DISQUS

Wayne · 2 years ago

I didn't realise that Jeff Smith had passed. Thanks for the memories.

Art Ruch · 2 years ago

Thanks, John. That was a good discussion we had going on there. And it came out of the blue really. I hadn't thought about those old PBS cooking shows in a while but, man, I really miss them.

You mentioned the calmness of the old shows, and I agree, but I think there's more to it. The shows on the Food Network are great but I can never get past the obviousness of the fact that these are, first and foremost, SHOWS.

BAM! Live Music! Competition! Camera cuts! BAM! Digital effects even...

The old PBS cooking shows looked almost like home-made videos by comparison. But that's not a bad thing necessarily. They gave me the feeling that I was watching a real person in their kitchen cooking for their family or friends and inviting me along for the experience.

I learned so much from Jeff Smith and Justin Wilson, especially, and I remember the bread Monk too. There are a few current shows that give me that same feeling: Michael Chiarello's show(s), Rachel Ray, and Anthony Bourdain to name some off the top of my head.

But I still miss the old guys on PBS.