention

 

seemed to contained < 50 % new materiel.  I checked with the books I already had.

 

 

back then, I was able to call them, they answered the actual phone in Brookline MA  and admitted that 40 % or so of in the book I had in hand

 

had  previously been published in their previous books.

 

and no, they failed to disclose that then, nor do they seem to bother now.

I used to have a bunch of their books and I did some cross checking and found a lot of  repetition.  Once i discovered that, and the fact that nowhere did they ever mention that a number of the recipes could be found in their other books, I became very disillusioned with them and stopped buying anything from them.

Having a financial background, the word that comes to mind is "churning".

[rotuts]

Id consider the term " a violation of copyright "

 

even if the copyright is yours, republishing requires a ref to the first.

[rotuts]

this is a PR email sent to a friend :

 

 

 

Dear Viewer,

 

Because you are a loyal fan, I wanted to make sure you had an 

inside scoop on the news and were the first to hear it from 

me.

 

As you might know, Chris Kimball has recently departed 

Americas Test Kitchen. This marks the end of Chris tenure as 

a contributor to the TV shows Americas Test Kitchen and 

Cooks Country as well as to the magazines Cooks Illustrated 

and Cooks Country. Chris vision and leadership have been an 

important part of our success since we first launched Cooks 

Illustrated together in 1992. On behalf of the entire 

Americas Test Kitchen family, we wish Chris all the best.

 

I'm pleased to announce the new hosts of America's Test 

Kitchen will be Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster. 

They have been fixtures on the show since that first episode 

aired back in 2001. You know their cooking skills (they have 

prepared hundreds of recipes on air) as well as their deep 

knowledge of food. They are both so funny, smart, and 

passionate about our mission, which is to help you become a 

better cook. Im excited to see Bridget and Julia in their 

roles.

 

You will continue to see Chris in episodes of Americas Test 

Kitchen and Cooks Country already filmed and distributed to 

your local public television station. Julia and Bridget will 

make their appearance as co-hosts on brand-new episodes of 

Americas Test Kitchen starting in 2017. Check local public 

television station listings for the schedule of season 17 

episodes. Chris will continue to host Americas Test Kitchen 

Radio. And stay tuned for upcoming news about Cooks Country 

hosts; well let you know as soon as we have news to share!

 

I want to thank our fans for sending along thoughts and 

messages over the past three months, as we embarked on the 

search for our new hosts. We couldn't be happier with the 

outcome.

 

Our staff and those of us on-air, including Bridget and Julia, 

are dedicated to helping home cooks like you, and that will 

never change. We will continue to bring you more of what you 

expect: unbiased equipment reviews, taste tests, and foolproof 

recipes from our test kitchen. With this exciting 

announcement, please join us in congratulating our new hosts 

at ShareYourFeedback@americastestkitchen.com.

 

Thank you for your continued support.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jack Bishop

Chief Creative Officer

[Arey]

I wouldn't say I actually like Chris Kimball, but I have a high tolerance level for him,except when he goes all Vermont folksy.

[lindag]

I really love CK, after listening to his PBS radio podcasts for a long time I'm convinced the guy is really a genius.  And, I find him quite endearing.  I know some disagree, however.

And, I like all his on-air people as well.  I will very much miss Chris.

 

[Big Joe the Pro]

   Chris Kimball was a great host, and ATK is my favorite cooking show.  The show and CI magazine have taught me so much.  Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have as much spring in his step as he used to.  When I heard that he'd been ousted, I vowed to never watch the show again.  However, choosing the two ladies, Bridget and Julia, was an inspired choice IMO.  I'm sure they will continue to do the excellent job they've been doing.

[GlorifiedRice]

He defended Rachael Ray on twitter....

 

[btbyrd]

I just hope that with Chris gone, they'll stop saying that they have the recipe for "The Very Best _________". 

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, they've got 5 different recipes for the very best blueberry muffin. I made one of them once and liked it, but, I forgot to print it and now have no idea which one it was.

[GlorifiedRice]

It is my opinion that Chris wants mo' money and a show that pays more. Kissing Rachael Rays ass gave me that impression for some reason

[pbear]

Story in today's NYT on Kimball's next venture.

[rotuts]

interesting

 

thanks

 

""  He is even designing a chef’s knife to sell. ""

 

 

""   “He’s always been really good at following where the money is coming from ""

 

 

"" “It all comes from Chris’s idea that you can’t give anything away,” ""

 

good to see he has not changed, loving the smell of money   perhaps more than a fine sauté ?

 

""  “I like to get up in the morning and go to work,” he said. “And I think there is still a substantial audience for that work.”

 

think again maybe ?

 

but thanks for the update

 

there is after all this :

 

The Complete Cook's Country Cookbook (9 seasons' worth)

 

 

This title will be released on September 6, 2016.

