Last week, The Food Network had its upfronts, an event which allowed its advertisers to preview planned TV shows and buy airtime. But to us outside the ad industry, it gives a whiff of what new things are in store for the old TiVo to record (or not to record).
Among the more interesting, if not eyebrow-raising shows mentioned was Dinner with Jamie Deen, who is Paula Deen's son; Undercover Critics, a program which has three Food Network “personalities” critiquing restaurants anonymously with hidden cameras; Mystery Diners, another hidden-camera series to spy on food service employees; something called Blind Dinner Party with comedian Margaret Cho hosting seven strangers for a meal; and a show where Mo Rocca learns to cook from America's grandparents called My Grandmother's Ravioli.
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Meanwhile, Bravo, the channel that out-fooded The Food Network with Top Chef and made OC housewives, er, famous, is rumored to be developing a show that sounds like it's like a hybrid of the two. Sex and the Kitchen is what this series is set to be called and there are unconfirmed reports that it will feature Kat Odell, the food blogger from Eater LA.
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Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.