V I D E O • A G E Se p t e m b e r/ Oc t o b e r 2 0 0 9 10 Cooking shows have certainly evolved from Julia Child’s first “extravaganza” on public television and the scope of their reach and marketing appeal continues to grow. In the U.S., for example, Bravo, a division of NBC Universal, has inked deals with major retailers to create Top Chef branded wines and floral arrangements. Meanwhile, the 16th season of Bravo’s popular cooking series (distributed internationally by NBCUniversal), Top Chef: Las Vegas , debuted in August. The 17 Top Chef: Las Vegas chef ’testants are whittled down week by week as they compete to out-cook their competition. The show itself serves as a bit of a showcase for the M Resort Spa & Casino in Las Vegas, which served as the primary production location. In Canada, The Edible Roadshowis one of the first Knight Enterprises cooking shows commissioned by CBC/Food Network Canada. From 1997-2001, 65 episodes were produced. From 2001 to 2003, Knight Enterprises produced 165 episodes of Cook Like A Chef for Canada’s Food Network, which was then sold to over 90 international territories. The show broke new ground with its emphasis on technique rather than recipes, moving the presenter out from behind a static kitchen counter and into position to teach viewers how, not just what, to cook. Knight’s founding president Chris Knight saw the counter as a barrier between audience and host, and thus Cook Like A Chefadopted an “in-theround” style of shooting. Cameras and microphones were positioned all around the kitchen studio as a means to successfully capture every sight and sound of cooking, whether it be the host’s commentary or the bubbling of a pot. Handheld cameras used extreme close-up techniques to bring the viewer right into the action, evolving the food from static prop into a character on the series. From 2003 to 2005, Knight Enterprises produced 104 episodes of Licence To Grill for Canada’s Food Network and Discovery Home in the U.S. The series was then sold to Australia’s Lifestyle Food, U.K.’s BET International, Finland’s Jim, Singapore’s Asian Food Channel and Germany’s Dmax. The series featured a visual technique known as a “Viz Essay.” It consisted of the quick-cut editing of rudimentary tasks (i.e., chopping an onion) set to music. This sped up the pace of the cooking, and has since been used on a number of other cooking shows. In 2005, 13 episodes of This Food That Wine were produced by Knight Enterprises for Canada’s Food Network and American Life TV in the U.S. It was subsequently sold to BBC Worldwide for Scandinavia and the Middle East and Africa, Finland’s Liv and Romania’s Euforia. This was one of (if not the first) series to deal with pairing food and wine. In order to make it appealing to a worldwide audience, the series never dealt with specific vintages or brands, but instead focused on the flavor profiles of various wines and why they worked with particular foods. It was unique because it was done in an approachable style that any novice wine lover or foodie could relate to. Furthermore, the show featured visual imagery to describe flavor profiles, thereby taking full advantage of television’s capabilities. Road Grillis Knight Enterprises’ latest series, with 39 episodes produced from 2007-2008 for Canada’s Food Network. T V D i n n e r s & D i n e r s The Evolution of Cooking Shows Cook Like A Chef featured chef Rene Rodriguez, with cameraman Ted Hart KNIGHT E N T E R P R I S E S PROVEN QUALITY LIFESTYLE PROGRAMMING Knight Enterprises delivers entertaining quality television to meet your Lifestyle programming needs. Our 400 half-hour inventory is designed for International audiences and features superior production values, engaging hosts and significant take away that will keep your audiences coming back for more. We also offer extensive merchandising to exploit ancillary revenue opportunities, as well as collateral materials that promote viewer loyalty and drives traffic to your website. Watch sample episodes at our online theatre or come see us at stand #00.01. Call 1.613.730.1728 or email info@knight-tv.com to obtain your personalized access code.
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