Food Network: Canada vs US?
There has been a lot of grousing about the food network on the board, not least from me. I just took a look at the website for the American network, and something struck me: it seems that the Canadian network is still introducing new *cooking* shows with real chefs, not mere personalities, whereas, from my quick perusal of the website, and the comments made here, that seems not be the case in the US. Here, we've got Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection, Anthony Sedlak doing The Main (good food, but hyperkinetic editing), and Ricardo Larrivee (a Quebec guy who really knows his stuff, but would never fly in the US - his accent is too thick, his linguistic faux pas would be very odd if you are unacquainted with French, his personality too Quebecois).
Is FN Canada doing a better job?
Any thoughts on this? Am I correct, or is this a misperception on my part?
Ciao, hounds.
hungry_pangolin
Dec 08, 2007 06:33AM
My guess is that your right on. If you check out most of the cable TV networks, the top (most informed and informing) shows are done in Canada. That's true from children's shows on PBS, to cooking and decorating shows pretty much across the cable TV board.
If I could, I would try to make an argument on behalf of U.S. originated shows by citing the writer's strike as a possible detriment, but too bad... Canada's excellence originates long before the WGA started talking about a possible strike.
Historically, Canada had a real edge financially on production costs, but now, with the crumbling dollar and (gasp!) equality between the Canadian and U.S. dollars, it will be interesting to see if the Canadian edge holds after (when/if) the WGA strike ends.
Stay tuned!
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A few years ago I would've said unequivocally that it's the US FTV that's better. The Canadian one had gone way down hill and although they had more "Cooking" shows, the level of the hosts left something to be desired. Canadian Living Cooks was the worst. The one woman just couldn't string together a sentence to save her life. She was a great cook but a poor TV host. There was also another woman who had a Sara Moulton type show that had an ego like you wouldn't believe. Absolutely ruined what couldve been a good show.
I really only watch the US FTV now so I can't tell you which is better now. Considering the new US FTV has gone so far down in the ladder.
PBS is still the way to go but alas, they've moved the best stuff to HD from what I can see and we haven't as yet taken the plunge.
DT
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The Sara Moulton wannabe was Christine Cushing, and not only did she have a huge ego, she was often wrong. I suspect that her second banana was the one who did the real work on that show.
Agreed about Canadian Living Cooks: decent food, bad presenters.
It's just that this season, FN Canada has introduced some very good new shows that actually address real cooking, which seemed contrary to the general perception on this board. Yesterday's episode of In Search of Perfection (Heston Blumenthal) on steak and salad was fascinating. I'm going to attempt his 24 hour steak with mushroom ketchup. I salivated through the entire episode.
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As I said above, I haven't watched FTV Canada in a few years so I couldn't comment on the new shows.
One other thing that really irritated me was "Chef at Home." Michael Smith is good and all and I loved "The Inn Chef" but the camera angles on C@H bugged the crap out of me.
DT
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Agreed, Michael Smith is good, great approach to food. Really basic approach with a very learned understanding of technique and just generally gets it. Oh yeah and Ricardo's got chops too. But I gotta say why do they gotta bring in their kids and family all the time, it's so corny.
But other Cancon?
French Food Lady - sorry but you are boring and you add little interest to old standards.
Anna the Splenda Lady - Much better focus now than old show that talked about chocolate or whatever for half an hour.
The Heat - Just not a well-made show, sorry dude you should know better than to get hair stylin' tips from David Adjey if you're going on TV Mark MacEwen even though you seem like you have a lot to offer and seem like a staight-up guy.
Restaurant Makeover - I just hate this show and it's stale formula and mall design. Lynn Crawford however needs her own show - most competent and entertaining woman I've seen on TV in a while.
My main problem is what foreign shows we get in Canada, no Jacques Pepin? No Jamie Oliver? What happened to Kylie Kwong? Keep the Tyler action coming though...
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Kylie Kwong is back with the My China series - awesome show!
And those contrived gatherings that the hosts always cook for bug the heck out of me - especially Anna Olson's...blahhhhhh
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OMG I sooo want to try his pickled mushrooms nad mushroom ketchup!!
I think we get a lot more UK shows than the US does as well. not the least on FTV.
Makes my parents really jealous (they're Brits living in the states)
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Christine Cushing still has her own show "Christine Cushing Live", which I can't watch. I think the lady Dave was thinking of on "Canadian Living Cooks" was Elizabeth Baird, who likewise drove me crazy.
However, the worst - by far, by a mile, by a universe or two - was any show featuring the execrable Ken Kostick. He had two, IIRC, "What's for Dinner?" with a nearly as annoying female host, and another whose name I can't remember where he invited guests. He makes Ms. Ray seem positively enchanting by contrast.
