The Best Food Network Shows That Were Canceled Too Soon (How Many Do You Remember?)
Since the Food Network launched in 1993, it has inspired people to cook. Unfortunately, many of these series are not airing anymore. If you're an old-school Food Network fan, you might have forgotten about Too Hot Tamales, Ace of Cakes, or Food Detectives. How many of these canceled Food Networks shows do you remember?
Emeril Live
Hosted by chef Emeril Lagasse, Emeril Live ran from 1994 to 1997, with a revival show spanning from 2000 to 2007. In it, Lagasse excitedly taught his "New New Orleans," which was a version of Creole.
Emeril Live had a studio audience, live music, and celebrity guests. Fans might remember one of Lagasse's many catchphrases, "Kick it up a notch", "Pork fat rules", "Oh, yeah babe", and "Bam!" If you don't remember that, you might remember some notable guests, including Pat Benatar, Jimmy Buffet, Alton Brown, and Patton Oswalt.
Ace Of Cakes
For five years, Duff Goldman hosted the reality show Ace of Cakes. The Food Network show focused on his bakery, Charm City Cakes in Maryland. Along with cooking, Goldman also showed his audience how he worked with vendors, made tastings for customers, and designed new cakes.
Ace of Cakes ran for a whopping ten seasons and was one of the highest-rated shows in Food Network history. Despite its overwhelmingly positive reviews, Ace of Cakes ended in 2011, and Goldman did not reappear on the Food Network until the 2019 series Buddy vs. Duff.
Cooking Live With Sara Moulton
In Cooking Live, chef Sara Moulton cooked live while receiving calls from fans. Moulton hosted several shows on Food Network, and she was also the on-air food editor of Good Morning America.
From 1997 to 2002, Cooking Live broadcast every day. During an interview with The Washington Post, Moulton said, "A lot of young people who were 8 or 9 when I was on Cooking Live have continued to cook...They tell me they remember watching." Moulton continues to host a cooking show distributed by American Public Television.
Too Hot Tamales
In 1997, two chefs and long-time chefs, Susan Feniger and Mary-Sue Milliken, hosted a Food Network show together. It was called Too Hot Tamales, a fun cooking show about modern Mexican cuisine. The show spawned for 396 episodes and a spin-off series, Tamales World Tour.
Although Too Hot Tamales ended in 1999, it was not the end of Milliken and Feniger's co-hosting careers. The two starred on other Food Network shows, wrote five cookbooks, and even cooked the meals for the 2001 movie Tortilla Soup.
How To Boil Water
How to Boil Water was not a presentation on how to make tea, but rather, a series of lessons for people with little to no cooking experience. When the show came out in 1993, it was hosted by Emeril Lagasse. But it saw several other hosts throughout the years, including Cathy Lowe, Tyler Florence, and Jack Hourigan.
How to Boil Water was once the Food Network's trademark show, and it remained on the channel for ten years. During its run, the show switched from one host to two, such as pairing comedian Sean Donnellan with chef Lowe.
30-Minute Meals
30-Minute Meals was Rachel Ray's first-ever Food Network show. As the title suggests, Ray taught fans how to cook quick meals. Most recipes were twists on classic dishes, such as shepherd's pie, clam chowder, curry, and lasagna.
Although Ray had no formal cooking experience, she hosted a show that ran from 2001 to 2012. She also wrote several books inspired by the show, including 30 Minute Meals: Cooking Around the Clock and 30 Minute Meals: Veggie Meals.
Everyday Italian
Everyday Italian was Giada De Laurentiis's show that combined traditional Italian with an American dish. During each 30-minute episode, Laurentiis covered a different recipe of varying difficulties, from spaghetti to lamb chops to chocolate-ricotta pie.
Both Laurentiis and the show won Daytime Emmy awards and two nominations. During the show's initial run in 2002, the episodes were shot live, but they were later recorded. Everyday Italian eventually ended in 2008, but its popularity spawned two cookbooks and future Food Network shows for Giada De Laurentiis.
East Meets West
From 1998 to 2003, East Meets West aired with host Ming Tsai. As a Chinese-American chef, Tsai aimed to combine Asian cuisine with European influences. His show won a Daytime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Service Show Host.
Each episode was only 30 minutes long, and the opening credits showed Tsai doing various activities from tennis to yoga to shopping at an Asian market. Although East Meets West received positive reviews, Ming eventually left to host another show called Simply Ming, which still airs today.
Good Eats
Good Eats was a Food Network show created and hosted by Alton Brown. Instead of focusing on travel or recipes, Brown focused on the science of cooking, Bill Nye-style. The show lasted from 1999 to 2012, with 15 seasons and 256 episodes.
Good Eats was the Food Network's third longest-running show, coming on every Monday or Wednesday. It was later nominated for James Beard Foundation's "Best T.V. Food Journalism Award" in 2000. In 2013, Brown announced a revival of Good Eats, which debuted in August 2019.
