Low Budget TV Show

[TrishCT]

Dish With Trish

Chefs/Food Writers/Food Critics/Celebrities chat with me in my living room then we go to my kitchen and they make my dinner. Think The Graham Norton Effect meets The French Chef. No retakes or reshoots. It's the ultimate in low budget.

Shake & Quake

Shaker, Quaker, Amish, Native American, Traditional Yankee, Old Time Southern, and other American cuisines are explored along with the people still cooking them today. Methods of preparation and ingredients are explored in detail not quick flash and pan.

Edited August 29, 2004 by TrishCT (log)

[herbacidal]

I would film me going around everywhere eating turducken, fermented fish kidney, mountain oysters.

To keep it lowbudget, I'd keep it in the US and do it as a road trip.

For housing, I'd set up a website and try to stay with people for free, for one night each. (Some guy has already traveled around much of the world that way.)

I'll see if I can find the site.

Hmm, I wonder if I'd get along with Bourdain?

Edited August 29, 2004 by herbacidal (log)

[RSincere]

I like the idea of going to the grocery store with the sale flyer and making a meal out of that. Very useful for your average home cook who may be cooking the same 10 things but may also be too intimidated to try anything tooooo exotic. At the same time you could maybe sneak one new item or technique into each meal.

When I am in a goofy mood and I'm cooking, I give a running commentary. My husband calls my show "Cooking with Pottymouth."

[andiesenji]

There are so many ethnic grocery stores down your way, it seems to me it might be feasable to have some ingredients from a different one each week and then go into a restaurant kitchen of a different type and cook a meal.

This would not put too much burden on one store, they would get publicity (just look at what Huell Howser has done for some Mom and Pop places he visited) and the restaurant would also get publicity and if you timed it for a time or a day when they are closed, they would have publicity and with no loss of covers.

Many small restaurants are closed on Monday.

I would ask the grocer to choose things that would make a complete meal and then let you try to put them together, along with some staples from the host restaurant, (might have a "fusion" thing going).

I don't like the short timed versions of this. I think there should be some type of time limit but one should have a reasonable time for the decision of what to prepare and to execute.

[hillvalley]

Hill Valley and I were PM'ing about "Grandma Iron Chef" in which we pit old ladies with major home cooking skills in a battle....Battle Jewish Granma vs Cuban Abuella...Could be classic!

I've spent the past few hours trying to imagine my grandmother in an Iron Chef battle and had a good laugh. Actually, my grandmother who passed away two years ago would have been perfect. She was the quintessential Jewish Grandmother, poo poo poo (that keeps the evil spirits away). I could see her going up against someone's Nona in a soup battle. Matzah ball v. Italian Wedding.

What about an ethinic sort of $40 a day? Have a specific amount, say $30. Then each episode find a local specialist from the cuisine de jour to put together a menu that fits into your pricepoint. You could visit local ethnic markets and with your specialist do your basic "Intro to ......." in the first segement while walking around the market. Then it is back to their kitchen to prepare meals.

[jsolomon]

How about the idea where you burst into the kitchen of a local eatery as Samurai Chef and introduce your sidekick La Emigre, and then save the day?

Damn, mixed metaphor. I was thinking meat-packing plant.

[PoetsGirl]

(Got this idea from the http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=50119).

Taking the fear out of cooking intimidating foods?

Maybe not the exact foods from that thread, especially since the average everyday American has never even seen any of those, (gorgeous pics, by the way), but stuff that's out there that a lot of people are afraid to prepare, like....tofu, calamari, chili, homemade bread, homemade ice cream, sushi, chitlins (sp), various ethnic dishes, hollandaise, alfredo sauce.

Most eGulleters already know how to cook all this stuff already, huh? So I'm a little behind.

[malarkey]

No offense all, but these sound like recycled "worst of Food Network" ideas: Best of, Top 5, Food 911, Door Knock Dinners, Calling All Cooks, Food Finds, Unwrapped, The Secret Life of...

Personally, I'd like to see a show that interviews chefs in their restaurant. It's part Charlie Rose/The Actor's Studio (without all the pompousness) and part Great Chefs (with all the class and style). Yeah, perhaps this too is recycled, but it hasn't been applied to the food industry.

