An alternative Food TV Network?

[Wilfrid]

If the Food Network here in the States is drifting steadily in the direction of light entertainment, rather than serious shows about food and cooking, what would an interesting alternative look like?

And do you agree with my premise? Look at the change from Mario Batali's early shows to his present format with a sidekick. Where's the replacement for David Rosengarten's Taste or Andrea Immer's Quench?

[Brad S]

I totally agree with you Wilfrid.

I've seen the food network really fall in regards to it's aim to pro's or high end foodies.

What do they say "sex sells" I see the channel trying to be sexy and to cute and because of this I rarely watch it anymore.

Being a Chef, I would like to see Pro's teaching techniques, seasonal cooking and menu planning,more shows that lean to the pastry chefs and bakers.

The FN has it's place,but I would rather watch rosengartin in discussions with Immer about how to match food with wine (or other beverges)

I would really need to think a bit more about what I would like to see in regards to the world of food and beverege.

Also I see some "so called" culinarians on that show that are an embaressment to my proffesion

[Wilfrid]

How about a little more hard news? I don't mean CNN, but even MTV and VH1 manage to slip in a newsroom break here and there. Openings and closings, chef moves, seasonal foodstuffs. FIsh boycotts (aargh!) Wouldn't be too expensive either.

[srhcb]

Don't feel too bad. The same thing happened with CNBC and serious financial news.

[Priscilla]

I much prefer true cooking shows to the l-i-t-e travelogue types. David Rosengarten's Taste was a pleasure to watch, and often loaded with good information.

One of the best aspects of Iron Chef is seeing a whole lot of cooking going on.

[Wilfrid]

One of the plus points about Iron Chef, I suppose, is that it doesn't pretend to have a tutorial aspect. It's a contest. A lot of shows seem to me to fall between the two stools.

[GordonCooks]

The Food Network has benefited from exposing food industry personalities and showcasing their talents. At the same time, as their popularity grew – so did their price tags. I feel maybe that we’re in a state of transition. FoodTV has created this market, generated enough revenue to draw the attention of some talented TV professionals who in turn can create a wider audience - to generate more advertising revenue – to hire more talent for better programs. Hopefully, you’ll see some lifestyle, some serious wine shows, shows on spirits, cuisine, etc.etc. Serious foodies like us who participate in daily discussions about food are very rare. Majority rules in advertising market share. Go to your next high school reunion and ask everyone what Gevrey Chamberetin is.

In the future, there will be a show for everybody. You can watch “Girls gone wild in Napa” or Jacques Pepin de-boning a capon.

[jaybee]

Jacques Pepin de-boning a capon.

I can see that now on the xxx channel for Time-Warner cable.

[Wilfrid]

Go to your next high school reunion and ask everyone what Gevrey Chambertin is.

Hah! I suggested to some school friends eating grouse next week, as the season tarted on August 12. They have nothing to do with eGullet, or any other foodie activities I'm aware of, but I got the immediate response: "Won't have been hung long enough."

The world is getting too sophisticated.

[jaybee]

I imagine a kind of "Waynes World" channel, where very unslick shows take the viewer places they ordinarily wouldn't get to, and teaches them things about food preparation, cooking, technique etc. at all levels from the "dummie" stage to the advanced stage.

Then I imagine a six hour segment called "Just Plotnicki" where he regales us with whatever point of view he wants to advance at the moment, then cuts off irate callers who want to take issue with him after they sputter a few sentences.

I can imagine a segment called "Candid Cabrales" where, in male attire, she visits one haute cuisine restaurant after another, and whispers her review of the meal mouthful by mouthful into a hidden microphone. The first episode will be "Cabby and the live Clam" followed by "Cabby revisits the Kabob Cafe." In one episode, we turn the tables by having Joel Robuchon surprise Cabby at table, coming out and sitting next to her, with a few specially made dishes for her eating pleasure. She, of coourse, faints with the excitement of it all.

These would be interspersed with ten-second sound bites from Tommy, saying pithy things.

Then I see segment called "The Great Whit(ing) Attacks" where John enters a different high priced restaurant each episode and proceeds to berate the diners, calling them "high-rolling, self-indulgent, elitist capitalist punters," among other things. He moves from table to table, taking each on serially, until they all flee in embarrassed horor, leaving their Amex Black Cards to the local Food for the Homeless chapter.

This would be followed by a brief segment called Malawry loves Butter." and another brief segment called "Nina Speaks Yiddish while eating Offal with Wilfrid."