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Ken Kostick! What a friggin' meat puppet! And his co-host was Mary Jo Eustace, now best known for having been jilted by her husband, Dean McDermott, in favour of Tori Spelling.
Christine Cushing Live is in reruns. No new episodes.
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Seriously, who in the world watches Christine Cushing - and for an hour?!?!
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No-one - that's why it's on at 6 am re-runs.
And Sui_Mai - you are on a roll today!
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Rest assured (sad to say) that the USA version of FTV has gone downhill in recent years of late as well. The channell was much more appealing in its earlier days, by virtue of its simplicity. It has become too slick, too merchandised, and I knew it was over when they entered the dark tunnel of "reality TV". Really a shame. It held such promise, but I guess it is a "business" and in that respect, a very successful one. But there's a lot less reason to watch these days.
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Food Safari seems to be only shown in Canada, right? I know it's an Australian show but it's my favorite at the moment. They do a lot in a half hour and go to both professional and amateur cooks.
I've eyed Blumenthat with suspicion since the fish and chips episode where there was a huge gap between the "perfect" batter and the fish. It's not perfect if it has a big air pocket! I might as well cook the batter and fish separately and layer them.
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I haven't watched enough FN US to make a judgement but I don't think FN Canada is that fantastic - why you ask - two words: Food Jammers
That show is an embarrassment. I loathe it.
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I agree, there are lamentably few shows I tune into on FN Canada, they're either pretty good or God awful (the Food Jammer guys, unfortunately are neither entertaining, witty, or barring that much eye candy).
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It's true, I don't even know why they keep showing their shows.
But does the US get the Thirsty Traveler?
One of my favourites.
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We got thirsty traveler 2 years ago, I think on FN. ? Or something like it. Someone on here will know....
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TT comes on Fine Living TV in the US.
One show I miss on FTV Canada was The Food Hunter with Pete Luckett. I don't know why that show didn't do well. Engaging host showing the origin of great food. I loved it.
DT
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Funny... I love that show... not for the food of course but for the DIY stuff that goes with it... and I don't know who pick the music on that show but it is worth watching the show just to listen to it.
But then I guess I am a bit of a food geek too...
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Agreed. I think Food Safari is one of the best shows on FN Canada. Possibly the best.
Which doesn’t say too much I guess, since most of their programming has become godawful over the last few years. And from what I understand, FN US is even worse.
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There's also Laura Calder's show, French Food at Home, which doesn't air in the US, I believe.
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You are right--it doesn't. I caught it when in Toronto a couple of weeks ago, and liked it. She was making various terrines. A couple of "precious" moments but by and large a good, low key demonstration of the food and techniques.
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Really? When I think of what could be done with a show on French food from a young fresh perspective I am gobsmacked by how lam-o this is. Francophiles are obsessives and perfectionists for the most part and this show is so humdrum.
Like seriously - that loopy Parisian font is about as lazy-french as you can get.
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I liked it because US FN has zero French cooking shows--it's a classic cuisine and there should be one show about it. Her show was basic enough for novices, which is the FN audience. Jacques Pepin, Julia Child levels of cooking are aspirational; I can't think of one show on US FN which could be considered "aspirational" cooking. Wolfgang Puck's and Jacques Torres' shows didn't last too long...
I will say that I didn't watch the whole show, but the terrines looked fun and do-able. Maybe Rachel Ray can do a show devoted to a 30 minute terrine.
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Something about the way Laura speaks makes it difficult for me to watch her. I don't know if she's nervous on TV, but she doesn't seem right for the role.
To each their own, though. I'm sure plenty of others love her, if even if it's for her cleavage.
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I am in Canada and I like the some of the Canadian shows - French Food at Home, Chef at Home and Ricardo (occasionally - too much cream and butter for my taste).
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I don't mind the recipes and ideas, but I get so distracted by the way Laura Calder talks. She opens her mouth so wide! All you can see is teeth! And there's something with the way she pronounces 't's' that bothers me. I just can't watch.
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I fully agree that Food Jammers is crap... pointless crap. The inspiration of my original posting was that FN Canada was actually inroducing new *cooking* shows. I didn't mean to imply that it was as good as in The Golden Age.
I'd like to know what Pete Luckett is up to these days.
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PL has an excellent and thriving grocery chain on the east coast. hope he opens one here (TO) soon!
http://www.petesfrootique.com/
Chow!
HL.
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With the sale of Alliance Atlantis (FN Canada parent company) to Canwest Global (soul-less Cdn media giant), I fear that the overall quality may suffer if the focus changes from the love of food to the love of money.
Regardless, prepare for longer commercial breaks, endless programming promos for other channels, and super-imposed promos flying around taking up 1/3 of the screen DURING the show you are trying to watch.
