"Mouth-Watering" Entertainment
Andrew Hui
Issue date: 10/29/01 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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A few years ago, who would have thought that cooking programs could occupy an entire channel? Or would have imagined that such a channel would become a success? Now we all know that it is possible, and the Food Network channel has brought much riches to its parent company, E.W. Scripps Co.
Food Network was launched in 1993 and has since been the only 24/7 food channel on cable. It now has over 60 million subscribers. The network struck a deal with AT&T Broadband this year and joined AT&T’s cable offerings in August this year.
Besides riding on the increased American obsession with cooking and fine dining, the channel also owed much of its early success to Emeril Lagasse, a popular New Orleans chef. His humorous and energetic style has drawn many viewers who not only want to learn the recipe, but also to just sit back and be entertained. Emeril now has two shows (“Emeril Live” and “Essence of Emeril”) on Food Network and even a primetime sitcom show on NBC every Tuesday.
Many other celebrity chefs have also been key to draw viewers’ attentions. The list includes Mario Batali, Ming Tsai, Bobby Flay, and recent additions such as Wolfgang Puck and Jamie Oliver. Puck is the renowned chef with Spago fame, and who now owns a restaurant and prepared food empire. He joined the channel early this year and now appears half an hour per week. Jamie Oliver is the popular young British chef who is also known as “The Naked Chef” (although he doesn’t actually appeared naked on TV). For viewers who are interested in fine dining, these celebrity chefs are huge draws because they probably have heard of the chefs or have dined in their restaurants before. (Puck, for example, was the winner of the James Beard award – some call it the Oscar for food – in 1994.)
But “the Iron Chef” was really the program that has established Food Network to its recent success. This program is imported from Japan (which by the way is the country that has some of the most creative and funny game show programs). Each time there is a challenger to one of the four the “iron chefs” (specializing in French, Italian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines respectively). The challenger and the iron chef will be given a secret ingredient and they have to design and prepare several dishes within an hour to feature that ingredient. Judges (who are all Japanese celebrities) will decide who’s the winner, based on taste, creativity and presentation.
Food Network was launched in 1993 and has since been the only 24/7 food channel on cable. It now has over 60 million subscribers. The network struck a deal with AT&T Broadband this year and joined AT&T’s cable offerings in August this year.
Besides riding on the increased American obsession with cooking and fine dining, the channel also owed much of its early success to Emeril Lagasse, a popular New Orleans chef. His humorous and energetic style has drawn many viewers who not only want to learn the recipe, but also to just sit back and be entertained. Emeril now has two shows (“Emeril Live” and “Essence of Emeril”) on Food Network and even a primetime sitcom show on NBC every Tuesday.
Many other celebrity chefs have also been key to draw viewers’ attentions. The list includes Mario Batali, Ming Tsai, Bobby Flay, and recent additions such as Wolfgang Puck and Jamie Oliver. Puck is the renowned chef with Spago fame, and who now owns a restaurant and prepared food empire. He joined the channel early this year and now appears half an hour per week. Jamie Oliver is the popular young British chef who is also known as “The Naked Chef” (although he doesn’t actually appeared naked on TV). For viewers who are interested in fine dining, these celebrity chefs are huge draws because they probably have heard of the chefs or have dined in their restaurants before. (Puck, for example, was the winner of the James Beard award – some call it the Oscar for food – in 1994.)
But “the Iron Chef” was really the program that has established Food Network to its recent success. This program is imported from Japan (which by the way is the country that has some of the most creative and funny game show programs). Each time there is a challenger to one of the four the “iron chefs” (specializing in French, Italian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines respectively). The challenger and the iron chef will be given a secret ingredient and they have to design and prepare several dishes within an hour to feature that ingredient. Judges (who are all Japanese celebrities) will decide who’s the winner, based on taste, creativity and presentation.