2004: What are you watching?

[NickMach007]

Hey I just wanted to see what others were watching in the new year.

I'm sure there's been similar posts before, but it never hurts to ask again.

Unfortunately I don't have too much time for TV these days, but I do make a special effort to watch a few shows on a weekly basis.

Good Eats (Food Network)

Iron Chef (Food Network)

A Cook's Tour (Food Network)

Various Food Network Specials (cooking competitions, ... (Food Network)

So what's everyone else watching? What am I missing out on?

[Chris Cognac]

I still cant belive that we used to get by with only network TV. We watch Food TV and Discovery/Travel pretty much all the time. The only problem is that it seems like there is always a Vegas special on the travel channel and we end up making plans for Vegas...which costs us money!....

I am also a big Iron Chef fan as I love those over the top Japanese shows...Takeshi's Castle/Most Extreme Elimination Challange is another one thats great (its on Spike TV).

[howard88]

I find I am currently watching less and less of TVFN these days. I don't care much for shows like the top five taffy places and other general interest type offerings.

I am watching a lot of Public tv cooking on various channels offered on Satellite. Love to watch Lidia Bastianich, America's Test Kitchen, any show with Jacques Pepin and any show with Julia.

[NickMach007]

I find I am currently watching less and less of TVFN these days. I don't care much for shows like the top five taffy places and other general interest type offerings.

I am watching a lot of Public tv cooking on various channels offered on Satellite. Love to watch Lidia Bastianich, America's Test Kitchen, any show with Jacques Pepin and any show with Julia. --howard88

I hear you, howard88. I can't say I'm a big fan (or actually a fan at all) of 95% of FN programming.

Are those shows you watch on PBS or is that satellite? I just have good ole' cable, so I miss out on the thousands of satellite channels.

[menton1]

Jacques Pépin, my all-time food show favorite, on PBS (And I hear he really IS as nice as he seems!)

Also, even though I have mentioned these shows on another thread:

Andrea Immer's Wine Show (Fine Living)

Opening Soon (Fine Living)

And, hopefully Tyler Florence will do some NEW episodes of "Tyler's Ultimate" (Food Network)

[lala]

I'm not really watching FTV any more, either. Whenever I turn it on, it's either Emeril, Sarah Moulton, 30 minute meals, or that awful fake food lady. Not a fan of any of them.

I usually switch over to PBS to see travel shows, or Discovery.

I'll have to look into getting Fine Living!

Edited February 10, 2004 by lala (log)

[Tim D]

Nigella, Ming, Julia, Chef School, Epicurious, Great Chefs, (that show on A&E whose name I've forgotten) and not one gawd-damned FTV show. I even took FTV off my 'favorites' button, I'm so sick of all the crap they have on now, I mean who the hell is watching a friggin' 'unwrapped' marathon or even one episode of 'date plate', or Dweezil and Lisa, or Racheal Ray . . . How depressing.

[dscott]

Nigella, Ming, Julia, Chef School, Epicurious, Great Chefs, (that show on A&E whose name I've forgotten) and not one gawd-damned FTV show. I even took FTV off my 'favorites' button, I'm so sick of all the crap they have on now, I mean who the hell is watching a friggin' 'unwrapped' marathon or even one episode of 'date plate', or Dweezil and Lisa, or Racheal Ray . . . How depressing.

If I may pile on, what the hell were they thinking with Dweezil and Lisa. TVFN is almost entirely a waste of time now with very few exceptions. I too have moved on to Fine Living shows and back to PBS.

[reverendtmac]

Wow...we get Food Network Canada up here, so instead of that fake food hoochie and endless Emeril, we get some home-grown stuff that I really enjoy (the Thirsty Traveller, New Classics with Rob Feenie, Chef at Large, the Food Hunter...and the occasional rerun of Stadtlander's Adventures in Dining, which my brother and I watch specifically for him to talk about 'shucklink pigs')

Unfortunately, we're also starting to see some creep in from FTV's American programming (Date Plate, Unwrapped, and the un-fucking-forgiveable Top 5).

[beans]

Can we manage this thread without that tiresome Emeril bashing? It has been so over done. *yawn*

Much less, but I'll still click onto Food Network.