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I'm not aware of the full range of FN shows from the US and I find that I don't tune in to FN Canada very often. If nothing grabbed me on the hundreds of available channels, I used to tune to Food TV. I don't do that any more because I don't find very much that I want to see. I guess that's my long winded way of saying that the Canadian Food Network is no longer worth watching either.
I don't know whether you have all of the Oliver shows, or Blumenthal, or the English version of Ramsay. These have their moments.
The Michael Smith shows have good content. However, his delivery isn't the greatest. I enjoyed the Inn Chef and Chef at Large. His newest show, Chef at Home, is a good idea done (IMO) poorly. Anna Olson has her moments. Ricardo is rather good, though I agree he couldn't succeed in the US and a recent show where he had little children deep frying donuts gave me pause. I quite liked Cook Like a Chef, but that's gone also.
In Canada, we are gifted with never ending episodes of Restaurant Makeover, which is discussed ad nauseum in other threads. Food Jammers is a travesty. Cushing was a bitch. As far as I'm aware, we don't have Sandra Lee or Paula Deen.
I think where I'm going with this stream of consciousness is that Canada is slightly different, but not necessarily better, and is heading rapidly down the same drainpipe.
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Cook like a chef is on in the middle of the night, like 2am I think. I occasionally catch it.
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Actually, because FN Canada has introduced a few new (actual) cooking shows, I'm not certain that it's headed down the same drainpipe. That said, I don't think that FN Can has a 'critical mass' to take it in a different direction, either. Hence my original question... I'm still uncertain.
Unfortunately, we do have Paula Deen. I agree with you on the pointless crime of Food Jammers. I've already slammed Christine Cushing in previous posts as a know-nothing-know-it-all, so I won't be redundant.
BTW, for those who speak French, Ricardo Larrivee's French programme is, stylistically, simpler and better than his English one on FN, though I dislike the product hawking on the French version. SRC at 11am EST.
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I think I like more of the shows that appear on Food Network Canada.
I like French Food at Home, Chef at Home (I know others don't, but I don't mind it), I don't mind Ricardo (he needs to make some new shows because I'm tired of watching the same ones). I use Anna Olsen's recipes often when I bake.
I did enjoy watching Christine Cushing, not sure why, but I did. It's hilarious what you say about Canadian Living because despite the good recipes occasionally, I could never get over Elizabeth's stuttering. I do use Daphna's recipes sometimes though. Food Jammers is horrible, horrible. I've never watched it for more than 5 min.
I think it's good that we get more BBC shows sooner, because I often enjoy those. I think we had Nigella way before US FN, maybe I'm wrong. I've always enjoyed Jamie.
On the US FN, I like Ina Garten, I watch Iron Chef, etc. but I can't think of much else that I like.
p.s. it's not on either FN, but there's this show called Foodies that appears on Global, I think, on the weekends. I've come across it occasionally. It is a fine example of what NOT to do with a cooking show.
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Didn't know about Foodies. Thanks for that, pescatarian. I'll take a look to watch the mistake.
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I can't believe you mentionned that show. Foodies is maddeningly awful. Everything about it is bad. I watch it just to get angry at it. That being said, it is on par with all of CanWest's home decorating, renovation and gardening shows.
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Well, I did mention it as an example of what NOT to do with a cooking show! I can't bear to watch more than 2 min at time when I've caught it in passing. I honestly don't believe that the host has actually made the food she's cooking before she makes it on air and her commentary is laughable.
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The host was one of the judges on the Next Great Chef show, and I believe they kept saying she was a pastry chef. Not sure how much experience she's had otherwise....
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Agreed 100%
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I hope that Food TV Canada picks up more of Ramsay's shows aired on Channel 4 in the UK. I was lucky enough to catch most of 'The F Word' series he was in and got to see him mentoring various cooks of different levels in a far less gruesome competition than what 'Hell's Kitchen' was about. As well, viewers saw part of his personal life- his family and the lambs he was keeping in his back yard.
The show I detest the most, which is produced in Canada is 'Eat Shrink and Be Merry'. I recognize the niche opportunity to show viewers a more healthy way to eat but there's got to be a way to do it without those sisters. To me, they're like nails on a chalkboard in a way I can't really explain...I guess maybe they don't seem to take their role in the show seriously?
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Re: the sisters - that's their shtick. If you look at the cookbooks they made before their show began, you'll see cartoons and cutesy names through all of them.
I saw a commercial the other day that said FN Canada is going to be broadcasting Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Treatment. He's been in the UK food news so much lately; it will be interesting to see what his shows are like.
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I haven't watched the shows but have all their cook books and they have a lot of good stuff for those of us who have to watch their "waste" lines.
DT
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I haven't seen River Cottage Treatment yet, but the River Cottage series are fantastic. Especially the first three: Escape to River Cottage, Return to River Cottage and River Cottage Forever. Treatment looks quite a bit different from his other series in that it's a reality-type show. I'm sure I'll like it though I love pretty much everything he does.
