 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Food Network Challenge
- Food Network
- Genre: Reality TV
Common Sense Media says
Competitive cooking show offers lots of tasty fun.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this fun food competition show has some very mild sexual innuendo and the occasional fully bleeped expletive. While it's geared toward chefs of all ages, kids will probably be most interested in some of the more kid-themed shows, which feature characters from movies like The Little Mermaid, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and even TV shows like The Simpsons. Pillsbury, Wilson's, and other food-related companies often sponsor national competitions, and their names/logos are featured.
What's the story?
On FOOD NETWORK CHALLENGE, cooks, chefs, bakers, and cake artisans from around the world compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. Each episode features a specific challenge in which individual and/or teams of contestants must prepare, cook, and/or construct their culinary creations within a set time limit. Throughout it all, the participants -- and the experts -- offer insight into what goes into their cooking, as well as some advice about how to create interesting dishes. When time runs out, they must present their (hopefully) mouthwatering and/or aesthetically pleasing masterpieces to a picky panel of judges, which includes food experts like veteran sugar master Kerry Vincent and American food journalist Mark Bittman.
Is it any good?
The fun series, which is hosted by Claire Robinson (who succeeded long-time host Keegan Gerhard), presents a wide array of events catering to specific specialty skills in areas like BBQ grilling, sandwich making, pizza dough throwing, and cake construction and decorating. It also features a variety of national cooking competitions, including Pillsbury’s National Bake-Offs.
The show is definitely geared toward cooking and baking fans, but kids may be drawn to some of the holiday-inspired and kid-themed shows, which include creating spectacular birthday cakes and constructing giant Disney characters out of fondant. And een non-chefs may find themselves interested (or inspired) by the ways that people get inspired by food and food preparation.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about cooking competitions. Why are these shows so popular? Who are they intended to appeal to?
Do you think the media has changed the way that people look at food and food preparation?
Is cooking on a TV show different from cooking at home or at a restaurant? Why or why not?
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| TV rating: | TV-G |
| Network: | Food Network |
| Cast: | Claire Robinson, Keegan Gerhard, Kerry Vincent |
| Genre: | Reality TV |
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