Posts by: Dougy Boy

Why does the MK camera jerk around all over the place? I figured it out!!!

It's deliberate - so that you can't see the presenters reading the teleprompter! Notice when the camera is steady their eyes go back and forth as they read...BUT when the camera is bouncing around, zooming back and forth, and faces are out-of-frame you can't really see the reading.

Clever, clever!

Now I can explain why they are giving me a headache!

Rosti, I must disagree with your interpreation of the ratings....I just went back and randomly selected weeks.

21 Jan GFL came in #2,5 &6
4 Feb it ranked #4, 5 &9
4 March #5, 7 &8
Pretty impressive.

Check other weeks and there it is....

AND, if you eliminate Rick Stein from the listings GFL was almost always 2nd, 3rd or 4th every week......

AND, if you combine the various GFL airing times it came in #1 almost every week.

Can't say that about MK can you? MK is just a dud.

As everyone agrees here - this IS the worst food program EVER!

I've completely stopped watching this channel as there's nothing except Barefoot Contessa. For sure, there is nothing interesting on Market Kitchen.

Who is this show aimed at exactly?

Well, you may be right...GFL may be resurrected but you're right, not on UKTVFood. BTW Cheese obsessive..how did you know that!?

So don't "accept" that GFL is history..it looks like it's not at all!

There are repeats - and then there are REPEATS. Yes, the Keith Floyd, James Martin [not truly a "food" show] and Gary Rhodes are tired, Tired, TIRED.

As Esme said, these are way beyond "repeat", there needs to be another word.

But the idea of GFL repeats is great, they've never been reshown. And look at Rick Stein ratings, clearly the viewers have not yet seen enough of these.

But having just been back from the US, I discovered there are zillions of great Canadian and US cookery shows that have never even aired here! Come on, UKTVFood, lift your game!

Cancelling the beautifully formatted and hosted GFL, then creation of this dreary, boring MK and the ongoing, continuous, relentless showing of reruns of reshown repeats is killing you off. You're on self-destruct.

Something is definitely wrong with the programming decisions. It's as if they don't know what they're doing - or don't care about food - or the audience.

Freddyg - no, not necessarily...there are many other threads for that if you'd like.

Really, though, people are just venting their frustrations as there has been no feedback, no explanation as to why MK is so dreadful and no apparent effort to change the format, the presenters or the content - regardless of the amount of feedback, comment and even suggestion given.

UKTVFood used to give a lot of pleasure to many viewers, anchored around GFL. Without GFL the entire viewing experience of the whole channel has gone to pot.

Thanks, cheesy, that explains why there are so many complaints about "messages deleted". I was fuming the other day thinking my message had been deleted only to find the next day for it to reappear. Stupid.

Rosti, I don't think you are understanding what the others are saying about the ratings and repeats. Yes, ratings can be read and interpreted many ways just like you are doing. The others are just shedding more light on the data by looking at them from other angles.

TVFoodie, have you tried duck/goose fat? And it should be almost smoking before you place the rosti in. I like mine about 1 inch thick, so use an oversized egg-ring.

When it is browned to your liking then put it in a 180 degree oven for 20 minutes, that should make sure it stays crips on the outside whilst guarnateeing a cooked centre....good luck.

Like tiger feet, Diane UK dusty123, kazwilkie, Ani 4, et al I too was once an avid daily viewer of GFL.

It was a definite "pick me up" with Jeni's energy and continuous dialogue. Notice the long gaps of silence and awkwardness on the MK show...anyway I have not managed to watch an entire episode of Market Kitchen, it's just not "captivating" in the least.

Please bring back GFL, I miss the lively interaction with the chefs in a real, natural, uncontroived setting

I thought I saw a post here before but can't find it, so if no one knows: FYI, if you are looking for GFL reruns I found a listing for it on UKTV Bright Ideas....

If we all look back at the comments on the scores of threads on this board over the past two months from so many viewers the passion is obvious. And on reflection I don't think it has anything to do with the merits or lack thereof of MK. It's not my cup of tea but others like it. But if it were cancelled tomorrow there wouldn't be much of the passionate commentary we've witnessed here regarding GFL.