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You bring up an interesting point. What do the Quebecois people watch and can we get it in Toronto?
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Paula Deen's show makes me feel sick. The burger with glazed doughnuts... no words, no words.
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They serve that burger at a baseball stadium near my house - a minor league team.
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I don't like how shows on Food Network Canada are becoming more and more 'entertainment' like.
To clarify, any shows that do not teach you how to cook, but rather you just watch them cook, or worse, construction (I'm referring to you Restaurant Makeover... if i want construction i'll turn to HGtv thank you!), Iron Chef America (it's good for cheering on our Canadian competitors, but once again i'd like to see more teaching, although Alton does give a good run through of the theme ingredient and techniques used by chefs), Throwdown, Glutton For Punishment (I miss, the Surreal Gourmet), who the heck is this Fink Guy, Dinner Impossible, you get the idea...
bring back Molto Mario!!!
On Saturdays I really like PBS, I get my gastronomical fill with Julia Child, Lidia Bastianich, America's Test Kitchen, Rick Bayless.. which makes me wonder: why can't Foodtv CAN have such shows?
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i friggin' LOVE dinner impossible...he is great!!!
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Food Network Canada has made a point of moving away from instructional shows and toward "food as entertainment." Why? Because that's where the money is! They figure they can get bigger ratings in prime time from shows such as Restaurant Makeover (the popularity of which astounds and depresses me) and Top Chef than from Julia, Lidia et al. And you know, they're right - they make money hand over first. Face it, the casual viewers they're after are far more interested in Ramsay's tantrums than in his braising technique.
That said, there's still lots of good stuff on the Food Network for those who are serious about food: Heston Blumenthal, At the Table With, the Thirsty Traveller, etc.
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They're just following what FN US has done. "Challenge" shows. "Reality" shows. It's all just fluff.
DT
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I watch Food Network Canada less and less now (I have a DVR, so I still catch shows like In Search of Perfection, At The Table With, and other goodies), but it is so much better than the US Food Network. I have a friend that gets the US version on satellite and the programming seems like it's just Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray, and that ol country lady, on rotation several times a day, and those three are the most annoying TV personalities in the world to me. We get those shows too here in Canada, but thankfully not four times a day each, seems we get a little bit of everything up here, good Canadian shows, some US, and some awesome shows from the UK and even some Aussie shows.
One thing I that is really missing on FN though, is a good Asian cooking show (no Martin Yan or Kylie Kwan was it?). Also, I miss Anthony Bourdain, he's on the Travel Channel though, but you need digital cable for that, and my DVR isn't compatible with it.
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In spite of his continual disdain, Bourdain has arrived at FN-US, 10:30 EST on Tuesdays, in an unfortunate vehicle called "A Cook's Tour" which displays every unfortunate character flaw he has. He's much cooler than you are, dontcha know, and in 30 minutes takes advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate it.
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He hasn't really arrived at Food Network. That show is seven years old and Bourdain left FN in 2002 to make a new show for Discovery Travel called No Reservations.
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Jealous now -- I would love to see Cook's Tour -- can't get it on DVD, FN Canada has no plans to show it. AB before he was a chef celeb... oh yeah.
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Canadian FN is on some crazy rotation too with Rachel Ray and Giada and the annoying French food lady on in the am and before dinner - but that's CanWest Global for ya - they're all about bottom line over quality.
I totally agree with you - bring back Tony B and Kylie Kwong!
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Just my 2 cents on the best and worst shows on FN Canada.
Good:
The Main, with Anthony Sedlak. Delicious looking food, with the general rationale of the preparation and techniques explained nicely. An engaging host. Unusual accent though. Scottish?)
In Search Of Perfection: The best show on the FN. My main complaint is his is too time constrained to show everything properly in 30 minutes. (So I look it up on Youtube)
Tyler's Ultimate: A somewhat humourless host, but he pulls off some nice looking dishes with good explanations.
Iron Chef America: Just fun to watch. Alton's commentary is also quite interesting and occasionally useful.
Bad:
Rachael Ray - Annoying and fake and basically useless.
Paula Deen - really fatty gross looking food and her accent is ridiculous.
Neutral:
Laura Calder: a bit geeky and with an annoying way of speaking through her teeth. Her food is a little boring. Meh.
Ricardo: Meh
Michael Smith: Chef At Home. I like the content of his show, but he constantly sounds as though he's talking (condescending) to a two year old. Also has a way of oversimplifying international cuisines. "Oh, just add some 5-spice powder and soy-sauce".
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Re: Michael Smith -
"Aromatics"
Said. In. Every. Episode.
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and "Gabe".