I gotta agree, but what RN has suggested here also sounds sorta like "Into the Fire" which IMHO was a fabulous series, WAY too short. ...Why didn't that one continue???

[purplewiz]

I like the idea of going to the grocery store with the sale flyer and making a meal out of that. Very useful for your average home cook who may be cooking the same 10 things but may also be too intimidated to try anything tooooo exotic. At the same time you could maybe sneak one new item or technique into each meal.

Most people I know change their menus around if there's something good on sale - heck, so do I. I ran into New Mexico chiles and pork on sale two days ago - sounds like green chile stew to me!

And I like the idea of new techniques - for example, most people steam cauliflower, or maybe serve it with cheese sauce (those were the only two presentations in my family when I was growing up) - but roasting it is so good and so easy, and it's the kind of thing so many people wouldn't even think of.

If were you were going to sneak in new stuff, this would be a great place to go after the "weird" produce or cuts of meat that are often cheaper (remember the lack of budget!), like kale, or pork arm roast. I feel somewhat confident in calling them "weird", because at least once when I was buying each, someone else asked me "so, what do you do with that?".

Marcia.

[TPO]

There are so many ethnic grocery stores down your way, it seems to me it might be feasable to have some ingredients from a different one each week and then go into a restaurant kitchen of a different type and cook a meal.

This would not put too much burden on one store, they would get publicity (just look at what Huell Howser has done for some Mom and Pop places he visited) and the restaurant would also get publicity and if you timed it for a time or a day when they are closed, they would have publicity and with no loss of covers.

Many small restaurants are closed on Monday.

I would ask the grocer to choose things that would make a complete meal and then let you try to put them together, along with some staples from the host restaurant, (might have a "fusion" thing going).

I don't like the short timed versions of this. I think there should be some type of time limit but one should have a reasonable time for the decision of what to prepare and to execute.

I completely agree with this. Small businesses often will bend over backwards for free publicity, and gladly would give out some free ingredients in exchange for their show being on television. You could start with a brief business profile as an introduction to the episode, then do some cooking. With stores, they could give you ingredients to prepare and possibly cook with you on camera offering hints and tips as you cooked. For restaurants, the chef could cook in the restraurant's kitchen and you could assist.

You could do a lot of unique things as well, like visiting a caterer who helps you pack a picnic and then going to a nice local scenic place for a picnic. Or visit a local camping store for hiking food advice and then take viewers on a hike. You could talk to local food makers like people who make small amounts of salsa, jellies, or wines for stores or craft fairs and show their business and then cook things using their ingredients. Farmers markets would be a good resource too.

I love shows like this that focus on local businesses and ingredients, and by doing something like this I don't think your budget would be an issue at all because you would get a lot of free stuff.

[FistFullaRoux]

You could bring the Iron Chef idea to local chefs. Get them into their kitchen (already stocked, and the equipment is there), give them 60 minutes to create a meal with the main ingredient to be announced. Get there, set up, tell them the main ingredient should be chicken, then film them for one hour.

Edit as needed, taste and give your reviews. Or try to find their culinary instructor or mentor to judge the dishes with you.

[andiesenji]

I just thought of another "twist" to this subject.

There are so many new cooking appliances and gadgets coming into the market recently, you might contact the manufacturer or distributor reps and explain the ideas you have for the show and see if they would be willing to offer their new appliances or whatever for you to use and show how they work in real, uncontrolled situations, i.e., being used by someone who has not been specifically trained to use them.

They provide appliances and supplies to stores where the appliances are demonstrated and that has a very limited audience. You would have a much larger potential audience and thus a greater potential customer base.

Just look how successful the telemarketing of "niche" appliances has been.

I know just from reading the messaged on eG that a lot of people have never considered buying a particular appliance because they did not believe they had a use for it. Once they hear or see how versatile these things can be, they realize it can be a real time-saver.

The rice cooker/steamer for instance, which has been discussed recently.

Regarding your "vintage" kitchen. You might consider that there are collectors who are on the lookout for all those "vintage" or "retro" kitchens.

I wish I could get in touch with Mick and Leah Ausberger who actually "sold" their circa 1950s kitchen so they could remodel it prior to selling their Studio City home. They are now living on a sailboat somewhere in the Pacific, out of touch 99% of the time. I know they would be happy to explain how they did it.

