Posts by: OysterMan

I'm new to this board but am glad I found a place to register my dislike of this new show Market Kitchen that has just come to Australia. It is sooooo boring and dry!

Who came up with this idea and who exactly is the intended viewer supposed to be? I can't even keep my attention focussed on the program.

Shelly that is GREAT news (no pun intended)....but I think your request to replace MK with Saturday Kitchen is most inspired. My contact at the Food Channel says that they are not happy with MK viewership and that the local programming executive is less than enamoured by the content either.

I've already put my two cents in also, so hopefully they are listening. MK is pure rubbish.

Polly ten, Shelley64 reports that GFL will now be repeated from 7th July at 8am-10am on the FoxTel Food Channel... YAY!! Seems like MK is getting the same response here in Oz as it did in the UK.

We've also asked the powers that be, independently but great minds think alike, whether MK can be replaced by Saturday Kitchen in its entirety (rather than those 5 minute bumpers) I've made that delicious recipe for lamb necks in balsamic vinegar and it is DIVINE!

Actually, any other cooking show rather than MK...

Shelley...if I see Mary Berry do her Simnal Cake once more I will shoot myself!!!!!! Clearly they have taken on one single Easter show and broken it into five or six (eight?) "Bumper" fillers to keep their programming on an hourly basis.

Clearly, Saturday Kitchen is a show we should have!!

I'm here in the North Shore, depressed that Jeni and GFL are now gone. I'm "originally" an American so your fondness for Mexican is heartwarming! But, unfortunately the ingredients are so hard to find....do you know of USAFoods in Melbourne??

I have to grow my own Poblano chilis in the backyard!!

Go blues!

Dusty123y.....thank you for such a well considered, well constructed posting! I admit I am a "1C" viewer but am always happy to hear positive comments on MK [there just doesn't seem to be much]. I wanted this program to work...I also want to be entertained!

Now I read on another thread that MK is a "do or die" decision for the entire channel and think to myself how silly this must be. They must have never done any research on how well this type of program would be received?

Regardless, I too am overwhelmed how much negative comment continues to pour in for just a TV programme even after two months. To me this indicates how deeply felt the sentiment is....literally hundreds of posters expressing their dissatisfaction with MK at almost every level. Very impressive, indeed.

Anyway, thank you for contributing such a well thought-through commentary!!

::Adam

If UKTVfood Can't afford to cancel it..why do they keep it on the 8PM slot? Move it to the old successful GFL slots would seem the logical move.

Here in Australian MK has almost killed our Food Channel...no one is watching anymore. Everyone has completely underestimated the loyalty that viewers had towards Jeni Barnett I think.

Looking at Doug's statistics there's no wonder there's trouble brewing! Knowing what little I do about TV, the "commissioning" of a show for a year doesn't mean by a long shot that that is what really will happen.

You'll have to admit it REALLY is a dreadful show!

Shelley, I don't think some actually like the feedback that GFL was such an enjoyable and entertaining show and that we don't like the decision it was axed. So they try to stifle it, or worse suggest cencorship with comments like "this is not what this thread is about" or other such nonsense.

And, yes, this how the tv programmers gets feedback - not to mention the dreadful ratings that MK seems to be receiving!

Nouska, you hit the nail on the head! These "celebrity presenters" - who were only chosen to try to get ratings up - are the most annoying element of this dreary programme!

If someone is looking for a positive, constructive suggestion to improve MK, retire these two characters. They are NOT telegenic, they cannot read an autocue properly and they clearly are uncomfortable in front of a camera.

Using them is simply amateurish.

Desi 1...Thank God, GFL will start being repeated from 7th July at 8am-10am on FoxTel Food Network. This programming change was a direct result of the viewer firestorm created by the airing of Market Kitchen here.

Conch, I know what you mean. The thousands of posts here on how terrible this MK show is and then to see nothing happen does get tiring doesn't it?

But I've just joined this board because of how outraged I was when GFL was axed so unceremoniously. I'm still angry.

TVFoodie, I have to agree MK is not changing and anything that was new or novel in the format is now pretty trite and boring.

The producers now have a multitude of well considered improvements for this show but it appears even they can't be bothered, so I would guess nor can the greater audience. A slow, painful death it would seem.

Just get rid of it!!

Jannymac..I think you have your (non) answer. Sad, really.

Well, I don't know if I would go far as to say that I've "given up" as I check the show every week or so to see if something miraculous has happened.

Nothing yet. It's all too 30-something, posh and trendy with very little nitty gritty food content for me. And it is soooooo slow......

