Food Network - In need of a makeover??


Hi everyone, the poll winner today is no doubt Food Network (photo courtesy of CityFood), the most highly watched cooking channel in USA. I myself have been a huge fan of this channel and there was a time when tuning to FN was our favourite passtime.
But lately, I regret saying that it has lost its glory. Lets look at the good and bad of this

It still has the best food shows and the most intriguing and well-planned shows with lots of information. The shows like Unwrapped, 40$ a Day, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Good Eats provide great revelation and insight into the food industry, best culinary restaurants and chefs. This is the only cooking show which transgressed into actually being a Network in a true sense, launching its own brands, website and forums, contests, Food network weddings and Food Network Star Awards! It also provides great inspiration and a launching platform to yound and aspiring chefs or entrepreneurs with shows like Iron Chef America and numerous food and pastry competitions. It is still the Numero Uno channel that boasts of famous and highly skilled professionals in the culinary industry like Paula Dean, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Giada, Rachel Ray, Mario Battali and many more, and has the largest fan following that a food channel could ever have witnessed.

Yet, as the saying goes "Nothing Lasts Forever", change is a vital part of man's life, and anything that tends to get stale starts losing its charm. Even precious metal needs to be polishes to restore its glitter from time to time, and so does Food Network. With the same shows running for years and years, and airing recorded shows under Primetime Live, this diamond is losing its glitter. It needs some major revamping to re-establish its strong hold in the hearts of the people who now have interesting alternatives to engage them like HGTV. The recipes and stars are becoming a dull routine, and the fans are hoping for something more interesting from this great conglomerate. They tried something new with launching the FN Star Awards last year, and also 2-3 new shows. So I would say it's on the right path, but there's still a substantial amount of way to go. They should give more exposure to international cuisine to attract non-US viewers, and also encourage chefs from interactivity with viewers.

I think with a little more work, this star will surely get back into the Number One spot. And that's what we all wish for, right???


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4 comments :

Anonymous said...

I think its great, but YES! it does need to get out of those stale shows! even their website needs a makeover!!

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

The Food Network needs to bring its focus back to quality cooking. I think it needs more shows that concentrate on basic skills and how to apply them, how to stock a kitchen, how to make sure your kitchen is clean. I feel like I don't really learn much from the Food Network at all. I want to be a better cook and the only thing I learn from watching it these days is how to assemble meals quickly or how to spend money in place I'm not likely to visit any time soon.

Heck, let's bring the PBS chefs to the Food Network. I'm never home when Lidia Bastianich is on TV. If only they would bring her to the Food Network....

Mansi said...

Hi Sue,

I totally agree with you...there's no cooking left, just glitter and glamour...and i know publicity is imp, but they shouldn't divert from their main aim of addressing good food!

-Mansi

Anonymous said...

I love the FN except for Sandra Lee and more recently Paula Deen. But the worst is all those challenges-especially the cake ones. There's a wedding cake challenge, a disney cake challenge, an animal cake challenge, and who knows what else that I can't remember.