Just came across an interesting New York Times article written last month about the change in strategy at Food Network. It starts with the surprising (to me, at least) revelation that “Emeril Live” has been cancelled, at least to the effect that they are no longer filming new episodes. I knew they’d moved it on their evening schedule – “Good Eats” is now on at 8 pm on weeknights, which is fine by me – but wasn’t aware they’d stopped filming and canned six people.
I’m pretty sure I’m in a coveted demographic for Food Network’s execs: 34 years old, highly educated, a parent, high disposable income, big spender on food and cooking items, and so on. Yet my Food Network viewership has been declining for years, even though I have worked at home since late 2001 and, of course, have a Tivo that allows me to watch whatever I want. This article confirmed for me why they’ve largely lost me as a viewer: They’re dumbing the whole thing down.
I originally watched Food Network, starting in the late ’90s, because I was learning to cook. I stumbled on “Good Eats” in late 1999 – “The Fungal Gourmet” was the episode – and I was hooked. I also watched “Emeril Live,” “The Naked Chef,” and “Molto Mario” regularly, and would usually just flip to Food Network if I was home and bored. My need for instruction has waned – even “Good Eats” is repetitive at this point – but I’d still watch for recipe ideas or little kitchen tricks if they were showing that type of programming. Instead, the nights are filled with contrived travel shows and reality series; the “Ace of Cakes” seems like a nice guy, but really, who cares about the back-room operations at a cake store? If I’m not learning, and I’m not being entertained, I’m not going to watch.
But perhaps the bigger problem is the way Food Network is going to drive away its top talent, in effect leaving them in a position where they are betting that their own brand is strong enough that they can manufacture new stars along the way. Food Network has not received any cut of the revenues its stars have received from sales of celebrity-endorsed products, such as Emeril’s Emerilware line from All-Clad. They’re now “insisting on a stake in book deals and licensing ventures, and control over outside activities” both in new contracts and in renewals with current talent, and I can see why that would lead some of the brighter stars to walk away.
When FN first launched its “Next Food Network Star” competition, a co-worker and close friend of mine with the Jays encouraged me to apply, knowing that I loved to cook and had the interesting background that typically appeals to reality shows. So I went to their site and looked at the application … which looked to me like indentured servitude. You give up everything, including your recipes, to Food Network. I like being on TV as much as anyone, but not at the cost of my soul. If that’s the devil’s bargain the Faust Network is offering, they’re not going to get the best talent coming in the door, and that means they’re not going to get the most desirable audience for their advertisers.
Unfortunately, this isn’t limited to FN. The financial realities mean that networks must get larger and broader audiences, and that means (rightly or wrongly) appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Sci-Fi now shows wrestling. AMC shows “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” And the four-letter does “Around the Horn” and nonsense like “Who’s Now” or “Who’s Next” or whatever it’s called.
True niche channels that cater to quality programming for a small audience just don’t seem to last.
I couldn’t agree more about the dumbing down of Food Network. At this point I only watch “Good Eats,” “Iron Chef,” and “Throwdown.” I hate virtually everyone else on the network (although I can’t figure out why George Duran isn’t on more often since I love his work). However, I have to quibble with the idea that Emeril is or ever was an interesting or enjoyable host. I have always found him to be utterly insufferable from the mid 90s right up to today.
On another note, I finally tried Toraya per your (and others’) recommendation. It was really fantastic and I will be hitting it up whenever I am in Arlington and can somehow resist getting Punjab instead.
Keith –
Did you ever get into the old Iron Chefs (the Japanese ones)? I don’t think they even show those anymore on Food Network, which means one fewer thing to watch when clicking through channels at 3 AM. Alton Brown and company are decent on the US version, but the over-the-top Japanese drama of the original was fantastic.
I can’t get into the Japanese version. Watched several of them, but it’s a little too extreme-cuisine for me at times, and of course a lot of humor is lost in translation.
The American version, however, is gradually descending into camp.
Part of the problem is that Americans don’t cook at home anymore. How sad is it that some of the largest companies in the U.S. are fa(s)t food chains? We have become a society that no has family dinner. When my children have friends over and we have dinner they have no idea how to act at the dinner table. Some of them hold a fork as thought they’re preparing to stab someone. I’m guessing they can hold a cheeseburger and a slice of pizza though.
I gotta be honest, as long as Bobby Flay is still doing Boy Meets Grill I will tune in. I will watch almost anything with him on it.
Does this mean you won’t be watching Frank Perdue and Colonel Sanders square off in “Iron Chef: Beyond the Grave?”