Food Detectives
Hosted by Ted Allen, Food Detectives first aired in 2008. The show scientifically tested food-related myths, such as the five-second rule. Allen received help from "food techs" and researchers from the magazine Popular Science, who also sponsored the show.
In Mythbusters style, Allen tested which food stains teeth the fastest, whether moldy cheese is edible, and how much smell affects taste. But after two seasons, Food Detectives went off the air. Allen went on to become a judge on Top Chef and host Chopped.
Molto Mario
From 1996 to 2004, Mario Batali hosted a travel food show called Molto Mario. In each episode, Batali brought viewers along a culinary tour of Italy. He made a few other shows with the same concept, but none lasted as long as Molto Mario.
Molto Mario earned Batali a lot of recognition and eventually and induction into the Culinary Hall of Fame. He traveled across Italy, pointing out spots on a large map, and tried many authentic dishes. Batali moved on to be a judge on Iron Chef and host The Chew.
Taste
Anyone who watched the Food Network between 1994 and 2002 probably caught wind of Taste. David Rosengarten was the host, and he not only taught people recipes; he also shared his extensive knowledge about each dish and how it was put together.
Taste is regarded as one of the original recipe-based Food Network shows. At the end of each episode, Rosengarten would say, "Remember, life is a matter of taste." After an eight-year run, Rosengarten left Taste and co-hosted In Food Today with Donna Hanover.
Wolfgang Puck
In 2000, Austrian-American chef Wolfgang Puck hosted a self-titled Food Network show, Wolfgang Puck. In it, Puck showed the cuisine secrets of his world-famous restaurant, Spago. The show only lasted for five seasons but won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2002.
Puck did not just cook meals in the show; he sometimes caught prawns in the Pacific or made goat cheese in Napa. Anything that fit Italian gourmet cooking was on the table. Since then, Puck has appeared as a guest judge on some cooking shows, including Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters and Master Chef.
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
The Best Thing I Ever Ate featured chefs pinpointing the best dishes they ate throughout the United States. Notable chef appearances include Guy Fieri, Ted Allen, Boby Flay, Alex Guarnaschelli, Wolfgang Puck, and Jamie Oliver.
After eight seasons, the series ended in 2008. However, it was brought back on the Cooking Channel in 2018. On the Food Network, The Best Thing I Ever Ate was so popular that it finally launched a spinoff show in 2020, All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate featuring the channel's most famous chefs.
The Naked Chef
The Food Network show The Naked Chef was Jamie Oliver's television debut. The "naked" title referred not to Oliver, but to his simple cooking. The show ran from 1999 to 2001 and was known for its relaxed style and wonky camera work.
Every episode began with a social situation, such as babysitting or a lunch with Oliver's girlfriend. He then cooks meals for these situations. Despite only airing for three seasons, the show was so popular that Oliver was invited to cook for the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Guy Off The Hook
With shows such as Emeril Live and Paula's Party doing well, the Food Network decided to give Guy Fieri a similar show, Guy off the Hook. The show aired in 2008 but only spanned one season and six episodes.
Like the other live shows, Guy off the Hook was recorded in front of a live studio audience. Fieri focused on his California-native cuisine that he tends to prefer in other shows, such as Guy's Bit Bite. Unfortunately, the show was not as popular as other live recipes series on the channel.
Nigella Feast
Nigella Feast was a short show, debuting for only 13 weeks in 2006. Despite that, the Food Network series hosted by the British chef Nigella Lawson received glowing reviews. She became known for her casual style and recipes.
On the show, Lawson displayed a variety of recipes from large family meals to lunches with friends. After the series ended, Lawson signed a contract with the BBC to create the shows Nigella's Christmas Kitchen and Nigella Express. Her most recent series is the 2015 Simply Nigella.
Unwrapped With Marc Summers
Unwrapped with Marc Summers, usually shortened to Unwrapped, examined the origins of sponsored foods. Summers explored products from businesses like Hostess, Disney, Nestle, Chipotle, and more. Fans learned how these products are made, packaged, and distributed. The show was widely successful, continuing from 2001 to 2011 and spanning 22 seasons.
Food Network eventually created a trivia spin-off series, Trivia Unwrapped, also hosted by March Summers. Eventually, popular demand created a second version of the show. Unwrapped 2.0, this time hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro, aired from 2015 to 2017.
Party Line With The Hearty Brothers
In 2005, the first winners of The Next Food Network Star were the couple Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh. The two launched their own series, Party Line with the Hearty Brothers. The show deconstructed comfort foods such as grilled cheese, and Smith cooked three recipes within a 30-minute episode.
Unfortunately, Party Line with the Hearty Brothers suffered from poor ratings. After three seasons and 32 episodes, the show ended in 2006 when their contract expired. It is unlikely that this series will get a reboot.
$40 A Day
$40 a Day was a travel and money show hosted by Rachel Ray. In it, Ray traveled to several cities across America, Canada, and Europe with only $40 to spend on food throughout the day. Taking recommendations from locals, Ray managed to stretch her small budget across three meals and a snack or dessert.