Anyway, they advertised the sale of their entire 1950s kitchen which had enameled steel cabinets and counter tops, in white and green, green glass fronted upper cabinets, a Naugahide upholstered "breakfast nook" as well as real vintage (pink) major appliances and all the small appliances they had owned and taken excellent care of since inheriting the house and furnishings from Leah's mother.

They had several offers and finally sold the kitchen for a hefty amount. The buyer, a dedicated "retro" collector, had it disassembled and trucked away to someplace in Malibu.

I know that often people think of old appliances as just "junk" but you only have to look at some of the online auctions to see how much collectors will pay for this stuff.

I have two "antique" stoves in perfect working condition (to code) and have had people call me and offer outlandish amounts of money when they see the photos that were taken by the restorer several years ago. One is an enormous Roper Town & Country range, robin's egg blue (at the very beginning of the "pastel" appliance era. It has 8 burners plus a center griddle, three ovens and two broilers. It is almost five feet long so most kitchens of today are not large enough. (It also weighs a lot because the frame is cast iron.)

So take a carefull look at your kitchen and see if it is worth more than you know.

[project]

Let's start with the goal as a point on the horizon; a first step for a cheap start to this goal is mentioned at the end.

Broadly, this proposal is OUTSIDE of the TV "great wasteland".

First, take all the people that majored in fine arts, literature, English, 'belle lettre', drama, theater, etc. and set them aside. Take all the people that have traditional backgrounds as TV producers, directors, or writers and set them aside. Also set aside the food stylists, art directors, fashion coordinators, musicians, screen play writers, gag writers, etc. Set aside the young open faced likable doofus and the small slim young woman as 'hosts'.

Second, take the broad assumption that the viewers are idiots, the people working on the program are so much more qualified in just anything and everything than the viewers, the viewers are drooling irrational easily manipulated bags of emotions with a lot of free time to waste and free cash to spend, the people on the program will have to simplify the material for the child-like viewers, and, did I mention, the viewers are idiots, and set that aside.

Third, set aside the idea that the purpose of the program is to provide a vicarious experience of (1) belonging to a fun alive exciting group, (2) getting praise, acceptance, approval, and respect from feeding the crew at the firehouse, (3) exploring the highways and byways of a less corrupted and more genuine, accepting, and less competitive rural America, (4) having the rare, cherished, and coveted privilege of sitting in as an awed silent observer on an erudite seminar in a esteemed group of culinary masters, (5) cheering at a highly competitive intense culinary sporting event with an announcer voicing sports commentary cliches ("He will win if he POSSIBLY can!"), (6) rebuilding kinship ties with a traditional large old-country family, (7) passing down cherished traditions through the generations, (8) sampling the magnificent all-natural in-season bounty of our unspoiled rural roots, and (9) feeling effortlessly competent and, thus, more secure by overcoming the anxiety from realizations that we are vulnerable to the hostile forces of nature and society. Etc. In particular, set aside the "great wasteland".

Instead, adopt as the purpose of the program providing some information about food preparation people can and likely will frequently actually use in effective ways. Week by week have the viewers notice that they actually use the information and want more. In particular, do not leave the viewers just entertained, not significantly helped, and, basically, having wasted time.

Okay, what viewers and what information?

For the viewers, take some of those people set aside, anoint them as the research staff, and have them hit the library, Census Bureau, Nielsen's, etc., and identify and describe in well prepared written form about the largest collection of viewers possible that could like some good information about cooking. Remember: Everyone needs to eat!

Make clear to this research staff: Your unsubstantiated insight and intuition are fine as long as none of them are visible in your report. Your report content is to be all numerical and thoroughly documented with references to primary sources.

Slipped in as appendices, supplements, etc. will likely find outlines of dramas fathoming the depths of the human soul with passion, pathos, and poignancy, outlines of the great American novel, poems ranging in length from one word to thousands, short stories about personal experiences and suffering of wide variety, drafts of grant proposals for projects to fight social injustice and foster social change, save the whales, save the environment ("Oh, what have we done to our planet? Can the damage EVER be repaired?"), save the world, etc. -- set those aside.

Next, for the collection of viewers, have the research staff do some sampling and see how the people in the collection are eating. Concentrate on flavor, cost, time, and nutrition.