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Chef at Home: The Drinking Game
1. Take a shot every time Michael Smith says "flavour."
2. Take a shot... It doesn't matter, you'll be under the table in 5 minutes or less.
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Just caught the Mooking guy's show (from Nyood?) and it is interesting.
Plus how cute is he?
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He reminds me of "Turtle" from Entourage, and not in the good way.
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really?
the way he constantly says "obedient ingredient" bugs me. ANd the fact that he sings his own theme song....
I've watched the show a couple times and I have to say that the only thing I put in EVERYTHING in a meal is S&P not sechuan peppercorns or something like that.
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He used to go by the name of MC Mystic when he was in a group called Bass is Base. :) They had a couple hits way back in the early 90s.
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Re: Anthony Sedlak's accent, which I don't hear., btw. He was born and raised in Canada (British Columbia).
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It's not so much his accent in general as the way he pronounces certain words. I also think he uses a lot of words to try to sound hip, but it's kind of laughable (eg: "Get your gear!")
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He's the only west-coast Canadian I've heard speak that way. Very odd.
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I just saw his show, and he *is* revealing an accent. Sounds maybe S. African or Aussie crossed with surfer dude. I'm from Van and while we may have a wee drawl, it ain't like that.
Kills the show for me. His red wine flank steak recipe however, is one of my faves of all times (I got it from the newspaper though).
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"her accent is ridiculous"
Its called Southern and many of us talk that way.
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I like that they have more british shows but then it's not really to THEIR credit =/. The only Canadian only show I like is French Food at Home.
I hate that guy in a trailer...ugh
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Continuing with the real Chef trend is the upcoming show on Food Network Canada with Chef Roger Mooking (Nyood in Toronto), Everyday Exotic, aimed at de-Mystifying ingredients (such as Saffron etc)
coming this fall...
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Anyone see the commercials for The Wild Chef? It's got Martin Picard from Au Pied de Cochon and his sous chef wandering around the wilds of Quebec.... the dishes he makes look oddly interesting.
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I saw the first episode the other day, they drive around in the woods w/ his pickup carrying a commercial grade stove, in the dead of winter. He proceeds to cook things like muskrat and civet. All delivered in a stilted Quebecois English. Definitely not US FN friendly.
It's a great show.....
Everyday Exotic meanwhile is pretty pedestrian, your typical instruction show. I would say the ingredients are exotic if you've shopped in chain supermarkets your entire life. Funny thing is he hums a lot while prepping.....
Chef Abroad seems to be mirroring A Cook's Tour/No Reservations, minus the ascerbic wittyness. They seem to have good fixers, interviewing a lot of interesting people.
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I saw it too and thought it was hilarious! Any show that can do a muskrat Chinese bbq over an open fire in the middle of winter has my attention.
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I saw the first episode andd it was awesome. Best new show in a long time.
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love it. great idea.
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love theirs much better than ours. much more to choose from in my opinion and not the same old same old, watch it every time I am in canada which is very often
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I like food network Canada, Food Safari is one of my fav. shows, it's amazing!!
Canadian shows I am not too interested in:
The main (it's good but too much meat for my taste, though when I catch it I'll watch it)
French food at home: It's ok every now and then but too slow and boring.
Fresh and Sugar: I honestly can't stand. Some recipes are ok but I don't think she's that great of a pastry chef and that's clear on sugar, sometimes she just throws things on the plate or doesn't seem to pair things together properly.
Chef at home: I like this show, but I agree with the reviewer who said he acts like he's talking to a 2 year old, I'd say someone who is getting into cooking might find his show helpful.
I like his other show, Chef at large and am looking forward to his new show Chef abroad.
Ricardo: I love him, his personality and he's just entertaining to watch. I watched almost all of his shows, I like the little trips he takes, learned quite a few things about food. It's nice to see local things and learn about Canada.
Love most of the british shows, they're really brilliant.
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I have to agree with your assessment of Anna Olsen, though in general her recipes are fine she doesn't really act like a person who's had years of experience as a pastry chef and instead acts like a semi-competent home baker (especially when she demonstrates things like piping or other similar skills).
And yes, I do think FN Canada is generally superior to the American version... for one I have to thank CRTC for regulating Canadian television to have to include "Canadian Content", though a lot of the good shows on the network aren't Canadian.
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Personally I think Canada has a one up on Food network US, The Next food Network star tv show proves it. They are looking for people who they think can host another Paula deen type show for their mostly folksy audience. My fiance and I were positive Lisa would win NFNS because she was by a long shot the most qualified and I was looking forward to getting some of her fancy recipes and seeing something we don't see every 30 minutes on the FN. I know people complain about Paula a lot and I am not a fan but she is the most popular host on the food network. 4 ingredient recipes seem to be what American's mostly go for. Anna olson Fresh is a descent show and the recipes are good. Ricardo and The Main are also good, although Anthony Sedlac's accent is beyond strange.
