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Monday, November 26

Emeril Live(s) on in Reruns

Dang! You travel for a day and you miss something big like this: Emeril Lagasse is leaving the Food Network!

Oh wait.. actually he isn't. At least not entirely...



Of course Emeril isn't really leaving the food Network (but Mario probably "really" is)-- just Emeril Live is. He's still got other shows and specials in the works.

FN peeps must have flipped and immediately sent a round of clarification emails out to everyone in the food blog universe (myself included) urging them to correct or clarify any information.

Here's the word from Carrie Welch, vp of public relations at Food Network:

'Emeril Live' has been an incredible journey and a great collaboration between Emeril Lagasse and Food Network for over ten years. Emeril has been the cornerstone of Food Network's success and helped pave the way for chefs on TV.

Food Network and Emeril look forward to continuing our long partnership and Emeril remains an integral part of the Food Network family.
Bascally, Essence of Emeril will continue production and Emeril Live will be done on Dec. 11. It will surely live on for many a month in reruns (and will slowly get pushed to more and more obscure time slots).

And here's why I'm fine with Emeril Live ending:
  1. It wasn't live. True, Emeril was "alive" during the taping and in front of people, but it still--even after ten years--looked like an infomercial.
  2. I hated that he came out from a bookcase in the beginning. Why enter through a bookcase? Did he have to jiggle the candlestick on the wall to get back through?
  3. Even though it was live, it was incredibly old school with all the swap-outs used. Swap outs are done. This isn't a segment on morning television; this is 2007.
  4. It really looked like an infomercial. I know, I know... there was many a cooking tip to learn during each episode, but I thought at any minute Mr. Lagasse might try to sell me something that could dehydrate meats and blend me a margarita at the same time.

It's obvious that Emeril is a great talent and he truly shines in front of an audience. Now it'll be up to some intrepid new producers to figure out a way to utilize that talent in something a little more cutting edge.

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11 Comments:

At 11/27/2007 1:47 AM , Blogger John said...

For a minute I pictured Emeril picketing the studios of Food Network saying "Unfair to Writers!"

 
At 11/27/2007 11:32 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see it go. I always thought the live audience brought out a juvenile quality in Emeril that got old very fast. Every time he cooks with a phallic-shaped vegetable it's more lame sexual innuendo. Ditto every time he shoves stuffing into the cavity of some bird. And then there there's the occasional mincing around and speaking in a falsetto voice to mimic being effeminate (sorry, Em, but making fun of gays went out of fashion a long time ago with everyone but cave men). Then there were the five million shows dedicated to firemen or the military to prove that manly men really do cook (as if we couldn't figure that out). Come on, man, that show was the same old thing all the time.

Emeril strikes me as a good guy, but there's an inner seventh-grader in him that I can live without. I'll be happy to watch him cook without a live audience egging him on and screaming for MORE GARLIC!!!

And Paula Deen can now take over in the tasteless sexual innuendo department. I shiver just thinking about it.

 
At 11/27/2007 1:59 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am afraid it's going to be more
Rachael and Guy. Be afraid very
afraid.

 
At 11/27/2007 2:36 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well it's totally been way way beyond time for that show to be done in my opinion, at any rate. I'm sure that he has talent, but the newness wore off a long time ago as far as the live show is concerned.
In response to Anon2: oh, dear, God, no! Don't even joke about that! *shakes head* While you may be right, more Rachael would be true torture indeed since she's now everywhere not just on FN. Glad to know Jacob, that I'm not the only one who thought that Emeril's live show totally seemed like an infomercial. I kept waiting for him to sell something! LOL

 
At 11/27/2007 5:44 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

And just what pray tell will happen to the fine fellers of the Doc Gibson Emeril Live Band? OK the show was hokey, his mockery a pain in the @*# but I think he promoted a lot of fellow chefs, promoted a lot of cook book authors, and a lot of musicians from different genres and deserves to be commended for that. Along with Paul Prudhomme and others I understand he was very devoted to his New Orleans employees at his multiple restaurants and I for one will miss his shenanigans and yes, his good food tips on his show. I do NOT want to see more Rachel Ray, Please no more diners, drive in's and bad hair do's (if I have to come across Guy with a mouth half stuffed saying "this is money" I'm kicking my TV screen in) and I really am a little tired of the Secret Life of Salt. . . or whatever. How about a nice cooking show, ethnic diversity, and some real instructions! Roberto desde Miami

 
At 11/27/2007 6:20 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I used to like watching Emeril Live, back when I was in high school. Even though I no longer watch his show, I still think he deserves a timeslot more than Ingrid Hoffman or Sandra Lee. At least his food look appetizing...

 
At 11/27/2007 6:41 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd rather watch Emeril Live than Essence. He's really in his element in front of a studio audience. Essence is unwatchable -- the half-complete sentences, the uncomfortable silences, the not-very-subtle glances at the teleprompter, etc.

Darn good food, though, whatever show he's on.

 
At 11/28/2007 1:17 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mario was on Martha yesterday. He will continue to do Iron Chef. He doesn't fit in with the FN "plan". He also said he's not mad at FN. His PBS show with Gwenith Paltrow (sp?) sounds so interesting. It will air late in 08.

 
At 11/29/2007 1:34 PM , Blogger Lester Hunt said...

Emeril, the original Behemoth, as Tony Bourdain once called him. It's the end of an era.

 
At 11/29/2007 1:56 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll miss Emeril's banter with Doc Gibbs and the band, not to mention his Milton Berle-style responses to the audience. Example:

Emeril: Tomatoes from New Jersey!

Female audience member: Yay! Jersey tomatoes!

Emeril: Lady, get your own show!

 
At 11/29/2007 5:30 PM , Blogger Jennifer said...

Well, I may be in the minority but I will miss the show, honestly. My 7 year old daughter will, as well. I think I'll miss Doc Gibbs and the Emeril Live Band the most though...

 

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