Obama Consolidating His Foodie Base
Monday, April 21, 2008 | posted by Mike
Can there be any doubt that Barack Obama is the choice of the foodie voter? We knew he had Oprah in his corner, and now it appears he may haver her protege, as well. According to a Washington Times blog:Has Rachel Ray chosen hope as her main ingredient for the presidential race? I've learned she will interview Obama and his wife Michelle today on the campaign trail.Glad to know our political fates are being determined, at least in part, by daytime talk shows. Swing by Everything Rachael Ray, who I'm sure will have more on this. While you're there, be sure to congratulate Madeline on the new addition to her family.
In other food news, the Plain-Dealer is reporting that Iron Chef Michael Symon will be taking over for Robert Irvine on Dinner: Impossible.
I was a little surprised that they kept the format going with Symon, figuring that they would just kind of let it slip away and then come back with a similarly-themed program, slotting in whatever new chef they wanted. But the story notes that D:I is the Network's third highest rated show, so I guess there's no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater.Symon is stepping in at "Dinner: Impossible" after Food Network got egg on its face after it was revealed by the St. Petersburg Times in early February that host Robert Irvine exaggerated a wee bit on his resume. Like that bit about cooking for England's royal family. And being friends with Prince Charles. And being a White House chef. And having a college degree in food and cooking from the University of Leeds. And being a knight.
The format of the show won't change. Symon won't know where he's going until he gets to the airport and won't know his cooking mission until he arrives at the site, and will have 12 hours to finish the mission.
Labels: Michael Symon, Rachael Ray, Robert Irvine
Robert Irvine: OUT
Friday, February 29, 2008 | posted by Mike
So says TMZ.According to the gossip site, the Network has, "not renewed Robert's contract for future seasons" and "will be looking for a replacement host."
Between this and JAG, what is the moral of the story?
Don't lie to Tuschman.
Labels: Robert Irvine
Another Food Network Personality's Resume Embelishment?
Monday, February 18, 2008 | posted by Mike
This time, it's Robert Irvine.At least according to a report in yesterday's St. Petersburg Times. The article comes at the story from the angle of two restaurants that Irvine was looking to open in St. Pete which, according to the article, won't be happening any time soon.
It is now three months past the planned opening. Look through those windows, past the giant posters of chef Robert Irvine, and you'll see a dirt floor, exposed pipes, lonely ladders.The piece goes on to describe the legal and verbal wrangling that has been going on between Irvine and some locals who contend that the owes them money and that, well, he's been generally insufferable since coming to town.
Obviously, this is not good publicity for the star or the Network, but it all takes on a different angle when the reporter starts to delve in to Irvine's resume. In a line of questioning that couldn't have been welcome at the Network considering the JAG situation from last year, a number of points from his bio are challenged. Namely, his B.S. degree, his claim to have worked on the wedding cake for Charles and Diana, his recognition by the British crown and his time at the White House are all questioned to one extent or another. Be sure to check out the article for his responses.
As to the comment from the Food Network, a post on the gossip site TMZ links to the St. Petersburg Times article and adds this quote from FN:
"It's unfortunate if Robert embellished the extent of his culinary experiences," said a Food Network rep. "We are investigating the matter and taking the necessary steps to ensure the accuracy of all representations of Robert on Food Network and foodnetwork.com."With Irvine's extensive and impressive resume a featured part of the show -- indeed, a large part of the program's opening sequence -- this can't be good news. The last time the Network said they were "investigating the matter," we were only a few days away from watching a former military man walk the plank. What will the future hold for this retired member of the Royal Navy?
Labels: Robert Irvine
Cat Cora: "Paula, how about you just go sit in the corner until we're done, OK?"
Friday, October 26, 2007 | posted by Mike
No, not an actual quote from the Iron Chef. It's just something that I'm predicting will be said during an upcoming special:
IRON CHEF AMERICA: ALL STAR HOLIDAY BATTLE
Premieres: Sunday, November 25th at 9PM
In another All Star Culinary Showdown, the Chairman has invited Paula Deen to partner up with Iron Chef Cat Cora and compete against Food Network’s own Tyler Florence and Robert Irvine.
