I’ve been looking forward to the premiere of the new food talk show, “the Chew” – with Mario Batali (famous chef, previously on Food Network), Carla Hall (charming contestant from Bravo’s Top Chef), Michael Symon (current “Iron Chef” on Food Network), Daphne Oz (supposed nutrition expert, and daughter of famous Dr Oz), and Clinton Kelly (entertaining expert).
Today is the day! Episode #1
I’m excited that it’s an actual “live” show with an audience, well at least live-taped some time that same day. From the show intro, it looks like there are going to be a lot of taped segments filtered into the “live” audience stuff.
They promise a “party in the kitchen” – I’m just hoping for healthy, consciously sustainable, and interesting talk and advice. Let’s dig into the Chew!
Mario Batali isn’t in studio, he’s shown on a big TV screen by satellite feed at a charity golf event.
Michael Symon is now cooking up a pork dish with beans and greens. They need to work out the camera angles a little better…Too many long-view camera shots, or blurry too-close shots.
Commercial break.
We’re back. Audience is tasting and chatting about the Symon pork dish. Symon asks the audience member, “Tell me why you think it’s delicious?” as if it couldn’t be anything OTHER than delicious. Lots more unnecessary chatter and then a good dose of ego-boosting audience applause. Stop wasting time! Yes, we know you cook delicious food, get on with it. It would have been more interesting to see more actual cooking and less adoration and chit chat.
Another commercial break? what? Are you kidding? Thankfully, I have this on DVR, so I can fast-forward the commercials.
And now we have Daphne talking about how wonderful her dad/family is. And then of course, they bring out a “surprise” visit from Dr Oz himself!
Way way too much chatter and giggling! *rolling eyes* They’re all talking over each other and you can barely hear what’s going on. Then Dr Oz pretty much took over, annoying. But I suppose he is used to being the center of attention! I kind of felt bad for her, he kept teasing her with embarrassing childhood stories.
Now, Daphne is explaining the components of her healthy smoothie recipe, talking extremely quickly. And again, there is way too much applause.
Commercial break.
Okay, now we’re watching Michael Symon again, touting the many wonders of the microplane grater/zester.
Not really ground-breaking, is it?
And we’ve got ANOTHER commercial break. Are they kidding? Come on. Another break?
Next, Carla tells the story about how she found her family’s old Betty Crocker recipe box. That was quite fun seeing this old piece of cooking history. I really hope they bring out more items like that.
So, now Carla is making apple ring pancakes, inspired by a recipe her mom made from the old recipe box. I’d make this dish; it looks interesting and fairly simple to prepare. I like Carla.
Recipes from the first The Chew episode:
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/episodes/September-26-2011
And of course, we’ve got another commercial break.
Now the entertaining wizard, Clinton Kelly’s segment “Plate to Platter” is giving us tips on how to miniaturize favorite meal dishes into bite sized party appetizers. Eh, kind of boring, not really what I’m interested in.
Okay, after the next commercial break (surprise! another break!) we’re seeing Mario Batali make a pizza at the golf course. Because of the satellite feed, when the hosts ask him a question there’s a slight pause/delay before Mario answers.
Michael Symon asked how he got a pizza oven on the golf course? – he answered with his tagline “There’s Italians and those that want to be Italians” – joking that Italians drive with pizza ovens where ever they go. Yeah, a little bit of a “set up” but cute.
He gives his recipe/tips on how to make the perfect pizza, peppered again with way too much applause after every little comment, and I swear I also hear a fake laugh track added.
And that’s it. The end of the show.
I dunno. maybe I’m being too critical, but I really was looking forward to this show and it was a disappointment. Sort of like expecting Cooks Illustrated but getting Good Housekeeping.
Too much advertising and same ole same ole…nothing groundbreaking or new.
What else would I like see changed? I’m really hoping they tone down the excessive “love fest” between the hosts, it’s a little bit too much. And most importantly, whoever is in charge of lighting up the audience “applause” sign needs to take a little break once in awhile.
It would be great if they try adding a few more “real” subjects. I’m not saying they need to cover depressing serious subject matter, like GMO Crops & factory farming well, yeah, maybe they should once occasionally. It’s just too darned cheery on that set!
BUT I have trust it’ll get better, at least I hope so. I am not giving up on the Chew just yet. I mean, it’s only the first show, it needs time to find its way. Only time will tell!
I hope they fix it – too scattered, too many people talking, too fast – not everyone has to be in all shots. They didn’t look like they knew what they were doing from passing out food to talking to Mario via skype etc…. Loved this concept – couldn’t wait for this show – needs help!
They seemed forced jovial – it was bad…. I’m going to keep trying for a bit and see if they work things out.
I have the next few shows waiting for me on the DVR. I’m curious to see if they toned things down, after watching themselves on the first episode.
I’m glad to see you aren’t giving up on them either, Susan!
This is such a disappointment! It feels like you’re watching an infomercial. There is so much applause, fake laughter, and fast talking that I haven’t been able to make it through a full show. Being a professional chef, I had high hopes to see a show with so much talent make cooking easy and accessible, unlike so many other shows. Right now they have a helper on and she actually got applause for crumbling feta into a salad – oh please! Let her do the real stuff. Now they’re giving away one of the host’s cookbooks. Did I say infomercial? Hope they revamp it soon!