I’ll always be thankful for the FN however, since the popularity of these shows (in large part) have led to my local grocery stores (…Iowa…)carrying items I would never have been able to find previously, such as panko, truffle oil, etc.
— But on the flip side, making ultra-annoying Rachael Ray and Giada into big stars is inexcusable in the strongest “playing Darin Erstad 140+ times a year” sense.
I cannot agree with you more. Since coming to US in 2001, I had been watching FN to learn how to cook. But I cannot watch it anymore as there is nothing I can learn from it. So I don’t watch it except few good eats episode. I am just so sick of watching Ray(“EVOO”) and De Laurentiis(“Butteriness” and “Crisp outside, moist inside”).
I actually think that the almost certainly inaccurate voice-over of the Japanese Iron Chef episodes WAS the humor. I’ll never forget a Christmas-themed show where turkey was prepared in a vessie (pig’s bladder), “where the vessie represents Santa’s sack.” Comedy gold.
The guy from Dinner Impossible, Robert Irvine is opening his first 2 restaurants here in St. Pete in the next 2 months. They’re called “Schmooze” and “Ooze.” Horrible names, right? He claims that he sees St. Pete becoming the “Monaco of the Gulf Coast” in the next few years. I hope he’s right, but those of you who have been here probably realize what a stretch that sounds like. (If we get that new waterfront stadium for the Rays, though, who knows?)
Anyway, Irvine and Guy Fieri (the guy who won that Next Food Network Star thing) were sitting next to us at a terrific local Italian place called Bella Brava a few months ago, and they sent nearly every course back, with little tips about “how they should be prepared.” The chef at Bella Brava is from Milan, and has his own restaurant there, and Guy Fieri is questioning his recipes? I can only imagine how often these celebrity chefs do crap like that when eating out.
By the way, the HD channel Mojo has a terrific show called “After Hours with Daniel” that any fan of food related shows should love.
Maybe I’m alone, but I still dig Barefoot Contessa. I made her strawberry country cake for my friends birthday last year. It was definitely a hit.
Whither David Rosengarten?
Keith,
I’ve never cooked anything more complex than mac and cheese. I’d like to prepare a meal for my wife and kids. Do you have any suggestions (books, shows, recipes, websites) that can help a rookie?
On a separate topic (baseball), there is a strategy issue that I do not understand. When teams employ a shift to face a pull-hitting LHB, wouldn’t it be better to move the 3B to behind second base and leave the SS in his normal spot? To me, it seems logical for two reasons. One is that you are only moving one player out of position, not two. The second is that SS usually have more range and would be better suited as the only player on the left side of the infield to cover as much of it as possible.
I would appreciate your insight on both issues.
Totally agree with this perspective; I enjoy the Food Network but have been getting frustrated lately that every time I get to turn it on they are running “Ace of Cakes” or one of Giada or Rachel’s travel shows or another one of those “Challenge” shows where chef’s are charged with making cakes look like Disney characters or whatever.
The one travel show I AM happy to see back on is Anthony Bourdain’s “A Cook’s Tour”. Great show.
If you haven’t read it yet – Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” is a MUST read.
“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.”
The Food Network contract is not out of the ordinary for TV, unfortunately. Saturday Night Live’s contract is famously bad:
The new contract for first-year Saturday Night Live players is quite different from the one offered new cast members prior to the start of last season. Saturday Night Live contracts have been traditionally long-term deals, running five or six years. But under the new contract, NBC can take a Saturday Night Live player off the show any time after his or her second year on the program and put him or her in an NBC sitcom. A cast member does have the option of saying no to the first two shows proposed by NBC, but must accept the third, sources on both sides of the contract said. And NBC dictates the length of the sitcom contract, which can run as long as six years.
In a nightmare scenario put forth by the managers and agents, NBC could sign someone to a six-year Saturday Night Live deal and then, conceivably, at the end of that six years, toss them into an NBC sitcom for another six years. Call it indentured servitude, show-biz style. For many comedians, that can represent an entire career.
The new contract would also give NBC and Mr. Michaels considerable say in the movie careers of Saturday Night Live cast members. Under its terms, SNL Films, a production company co-owned by Paramount Pictures, NBC and Mr. Michaels himself, has a three-movie option that would pay the star a set $75,000 for the first film, $150,000 for the second and $300,000 for the third. Those rates used to be negotiated at higher rates. The network can also pay a star similar rates to say no to a movie being made by another studio.
“Now you can tell them, ‘Sorry, you can’t do the Farrelly brothers’ $10 million movie,” said one manager. “‘You have to do the SNL fart movie for $75,000!'”