All repeats, however I'm happy to catch bourdain's shows now being aired on early Sunday evenings and I still seem to manage a Boy Meets Grill which is more by that natural mind's time clock schedule and really not on much on purpose. That seems be the same time I check email and click on the tube on Saturdays.

I really need to examine the PBS and Fine Living schedules and finaggle with my TiVO again.

[IanP]

I find (too much) time for Good Eats, A Cook's Tour, Opening Soon and assorted Jamie Oliver things (excepting that embarrassing stage show thing, obviously).

I was looking forward to Andrea Immer's wine program on Fine Living, but am I the only one who finds it a big letdown? There's some interesting stuff in there, but far too much gushing filler that is nothing more than advertising for the winery/hotel/location in question. Get that woman an editor!

[And on a purely personal note, the scene in the first program featuring Andrea sharing lunch with separated-at-birth twin shrieker Rachael Ray had me gasping in fear and discomfort. But maybe that was just me.]

In general, I enjoy any programs that I find teach me something - a technique, a pairing of ingredients, some science, or maybe a piece of historical or cultural background. The programs that leave me cold are those that are either insulting dumb (Top Five) or adverts pretending to be TV programs (Unwrapped).

[ExtraMSG]

I find that the Food Network is a backup channel more for me than a primary channel nowadays. I'll go out of my way for Good Eats if I haven't seen it, although the nightly ones are up against Tough Crowd, which comes after Daily Show.

I haven't watched Cook's Tour since it changed days. I thought it was just off the air. Iron Chef must be at a bad time for me now, too, because it's a show I'll choose above others, but I haven't seen it for a while. I've been f'd up ever since they switched the Pacific Time hours for shows.

I don't think there are any primetime shows I go out of my way for right now. The only shows I make any effort to watch are either at odd hours or are part of the shows you can actually learn something from during the day, like Mario's show.

[TrishCT]

Watching very little these days. Good Eats is about it, and it's not must see. Still watching Julia & Jacques Cook at Home on PBS (I love how she calls him Jack), an occasional Lydia and even more occasional America's Test Kitchen, haven't caught Ming's new offering yet.

Feel like there's too much been there done that.

Also, not inspired by the direction FN is taking... As others have said.... Top 5, Unwrapped, Date Plate, Dweezil & Lisa, Semi-Homemade and more Al Roker...just leave me...hungry for real food.

Edited: I couldn't leave out Semi-Homemade!

Edited February 10, 2004 by TrishCT (log)

[Toliver]

I only watch FoodTV when I'm at work catching up on eGullet.

I truly enjoy Lidia & Ming Tsai each weekend on PBS. They are both a joy to learn from and watch.

I throw things at the screen, however, when "America's Test Kitchen" and "Yan Can Cook" come on.

[lala]

Can we manage this thread without that tiresome Emeril bashing? It has been so over done. *yawn*

Ummm.... no one was bashing Emeril, his show was just listed as one that people (including me) were not watching. Personally, I'm too bored with him to bother bashing him!

Edited February 10, 2004 by lala (log)

[beans]

Can we manage this thread without that tiresome Emeril bashing?  It has been so over done.  *yawn* 

Ummm.... no one was bashing Emeril, his show was just listed as one that people (including me) were not watching. Personally, I'm too bored with him to bother bashing him!

My edit to correct quotation syntax.

Maybe pedantic, however I would like to highlight what I was responding to so that this may be clear:

Wow...we get Food Network Canada up here, so instead of that fake food hoochie and endless Emeril,

emphasis mine

[lala]

I'm not sure that 'Endless Emeril' is bashing. As you know, much worse has been said about him than 'Endless'!

Personally, I like the description of 'Fake Food Hoochie' for that awful woman.

Re: Bourdain...are those new shows on Sunday night, or reruns? He's one of the few things worth watching on FTV...

[sequim]

Watching very little these days.  Good Eats is about it, and it's not must see.  Still watching Julia & Jacques Cook at Home on PBS (I love how she calls him Jack), an occasional Lydia and even more occasional America's Test Kitchen, haven't caught Ming's new offering yet.

Feel like there's too much been there done that. 

Also, not inspired by the direction FN is taking...  As others have said....  Top 5, Unwrapped, Date Plate, Dweezil & Lisa, Semi-Homemade and more Al Roker...just leave me...hungry for real food.

