Food Network serves up new shows

[Food Network Fan]

Food Network serves up new shows

Cable network unveils eight at upfront

By STUART LEVINE




HOLLYWOOD -- Coming off of its highest-rated quarter ever, Food Network unveiled eight new primetime shows at its upfront event in Gotham on Tuesday. The cabler's focus on cooking competitions continues in the upcoming programming slate. "Chefs vs. City" is a foodie version of "The Amazing Race" in which notable chefs Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez take on a pair of local chefs in a different city each week, vying in a series of five challenges. Skein begins in July.
Launching in the fall is "Extreme Cuisine With Jeff Corwin." Corwin, whose former series "The Jeff Corwin Experience" appeared on Food sister net Animal Planet, will head to foreign locales to taste native cuisines.
"We don't want to overdo it with competition shows, but viewers like it," president Brooke Johnson told Daily Variety. "We sort of have a bifurcated strategy. We have the 'In the kitchen' blocks -- Saturday and Sunday morning, and weekdays -- which are as important to us as primetime. We're able to develop new shows and draw on talent from the kitchen." MORE HERE

[MiseEnPlace]

Ah, so Guy has the #1 show now, eh?

including the Guy Fieri-hosted "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" -- the net's No. 1 show in primetime.

[Food Network Fan]

I guess it changes weekly. Maybe day by day.

[Bentley Green]

Oh God, not another blasted challenge show again!!

I think we've seen enough of these already. They are really pushing me away from watching that channel because of that.

I think I'm going to go back to watch the educational channels like Discovery, History, TLC, National Geographic, PBS and the Animal Planet.

I'll only watch the Food Network when there is something on that I think I might like.

[MiseEnPlace]

I'm looking forward to the 2nd season of The Next Iron Chef and Alton's new show.

[Bentley Green]

I hope that the Chef Jeff Project gets renewed for a 2nd season.

[BerryBaby]

I didn't care for that show. Too much drama and, yet, another reality show. Between reality TV and challenges, those are two of my least favorite themes.

[Bentley Green]

To me, the Chef Jeff Project's main formula was to get a group of young adults off the streets where they were prime candidates for continuing crime sprees, and into doing something more meaningful to better themselves.

Any kind of help they can get is assurance that they will most likely change their ways. And anytime a mentor like Chef Jeff has served time in prison, gets out, turns HIS OWN life around, then goes on to try to help others turn THEIR lives around, that says an awful lot. He never forgot that his life went sour and he wants to see others do good as well.

I can understand that, but you're right on those challenge shows! They are aggravating, annoying, not to menton boring, and the FN has gone completely out of control with them.

We need something more new - something that is not a challenge or contestant show other than NFNS. Something that is not related in any way to the present programs.

I realise that the current FN stars move up at times and do something a little bit different, but there is also fresh new talent out there that has yet to be discovered. The network needs to do some more research and find new prospects.

[Food Network Fan]

I didn't care for that show. Too much drama and, yet, another reality show. Between reality TV and challenges, those are two of my least favorite themes.

I agree, I really don't want to see that again. They all seemed like ungrateful little brats. Not very inspiring. Which is what a show like that is supposed to be.

[isilzha]

I like the challenge shows.