I’ve tried to give The Chew a chance. It is just to hard to watch. Just like a new restaurant you only get one chance. I gave you more, I won’t be back.
Well I have a whole bunch of episodes still on the DVR from all last week and this week, but I sat down to watch yesterday’s episode and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was entertaining…I loved that they didn’t sugar coat that vitamins are “synthetic” and it’s best to get your vitamins from real food, not a pill.
I really liked Michael Symon, although his giggle is a little bit annoying. He seems down to earth and genuine.
So, I watched today’s episode, and I am back to being disappointed. :(
Mario Batali, he’s brilliant, but he has horribly disgusting cooking hygiene. They were making beef bourguignon and he was pouring wine into the pot and he tries to make a joke by drinking some of it, then goes back to pouring into the pot. Ugh. That is gross!
It is not the first time he’s been so careless. At the beginning of one episode, during the intros, he took a piece of rosemary herb, sucked on it like a cigar (for a joke), then afterward, put it back into the container with the other herbs.
And when he was making a dish awhile back, he cut up some raw pork sausage on a cutting board, and right after, used the same cutting board and what I think was the same knife to chop the rest of the veggies.
I noticed on yesterday’s episode, they had a separate plastic cutting board for the steak he was cooking.
But today was the last straw, when Mario made his “shout out” to the dairy farms of America. Mario suggested that the coffee surge from Seattle many years ago brought back the popularity of dairy! Ugh, yeah, shout out to all the factory dairy farms, abusing animals and our environment! That’s just great!
And here I was thinking they were going in the right direction. It’s going to be same ole same ole. Like a big infomercial for the BIG food industry!
I’m sooo disappointed AGAIN!
IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, DON’T WATCH IT. PERSONALLY I LOVE IT.
MOST OF YOU ARE MAD THEY TOOK A SOAP OFF AND PUT THEM ON. YOU MAY LEARN SOME NEW COOKING RECIPES IF YOU GIVE THEM A CHANCE.
CAN NOT STAND THIS SHOW. THE HOST ARE LOUD AND ANNOYING. CARLA HAS TO BE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING. THEY CHOP FOOD ON BOARDS AND DON’T CHANGE OUT BOARDS OR WASH HANDS OR SANITZE. THEY FRY FOODS TO MUCH AND USE ALCOHOL IN EVERYTHING. NOT TOO MENTION THEY PROMOTE DRINKING THE REST OF THE ALCOHOL WHILE COOKING. THESE ARE THE SO CLLED CHEFS THAT CAN’T MAKE IT AND ARE HAS BEENS. I FAST FWD THRU MAJORITY OF IT BECAUSE THEY ARE ANNOYING. I DON’T WATCH SOAP OPERAS BUT I WON’T WATCH THIS EITHER! TAKE IT OFF-ITS NOT WORTH THE AIR TIME
I watched the chew twice and both times I hated it there was no reason to take the soap off there were alot of people that still watched it senior citizens but of course they dont count they dont want to watch a cooking show they already know how to cook probabably better then the ones on THE CHEW. I thinl itwas a very stupid thing thta abc did so everyday at 1:00 pm my television channel get changed until 2:00pm and when they take one life to live off it wont get changed back until 3:00pm for General Hospital and I just hope they leave thta one alone.
I think the show stinks,looking forward to it coming off, seriously I am not a soap watcher but I can only imagine that a show that was on air for 41 years speaks volumes. Bring the soap back and dump the chew!!
Yeah, I’ve given up on it too, very disappointing. I had high hopes of watching the shows I saved on my DVR, but I ended up deleted them all and canceling the Chew on my DVR schedule.
It’s too bad they couldn’t come up with a more inviting food show!
if there so many people not watching and complaining about sooner or later abc will realize that they have replaced the soaps with garbage and maybe put some on people really want to watch an afternoon movie would even be better then the garbage they are putting on now why dont those people on the chew go back to the food channel were they came from i am really disappointed in abci thiught they were the best channel but i found out they like showing garbage like the chew maybe they will realize it sooni hope
I also seen the show when Mario sipped out of the wine bottle and then poured the rest into the pot of food he was making. If he did it on a regular cooking show where he was only the host who was making the food and we didn’t see anyone eat it , it would be ok. The big problem I have, is they served that same food to the audience. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!! I am also trying to figure out what makes Daphene Oz an expert. Did she go to school for nutrition? It just sound like all the information she is getting is the same thing anyone of us can get off the internet. I have watched the show from the beginning and I’m bored. Time to take it off the DVR. Bye Bye The Chew.