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Anthony Sedlak has an accent? I don't hear it. I do like his show though. Ricardo is ok I can't watch him all the time though, same for Laura Caulder, she's OK although I have gotten some good tips from her.
Anna Olsen looks sooooo uncomfortable on TV, I can't watch the intro to her show where she states that she and her friends are playing Charades so she has to make soup etc.. she pauses in weird places like she's watching a teleprompter that is too slow.
I do have to say in the summer time I love watching Rob Rainford on Licenced to grill, he's fun and I've gotten lots of great ideas from him.
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OMG he has the most annoying accent EVER. He cooks well enough but his accent and hand gestures annoy the hell out of me. It's "hot" not "hoat" HOT THOT THOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT THOT THOTasdadsda AHHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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I think he and Rachel Ray share the same life coach.
Just saying.
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I was just in Canada and watched Food Network for a little while. I agree with you. I thought the shows were better and more interesting - they were cooking "different" things!!!! imagine that.
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If you think it was good now, it was far better 4-5 years ago.
Although I’ve no doubt that it’s much better than Food Network US, the rise of reality/makeover/competition shows has made Food Network Canada almost unwatchable in my opinion. I remember the days when FNC used to be about food. Shows about food are now in the margins. Used to be on 24/7 back in tha day….. now I barely watch it.
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I don't watch much tv, but when I was with friends in Ontario, Canada, last spring I saw a fair amount of the Canadian Food Channel. I especially liked Laura Calder, but there were quite a few other really intelligent and inspiring shows. I came home thinking I'd try watching our Food Network a bit, and I find it ranges from celebrity cooking to food as a spectator sport. There are exceptions, but not at times when I am free to watch tv. But then, in the U.S. we have so many channels and so little that is worth watching.
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Best shows on FN Canada:
Tylers ultimate
Diners Drive-ins and Dives
Food Safari
The F word
Top Chef
Worse:
The Main (Host annoying as HELL)
Chef at Home(Host rapes you with his eyes)
Any food network challenge( So boring)
I enjoy almost every show that comes out of the UK. Hosts are charismatic and the editing/music, overall production destroys most US and Canadian shows.
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I agree with you EB, I am also wondering what's up with Chef MS of Chef at home. Gad, who was the brainstormer that hired him and why? GR of the F Word, is someday soon, going to pop a vein in his head, he gets sooooooooooooooooooo angry. I hate cussing, it's awful, but love him to pieces, go figure.
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Kudos to FN Canada for showing Top Chef at the same time Bravo is showing it down in the US. Last year I had to download it from a newsgroup. Now if only they could do the same thing with the new AB No Reservations episodes that started this week - no indication the Travel Channel Canada is picking it up any time soon - too cheap to buy first-run I guess.
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Check the Discovery Channel on Sundays for No Reservations. But it's not running at the same time as the US broadcasts; yesterday's episode was Egypt.
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Thanks, but that is from a previous season - Discovery seems to be also running behind, but then again I believe Discovery Canada and Travel Canada are owned by the same media group and just swap shows. I'll cross my fingers and hope somebody posts tonight's episode.
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Michael Smith's eyes are pretty terrifying.
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My favourite FN Canada at the moment are Sedlak's The Main and Smith's Chef At Home.
I don't understand how Sedlak is annoying or hear an accent. I find his food suggestions appealing and am charmed by the way he twirls pots and pans before setting them carefully down in alignment with his other items.
Michael Smith, well maybe I'm new just started watching but I learned two new things from watching his show today and am grateful. Anyone who cooks seriously knows you don't have to follow a recipe (unless you're baking) but I love the way he simplifies it and makes it seem easy to understand. And he's cooking at home, so what's wrong with mentions of his wife or sone?
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I used to find Michael Smith a little annoying in that he used to talk to the audience like everyone was a 3-year-old. But, I think he lost that somewhere along the way, (experience in front of the camera usually helps), and now find I enjoy his show ALOT.
There was an AMAZING show on, I think last week, from Alton Brown called Feasting on Waves...it was like a 5 hour marathon or something, and my husband and I just sat there and watched it all...it was fabulous. Kind of like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show, but with Alton Brown, and in the Caribbean....anyway, I'm sure many booked their vacations after watching that. And looking outside the window, I'm ready to book mine.
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I also enjoyed the feasting on Waves Marathon. Alton is the best. I'm dying for a johnny cake. It's nice to see whats beyond the resort buffets.
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The early The Inn Chef shows are dreadful. MS seems so uncomfortable and yes, condescending.
DT
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I like Michael Smith's show too. I'm not a big fan of Sedlak, though I don't mind the show itself.
