Micki, I'm glad you mentioned Top Chef in this issue.
I started watching the show in 2007, so Season 2 I think, and then followed it every year while it was on Bravo. Yes, there's the drama stuff, which I always hated (I remember the "Let's shave Marcel's hair!" incident and it was awful), but I admired how the judges and contestants talked about food and ingredients, and it really influenced me in the kitchen, such as thinking about flavor profiles and how to combine seemingly disparate ingredients. Then, in what I think was a colossal slap across the face of the show's fans, it went behind a paywall - great, yet one more streaming service to pay for.
I did not follow the show behind the wall, although miscellaneous seasons can be found on, e.g., the near-ubiquitous Netflix (something like Seasons 6 and 15, which is ridiculous). So, loyal viewers were basically given the finger and shoved out the door. Top Chef streams on Peacock, so good for them, but enjoy your reduced viewership. While the article to which you linked (thanks!) lists a number of other factors as to why Top Chef may have outlived its usefulness, I counter that any decent cooking show like Top Chef can do well since there's a huge and I think still growing interest in cooking shows, and I think the show is still "useful" and really interesting. BUT it's not on Bravo or a similar popular cable channel.
Thanks, Margaret. Shows fit a certain time and Top Chef is a good example. We didn’t have the breadth of information about chefs, restaurants and dishes in 2007 that we do now. These days, I hear as much about Chopped as I do about Top Chef.
I like watching Chopped - for one thing, no time for any serious drama to ensue! - but I appreciated the variety and longer "times" in Top Chef. Basically any cooking show is catnip to me, but I still miss Top Chef. Interesting thoughts - thanks!
Micki, I'm glad you mentioned Top Chef in this issue.
I started watching the show in 2007, so Season 2 I think, and then followed it every year while it was on Bravo. Yes, there's the drama stuff, which I always hated (I remember the "Let's shave Marcel's hair!" incident and it was awful), but I admired how the judges and contestants talked about food and ingredients, and it really influenced me in the kitchen, such as thinking about flavor profiles and how to combine seemingly disparate ingredients. Then, in what I think was a colossal slap across the face of the show's fans, it went behind a paywall - great, yet one more streaming service to pay for.
I did not follow the show behind the wall, although miscellaneous seasons can be found on, e.g., the near-ubiquitous Netflix (something like Seasons 6 and 15, which is ridiculous). So, loyal viewers were basically given the finger and shoved out the door. Top Chef streams on Peacock, so good for them, but enjoy your reduced viewership. While the article to which you linked (thanks!) lists a number of other factors as to why Top Chef may have outlived its usefulness, I counter that any decent cooking show like Top Chef can do well since there's a huge and I think still growing interest in cooking shows, and I think the show is still "useful" and really interesting. BUT it's not on Bravo or a similar popular cable channel.
Thanks, Margaret. Shows fit a certain time and Top Chef is a good example. We didn’t have the breadth of information about chefs, restaurants and dishes in 2007 that we do now. These days, I hear as much about Chopped as I do about Top Chef.
I like watching Chopped - for one thing, no time for any serious drama to ensue! - but I appreciated the variety and longer "times" in Top Chef. Basically any cooking show is catnip to me, but I still miss Top Chef. Interesting thoughts - thanks!