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by Smithy
Adjusted Amazon Link format (log)

[Toliver]

Christopher Kimball is nothing but a memory.

Got a recent email from ATK titled "In the kitchen with Jack: The latest news from America's Test Kitchen". Jack Bishop (the taste test guy) is being promoted as the new leader in the ATK. The email was the usual "Here's all the stuff we're up doing and the stuff we're trying to sell". (their product store must be someone's idea of a joke...super expensive everything).

From the email:

Quote

HAVE YOU MET JACK?
Jack is the tasting lab expert on our television shows and was part of the original team that started America’s Test Kitchen, beginning with the launch of Cook’s Illustrated in 1993. He leads the creative teams that produce our TV shows, magazines, books, websites, and our online cooking school.

 

[rotuts]

it will be interesting to see how many defections from ATK move over to the next CK juggernaut :  the cooking school in downtown 

 

BOS, eventual books and mags and PBS cooking show.

 

you can Place Your Bets Now  :    Im on the very few to none Ticket  

 

of course, your not going to ask me to explain my reasoning, but I will anyway :

 

 

the whole concept was brilliant in the beginning, then there were very few new ideas.  Lots of Hot Air though, which might have become

 

insufferable.   I do hope CK has learned from this, though .

[gfweb]

I have a feeling that CK was the restraining hand that kept ATK from sucking as much as possible. Now the corporate suits are in charge and will maximize short term profitability and suckfullness and try to sell it for quick cash.

[rotuts]

Interesting.

 

I see it a bit differently.  I see CK , bright guy , responsible for the Churn-for-Money. 

 

the Home-Spun Upper New England frugality might sit with him well,

 

but a Tax Free trip to Argentina to find out  Where's the Beef is his Heel that was not dipped.

 

the townhouse he built in the BackBay, with a massive wood stove cooking kitchen, a la 1850

 

and tax deductible do to the show, 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Fannies-Last-Supper-Re-creating-Cookbook/dp/1401323227

 

 

 

was and excess of excessiveness.  

 

and the Cook's Country Kitchen was probably financed in a similar way as the WookShop on the older New Yankee workshop :

 

http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/the-new-yankee-workshop/

 

N.B.:  located in Lexington MA   a very high end expensive town

 

did I mention and a very senior executive for BOS PBS  ' might have lived NextDoor "  ?

 

same for the Cook's Country kitchen

 

no matter,  

 

it would be interesting to chart when the ATK books started to be 40 % re-hash, then 60 % re-hash  etc

 

I guess way before CK needed a cash infusion for possible personal reasons.

 

anyway.   the idea is to Learn from ones mistakes, ao

 

lets see what he comes up with.

[gfweb]

Heh. Pretty tricky, these Boston types.

 

Fanny Farmer looks like Bill Clinton.

[rotuts]

of course, I didn't mention This Old House , as there are Kitchens involved   ...

 

pretty much bankrupted two families  10 - 15 minutes from me.

 

One's Eyes are always bigger than one's stomach, and wallet.

[Lisa Shock]

Just got an email, Mr. Kimball is doing a live show. He will be at the Mesa Arts Center,  Mesa, AZ Thursday September 22. Tickets are $100 each, which is pretty high for this venue. IIRC, Alton Brown was $35 per person in the same theater earlier this year.

[IndyRob]

Food Personality For Sale

 

That should be CK's next book title.

 

His departure won't hurt ATK, but his replacements might.  They could've hired any number of low-grade comedian hosts, and that might've been better. After all, he became the guy who presumably didn't know anything.  I don't think he was happy with that role, even though he was smart enough to recognize that he must play it.

 

But from his other productions like ATK Radio, I sense a bigger ego.  If he doesn't specialize in home grown-salt-of-the-earth-food-programming, he's going to die a serious media death.

 

I just bought my Anova sous vide cooker from Target.  (Target!).  As far as I know, ATK has never addressed sous vide on TV and only a letter to their radio program got them to address it.  They conceded that it worked but brought up the same tired old arguments about taking intuition and the associated smells out of the equation.

 

Well, Chris, WTF do you do?  You're all about the science of cooking and removing variables... until Nathan Myrvold comes along....

 

Stick your folksy Vermontness.  It's all you've got.

Edited August 22, 2016 by IndyRob (log)

[rotuts]

ATK did mention SV quite a while  ago :   when the SVSupreme was King and very little else out there :they showed a SVSupreme off but didn't cook anything out of it. did their usual wincing at the price.

 

Ming Tasi  on SimplyMing actually did a 125 salmon w olive oil dill etc  using a food-saver system at least.

 

no studio show however has used a SteamOven to my knowledge.  Restaurant based shows of course did.

 

CK's metrics will be noted by who leaves the Old ATK to join him in his Boston warehouse

 

remember : these are scripted shows.  the scrips are designed to reinforce the audience.

Edited August 23, 2016 by rotuts (log)