Now, find some people that are good cooks, professional or amateur, and anoint each of them as a Member of your Technical Board of Advisors. Give the Members of this Board your research reports on your collection of people and what they are eating and have the Members suggest where the people could do better on flavor, cost, time, and nutrition. Based on these suggestions, design your programs to provide the corresponding information.

For each program, start by outlining what you are going to show them, then show them, then review what you showed them. Also make clear what meals the dishes are suitable for -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, school lunches for children, picnics for family, dinners for guests, hurried dinners, holiday dinners, etc.

Do place suitable emphasis on generally useful techniques. Of course, provide very precise measurements of weights, volumes, times, temperatures and descriptions of color, viscosity, density, transparency, gloss, etc. Such precision is needed by the audience so that they can reduce uncertainty as they are trying to learn and more likely achieve the desired results. Yes, a practiced cook may be able to get good results seemingly without such precision, but such a cook may be working fairly precisely anyway. For example, a cook may be able to tell when oil is hot enough by the appearance of the surface, but such an appearance is nearly impossible to communicate to others; the effective way to communicate oil temperature is with degrees F or C; then, indeed, the person learning might also learn to tell by appearance. Point out where the precision is crucial and where it is optional. Also describe the basic 'ideas' or principles behind the dish.

For each program, get a sample of your collection of viewers, have them watch the program, have them do the cooking, and then have the members of your Board evaluate the results. Revise the program until the results are consistently good.

Distribute the programs on TV and DVD. If the programs catch on, then you might make some money. But some funding would be needed to do the project. The programs would be 'entertaining' only in the sense that a viewer could realize that they were actually learning some useful information and could enjoy that. But, without the learning, I would either not watch at all or resent wasting the time from watching. I do wonder about the potential of programs that are just more of the "great wasteland" and, really, only waste the time of the viewers.

My view is that the TV industry is a self-perputating self-reinforcing clique of essentially 'belle lettre' entertainment people that are just convinced to the center of the cells at the center of their bone marrow that just some better, more clever, more 'original' 'story telling' ideas similar to 'belle lettre' back to Shakespeare, Chaucer, and the ancient Greeks are the best that there ever could be. They have just one Procrustean bed and force everything to it -- "BAM!". The whole concept of information safety and efficacy is just not part of the 'belle lettre' tradition. So, with TV, rarely do people learn anything they can actually USE beneficially. If the world could really be and actually was full of total fools with plenty of time and money, then 'belle lettre' might have a role. However, in nearly any field where people are actually making a living, they have to be much more serious, especially about information safety and efficacy, than the 'belle lettre' people are willing to be. The 'belle lettre' community, as in the recent US National Endowment for the Arts report 'Reading at Risk', is smugly and conceitedly convinced that they are the unique experts in all of 'reading' and 'writing' when in fact they rarely read or write anything with any significant information safety or efficacy. That is reason for the "great wasteland" and also its vulnerability and an opportunity.

For a cheap start, do the research part quickly yourself. For the Members of the Board, promise them recognition. For the testing, just use friends and family. Document with a digital still camera. Publish just as HTML with text and JPGs on the Internet, e.g., maybe first on eG. Then go look for funding for more.

Again, everyone needs to eat. Also, the information via books and TV for showing people how to cook has been almost entirely from the Procrustean bed of the 'belle lettre' community and, thus, nearly useless for any practical purpose; thus, the average level of cooking expertise is abysmally low and there is a huge opportunity to help people do better.

[Chris Cognac]

that was much more than I was expecting.

[Blondie]

I don’t watch the Food Network at all unless Tony Bourdain or Alton Brown are involved, so forgive me if this concept has already been stolen, messed with, produced and stunk up the place.

Belfast chef Paul Rankin did a wonderful series on BBC/NI around 1997-98 called “The Rankin Challenge”. Each episode he would arrive at a different private home to help the subject cater an event: dinner party, birthday, etc. Most of the subjects seemed to be experienced amateur cooks, but the event in question was meant to be just out of reach of what they could accomplish alone. Paul Rankin to the rescue.

IIRC the subjects planned the menu, purchased the groceries and provided the kitchen and tools. They worked against the clock to finish with Rankin assisting and instructing along the way, and the Queer Eye-style reveal/event was a great way to wrap it up.