That's right, another one of those all-star battles, just like we had last year with Bobby, Mario, Giada and Rachael. But this time it's ladies vs. gentlemen. Having seen Robert in action under pressure and knowing that Tyler has NYC kitchen experience, I have no doubt that they'll be able to work reasonably well under the ICA conditions.
Likewise, we certainly know that Cat can withstand the bright lights of Kitchen Stadium. But Paula Deen? Really?
Maybe I'm down on Paula as a result of catching about three minutes of her selling cast iron pans on QVC the other night -- yeah, it was pretty bad -- but I'm just having a tough time seeing the easily excitable Ms. Deen working well in such a setting. I have a feeling that she's just going to get in the way.
Cat -- a word of advice: Five minutes into the competition, put Paula on the deep-fryer and just leave her there.
Labels: Cat Cora, Paula Deen, Robert Irvine, Tyler Florence
Renewal: Probable
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 | posted by Mike
Hey, it's a good time to be a British chef who likes to yell.
Gordon Ramsay will be back on American television shortly and the Food Network's resident chef/body-builder looks like he's going to re-up for another 26 episodes, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's "Inqlings" column.
Food Network has ordered 26 more episodes of Dinner Impossible, the wacky show in which chef Robert Irvine and his two partners whip up meals in odd situations.
It's a fun show, and although it's not necessarily appointment programming in the TVFF household, it is something that always gets me to stop as I'm flipping through the channels. I think the biggest draw is that Robert Irvine seems to sincerely want to complete the mission successfully...and we get to enjoy the process because we know he might not make it. In a TV landscape where we are right to be cynical about the authenticity of "reality shows," this is a refreshing thing.
So, congratulations to the cast and crew (which the Inky points out has a distinct Philadelphia flavor). Also, here's a blast from the past: Our interview with show producer Marc Summers, which ran when the show debuted.
Labels: Marc Summers, Robert Irvine
Review: Dinner: Impossible
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 | posted by Mike
Reality and competition shows are funny things. They can be enjoyable on one of two levels. They really only work as either a guilty pleasure or a truly interesting and involving narrative. That point was reinforced on Wednesday evening as I switched over from the American Idol selection show (i.e. the one with the horrible singers) to Dinner: Impossible.
In everything that we've been hearing about Dinner: Impossible, the key point that keeps coming up over and over again is how "real" it is. Now, in this day and age, it's easy to be suspicious when someone tells you that a reality program is "real." However, once you accept the contrived situation in which the producers place Robert Irvine, it's easy to buy into the authenticity of the action itself.
The show obviously borrows heavily from the Mission: Impossible idea, complete with a "your mission, should you choose to accept it" intro and the countdown timer. On one hand, the graphics that accompany much of the onscreen action can be helpful at sorting out what has been finished, what still needs to be done and how much time Irvine has before his deadline. On the other hand, the ubiquity of the graphics and the beeping of the countdown (a la 24) can be a bit overwhelming at times, so they would do well to dial it back a little bit.
The main attraction of the show is, of course, Robert Irvine. For someone with limited on-screen experience, he does a very good job. It's fun to watch him work in the kitchen and he seamlessly moves between work and addressing the camera with interesting and helpful hints. You'll learn more about cooking from Dinner: Impossible than you will from most challenge or reality shows.
When the first episode (the wedding) began, I had one immediate thought: I know where that church is in Princeton! The second thought I had was: There's a really good bar right down the street from there.
The episode challenged Irvine and his two assistants (both named George) to cater a wedding on little notice and with extremely limited personnel resources. He quickly demonstrated his executive chef credentials by whipping the reception site's staff into a fully functional kitchen. In doing so, he highlighted the difference between himself and Gordon Ramsay, perhaps the most logical point of comparison on television right now.
While you know that Ramsay has the long-term success of his students in mind when he criticizes, it can sometimes be hard to tell by his actions. Irvine, though brusque with his staff at times, always comes across as a stern teacher rather than a tyrant.
About the Georges...I can't tell them apart yet. I'm not sure how many episodes it will take before I can. But, frankly, I'm not certain that it's important that I ever get there. Of course, with the success of the supporting cast on Ace of Cakes, it will be interesting to see if their "characters" are explored more in the future.
