Michael Symon on exiting Dinner Impossible

[snowpea]

found this at another forum

Michael Symon on Dinner Impossible:

"Right from the get-go, we knew Robert was probably going to come back and do the show - but we couldn't say that," Symon said. "There was a lot going on with him that he needed to clear up. They [Food Network] told me, 'You're the only one who can do it, keep up that level.' "

"We didn't 'lose' [the show]," Symon added. "I knew going in that there was a 95 percent chance that he'd be coming back. We really want to keep this brand alive. So we came in, rocked out the 10 shows, and moved on."

Michael Symon exits 'Dinner: Impossible' -- and talks to us about it - TV news, reviews & listings with The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com

Strange??

[FoodieDoug]

This is new news to me. I've gained a new respect for Michael Symon for agreeing to keep the show going and for his culinary accomplishments but I'm really glad Robert Irvine is returning.

[isilzha]

He only did 10 shows? I thought it was more.

[Pluff Mudder]

I read those exact same comments from Symon in a interview with another reporter and they sound "scripted."

FN prez Brooke Johnson sure didn't sound like Chef Robert had a chance in heck of every being back on FN in this statement when they fired him: "We have not renewed Robert's contract for future seasons but will fulfill our contractual obligations."

[Food Network Fan]

Yeah I think this is the story and they are sticking to it. But whatever it is I hope both Michael and Robert will be happy with what they have them doing now and in the future.

[FoodieDoug]

I read those exact same comments from Symon in a interview with another reporter and they sound "scripted."

FN prez Brooke Johnson sure didn't sound like Chef Robert had a chance in heck of every being back on FN in this statement when they fired him: "We have not renewed Robert's contract for future seasons but will fulfill our contractual obligations."

Exactly what I was thinking Pluff. Seems FN may be eating crow over the about face. Perhaps in retrospect, they decided that DI was Irvine. Any replacement was going to pale in comparison. IMHO, the same thing as when George Duran replaced Jim O'Connor on "The Secret Life Of..."

[Pluff Mudder]

Seems FN may be eating crow over the about face. Perhaps in retrospect, they decided that DI was Irvine. Any replacement was going to pale in comparison. IMHO, the same thing as when George Duran replaced Jim O'Connor on "The Secret Life Of..."

You're right about the fact that DI was Irvine. The show was created for him and he didn't have to put in a resume to host it. And speaking of "The Secret Life Of..." it was never the same without O'Connor. Wish they would bring him back too.

From his blog:
Interestingly, my resume is not what got me the job on Dinner: Impossible. The show was created by Brian O'Reilly, a writer and producer who became executive producer of the show, and was based on events from my life and on skills that I had developed over the course of my career that were unique to me: cooking at a high culinary level under pressure, often for large numbers of people, sometimes with limited resources and an ability to improvise with whatever I had on hand to get the job done. We arranged a date to fix a gourmet luncheon for the players and coaches of the NY Rangers and the NY Knicks at their training facility in New York (21 dishes served in a buffet line for 60 people in 3 hours) and from there produced a “sizzle” reel that demonstrated the concept for the show (which was originally called “Fit For A King”). Food Network saw the sizzle reel, loved it, added the element of keeping each “mission” a secret from me until I arrived on the scene, changed the name, bought the show, and the rest is history.

Archives for: 2008, week 28 - The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog

[ping]

I just hope a new show for Michael comes together.

[snowpea]

Exactly what I was thinking Pluff. Seems FN may be eating crow over the about face. Perhaps in retrospect, they decided that DI was Irvine. Any replacement was going to pale in comparison. IMHO, the same thing as when George Duran replaced Jim O'Connor on "The Secret Life Of..."

Testify! I LOVED Jim O'Connor on "the secret life of" bring him back! he had a great goofy enthusiasm that was infectious

BTW where did the show go after GD took over? um nowhere it seems

[Pluff Mudder]

A couple weeks ago FN aired a rerun of the Thanksgiving "The Secret Life of..." with O'Conner. It was great seeing it again. It seems like the show didn't last very long after they put Duran in as the host.