This page has brief synopses of the second season episodes.

[justcook]

I would collect stock footage of stuff like fairs, food factories, and kitchy restaurants. Next I would get a c-list celeb. (a gabby local weatherman would do the trick) to do voice overs describing these places. I would place the celeb in a cute little soda shop or standing at a major mid western fair in front of a "all American" hot dog, caramel  corn, corn dog, funnel cake wagon, for all of the close ups of the host. I would then run these shows on a major cable network that runs this kind of stuff.

It could happen. Someone might be crazy enough to try it.

Awesome post... I can't stop laughing (quietly in my mind at work) about that one.

Hill Valley and I were PM'ing about "Grandma Iron Chef" in which we pit old ladies with major home cooking skills in a battle....Battle Jewish Granma vs Cuban Abuella...Could be classic!

This is gold. Do this now. Not sure how it would be low-budget, but it would be a hit. TV tie-in book for sure. I'm ready. Where has this web site been all my life?

[Chris Cognac]

Welcome to your new addiction (e gullet)!. The Grandma thing, might actually work...I just gotta find 2 working kitchens and 2 willing grandma's in the L.A. area!

[MarketStEl]

Stumbled across this dusty old topic by way of another more recent discussion of ideas for food shows, and it hit me:

What about taking a page from one of the more interesting programs on E! and doing a digest of what happened on all the other food and cooking shows that week? We could call it "Condensed Soup" or something like that.

[Chris Cognac]

I kinda like that....but I think it would be hard to get the recipes from all the shows in 1/2 hr!

I am doing the low budget show for cable and working on a few other things now for a larger market...but its in the early stages, and again...with no money!

[Luckylies]

pit two people from off the street in the kitchen aggainst eachother with the same ingrediants.... random participants. they have the option of recipe or no recipe..whatever. a man on the street cook off with judges...or gay/hot/latino/twin/ whatever's hip this week hosts. a prize of kitchen equip or cash or "fame" etc..then liscene the cookbook. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

how that for good/ stupid/useless/

good luck.

[EdS]

The granny idea is damn good!

[Chris Cognac]

Yea I am all over that one...I just need to find a place with 2 kitchens in one room. I guess I could film in seperate kitchens but it wouldnt be as good. Finding Granny's would be no problem, I have my Cuban "Mother in Law" and one of the local prosecuters has offered up his Iranian Mom.....that would be a good start....battle chicken I am thinking!

Edited January 1, 2005 by Chris Cognac (log)

[Mabelline]

Chris, what about any community kitchens that youall can rent or just reserve to use? I know folks who have started food product companies in community kitchens. They are always up to code, and in your area, I would not be at all surprised at any with canning facilities, as well. I'll bet San Diego has one (at least). Have an old tia or abuela doing the tamale thing for one. EVERYBODY in the world lately wants to know about the original steps they are cutting out, and how good their own subs would be.Have a youngin' make some for the wise one to try. Cheap. Everybody will watch. Get your cinematographers from UCLA or USC film school. For nothing. With very good equipment; and very cutting edge ideas. Happy New Year, sunshine!!

[Rebel Rose]

Great ideas!!

If I could have my dream show, it would be tours of California artisans--heirloom tomatoes, olive oils, the abalone farm in Cayucos, herb farms, nut orchards.

But, mmm, no budget for travel. I think I'm leaning toward reality TV in the store. Follow shoppers around, peer in their baskets, and harass them, then follow one home and see what they do with their purchases.

Or have comedy try-outs. Wanna be comedians bring their own food and cook it up while impersonating culinary greats. (You would have to have an approved list--Julia no, Jamie yes).

[Chris Cognac]

Since its being done by a city, I have full use of all the facilities....problem is there is no place that has 2 kitchens in the same room....but other wise I have a million kitchens to use. I will be using the outdoor kitchen at the new police station for the most part. I actually have a pretty well known L.A. chef that has agreed to come on...I should "challenge" him and let him take me to school in a cooking battle.

I am also thinking of a cooking contest between the kiwanis and the rotary folks...that could be great...yea, that would work well, not to mention that those guys all run the city and various businesses inthe area...which couldnt hurt!