I now firmly believe all of this is because of the loss of GFL. If they had just started MK without touching GFL there wouldn't be a tenth the number of posts about MK [IMHO] The show just isn't worth commenting about, really.

Unlike other programs, GFL had become an actual part of the lives and routine of thousands of viewers. These viewers actually felt an emotional sense of loss. It may seem odd, particulalry with a cookery show, but it seems obvious to me now what all this is about.

All of this outpouring is just a reflection of this deeply felt sense of loss from viewers all over the globe.

UKTVFood could only wish they could ever, ever create a show that was so much a part of so many people's lives like this ever again. How stupid they must feel.

Ratings only measure the number of viewers, it doesn't measure the depth and intensity of the feelings of those viewers.

def Fatuous: Vacuously, smugly, and unconsciously foolish. Scalper, probably.....

Vacuous, surely. The content of the show is often very thin (although not always) and at times a bit childlish (eg How to cook an egg, etc) There does seem to be a vacuous approach to the dialogue with an over-reliance on teleprompters.

Smugly, partially.... with Mr Parker Bowles at least. and often you can perceive the viewer being "talked down to" by others, although this could just be the writing of the script.

Unconsciously foolish, definitely. The presenters do not know how they are coming off and the dialogue still brings a smirk to many viewers. The contrived "cafe" and backdrop are so artificial it makes one cringe.

So I am forced to agree Scalper, fatuous is a pretty accurate description.

To quote MickeyT.."Yes, at last. Food What's on UKTVFood...... Discussions about the food programs....."

Indeed, that's what this thread is all about: The MK food programme, its faults and foibles, how to improve it and comparisons with other shows we love!

And Freddyg, just ignore Natural Woman, she hasn't made a comment one way or another about food or programme...she only comments on other peoples posts.

So, back on subject, I also don't like MK but do try to watch it on occassion to see if it has improved. Not yet, so all I would like to ask is for the UKTVFood programmers to put on a live program that is scintillating, entertaining, educationsal and fast paced.....................

That's not too much to ask, considering the whole point of having the channel.

GFLForever, you're right on. No programme has ever created so much bad vibe. And for good reason....it is absolutely terrible. There are so many reasons it is really laughable. And Shazzums, here's an abbreviated list of posters who dislike MK...no repeats, no "spam"???, no personal comments:

Cheshire eater
geordierussell
Davey Boy
Pocket Battleship
cocker
IngaH
IHMac
poppy770
dustyfrg
wee1
Hampshire Rose
htd
Pippin2
nkrenrat
icheb
cocky
Shreddie
SARAH149
mrssultana
TruB
Harry M Stock
anotherphil
Betsan
fruitandvegnut
Dia bally
steve 106
shelleyk64
LMGW
GFLForever
LouiseHR
3L's
TVFoodie
crystal violet
timeout100
cheese obsessive
judith12
Tracey
baboush 1
sonj1961
Dougy Boy
dust123y
jrm
divas


That's really quite incredible if you ask me. Axe this show and bring back something entertaining!!

But I can certainly imagine MK chefs despeartely wanting to get back to a real program....they look so uncomfortable, long periods of silence, stumble with the autocue and talk over each other due to bad direction....and so many of the chefs never look at the camera (US!!) they just have there head into the cutting board or look at Mr Fort briefly....

Dreadfully boring.

Koupas come originally from Lebanon I think but are also popular in Israel where they are called Kibbe...It's meat stuffed in meat!!

You can find these little torpedoes frozen in the supermarket or in many Middle Eastern restaurants. It is also often served as a "lasagne" with the stuffing placed in the middle layer.

It is good and easy to make!! Try it out:

For the Koupas:
1 lb. ground lamb
2 cups of big grain bulghur wheat
1 tbl. salt or to taste
1 tbl crushed garlic
2 medium size brown onions
2 tbl. cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
Olive oil

For the Koupas stuffing:
¼ lb. ground lamb
1 mid size onion chopped
½ cup pine nuts
2 tbl. sumac
Cumin to taste
Salt to taste
Olive oil


Really, the stuffing can be made of almost anything...when I want a lighter one I make one with eggplant and red pepper.....I've never made a mushroom one..Yum!

