RIP Good Food Channel!

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
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This is quite a blow and came without warning. I watch(ed) this channel all the time. Its what I have on all day to dip in and out of. Today, without warning, it has been taken over by Food Network whose content is not generally anywhere near as good (it often seems to show back to back US shows like Diners, Drive ins... which is OK in small doses but..).

The main content of Good Food Channel was excellent; mainly BBC made, top class food programming. Apparently Food Network will be showing some of this content but alongside its other programming.

Read more here: Where has the Good Food TV channel gone?
 
I didn't watch it often as it did seem to have lots of repeats, but around Christmas time there were always some nice seasonal programmes to get in the festive mood.

Most of the American food shows I've seen were the kind where the host visits lots of restaurants and tries different things, which I'm not really a fan of as its a bit superficial and seems more like an entertainment programme than a cooking one. I much prefer the slower-paced shows which go into the history of recipes and/or show you the detail of how to cook a dish so you can try it yourself.

Maybe we'll get to see some good new programmes that we haven't seen before? But I whatever happens, I hope they continue to show proper cooking rather than just entertainment.
 
The Food Channel kills anything it touches, as far as any real culinary content goes.

Get ready for never-ending shows about over-the-top carnival foods ("deep-fried birthday cake and ice cream on a stick!"), food-themed game shows and fake-reality restaurant makeovers ad nauseum.
 
I didn't watch it often as it did seem to have lots of repeats, but around Christmas time there were always some nice seasonal programmes to get in the festive mood.

Most of the American food shows I've seen were the kind where the host visits lots of restaurants and tries different things, which I'm not really a fan of as its a bit superficial and seems more like an entertainment programme than a cooking one. I much prefer the slower-paced shows which go into the history of recipes and/or show you the detail of how to cook a dish so you can try it yourself.

Maybe we'll get to see some good new programmes that we haven't seen before? But I whatever happens, I hope they continue to show proper cooking rather than just entertainment.

That network is all about "game shows" and competitions. All of the actual "cooking shows" are repeats. However, I do like the Halloween competition show as I love to see the pumpkin carvings.
 
Food Network shows different programmes in the UK than in the US so not many game shows.

Today its been Barefoot Contessa, Pioneer Woman, Hairy Bikers, Great British Bake Off, so far. Next is James Martin Home Comforts (hey @jojopops70 !), Jamie's 30 minute meals then its a US 30 minute meals, Pioneer Woman (4 episodes!), then it all starts repeating again...
 
Food Network shows different programmes in the UK than in the US so not many game shows.

Today its been Barefoot Contessa, Pioneer Woman, Hairy Bikers, Great British Bake Off, so far. Next is James Martin Home Comforts (hey @jojopops70 !), Jamie's 30 minute meals then its a US 30 minute meals, Pioneer Woman (4 episodes!), then it all starts repeating again...

Stuck at work, wish I could put that on lol
 
@morning glory - is this your first exposure to Pioneer Woman? She took over Paula Deen's "Queen Of Down Home" persona after Deen's fall from grace. Interested in what you think of her.

Like Deen, many of her recipes are fat/calorie/sugar bombs and are nowhere near being even remotely healthy, but I've made a few and they do taste good. Just don't eat them every day.

Her personality, though...let's just say a little goes a long way for me. Every episode seems to be:

"Hi, y'all! I'm ex-beauty queen and ranch mom, cooking for huuuuuungry ranch-hands, so you know it's got to be filling to keep them cowboys and cowgirls happy and workin'! T'day, we're making Cowboy Eggs, with a side of Ranch-Hand Taters, and a big ol' heapin' helpin' of Cowboy Barbecue! C'mon, y'all!"

To me, it seems like FN told her to take her normal Oklahoma ranch wife personality and just crank it all the way up, and when you first see her, it's like, "Oh, she's kind of sweet!," but three minutes later, it's, "Geez, enough with the cowboy-this and ranch-that and y'all y'all y'all!" She's more personality that she is cook.

Of course, that's what happens with any successful personal on FN - they become a marketable commodity. Rachel Ray's the adorkable one ("yummo!"), Alton Brown's the nerdy one, the Deens/Nealys/Pioneer Woman are the country ones, Guy Fieri is the "edgy" one (that's a laugh, he's a walking joke), Jeff Mauro is everyone's goofy brother, Tyler Florence is everyone's cool brother, and so on...
 
