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Post by Man Alive! on Mar 15, 2007 17:01:52 GMT -5
From Gameshownewsnet:
Food Network is launching a reality-show search to find its next Iron Chef. The show, tentatively named The Next Iron Chef of America, is casting now for professional chefs who will compete to join the show's stable of celebrity cooks. It will be hosted by Iron Chef host Alton Brown and is scheduled for a fall premiere.
It's one of 13 new series the Scripps-owned cable network plans for next year. Also on the slate is a third season of Food's reality competition The Next Food Network Star. With that show facing its own competition from Bravo's Top Chef, it will expand its format this season to have contestants compete on location, not just in the studio. It premieres in June.
Another competition show--America's Best Recipe--premieres in first quarter 2008 and will invite everyday cooks to compete for their recipe to be crowned the best in its category.
Food has seen ratings success -- 2006 was its most viewed year ever-- by scheduling cooking-based reality series at night and keeping instructional fare during the day and on weekends, and it will continue that strategy going forward. ---------------------------------------
This is very interesting. Do you think one of the ICs is getting replaced, or will there be a fifth Iron Chef of America?
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Post by Arrianna on Mar 15, 2007 17:20:45 GMT -5
What I want to know is who is stepping down to make way or are they going to have 5?
Edit: Oh wait... that's the same thing you want to know. lol
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Post by achen on Mar 15, 2007 18:39:39 GMT -5
I would like to make a prediction. (Even though it is extremely unpopular.) I think that the number of Iron Chef will remain the same and the Iron Chef to leave will be Morimoto. He hasn't been on that much and also his picture is not seen when it is time to pick an Iron Chef.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 15, 2007 19:08:31 GMT -5
I'd have to agree. They also tend to show pictures of Flay / Cora / Batali in the KS backgrounds.
The alternative to leave would probably be Flay, since he's doing Throwdown.
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Post by Man Alive! on Mar 15, 2007 21:18:46 GMT -5
If anyone left, it would be Morimoto. I'm just not sure I like the idea of any Iron Chef American leaving.
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Post by Arrianna on Mar 15, 2007 21:21:43 GMT -5
Maybe he's tired? Maybe it's one of the others. I have a hard time seeing either Flay or Batali go though. They both seem so attached.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 16, 2007 10:38:58 GMT -5
The other concern I have is that, since the odds are very good that the reality series will follow the IC format (two chefs, 1 hour, theme ingredient), and with ICA itself continuing, does that mean that ICJ will finally be phased out of the FN schedule?
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Post by allezcuisine on Mar 16, 2007 16:54:43 GMT -5
I don't like the idea of this....especially if it means replacing IC Mo with a no-name chef we know nothing about. Aside from that, I don't think will pull ICJ off the air just yet. They would have done that already. Bottom line is do we really need another reality show on television?
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 16, 2007 17:33:05 GMT -5
Wouldn't necessarily be a no-name. Could you imagine Anne Burrell or Mark Ladner as an Iron Chef? Or maybe Homaru Cantu? Or Sam Choi? Or Ron Seigel?
Remember: they were scouting for professional chefs here.
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Post by Man Alive! on Mar 16, 2007 18:32:06 GMT -5
Well, if they had professional chefs compete for the position, then I think it would be a fun competition. If it's just regular folk, then I'd say it was a mistake.
As for this series pushing ICJ off the air- I doubt it. If anything, it could cause more interest in ICJ, and put it in a better timeslot.
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Post by Arrianna on Mar 16, 2007 19:42:55 GMT -5
We could certainly hope so.
I guess we just wait and see what happens.
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Post by kagasmistress on Mar 16, 2007 22:11:08 GMT -5
If anyone should leave, I think it should be either Flay or Batalli. I don't care much for Batalli.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 17, 2007 7:07:09 GMT -5
Personally, I like Batali.
He's the most consistent of the Iron Chefs in that he uses the same crew in most episodes (Ladner & Burrell), he's Michiba-like in giving the pre-cook briefing (thus revealing his planned menu), his clothing is eccentric yet functional (the use of shorts reduces the amount of upper-body sweat), and most days he shows outright enthusiasm for the job.
I was a little skeptical of Cat Cora at first, since she falls a bit into the "eye-candy" trend that Food Network had going (a la Giada and Rachael), but she grows on you after a while. Granted, her early portraits made her look a little Colonel-Klebb-like, but that was actually a benefit in that it de-emphasized looks in favor of talent. She's also learned to banter a little, which helps a lot. In short, we're starting to see personality out of her.
I think that's the key, for the new Iron Chef. Yes, you need credentials and confidence, but you also need personality and personability. Batali's got it in spades. Morimoto also has a bit, but by Japanese standards, not necessarily American ones. Flay used to be able to do it, but lately he's gotten a little restrained.
I still think it's Flay who's going to go, since he's the only one tackling other broadcast projects. You could also make a case for Morimoto due to his indifferent record on ICA and the fact that he still can't project his voice well; he's essentially served his purpose as the bridge between ICJ and ICA. (Personally I hope they keep him on; that battle with Cantu showed he can still turn on his creativity when he has to, and he's still the best of the four when it comes to Asian and exotic ingredients.)
But Batali and Cora would be keepers.
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Post by eiko on Mar 17, 2007 11:15:13 GMT -5
*sigh* another reality show? I really hate reality shows.
btw, ICC, its Sam Choy (with a y). But I doubt it. He's too busy, and he's a Hawaii boy, he's not going to be in NYC all that much.
I agree, it's probably gonna be Morimoto who will be leaving. He's busy with restaurants all over the world now and I think he's had less and less time to devote to IC. Batali and Flay are mainstays of the show, Flay helped bring ICA on to FTV and Batali is very well liked. They'll keep Cora just to keep having the First Female IC.
But the press release doesn't actually say that any of the ICs will be leaving. Even Puck didn't "leave" the show officially, even if he's not in the opening sequence anymore. I think, for some reason, that FTV doesn't like the idea of IC's leaving the show. Going into "retirement" or something is "better" for their image I guess.
It should be interesting. I'd personally like to see that guy who does "Dinner: Impossible" try out to be an IC. I think he's got the chops for it. But an All-America competition should bring out some very interesting new talents. I doubt it will be any of ICA's previous challengers either. I also doubt that the winner will be anyone we've heard of before, or who already has a show. If they wanted that, they could have gotten Todd English or Tyler Florence.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Mar 17, 2007 12:01:23 GMT -5
Somehow, I like the idea of Wylie Dufresne vs. Homaru Cantu myself . . .
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