Image Credit: Ida Mae Astute/ABC
ABC’s daytime experiment, The Chew, debuted today in the time formerly occupied by longtime soap All My Children, and while it certainly made me hungry, I’m not sure I’ll be lunching with this show every day.
It’s far too easy to nitpick a show’s first hour, so I’ll avoid digging too deep into the tiny issues — like the disappointment I felt when Mario Batali decided to appear via satellite in episode 1. (But I will forgive it because it was for charity.) But having sat in the audience at a taping and seen a finished show on-air today, there is one obvious problem facing the Chew crew (admit it, that’s sort of cute): There are too many cooks in this kitchen.
While I don’t think they could have assembled a more likable bunch of hosts, I’m overwhelmed by the pace of content and the multiple personalities trying to have a voice and conduct segments. And it’s a shame that some of the brightest personalities fall to the background as a result.
At the taping, the crowd particularly loved Top Chef alum Carla Hall’s “It’s Gon’ Be OK” segment, where she found quick solutions to everyday kitchen problems. (You’ll likely see that segment tomorrow.) But I can’t say I got my Carla fill today. Clinton Kelly also won my crowd over with his bubbly demeanor and willingness to make a dork of himself. On today’s show, he did so by telling a story about how he once insulted a neighborhood mom when he was 9 years old after critiquing her deviled eggs.
To me, the solution is simple: I honestly wouldn’t mind watching smaller, rotating combinations of this group helm the show every day. I like them all just fine, but I was overwhelmed by the activity. (Not to mention, when Dr. Oz, father to the show’s nutrition expert Daphne Oz, came out, I gave up trying to follow the conversation.)
So, the Chew had speed bumps in its first show, but what show doesn’t? I like the ensemble of personalities and the information (apple slice pancakes!) enough to give it a few more chances.
What about you, readers? What would you like to see from The Chew? Better tips? (Really, Clinton, I should cut a steak to serve it as an hors d’oeuvre? You can do better!) Slightly slower pace? More Mario? Sound off below! Also, here’s the big question to everyone: If you were a daytime viewer, was it a worthy AMC replacement? And if you aren’t a soap watcher, is this something that could make you start watching daytime TV?
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Farewell ‘All My Children.’ Sniff.
I really like Carla but I will not be watching this show.
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We don’t want to hear Ebonics. Period.
ABC sucks. It didn’t have to cancel ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life To Live.’ Millions of fans have lost something that they looked forward to each day … their ‘stories.’ I am boycotting the AMC time slot and will boycott the OLTL time slot when that program goes off. I’m encouraging everyone to do the same. There is only one way to get through to the d!ckheads that run ABC, and that’s by rejecting their stupidity and disregard for longtime loyalty through viewship.
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I will not watch this Show.
Waste of my Time!
If I want to watch any Cooking Show it will be Food Network!
I watched All My Children since it first started.
It is a Shame it was replaced with yet another Food Show. If I look or want a Recipe there also is the Computer to look up Recipes.
I hope the hosts choke on whatever they’re chewing. May Brian Frons lead the pack. An iconic show wasted for THIS??? ABC, you deserve to be in the ratings crapper.
Couldn’t agree more – well said Rob!!!
I agree too Rob, they made a BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!
IT SUX I SPIT THE CHEW OUT…
What kind of person wishes ill on the tv hosts because you don’t like the decision the network made?
a bitter queer
Maybe you should learn who Brian Frons is before you stupidly refer to him as a “host” of the show.
“I hope the hosts choke on whatever they’re chewing” is Rob wishing ill on the tv hosts because he doesn’t like the decision the network made.
Reading comprehension, baby cakes. Reading comprehension…
I hope the program bombs! I will not be watching it! Who needs another food show.
The truth is foodnetwork and The cooking Channel is airing all day long for those who want to follow the cooking shows. It’s nothing new, the same old faces cooking the same thing they cook on the other channels. I love to watch foodnetwork and the cooking channel but this is a bit much. Are they trying to take over the network. Have some consideration for those who desire to watch soaps as another form of entertainment.
I thought it was pretty obvious that @Rob was being sarcastic in “choke on whatever they’re chewing” as a play on words on shows title. Methinks @CindyGee is a weebit oversensitive. Also, even if Rob still wishes that that person choke – it’s not as if he wished them not to survive. So technically Cindy, he really didn’t harm on them…merely an inconvenient incident. Chill out, cupcake. This ain’t that serious.
I live for your approval!
Love your response.. you all just know the chew is awful so the friends and family saying nice things are all sensative.. AMC fans take it personal and look forward to its cancellation…
Zoltan Szilberhorn on September 3, 2011 You can’t enter uensls you have a valid driver’s license. Also you must be older than 21, if you’re U.S. resident. However you can ask anyone you trust to enter, just keep in mind: enter with an email-address in which you don’t mind spams. Oh and if you win, you’ll have to pay taxes too. You can ask anyone you trust to enter cash-prize sweepstakes too.