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I like watching Michael Smith too -- he does tend to throw in those tips here and there that I don't seem to hear from other chefs.
Heston Blumenthal's show is awesome. Wonderfully informative.
Sedlak is alright -- food is interesting, but his hyperness sort of tires me out.
The other show I quite liked was Good Deal with Dave Lieberman, where they focused on good meals made on the cheap. Me and my bank account appreciate this consideration very much.
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Is there a reason why FTV CA can't develop some more Canadian cerntric programing?? Things like a Canadian version of DD&D or a show where a chef/host travels the country highlighting regional fare??
DT
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Davwud - that would be the ultimate. Imagine watching traditional cooking methods by West Coast Native Communities, periogi making in Manitoba, a stop off in markham to see that guy in Pac Mall who makes that dragon's hair candy, sugaring off in Quebec and off to NFLD for a little flipper pie... and that's just for starters. I love the food in this country!
I remember watching some tv show like cooking with grandma or something where a guy travelled around to spend an afternoon with different ethnic grandmas to learn the secrets of their cooking... it would be like that concept, just better executed & higher production values.
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You could do a half hour show on a certain type of food. Take poutine. Go to a great place in Quebec somewhere. Have the show focus on getting the right type of curd. Getting the gravy just right. Making fries from scratch. Or how about mussels?? Show how their cultivated. Show how their farmed. Show how to prepare them.
Show foods unique to Canada and start to celebrate our culinary history. Instead of rehashing old shows or focusing on a different part of the globe.
DT
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Remember the Great Canadian Food Show? Remember Chef at Large? Of course they didn't cover everything, but those shows did exist.
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We loved C@L. I don't remember the GCFS.
Another show that we really liked was The Food Hunter with Pete Luckett. It wasn't on long from what I can tell.
DT
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The Great Canadian Food Show - one of the cheesiest shows ever on television with Carlo Rota - sometimes it was so painful to watch but just like a car wreck you couldn't turn away.
I think the "low cost" cooking show format has mostly run its course - regardless of the personality hosting the show. Personally I find the travelogue shows - such as Jose Andres, Mark Bittman, much more informative and entertaining.
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It was like a car wreck you couldn't look away from, of course I was a teenager back then and I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread (or whatever was popular back in those days).
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I think it's now "The coolest thing since vinyl records" but I'm not sure.
Now I remember the GCFS and it was dreadful. I couldn't stand CR.
However, I think the format could work with a better host. Carlo is an actor, not a foodie.
DT
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GCFS may be cheesy to the max, but there were at least five seasons of it and the reruns continue to this day on the CBC.
Carlo Rota certainly does have some food cred, as he pretty well grew up in the business and his father was a very good chef (Dante Rota, ex original Windsor Arms/Noodles in Toronto).
I ran into him several times at a Toronto supermarket when he was living here. He's certainly much more entertaining in Little Mosque on the Prairie than as host of GCFS. Indeed, he was more entertaining waiting in the checkout line at Loblaws.
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Perhaps we agree that he was simply miscast as the host there.
DT
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embee - being on the CBC says it all (not to mention having to fill the airwaves with cheap $$$ Canadian content )
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lol
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okay - since we are reviving old canadian cooking shows - I actually really liked the urban peasant. I don't know why - maybe because James Barber is so grandfatherly...
When I watch 24 now and see Carlo Rota - it makes me think back about his old days on Canadian tv. how far he has climbed from the depths of the CBC to pinnacle of Fox Television network ! ;)
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In one word: MONEY.
As in, Food Network Canada doesn't have the same type of budget as their U.S. counterparts. Not that they are doing anything spectacular with their dough.
If you think of it in terms of percentages, we are roughly 10% of the U.S.'s market. So, if Food TV U.S. has a budget of $100,000 to make a decent show, Canada only has $10,000. Now think how slick that will look....
But it would be nice.
I see they've resurrected the 'family restaurant' theme, this time Chinese instead of the Greek family. Seems like a one-trick pony to me, unless anyone really likes it? They should have kept the Greek family - at least they had some action with breaking plates!
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Actually, I find the new Family Restaurant to be hilarious. Much better than the Greek family. The mom especially is a real piece of work. Maybe it helps I understand Cantonese and Mandarin too...
The hard working eldest son, the slacking ricer younger bro, the daughter dating a non-Chinese, it hits all the stereotypes of a Chinese Canadian family. The loud mom wearing the pants in the relationship....loving it, haha.
The slow-mo shots of Roger Mooking (Everyday Exotic) sprinkling things onto the plate bugs the hell out of me for some reason. His plating is really bad.
