Has to be "Mystery Diners".


Fake fake fake fake fake fake fake fake.

I haven't watched anything on food network in years. From what I've seen, all the shows on it now are pretty bad.

Name something on TV that isn't fake or scripted.

I don't think Giada is fake.

Looks real but I do not think she is that good of acook.

Is there a GOOD show on Food Network?

Good Eats reruns.

yep, they went the way of the history channel.  Volumes of the same formula.  Borrrrrrrrrring!  While the history channel went to BS how it's made crap, the food network went the game show route for viewership.  

The upside is I no longer bother to have cable and can do more work around the house and do outdoor things instead of couch potato.

My favorite is worst cooks in America.

IMO most reality show TV is fake to one degree or another.

The worst?

Anything with Guy Fieri in it. I've stopped turning to the food network because every time I do, he's there.

What ? he's been reffered to as "America's most loveable douche bag"

 

I enjoy his show very much. If you watch him you can tell what places he really likes and what ones he just pays lip service to.


I've been to a bunch of places on the show and they were all good.

+1

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Every episode: Parks car, small talk, watch the owner make part of their famous recipe while Guy Dbag says things like "Yeah baby!" "Oh yeah" and "Woo!", then he eats it. Some B roll of people in the restaurant saying it's the best place they've ever been to, and off to the next one.

FPNI, I used to really like food network.  David Rosengarten, 2 hot tamalies, good eats, were great.   Now its mostly bullshit.  Pretty much never watch it anymore.

Ming Tsai, Sarah Molton, and Wolfgang Puck were all pretty good, too. Even that Mario Batalli guy had interesting things on every once in a while.

I'm not knocking that concept, just that the script for every episode is exactly the same and there seem to be 135 quinquaddecillion episodes of that show because it's ALWAYS on.

I like "triple D".

They had a spin-off similar to Chopped (one of my favorite) where it was dealing with desserts. It was very strange and I didn't like it.

Came here to say this.

Well what do you expect or let me ask you a different way, if you were producing the show, how would you do it differently to make it better?

The Food Network is fine IMO if you take it for its intended purpose. If some of you are expecting step by step instructions, its no wonder you're disappointed. Their shows are not meant to be "how to" guides, they are designed to get you inspired to cook more and give you new ideas.

The only problem I have with DD&D is that none of the places shown are ever anywhere near me! Well I take it back, they once featured a local burger joint that wasn't bad but because it was on the show, the place is always packed. I also went to another place featured on the show in Indy and that place is packed as well.

The shows I dislike the the competition shows like Iron Chef, Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, etc.. Cooking is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable. Watching arrogant people try to make something eatable using strange ingredients under ridiculous time frames does nothing for me.

While I admit, the level of knowledge and talent is impressive but very rarely do they actually make something I'd actually want to eat To each their own but I've never been interested in "gourmet" food. I'm sure some of it is really good but its just not my thing. I'd rather watch BBQ Pitmasters!

Seems like every time I seem to watch, there is no more cooking shows, but all these competition shows, which some are ok, but mostly they suck, and are boring...

I like the old version, like others said...Sarah Moulton, Ming Tsai, Alton Brown and Good Eats, Mario....

I don't mind some competition stuff, but go back more to your core, and give us actual cooking shows.....

I do like DDD...and Guy Fieri, plus he is a Fraternity Brother....

The competitions are what made me stop watching the Food Network. I can't stand them.

I always liked Guy, he reminded me so much of several of my friends I grew up with in NY. I lost respect when I went to several of his showcased restaurants, and had terrible food there. One was a local BBQ joint. The Pork was basically an unflavored mush. Any taste it had, came from the sauce you choose to put on it, and even they weren't so great. I smoke my own butts in my Smokin-Tex Smoker. My wife was like, WTF is this? After that, went to another recommended Tropical Food joint. The food was basically <meh>. Pretty generic entrees that got a different sauce depending on what you ordered. I stopped watching after that. I was expecting better. I'm sure some of those places he showcases are great. These were not two of them.

Anyway, I used to watch the channel to get the creative juices going, but don't seem to need that anymore. It has become so formula, there isn't as much creativity left. Which is fine, things change. We all move on.

I don't understand their obsession with competitions. After a day of stress and strain, why would I want to watch a night of that angst on TV? Not relaxing, or enjoyable at least for me.

I used to sit at night with the kids when they were in their teens, and watch that QTPie- Giada, or Alton Brown (educational), or Ina Garten (relaxing), or Paula Deen (used to count how many sticks of butter each recipe started with) haha. Good days back then. Lots of laughs, lots of knowledge. They are over, though. Good news is that all three of my kids are great cooks, unafraid in the kitchen.

"First, we start with 1 pound butter......" haha. Love it.

I hate the way the game shows are pushing out the real cooking shows.