I agree. Watched a few minutes of it, but won’t be watching any more. AMC WHERE ARE YOU?
Yeah i would like to know that too.
AMEN
This is stupid that there would be another food show put on and AMC taken off!!! We have enough food shows and most people can’t afford the food so why watch it. I hope the chew’s ratings are so low that we will here about the cancellation of it soon.
Bitter much??
For free.
Me too. I wont watch anything abc puts on in place of
AMC . I dont believe that ratings bull either. There are far too many of us AMC fans.
I agree. No heimlich for Brian Frons when he chokes on this stupid move. They could have taken Oprah’s time slot.
The chew is the worst show. i cant believe they canceled AMC for that!! I have nothing to look forward to during the day anymore. I hope it is canceled and fails. Then maybe Brian can CHEW on that
Amen…just don’t watch TV during that time. I’m really not interested in any “reality” shows or food shows. I get all of that on the Food Network or TLC. I just enjoyed the “escape” of soaps 2 hours a day! Now that that is all about to change, I’ll just live my own life and read and browse the net!
I enjoyed the first show of the Chew. What really discussed me the most was the number of commercials.One or two minutes of the program and then a commercial. I’ll continue to watch but if the number of commercials to program stays the same or increases I’m switching to another show.
I think you mean ‘disgusts’???
Something was discussing you?
Or if the sun rises tomorrow. Seriously, what planet have you been living on?
Owbalv on October 20, 2011 Oddly eungoh, i think a Bruce Almighty game would have been kinda cool. Go around and use your powers to help people or to help yourself to things. Who wouldnt want to play god?
You should never watch. This food trash belongs in the garbage disposal.
Nothing new or fresh. I’ll pass.
I hope this show does well, I love both Clinton and Carla, so I’m rooting for them. I think anyone bitter over the cancellation of AMC should be thankful that they got so many years of it. Pushing Daisies/Ugly Betty sure didn’t, but I still support ABC
I agree with you, Amy. I’m surprised there are still any soap operas on the air. ABC gave me LOST, so I can never hate them.
THESE PEOPLE ARE A JOKE CARLA IS A FREAK AND I HOPE THIS SHOW BOMBS AND BRIAN FONS IS FIRED. ABC SUCKS
You have a lot of anger Maria. And sorry that Carla is better than you will ever hope to be
I wish you well
You say “Carla is a freak.” I won’t even ask you to explain your absurd, negative comment. You obviously have some anger issues. Not enough hugs as a child?
carla is too hyper and its annoying accept many don’t like her, the dumb show or cooking shows in general. Food network……..
You have every right to your anger and bitterness, Maria, and it shouldn’t be attributed to a bad childhood but to its proper place… The callous disregard by a network that claims to listen to its viewship then shoves The Chew down the throats of the viewers who said over and over again that they didn’t want it.
Amy and Shaw seem to have disregarded the questions posed… What people think of the Chew and would people watch it. You obviously wouldn’t and you stated why. Carla bugs you. That Amy could get nasty and say that Carla is better than you in one breath and that wish you well in another in inane. Perhaps she works for ABC. They make the same kind of idiotic statements and thoughts and their decision making shows it.
Daytime and Nightime are TOTALLY different. Why can’t fans be bitter? The Chew is showing nothing that one couldn’t watch on a food segment on Good Morning America or Rachael Ray. Your support for ABC is duly noted…they’ve got you hoodwinked already.
But if a show has been on for 40+ years, how long do you except it continue?
and maybe ABC does have me “hoodwinked”. But at least I’ll never be wishing death/failure to people I don’t know
Haven’t seen it and probably won’t because I work all day, but sounds like a welcome relief from the Oprah/Phil/Oz mantra of “you are not good enough, and we are here to change you!”
Sorry to burst your bubble Helena, but not only was Dr. Oz on today, but his daughter is one of the hosts, so I can’t see it being too different. Personally, I don’t like Mario Batali at all, and not a Carla fan either, so I won’t be watching at all.
Yeah, you try watching, loving and supporting a show for 40 years and then have it canceled. Before you judge others try to consider where they are coming from not just looking down on them.
I will not be watching The Chew. This is cheap programing that has been put in the place of an American staple, All My Children.
I don’t have to watch, that’s my prerogative as a viewer and as a Soap Fan. I will not support the shows that replace a canceled soap.
Am I bitter? No, I am really sad and I miss my show. I don’t want to watch the Scab Show. I am sure the people are really and truly nice people. They just got caught in a bad situation. It isn’t their fault that ABC Daytime/Disney have no interest in creating soap drama anymore.
But that doesn’t mean I have to watch the Scab Shows.
I agree with Amy. Also the show’s name is stupid and doesn’t encourage me to watch. And I didn’t watch and won’t. I miss AMC already. We have the Food Network for cooking shows.