GFLForever...glad to help!! (I admit I had to look in the dictionary!)

Bressa Buddy....have just finished a very similar gig for 250 and was imilarly overwhelmed. I think I discovered the key was
[1] easy-to-make en masse,
[2] hand-held items that could be
[3] tepid or even room temperature and still be great.

Served on buffet table as well as carried on trays for picking...

As we had vegetarians present, my final list became:

Lobster and coriander cakes [1.5 inch round] ++++
Cheese and red pepper quesadillas [folded over] +++
Pine nut stuffed mushrooms ++++
Chicken Vol au Vents [bought shells] ++
Lamb Koftas [on stick] +++
Cream cheese, paprika and crushed walnuts in celery stick ++++
Crudite ++

The number of +++ signs indicate the "reception" the dishes received. All were a success though [IMHO]

Good luck!!

I second these posts.....I want MK to be entertaining like GFL used to be. I want to look forward to tomorrow's episode, laugh a bit and then try the recipes....

Is that too much to ask?? MK is just absolutely dreadful.....

Saturday Kitchen rocks!! But I would have to agree with Minka2....let's get MK off the air ASAP. We want a fun, livem educational food show. MKsimply is NOT it.

Shelley64..this is where the phrase "calling the kettle black" comes from!!

Yes, GFL was Jeni's show...not anything about the chefs...it seems that this is not well understood amongst a few of our commenters here...

It is odd how the MK people, the very few that there actually is [I could list them on my fingers], simply will not tolerate contrary opinion and they attack the posters - rather than the comments they post!

Hmmmmm.

Howling..your question may be politically incorrect and too embarrassing to respond to....but if you look at the posts on the other threads here I think you can read between the lines and get a resounding "YES". I think TPB and Tana are generally "not appreiated for their talent" to put it politely.

TVFoodie...your wish may come true..looking at the numbers I got from BARB by e-mail is very interesting, not only the programme ranking in the top 10 which everyone here seems to talk about but toal viewership which is of course what the sponsors are looking at.

Ranking and total weekly viewship for GFL:
25/2 #3,10 > 426,000
4/3 #5,7,8,10 > 471,000
11/3 #1,5,7 > 449,000
18/3 #2,4,6,9 > 493,000
25/3 #1,2,4,5,6 > 486,000
1/4 #4,5 > 394,000
8/4 #2,3,8,9 > 472,000

Then, of course, the switch to MK happened and we now have:
22/4 #1 > 258,000
29/4 #7 > 203,000
6/5 No ranking > 194,000
13/5 No ranking > 177,000
20/5 #7 > 211,000
27/5 #3 > 205,000

MK has never had more than one rating in the top 10 so far, where GFL often had 3,4 or more entries within the top 10 ranking for a week.

So, although influenced by weather, other programming, etc, in general GFL had twice the viewership of MK.

Fude...ditto...what more can really be said? The sooner this show is axed and replaced with something even remotely interesting the better!!

350t..sorry I think I inadvertently posted your answer to the wrong board earlier..here are the numbers you were asking for:

Using the most recent numbers available, ranking and total weekly viewship for GFL:
25/2 #3,10 > 426,000
4/3 #5,7,8,10 > 471,000
11/3 #1,5,7 > 449,000
18/3 #2,4,6,9 > 493,000
25/3 #1,2,4,5,6 > 486,000
1/4 #4,5 > 394,000
8/4 #2,3,8,9 > 472,000

Then, of course, the switch to MK happened and we now have:
22/4 #1 > 258,000
29/4 #7 > 203,000
6/5 No ranking > 194,000
13/5 No ranking > 177,000
20/5 #7 > 211,000
27/5 #3 > 205,000

While Top10 ranking is not nearly as relevant as total viewership, MK has never had more than one rating in the top 10 so far, where GFL often had 3,4 or more entries within the top 10 ranking for a week.

So, although influenced by weather, other programming, etc, in general GFL had twice the viewership of MK.

No surprise, really.