This show The Chew is the stuoiest show i ever watched and i just hope ABCwill realize that the show is not interesting and is boring people it not at all organized every one talks above every one else and they interupt one another they all think thay know every thing and not one has showed me that they know any thing except how to be rude. come on ABC enough is enough the show stinks
I am still waiting for something good to happen on ABC now the new show the Revolution will be coming on soon what is wrong with ABC do they think we are stupid and want to watch this crap they are putting on. the only reason they are on because they are cheaper to to do and boy you can really tell. well ahen ABC loses veiwers they will then say I guess we did the wrong thing i am waiting when the chew really flops and it will it is a very boring show the revolution wont be much better i dont even know if I will give that show a chance if its any thing like the chew we dont need a cooking show or a medical show really ABC do you really think this is a good idea get your heads on and look at the whole picture and think of all the veiwers you had and what you are losing i am so digusted with ABC….
I’ld rather have the soap back
The show is fairly interesting and entertaining. There are some things that annoy me though, such as Michael Symon. His laugh, his eye-contact, and his constant joking annoy the heck out of me!!!
The Chew is one of the worst shows i have ever seen. The hosts talk down to the audience….I tried to give it a chance as I enjoy the Food Network very much…but this show doesn’t hold a candle to anything on the Food Network. Its hards to believe ABC would put, much less keep this on the air. What were they thinking?
I love the chew. I love how everyone gets along with each other. I have learned a lot from them. It needs to stay on the air
I detest the Chew! It isn’t because I’d rather watch soap operas, it’s because it’s a terrible show. It is very noisy, the music is obnoxious and the hosts attempts at humor are just so dumb! Today I tried to give it another chance, but they had these skits that were tongue in cheek soap opera episodes and it was just painful to watch. They seem to be trying waaay to hard and they just end up looking desperate and hysterical. I normally love cooking shows, but this one sucks…
I don’t understand why The Chew is still on the air. Michael Symon annoying as hell. That laugh of his and his jokes ( he thinks he really funny). I was waiting for out local news to come on so I watched the last few minutes of it. Michael Symon tasted a cupcake and said ” it’s delicious!” ( he said it seriously) Duh it’s a cupcake. Carla Hall and her goofy faces. I think shes trying to make faces like Lucy use to on her show. But of course Carla is no Lucy. Mario Batali is just a chunky chef. He needs to clean himself up and look presentable. Crocs and shorts? Come on your not at the beach. Clinton Kelly freakin annoying! He thinks he is funny too. Daphne Oz if no expert on nutrition or eating healthy. Have you seen her from the waist down? She is not slim. All the tips she gives can be found on any internet site. All of them together are just too much torture. I watch Judge Mathis instead. And I am not a soap watcher but I hate this show.
Only one complaint…..
This is a cooking show. Mario Batali is dirty.
We are trained to not touch uncooked poultry and then other items. Mario touches uncooked poultry, wipes his hands on his towel apron and then touches other food he is preparing. He also wipes his cooking surface to clean it with the same apron. It is very disgusting.
They need to “teach” how NOT to contaminate…as you cook.
I just NOW read the above comments….guess I should have read them before I typed my own comment.
It seems as though most of the complaints are because of Mario and his uncleanliness.
I agree with one of the above comments….if this happened on one of the “Chef shows” and someone drank out of a bottle and then poured the same wine into food being prepared and all of the rest of the actual “filthy” kitchen habits……..the judges would not stand for it.
They kick people off of the show for one teeny tiny act of cross contamination. NO ONE will listen about The Chew…..and it continues each and every single day.
I was really excited when I heard about the show! I even recorded the first few. However, I quickly lost interest and found myself annoyed with the characters. I can not stand Michael Symon… period. He is extremely annoying and judging from the comments, I am not alone. Sorry, but he just does not have the “tv personality” we want to see. Mario Batali’s arrogance is strike #2. He seems to act like he is above everyone! “There are two types of people in this world. Italians and those who want to be Italian.” Really?? Whatever, the show could be great. Recast people with personality and likability. duh.
I have noticed that on this show Mario Batali is dirty. In addition to the previous comments I have also seen him touch shoes and continue to cook without washing his hands and pick up bread from the floor and use it to make a sandwich. If there is alot of cooking in the show they should provide a sink not just a dirty towel.
Well friends….
It seems as if you post any comment at all that is not what THE CHEW family wants to hear……you are then “DISABLED” from posting any more comments.
Don’t believe me…..try it on their Facebook page. I no longer can post any comments.
Sure….I “liked” The Chew on Facebook and posted a comment similar to this one asking about using paper towels in stead of a towel that was used over and over.
I was then “disabled” from ever commenting on The Chew’s Facebook page. Darn……
http://www.facebook.com/thechewonabc
To be honest, show was a disaster. And I’m disappointed. What is Ms Oz doing in this program? What does she know about nutrition? Has she studied? Things she had said nothing that we didn’t know. And to be honest, they are paying her for nothing. Actually, I take my word. They are paying her cause her father. I wonder how she feels knowing that she is useless and no good without her father? Plus if she knows something about health and nutrition she should apply on herself first before talking to people about it. Daphne is no expert on nutrition or eating healthy. Have you seen her from the waist down? :) And her mother too. Dr. Oz should improve his own family’s health first and work on his daughter’s and his wife’s weight then talk to us about loosing weight!
Wow cocoon, a bit harsh. I don’t think daphne oz needs to lose any weight. it’s attitudes like yours that cause women to be anorexic.