Well I could go on with more programming concepts, but I'm sure others might have some ideas too.

[lizziee]

"It's a contest. A lot of shows seem to me to fall between the two stools.

"Hah! I suggested to some school friends eating grouse next week, as the season tarted on August 12."

Wilfrid,

I couldn't resist. The typos are very funny!

[Bux]

These would be interspersed with ten-second sound bites from Tommy, saying pithy things.

Tommy doesn't have a lisp.

[Malawry]

Jaybee:

[Wilfrid]

Lizziee, you remind me of the occasion I stepped up to a currency exchange bureau while waiting for a flight to Bangkok, and was mortified to hear myself ask if I could get some "Buy Tarts".

(Er, Thai bahts is the currency...but of course you all knew that.)

[=Mark]

For Cabrales I was thinking more along the lines of a show detailing the humerous uses of eggs...

[jaybee]

Tommy doesn't have a lisp.

Thorry, my mithtake.

[Basildog]

I imagine a kind of "Waynes World" channel, where very unslick shows take the viewer places they ordinarily wouldn't get to

You have seen our web cam then?

[Miles]

I agree that FTV has become anemic at best and you're on the right track but David Rosengarten is a pompous hack and I'm glad to see him go

[Wilfrid]

Not so much that I am wedded to Rosengarten - even in the metaphorical sense - but I liked to see a show that explained foodstuffs in some detail, soberly and accurately, and without the lunatic camerawork (Alton Brown).

[GordonCooks]

Then I imagine a six hour segment called "Just Plotnicki" where he regales us with whatever point of view he wants to advance at the moment, then cuts off irate callers who want to take issue with him after they sputter a few sentences.

I've seen the menu - It included

Bald Eagle Confit served on a brick of saffron paired with 3 different 1945 Bordeaux's

[spqr]

I agree that FTV has become anemic at best and you're on the right track but David Rosengarten is a pompous hack and I'm glad to see him go

DR is actually a pompous, pedantic twit (IMHO).

[dave88]

Not so much that I am wedded to Rosengarten - even in  the metaphorical sense - but I liked to see a show that explained foodstuffs in some detail, soberly and accurately, and without the lunatic camerawork (Alton Brown).

I absolutely agree! I am so sea-sick from the "Blair Witch Project" camera work and the "VH1" info force-feed, I'm starting to dismiss it as a Taste replacement. There is nothing original or hip to this show. Why they can't air Taste at 4:30 am instead of "Galloping Gourmet" or even 9:00 am instead of paid-programming, I don't understand. They used to air it, but what happened to Julia Child, anyway?

Why does this network insist on mediocratizing its shows making it's core viewership angry? First we lose Chef du Jour. Then we lose Taste. Then In Food Today is gone. After that, no more Julia Child. Perhaps it is the agribusinesses like RJR Nabisco, Clorox (Hidden Valley Ranch etc.), Proctor & Gamble, etc. who are the big advertisers on the network and want us to buy their convenience foods --or eat out. When will we see ad's for McDon...'s and Burger Ki..? Perhaps the execs. at Foodtv think people interested in Food are bored with cooking shows. How do they know?

Now it appears we have lost East Meets West, A Cook's Tour, and Ming's Travel's. What were these shows, which obviously increased the viewership to Foodtv, replaced with? Unwrapped, 30-min. meals, Keith Famies Adventures, $40 a Day, Food Finds, Ultimate Kitchens.

Save the "entertainment" for ESPN or MTV. If they're looking to gain audience from those networks, or in general, as hinted at by some posters, they are shovelling sh** against the tide. Those viewers do not care about food. They care about sports and skimpily-clad teenagers. They do like Taco-Be.. and McDon..'s and ... you get the idea.

Food TV, change the name of the network --AGAIN. You can't have food without cooking. Think about it. We have been sold out, again.

[Wilfrid]

Good stuff, Dave. Personally, I think there's room for "fun" shows on the network as well as informative programming, but it does seem to be a one-way street right now.

[Fat Guy]

Whether there's money in a 24-hour hardcore gourmet network is debateable. The Food TV people obviously think there isn't. It may very well be that the very serious high-level food programming belongs on the more serious high-level channels, like the History Channel, Discovery, etc. Still, I would like to see Food TV try to do a show to serve the eGullet-type audience, hosted by Steve Klc of course.

[Wilfrid]

Steve Klc? What's wrong with me and Tommy?