Edited: I couldn't leave out Semi-Homemade!

... leave out of which group?

[beans]

Meh. Since "fake food hoochie" was not identified and named, I read it to be attributed to "endless Emeril." Semantics.

I'm not sure that 'Endless Emeril' is bashing.    As you know, much worse has been said about him than 'Endless'!

So true!

Personally, I like the description of 'Fake Food Hoochie' for that awful woman.

Which one?

Re: Bourdain...are those new shows on Sunday night, or reruns? He's one of the few things worth watching on FTV...

I always missed his show when it aired on Friday nights, even when I did try to Tivo or tape but it is my understanding those are all repeats. Even if they are some of the ones I've seen, they are always enjoyable to rewatch.

[sequim]

I would always watch Julia and Jacques, but now that time slot has been taken over by Ciao Italia Why is it gone!

Enjoy Jamie with his mates infrequently.

ATK, Boy Meets Grill, Rick Bayless ( ), Iron Chef, Barefoot Contessa (I've been liking her the most lately), even DeLaurentis (forget her show's name).

I watch these occasionally, not religiously as they will all grate on the nerves with constant viewing. I program shows I want to see for the week so don't have to worry about when they're shown and I like to fastforward the commercials. In fact, when I watch regular tv, I find myself trying to fast forward...

[NickMach007]

When I started this thread I hadn't even realized how much less FN I had been watching. Wow! I used to watch it sooo much. But now my viewing time has really dwindled. I guess I just never stopped to notice or even think about it. Glad its not only me though.

I'll definitely tune in to PBS to see what I can catch. I'm actually interested in checking out Ming. I haven't seen him in a while. (And I might even check out Bayless. Apologies ahead of time, but despite my morals I might not be able to resist)

I can't say I'm ready to give up FN completely, but if they keep up the terrific programming (ie Dweezil & Lisa, Date Plate, Racheal Ray, Emeril, etc. ad naseum) I may eventually have to stop watching. Thank God for Alton & Bourdain ( to mention a few).

I guess I never watched PBS cause I associated it with "Old People," well either I was wrong, or I've become one of those "Old People"

Edited February 11, 2004 by NickMach007 (log)

[Mabelline]

PBS, TRAVEL, and does anyone else watch DISC-H&L ? We (By that I mean this area-not trying to talk like royalty) are not "allowed" FINE LIVING yet by our cable guy, but I've been catching some good stuff on DHL. Other than that, Iron Chef, Cook's Tour, Tyler Florence, and even Giada deLaurentiis lately.Wine TV is pretty cool, and last night I caught Cookin' in Brooklyn and The Best, which was intriguing. And I've never heard anyone mention Pete Luckett, the Greengrocer guy, but I get a hoot out of him in foreign countries, and when he was in Nottingham and did pork pies, it was freaking great!Toodily-ooh, or whatever he says!

Edit to add the necessary "i"

Edited February 11, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[NickMach007]

So a couple of people have mentioned De Laurentiis.

I've never actually watched her show. What show does she host? What kind of show is it? Is it any good?

I don't know why I never watched her, but every time I see her in ads, I think there was something about her that rubbed me wrong...

Edited February 11, 2004 by NickMach007 (log)

[JPW]

I believe the name of the show is "Everyday Italian".

She is by far the hottest TV cheffette out there. The hard-sell of sex bothers some I have talked to about the show.

But you know what bothers me?

Her head looks too big for her body.

[NickMach007]

I believe the name of the show is "Everyday Italian".

She is by far the hottest TV cheffette out there. The hard-sell of sex bothers some I have talked to about the show.

But you know what bothers me?

Her head looks too big for her body.

Well in my last message I was trying to be PC, but you hit it on the head. The other experiences I've had with hot female chefs on FN has not been very positive. FN seems to push them as beautiful women rather than great chefs...

Have you seen De Laurentiis promoting chocolate obsession week? I mean come on she's wearing tight black clothing eating chocolate dipped strawberries. Gee, I'd loved to tune in to learn how to make chocolate covered strawberries. Who is FN kidding?

Edited February 11, 2004 by NickMach007 (log)