Good Eats Canceled?
Good bye, Good Eats
In the annals of food television there have been five shows that have stood out from the rest by virtue of their importance to the genre. The first four, I Love to Eat (James Beard), The French Chef (Julia Child), The Galloping Gourmet (Graham Kerr) and Emeril Live (Emeril Legasse) each made their indelible marks on food television by enticing people into their kitchens.
The fifth show, Good Eats, made its mark by teaching burgeoning home gourmets what to do in their new-found playground. Alton Brown created, wrote, produced and starred in, “a smart and entertaining food show that blends wit with wisdom, history with pop culture, and science with common cooking sense.” His words not mine.
Recently I heard a rumor that Food Network had canceled Good Eats so I started tugging on various grapevines to see what would shake loose. My original sources were pretty reliable but I wanted to double-check before reporting something like “Good Eats Canceled.”
I contacted Alton’s publicist, Beau Benton and asked straight out if the rumor was true. The answer? No. . . and yes.
No. Food Network did not cancel Good Eats.
Yes. The show will soon be ceasing production for good.
The decision was Alton’s. When I inquired about a press release or official statement Benton said, “He announced it on Twitter.”
Sure enough, “G.E. fans, I’ve decided to cut the half hour series at 249 eps. There will be 3 new 1 hour eps this year and that’s it. But mourn not. New things brew on the horizon…”good” things.”
I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Alton a few weeks ago. We were both taking part in a fund-raiser in tiny Dauphin Island, Alabama. Of all of the communities effected by the Oil Spill, Dauphin Island’s economy suffered the most losing 66% of its projected revenue for the summer of 2010 which included cancelling the world’s largest deep-sea fishing rodeo for the first time ever. Camille, Frederick, Katrina, and Ivan couldn’t do that. Alton gave of his time to help attract a record crowd to the island’s annual gumbo cook-off.
This is sure to leave Food Network fans feeling shell shocked. Especially considering the May law suit that has halted production of another long standing hit series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. If things do not work out in court that means that two of the network’s most popular shows would no longer be a part of their line-up.
Brown will still be on Iron Chef and there are hints of other projects in the works. Recently, Alton and I got to speak a good bit about, well, everything and he was kind enough to answer 7 Questions. READ HERE.
I saw this Tweet from Tyler Florence to Alton. It’s hysterical:
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/TylerFlorence/status/72821165185441792″]
Review: Fresh Food Fast with Emeril Lagasse
I finally got a little more quality time with the Cooking Channel so I am attempting to review several of the shows I have not seen. This time around Fresh Food Fast with Emeril Lagasse.
There are four kingpins that are responsible for the success of food-based television – James Beard, Julia Child, Graham Kerr (check out my interview with Kerr HERE) and Emeril Legasse. Legasse was one of the chefs who formed the core of the Food Network’s early days and it was his show Emeril Live that made Food Network. Without Legasse’s energy, humor and every-guy appeal the network probably looks different today if it survived at all.
Unfortunately, the catch phrases and schtick on Emeril Live eventually became its downfall. The show had become a charecature of itself. A few years back FN took it’s marquee show off the air. For a while it moved over to the Fine Living Network in hopes that Legasse could kick up FLN’s ratings a notch. It wasn’t enough. Last year FLN became the Cooking Channel. The change has proven a wise one.
There’s room on Cooking Channel for Legasse and it is not having to re-create the Emeril of old. Fresh Food Fast is Emeril in a kitchen (a real kitchen not a set) putting together amazing recipes. Gone are the cries of BAM! and Pork Fat Rules! This Emeril is more under control, his recipes are healthier, most likely a byproduct of his Planet Green series dedicated to healthy, organic and sustainable food, Emeril Green.
While Emeril Green seemed like Legasse was being stuffed into a world that didn’t quite suit him, it did help him to find a happy medium between the calorically challenged recipes of Emeril Live and the über-wholesomeness of the recipes of Emeril Green. Fresh Food Fast is that happy medium. Sure the food is healthier than his old FN days but not as uninspired as the Planet Green show.
Best of all it is Emeril being Emeril. He is congenial and entertaining without being over the top. He’s doing a show for foodies again – people who don’t have to have a danceable beat and repetitive lyrics so they can blurt the chorus after just two listenings. It’s a serious cooking show by one of the master’s of the genre.