Food Network Delivers Best 2nd Quarter Ever
2nd Quarter Finished Highest-Rated and Most-Watched
Ties as Best Quarter in Network History
Ranked #7 Cable Network
NEW YORK – June 25, 2012–Food Network delivers its highest-rated, most-watched 2nd quarter* ever posting a .6 among adults 25-54 (up 20 percent from 2011) making it ranked 7th* among ad-supported cable networks, up two spots from 2011. The quarter’s ratings delivery also ties as the network’s highest-rated quarter in network history, the most recent title holder being 1st quarter of this year. Food Network was watched nightly by an average of nearly 1.2 million total viewers (585k adults 25-54, up 17% vs. 2Q 2011).
Food Network Star season eight continues its success, having been watched by over 12 million adults 25-54 since its premiere in May and averaging a 1.0 adults 25-54 rating, up 28% over year ago time period delivery. The series culminates in a viewer vote to determine this year’s winner, revealed in the July finale on July 22nd.
Strong performances came from primetime network juggernauts Chopped, with its second installment of the ‘All Stars’ stunt having averaged a 1.3 adults 25-54, doubling year ago time period (+97%) and Restaurant: Impossible, whose new episodes have averaged a .9 adults 25-54 in 2nd quarter. Newcomers to the line-up, Mystery Diners (averaged .7 adults 25-54 rating, +40% year ago time period) and Restaurant Stakeout (averaged .8 adults 25-54, +58% year ago time period) were solid, resulting in season two pick-ups for both series to return this fall.
*at time of release according to Nielsen Media Research
Food Network Announces a Bevy of New Shows
Famous New York butcher and meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda brings Food Network viewers inside the fascinating and compelling world of Meat Men. Running Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, a third-generation wholesale meat purveyor business, Pat, along with his cousin Mark Pastore, and his dad Pat Sr., supply more than 500 customers, including some of the most prestigious restaurants and bistros in New York City. Expanding from a small corner shop in New York City to a 35,000 square-feet facility in New Jersey, this growth comes with great pressure to maintain the high-quality product for which Pat has become known, and to manage the many hurdles that occur. Whether it’s last-minute requests, creating custom blends and menus for new clients, or navigating the personalities of a work staff, Meat Men takes viewers on a high-‘steaks’ ride with a side of humor, served medium rare.
In new series, Undercover Critics, Alex Guarnaschelli (Chopped), Troy Johnson (Crave) and Simon Majumdar (Next Iron Chef) go undercover as restaurant critics armed with hidden cameras to unfold the good, the bad and the ugly of established restaurants. Then, they give the owners new life and a second chance to improve on their violations before the review is actually published. After visiting the restaurant, the Undercover Critics give an anonymous tip to the owner letting them know they visited, but won’t write a review just yet. Instead, they give the owners a laundry list of things to fix, and the owners do whatever it takes to turn a bad review into a great one before it hits the press.“Restaurant Stakeout” Coming to Food Network
Television is a heartless bitch.
Late last year Food Network ran a pilot for a show called Mystery Diners which was produced by T Group Productions. On MD, struggling restauranteurs called in experts to set up hidden cameras to help them curb pilferage. The stings were conducted by the staff at BES (Business Evaluation Services) who are headquartered in Arroyo Grande, CA. BES provides full-service secret shopper evaluation designed for businesses by a network of professionals.
I loved the concept. Just knowing that you might be exposed as a thief on national television would surely put a dent in the rampant pilferage of today’s restaurant employees and their “Occupy Wall Street” sense of entitlement. I even chatted with some of the crew at T Group about whether the show would be picked up or not. They were hopeful.
Well, Food Network has green lighted the concept. . . only with a different production company, a different team setting up the stings, a different title, a different city and a different host.
RelativityREAL’s Restaurant Stakeout premieres March 14th on Food Network. It’s pretty much the same premise as Mystery Diners with a geographical shift from Disneyesque SoCal to the gritty streets of New York. That’s where we find Willie Degel owner of Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse (a NYC chain with a slightly above-average reputation – 3.5 stars from Yelp and Menu Pages, 77% “like it” from UbranSpoon) dishing out tough love Soprano’s-style. Degal is the self-proclaimed “toughest steakhouse boss” in New York who uses hidden cameras to help problematic eateries trim the fat. Check out this trailer he did for as-yet un-aired reality series for TruTV:
I know what you’re thinking, this guy’s a d-bag. Well, it’s that kind of confrontational, in-your-face approach that the d-bags who steal from their employers understand and it also brings in ratings.
So how does it stack up against Mystery Diners? We’ll just have to wait until March 14th to find out. However, this is the same production company behind The Great Food Truck Race, a show that has serious integrity issues. Perhaps that is why they chose the name RelativityREAL. For more information on Restaurant Stakeout read these articles, one from the New York Post and the other from Tulsa World. The series will air at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on the Food Network.
Review: Mystery Diners
This week Food Network debuted a new pilot called Mystery Diners. A pub owner in Los Angeles suspects that one of her bartenders might be over-pouring for customers, giving away too many free drinks and over-tipping himself. To find out, she calls in the Mystery Diners, who outfit the bar with hidden cameras and go in undercover to see what is really happening when the boss is away.
The show is in the same vein as Restaurant: Impossible and the new hit Chef Hunter in that a restaurant has a problem so Food Network swoops in to lend a hand. Rather than being a makeover or intense job interview type show, Mystery Diners helps restauranteurs who fear they are being ripped off by their staff. Using the latest in technology they show several instances where hidden cameras capture employees, providing poor customer service, theft and inappropriate behavior while on-duty.
The stings are conducted by the staff at BES (Business Evaluation Services) who are headquartered in Arroyo Grande, CA. BES provides full-service secret shopper evaluation designed for businesses by a network of professionals. They evaluate a variety of customer experiences generating vital information necessary to quickly and effectively spot areas of superior performance and areas in need of special consideration.
Mystery Diners combines key elements of feel-good shows like Restaurant: Impossible with gotcha shows like To Catch a Predator. It also helps demonstrate why 50% of new restaurants fail within two years. Pure, unbridled thievery.
I love this concept. I genuinely hope Food Network picks it up. The restaurant industry needs this show to be a hit. Just knowing that you might be exposed as a thief on national television would surely put a dent in the rampant pilferage of today’s restaurant employees and their “Occupy Wall Street” sense of entitlement.
UPDATE: Mystery Diners has been picked up by Food Network. The first season premieres May 25th with a sneak peek on May 20th.