Here in Australia it is on at exactly the same time as GFL used to be, so for us here it IS a DIRECT replacement of GFL.

April 2008, tell me it's not true Shelley! I'll have to follow-up once again, that's quite a different story than I heard. Was it an "Eric" that sent you the email? He's in the Lifestyle programming group and told me they've been FLOODED with complaints about MK.

Thanks Shelly I really appreciate the humour! MK is so very very dire putting a little lift into the agenda is great! Oooooo, and new season baby peas...I can't wait. 11 am it is!

Cheers!

Shelley, are we on the board at exactly the same time??? Did you go to the Good Food Show at Darling Harbour this weekend? Did you talk to the Foxtel people and dish MK? They all HATE it!!! It was great fun!

Let's hope very soon, Swiss Chard!

Thanks Shelley, will do...perhaps we can get a little campaign running at Food Channel. They seem receptive at least and respond to e-mails, unlike UKTVFood!

Jannymac...you are probably right.

Shelley sorry you didn't make it to the show this weekend, it was great fun. And everyone else had their kids there!

FYI, Tyler's Ultimate is starting on Food Channel every Thursday at 6PM. In a past life I knew Tyler Florence quite well and I think you'll like his show, it's educational but FUN, and you'll get lots of practical recipes too!

I notice that a couple of your posts have been deleted including the one where you had your e-mail address...sorry I should have written it down when I had the chance.

I've made some calls today and expect a return call this week from some "powers that be", whilst I'm not in the TV business I'm close enough to the food business to get access to some heavyweights. OR at least I know some people that will get return telephone calls!

This Market Kitchen thing is just absurd. How that concept ever reached the airwaves is totally beyond me.

On a positive note, I too would like to see Saturday Kitchen after having viewed the bumpers [too many times]. The salmon, the lamb neck, the anchovy soldiers, the standing rib of beef..I've made every one of those dishes from the little 5 minute bumpers and they are GREAT! Try them. Great show.

In fact we should lobby to get the 6.30 slot changed from MK to Saturday Kitchen. They can put MK on at 2am and meet their "contractual obligations"

I just finished watching an episode with MT and a cheese guy making cheese and did notice Tana taking a back seat to the whole proceeding. She was as meek as a mouse. Very different.

And I think you ARE right, the camera doesn't seem to be zooming ina dn out of the dishes anymore? Very subtle.

I agree that the TPB/MF pairing is the best they have. Did not see Angela H episodes yet as we are about 14 days behind you guys here.

I want to watch this show and like it but I too have this "5 minute tolerance" factor. I can't explain it. I drift away, go to the computer, switch to the news, start dinner planning, whatever except watch the show. It's not captivating at all.

But you have hit on the essence of success: FUN. That's why the strong GFL following.

And TPB does seem to be breaking away from the teleprompter at times.

Here in Australia we had an almost IDENTICAL show called "Lifestyle Cafe" about two years ago. It was an unmitigated flop and was removed from the air in about three months but it had exactly the same problems: "celebrity" presenters reading from a teleprompter, very weird camera work, an odd cafe setting with mysterious people lurking in the background.

The similarity is just too coincidental. MK is a direct copy of this Australian programme "Lifestyle Cafe" and it looks like its headed in to the same place.

I look forward to sampling this "soul food week" as it's one of my favourite cuisines and am interested in what MF/TR chemistry might be!

Cheers.

To Shelley and all other Oz viewers, here is the current schedule for GFL repeats for June and July.

[link]

They are committed until April 2008

Good news for Australian GFL fans that are looking for an alternative to the dire MK line up, GFL repeats are now on every weekends. Below is the listings for June and July.

[link]

There was an article by Victor Lewis Smith in the London Evening Standard about the end of Great Food Live a while back. Doesn't seem to be anywhere on the web that I can tell, though. I didn't see one last week.

I think most posters here would endorse everything he said.

Essentially the question he posed to UKTV was simple: Which viewers did you consult about this before making the change?

See Howling, maybe things are changing!!! I won't see that episode for a couple weeks but to see TPB sit down and let someone "go" would indeed be a major [and positive] departure from the format.

As for Whiskey, I see your point, but if this is a "general" food show like GFL then reviewing tipples is part-and-parcel of the whole gastronomic experience. I think a lot of people are curious about spirits...I'd like to learn abit about gin - and how to make sloe gin!

I sense maybe they are slowly altering MK??

ShelleyK64...it looks now like we'll also be getting GFL reruns in the late evening. I'll let you know more as soon as I find out the details.