Saturday, December 6, 2014

"New" Food Network Show 'All-Star Academy' Is Actually 'America's Best Cook'

Photo - Food Network
The Food Network announced a "new" series called All-Star Academy where ten home cooks from across the country are paired up with four different Food Network chefs to compete in culinary challenges for a grand prize of $50,000.  The eight episode series is hosted by Ted Allen, and the four Food Network mentors will be Alex Guarnaschelli, Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, and Curtis Stone.  The season is set to premiere in March 2015 on the Food Network.

In April 2014, America's Best Cook premiered on the network and was hosted by Ted Allen with Alex Guarnaschelli, Tyler Florence, Michael Symon, and Cat Cora as mentors of home cooks competing for a $50,000 prize. 

The slight differences between the two are that Bobby Flay and Curtis Stone replaced Tyler Florence and Cat Cora, and the new competition will start with 10 competitors rather than 16.  Everything else is pretty much the same including the production company.  Perhaps the Food Network had issues with the name America's Best Cook and had to rename the series due to this?

(Scripps/FN Dish)

13 comments:

  1. So each celebrity chef mentors 2.5 contestants? I can't imagine it being more awful than the first one but I presume it will be. Of course I will watch it anyways, so I have only myself to blame.

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  2. Yeah but it won't be as bad as that kitchen casino debacle?

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  3. 2 will probably be eliminated on the first episode leaving each team with 2 contestants. Then there will be 1 elimination per week.

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  4. I don't think Kitchen Casino was so much bad as it was forgettable. I actually forgot it even existed until I read your comment.

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  5. I am thrilled that Chef Alex is still on the show!! And I like Michael Symon too.

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  6. I thought the show need more contestants, now they have less...

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  7. That is silly, way too short of a series. I thought that about the original.

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  8. Because they weren't America's best cooks, not did the show try to find America's Best cook.
    This name fits the show's content better.

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  9. It really is weird they have even fewer now.

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  10. Guess they're throwing the regional aspect out the window as well, since Bobby and Alex are from the same part of the country, and Curtis isn't even from this country.

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  11. I'll watch because it's still better than the trashy reality TV on most other stations. At least I can watch the FN shows with the whole family.

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  12. It sounds interesting. I think that it should run longer and have more contestants though.

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  13. I just watched the first episode of All-Star Academy and said to myself, isn't this the same as America's Best Cook??? I watched ABC and will probably keep watching this one, but I'm wondering why they have two shows that are practically identical, just different names.....

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