$40 a Day was Ray's second show on the Food Channel, airing only five months after her first one. It went from 2002 to 2007 and had 77 episodes. For a while after its cancellation, the Travel Channel showed reruns, but no longer.
A Cook's Tour
In A Cook's Tour, host Anthony Bourdain traveled to locations across the world to try the local cuisine. Although the show featured a famous chef and journalist, it only had 35 episodes and went from 2001 to 2003.
According to a report to Bon Appetit, Food Network did not want to continue funding the series and claimed that Bourdain's ratings rose when he stayed closer to the U.S. He later made a similar series for the Travel Channel called Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, between 2005 and 2012.
The Private Chefs Of Beverly Hills
The Private Chefs of Beverly Hills combined Food Network-style cooking with celebrity lifestyles. In it, private chefs struggled to serve their eccentric and demanding clientele. The reality show only had three seasons since it released in 2009.
The chefs, who all worked for Big City Chefs, were on call 24/7 to service Los Angeles. The drama came from the pushy clientele and varying experiences of the chefs. The Private Chefs of Beverly Hills ended after a lawsuit with Food Network claiming that they had stolen the show idea.
Sandwich King
Before Jeff Mauro co-hosted The Kitchen, he had his own Food Network show, Sandwich King. During this series, Mauro visited some of Chicago's best sandwich restaurants, and then went into the kitchen to put his own spin on the recipes.
Although Mauro's humor made the show enjoyable, there were not enough sandwiches to continue after six seasons. Sandwich King ended in 2014, the same year that Mauro was chosen to co-host The Kitchen. On the bright side, Mauro received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Sandwich King.
Tyler's Ultimate
Tyler's Ultimate was named after Tyler Florence, the host chef who created "ultimate" versions of popular dishes. In every episode, Florence traveled to the part of the world where the dish originated. After learning about it, he would return home and make his own rendition of the meal.
Tyler's Ultimate gained a large audience, spanning from 2003 to 2010 with eight seasons. Later in the show, the travel aspect was removed, and episodes focused on Florence preparing and trying recipes. After it ended, Florence moved on to host Food 911.
Semi-Homemade With Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee sold interior decorating products before she debuted on Food Network with her show, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. The series continued from 2003 to 2012, and a magazine based on the show (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade) debuted in 2009.
Lee became known for her "Semi-Homemade" method, using 70% prepackaged products and 30% fresh items. Every episode also had craft and design elements, such as setting the table or centerpieces. Although the TV show no longer airs, Lee's 25 books that came from the show still sit on peoples' shelves.
Chefs vs. City
In Chefs vs. City, TV chefs Aarón Sanchez and Chris Cosentino traveled across the United States to challenge two local chefs to a series of cooking games. Actor Ethan Erickson narrated each episode.
Most challenges were races. For example, a contestant might have had to eat a plate of spicy foods before running to the finish line. Chefs vs. City only had two seasons and 20 episodes between 2009 and 2010. The show faded into obscurity until 2014 when Cosentino admitted that he did not like it because of injuries he suffered from the challenges.
Dinner: Impossible
Dinner: Impossible was a 2005 Food Network series where host Robert Irvine took on various cooking challenges. For example, he would have to take a shipping terminal to an empty parking lot and cook there, or made an enormous 18th-style meal. Sometimes, guest chefs such as Guy Fieri would join him.
Although Dinner: Impossible did well, Irvine was eventually replaced as a host in 2008. Shortly after, the show ended.
Kitchen Accomplished
Instead of cooking in someone's home, Kitchen Accomplished aimed to renovate it. In this 2004 series, fans submitted photos of their kitchen to Food Network. Then chef Cat Cora, design expert Wolfgang Schaber, and contractor Peter Marr chose a kitchen to renovate.
Throughout the three-day remodeling process, the hosts would share tips about how to decorate the kitchen and even share some recipes. Kitchen Accomplished only had one season with 13 episodes, so it was apparently not popular enough to receive a renewal or second season.
Road Tasted
While Paula Deen appeared on many Food Network shows, her sons Jamie and Bobby Deen had a series of their own. This was Road Tasted, where the Deens drove around the United States searching for the best family-owned restaurants and food businesses.
Many of the featured businesses could ship their products across the country, which lent the show much appeal. Road Tasted premiered in July 2006 and ended in January 2007, with only 12 episodes left for rewatching. The Deen brothers eventually decided to focus on the family restaurant and handed the show to Pat and Gina Neely.
Quick Fix Meals With Robin Miller
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller was exactly what it sounds like: nutritionist and food writer Rebecca Miller showed people speedy recipes. The show was made for busy people who hardly have time to put dinner on the table.
Every episode offered not only a recipe, but also a shopping list for people to budget that meal. Quick Fix Meals continued for four seasons from 2007 through 2008. Despite its applicable life lessons, this show did not last, and Rebecca Miller never returned to the Food Network.