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Ah, that must be the secret ingredients then; being Greek, (and having grown up and owned restaurants all my life) I related better to the Greek family! Actually, many of those stereotypes ring true to both cultures, and I'm sure to many others. It just seems kinda the same to me, that's all. The daughter in the Greek family was also dating a non-Greek, the Mom was working a restaurant on her own, the son was in charge of one and said he worked the hardest etc. etc. I guess they're going through the ethnic groups of Canada....maybe next we'll have an East Indian restaurant family!
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I enjoy both family's but I will say that this new season with the Quon's is a lot funnier though and has more high paced entertainment. I do relate to the children in this family because my siblings and I communicate to each other like they do but the parents aren't like mine, but do remind me of other Asian parents I've known. I'm surprised to say this but damn, that mother of theirs is a lot more annoying than mine, haha.
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@LaLa, I'm sorry for offending you about the accent. Paula's accent is about as strange as a Cockney accent to me. It's that unusual. I guess it's easier to point out differences than similarities. Sorry for that.
Anyway, I thought I'd update my stance on FN Canada.
On a scale of 1-3, 3 being the highest, I downgrade Sedlak to a 2. He seems to lack something. Maybe I've gotten better as a cook, and his recipes seem more banal or perhaps it's with him I don't know. I put Michael Smith at a 2 as well. He's got a generally good show, but his personality is still lacking.
The new show by Roger Mooking is abyssmal IMO. It's supposed to be Asian inspired but instead, he chooses an "obedient ingredient" annoyingly referenced throughout the show and creates, I don't know what, but it doesn't look appetizing. 1/3
On a high note, they're currently showing a program called "Cook Like A Chef" which is intensely useful--they show high profile chefs cooking interesting dishes while explaining everything clearly. It's a bit older but better than any other program on the FN since "In Search Of Perfection" disappeared. 3/3
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I've always thought Cook Like A Chef was an extremely pretentious show, even if sometimes informative. "Yes Chef, Yes Chef"... man, they weren't working in a restaurant... they were prepping a couple of plates of food for a show.
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Oh, I so disagree. For pure instruction, this is the best show on Food Network. These guys explain every detail, warn of pitfalls, tell you why things need to be done in a certain order, tell you how to check for intermediate doneness, etc. After I watch one of these shows, I feel that I've actually learned something, and got some great ideas to modify to my own ingredients (use veal shank instead of lamb, for example).
The camerawork is great - they really get close so you can see exactly what's being done. The "yes chef" from the assistants gets boring, but that's how these guys are addressed in their regular kitchens, and I bet it feels completely normal to the staff.
Finally, it has the best music on any FN show, Canada or US.
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I agree with you. I found the "yes chef" routine embarrassing in the context of a scripted, taped program on a quiet set with a few assistants, but I thought the instructional content and the other production values were great.
I suspect it wasn't too successful, though. This type of cooking show format has never been repeated. The guy who created it is now doing a BBQ show featuring Matt Dunigan. I suppose this show is also innovative in its own way, but I can't stand to watch it.
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Yes, chef is irritating, but I learned alot!
Cook like a chef is where Rob Rainford got his start. And not only is he great, he easy on the eyes.
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Nice looking, but way too perky. Can't watch even though I know he's a great bbq-er.
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I don't see why you feel the show is pretentious because of that. That's just the way cooks talk in a professional kitchen. Would like the assistants to say, "okay dude, sure dude" instead?
I for one don't enjoy the show as much because of the overuse of the slow-mo close ups and semi-softcore pornographic filming style.
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Puhleeze... the show didn't take place in a hotel or restaurant/pseudo-restaurant kitchen like in the F Word, it was a sound stage where they were prepping a few plates of food for the camera.
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If I were to do that show with my chef and I was assisting him, I'd still address him like I'd normally would while working at the restaurant, which would mean I would say, "yes chef!". I don't understand why' you would expect that to change with anyone else that cooks in the industry just because it's on TV. Still working, still cooking food, just a new setting. I would just treat the show as if I was doing a private catered dinner or something. There's nothing wrong with professionalism.
Though I personally dislike titles and would prefer not to be addressed as chef if and when I ever become one.
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It is the same as in any work situation. If your boss tells you to do something, you say "Yes, Sir" ......if you are smart.
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"Cook Like A Chef" is horrible; it just aged badly.
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Worst show is Food Jammers, by far... What a horrible idea that was.. The Asian guy in it was an actor on Trailer Park Boys, though
I don't like "The Main" guy at all either
Overall though, I get both Food Network US and Food Network Canada....and Canada is much, much better. Food Network US is nothing but Rachel Ray and Giada lately
If I hear the words "Yumm-O" or "Eee Vee Ohh Ohh" once more, I will put my fist through my HDTV
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While clicking a link for a recipe I ended up on Canada Food Network and I loved it.
It seemed so much "realer" than ours and I loved the recipes and chefs. It's bookmarked for me now. I rarely to never use Food Network anymore, it's just getting silly and too light for me.
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