Very well stated! Sounds like ABC bit the big one here! So now what will you come up with when “The Chew” gets cancelled! Hope your many advertisers drop their support.
I agree also. To replace a show with a format that is already overrunning TV is ridiculous. At least offer the public something fresh and new. I have nothing against the hosts, but if I want to watch cooking, I’ll go to the Cooking channel, where I can get one chef and a variety of different cuisines, that I am interested in.
Well stated, Amy. I dont wish ill on any of the cast and crew but it is a boring concept and, in my opinion, was poorly executed. I will not be watching.
Be mad at the writers of AMC for their stupid, insulting writing. Did you see how they went out? P.U. Same with General Hospital and Young and the Restless.
I DVR’d it, so I’ll check it out when I get home. But even if I absolutely love it, I won’t be watching it every day. 5 hours a week is too big a committment.
I want an out and out dessert food fight!!!!
If I wanted a food show, I’d watch the Food Network. My TV is off or on another station til One Life to Live comes on.
It belongs on the Food Network. Didn’t watch. Not gonna.
Food Network wouldn’t touch this show with a ten foot pole. Or one of Carla’s toothpicks.
For isantnce, if I have a certain recipe for chicken soup that I want to publish in a collection of recipes, do I need to be concerned that another recipe might exist with the same items and directions? Not plagiarized, just coincidentally the same. Thanks!
I did the same thing today.I would watch Food Network before I’d watch The Chew.
I agree. There are so many awesome shows on the Food Network and other networks. This show is a waste.
Ditto
Yeah my tv is off till 1pm too.
i make sure my TV is not onABC during the chew.. I hope brian gets fired
I HOPE BRIAN FONS COMES ON THE SHOW AND COKES AND DIES. HE IS A F JERK
I watch my local news at that hour.
TRUE DONT WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THESE. ME TOO
MyFreeProductSamples on October 14, 2011 @Thekissfamily2 That’s funny. Yeah it’s litlte random free stuff like that when you just have to say Welp, it was free!
ppcnneekrc on October 20, 2011 Taken because its a action/myst. and playing the dad would be great. Get to go and find those that taken his daughter. Bust drug ring and illeage selling of womn for prostution. I think the story line is built for it.
It was kind of a mess, to much going on. They need to streamline it and maybe not everyone gets a segment everyday. The demonstrations except for Clintons (which were designed to be speedy and concise, very nice, his experience shows) were not easy to follow. One person at a time please, too much jabbering and not enough demonstrating. It was sort of amateurish.
Also Mario not everyone wants to be Italian or has ever wanted to be, did not like that statement at all.
The show would vastly improve if they got rid of Mario Batali. The guy is obnoxious beyond belief.
BOYCOTT ABC DAYTIME – except remaining Soaps!
Liz did you notice that when you turn it on @ 2 to watch OTLT that the Spew runs over at least one minute into the time slot. Oh I get it, they want people to at least see it on their DVR’s (and then claim they watched it)
I won’t turn the tv on to ABC until 2 mins after 2.
Tristan Rogers (Scorpio) wrote a great piece on the death of ABC soaps. Essentially the writing killed it. SInce Bob Guza was fired GH has been terrific, better than it has been in years.
I hope they bleed so much money from that 1 time slot they have to kill it.
Upsetting a target demo is NOT a smart move.
NO. These are Food Network stars. If they wanted audience support for another stupid talk show, then perhaps they should have hired all the fired Soap stars.
Now that would have been a good idea!!
I agree that is exactly what I was thinking. Why didn’t they hire some of the stars from the soaps to do segments. Wasn’t a cookbook produced earlier this year or late last year featuring recipes from soap stars.
Mattyice2423 on November 6, 2011 Hey Jon I cmteenmod on the article but I forgot to put my twitter so my name on there was mcmcorrea24 and my twitter is @mattyice2423
Nothing ieesrtnting here the only good line up is Grey’s and Private Practice and Daytime Soaps, but they ran them into the ground!!!!!!!!!!! If abc lost all viewers and their network it would serve them right for bad choices in shows!!!!!!!
I won’t watch because I work and would never waste a day off on this — and because I HATE the name of the show.
The Chew is NOT a worthy All My Children replacement! Bring it back!
I agree with you Janine.
I agree with most of the comments here. I think ABC has made a lot of bad choices lately. I’ll never watch The Chew. As a matter of fact I’ve swiched to channel 11 and have found it much more interesting, I’m even glad to see Steven Cropper on 11 News, I can’t understand why ABC let him go. I really think ABC will see that they’ve made a mistake with so many of their choices for day time and prime time. I won’t give them the air time, and there are many people who feel the same. I think they should take a poll and ask their viewers what they think. I have to say I do like most of the people on The Chew, but I will never watch it. We can all agree to disagree, it’s just my opinion.