Another Series I'd like to See on DVD: Good Eats

While I am not a huge viewer of the Food Network (no pun intended), there has been one show on that station which forces me to stop and watch every time I encounter it.

Of course I am talking about Good Eats, hosted by Alton Brown.



Good Eats isn't like other cooking shows. Not only does the show demonstrate the preparation of recipes, which is the staple of all cooking shows, it also gives the viewer additional background information about the subject that is being discussed. Sometimes that information is historical in nature, like how a recipe first came to be made, or how a certain kind of food stuff became generally available, but most of the time, the information is scientific, explaining the actual processes of cooking. As a viewer, this makes the show that much more viewable.

And the stunning thing is it manages to do this while keeping things light. Sometimes there is an underlying narrative which the cooking fits into, sometimes there are just sketches to explain concepts... but there is always something to keep the entertainment value of the show high, and Alton Brown has a personality that helps keep everything together. As a package it works well and to me it redefines what a cooking show should be.

The Food Network has released some of the episodes of the series on DVD, but they've never released a season of Good Eats as a boxset, and I know for a fact that if it was available, quite a few people would pick it up. Of all the series that the Food Network has on its schedule, it is the only one I think people would buy in that format... well, maybe Ace of Cakes would be on that list too.

Tags: good eats, alton brown, boxset, cooking show, food network, ace of cakes