Sorry - got confused by mention of James Martin's Home Comforts - was relating it to Jamie Oliver Comfort Food that you mentioned elsewhere.

No worries I knew what you meant 😊. I have James Martins 'More Home Comforts' but not the other. I'll have to dig that out again too, don't think over ever used it....
 
@morning glory - is this your first exposure to Pioneer Woman? She took over Paula Deen's "Queen Of Down Home" persona after Deen's fall from grace. Interested in what you think of her.

No I've been watching Pioneer Woman on and off for years. Mostly off. I agree with everything you say! And she is far to perfect as a Mum & Wife to be true. The good thing I have to say about her is that at least she doesn't shout - I really cannot bear a certain style of American (and increasingly some UK!) where the presenter shouts exitedly all the way through.

I've never seen Paula Deen and don't think its been shown here. Nor Rachel Ray (but I think she is on later today with 30 minute meals) or Alton Brown. Guy Fieri I have seen - isn't he another one who shouts?
 
I've never seen Paula Deen and don't think its been shown here. Nor Rachel Ray (but I think she is on later today with 30 minute meals) or Alton Brown. Guy Fieri I have seen - isn't he another one who shouts
Count yourself lucky for being Deen-less. If you ever want a laugh, look up her recipe for English Peas on the FN website - it's heating a tin of peas with some butter and salt and pepper, and I think she's the type of American you'd tire of quickly - she's loud and animated and way overdone with the makeup.

Rachel Ray, her thing is dorky kid sister, and a whole load of Ray-isms: EVOO, yummo, stoup (a cross between stew and soup), sammies, and a whole host other things. Plus, she's kind of clumsy and forgets things and has a dorky-but-darling snort-laugh that'll wear out your nerves after a while.

Alton Browne is Mr. Science And Gadget, and Good Eats is a truly entertaining, groundbreaking show, but he spends so much time doing things like hooking his pepper grinder to a power drill that he gets a little tedious.

Guy, Guy...oh what a doofus. He's all personality, zero talent. Spiky hair, ridiculous shirts with god-knows-what on them. He's the 50 year old guy at the teen club, trying to look cool and pick up 17 year olds. He's skeevy and he yells and everything is "THE BOMB," or "OFF THE HOOK," or "OFF THE CHAIN," or "THAT'S MONEY, BABY!" He also offers insights like, "This ham sandwich is the bomb! The creaminess of the mayonnaise, the meatiness of the ham, and the...the...breadiness of the bread. It just somehow works, baby!"
 
I've never seen those shows. But I have seen PBS Create channel. There are a lot of repeats now because of summer. New shows should be starting soon. Believe it or not, we actually have some real talented people here in the US. They know what they are doing and are very informative about what to cook and how to cook it.
 
I've never seen those shows. But I have seen PBS Create channel. There are a lot of repeats now because of summer. New shows should be starting soon. Believe it or not, we actually have some real talented people here in the US. They know what they are doing and are very informative about what to cook and how to cook it.
PBS cooking shows are largely legit. If I'm watching a cooking show, it's one of theirs.
 
Believe it or not, we actually have some real talented people here in the US.

I don't doubt it. My comments aren't about the ability of the chefs/cooks - more about the quality of the programme making and the presentation style. Its hard to explain but to take one example, I wouldn't even refer to Rick Stein's programmes as 'cooking shows'. They're part documentary, part travelogue with information about sourcing ingredients, history and so on.
 
😡
I didn't watch it often as it did seem to have lots of repeats, but around Christmas time there were always some nice seasonal programmes to get in the festive mood.

Most of the American food shows I've seen were the kind where the host visits lots of restaurants and tries different things, which I'm not really a fan of as its a bit superficial and seems more like an entertainment programme than a cooking one. I much prefer the slower-paced shows which go into the history of recipes and/or show you the detail of how to cook a dish so you can try it yourself.

Maybe we'll get to see some good new programmes that we haven't seen before? But I whatever happens, I hope they continue to show proper cooking rather than just entertainment.


I very seldom watch the Food Network because of all those damn aggravating challenge shows! There are hardly any single-cooking shows featuring a man, woman or child cooking now. It's so blasted boring!! 🤬
 
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