The wedding episode did a good job of outlining the process and format of the show, but the topic is nothing that we haven't seen as a challenge on Top Chef. The second episode of the evening, however, illustrated the potential for the show to be something more intriguing.
Now, I will admit that he could have cooked ramen noodles and I probably would have enjoyed the episode simply because he was at a Philadelphia Eagles game and had to cook for the GREATEST FANS ON EARTH! (Full disclosure, when I tailgate at the Linc, I'm usually down and around the corner from where they were.) But putting Irvine into a fun and unique situation and giving him complications like depriving him of food and the means to cook it gave the show an interesting hook that the first scenario lacked. A preview commercial that ran during the episodes that showed him having to cook a period meal promises that there is more in store when it comes to the interesting challenges.
The key to the ongoing success will be coming up with intriguing challenges that show off Irvine's skills (both culinary and entertainment) in future shows.
Also, Irvine will obviously need to do a better job in the future of assessing his surroundings then he did during the Eagles episode. At one point, he asks a crowd of tailgating onlookers, "Who's got beer?!?!" Silly Robert...I don't think there was anyone within earshot who didn't have beer on them. And, yes, I am aware that they were taping this at 10:00 AM.
Labels: Robert Irvine
"Dinner: Impossible" Photos
Sunday, November 19, 2006 | posted by Mike
Ahhh…the beauty of the Internet!We at TVFF.com post info about the upcoming Food Network show called Dinner: Impossible and someone who actually took part in one of the tapings chimes in with a comment and links to photos on his own blog.
Jeff, who seems to go by the name “El Jefe” at El Bloggo Torcido, is with the Twisted Oak Winery and they got a call from an associate and were asked “to be the featured winery on their Dinner Train on Saturday, and that the dinner would be taped as part of a new series on the Food Network.”
Obviously, working on a shoot means that you get to know what the show is all about. Jeff gives us a nice description:
Each week Master Chef Robert Irvine is dumped someplace on Saturday morning with a budget and an "impossible" task to create dinner for a group of people. Chef Irvine is a native of England and has cooked for Kings, Queens, Emirs, Presidents, and other such rabble. He's also one heck of a nice guy! Anyway, in an earlier taping, they dumped him on an island in Maine, handed him some cash, and told him to cook dinner for everyone on the island. In our episode, "all" he had to do was cook for 150 people on the train.Hmmmm...as far as gimmicky premises go, that one isn’t bad at all.
You can see all of the photos at his post, including the one that I’ve included here, which lets us know that Marc Summers will be serving as the host of the show. Apparently, the rubber chicken is some sort of mascot for the winery, so there is no need to worry that Marc has gone off the deep end and insisted to always co-host with his best buddy, “Mr. Cluckers.”
UPDATE: A commenter let us know that Marc Summers is not, in fact, the host of the show. As mentioned in the comment, a number of stories on the show have noted that it will be produced by Marc Summers Productions.
None of this, of course, makes the above photo any less silly.
Labels: Marc Summers, Robert Irvine
"Dinner: Impossible" – A New Food Network Show
Thursday, November 16, 2006 | posted by Mike
Hey...you know what we haven’t had in a while? Word of a new show on the Food Network. FN seems to roll them out in groups. We went through a short span which saw the debuts of Nigella Feasts, Ace of Cakes, Throwdown, and The Hungry Detective, but nothing new of late.So, when TVFF.com’s favorite exec Bob Tuschman starts handing out quotes, we know it’s time to look forward to some new product coming down the line.
Broadcast Newsroom has the skinny on Dinner: Impossible, which will star Robert Irvine, former chef to royalty and presidents. And what, exactly, is so impossible about dinner? Apparently, Irvine must "overcome culinary obstacles and deliver a delicious meal before his time runs out."
So, what makes Robert Irvine a perfect fit for the show?
"Robert's steely focus and culinary chops may be all that save him from disaster in each episode," Food senior vice president of programming Bob Tuschman said in a prepared statement. "We've thrown impossible challenges at him that no chef should ever have to experience. But luckily for us, Robert can never say no."Dinner: Impossible won't debut until January 24th, 2007, so you’ll have to hang in there for a little while.
Labels: Bob Tuschman, Robert Irvine
