Our favorite food shows aren't just about the food—they're about the stories and the people who make the kitchen feel like a stage.
If you're looking for some great TV to binge on over the holidays. These are the shows Bon Appétit's editors loved this year. Culinary class wars Two groups of chefs are pitted against each other in a nail-biting battle of skill and strategy. The Great British Baking ShowThe final batch of contestants battled '70s-themed and caramel-infused baked goods and a good slice of drama. If you want to use your brain and watch something educational while on vacation, check out Docuries. Omnivore I've traveled the world to follow the people who produce our planet's most popular ingredients.
Whether it's the cortisol-boosting drama of a cooking competition or the untold origin stories behind the flavors we love. Food TV in 2024 serves up much more than eye candy. Read on for our recommendations.
Chef's table set 7
If in doubt Chef's tableLet alone food TV's impact on cultural extremists; The Simpsons An exclamation point was given to the spoof that aired weeks after the final season aired. Although I may be dating myself The Simpsons Long a standard-bearer in parody, the video is full of attention to detail, talking with a caricature of critic Ruth Reichl. What has always been done? Chef's table What's special is that the characters are chefs, and it's a unique story of humanity, wrapped in beautiful images of food. And this season is no exception. A series of spin-offs over the past several years—barbecue; Noodles At Pizza—the show returns to its original form, following the inspiring stories of four chefs from diverse backgrounds: Kwame Onwuachi in New York; Nok Suntaranon in Philadelphia and Ángel León and Norma Listman and Saqib Keval in Spain. As the show begins 10 years since it first revolutionized Food TV in 2015, the creators and editors clearly know the role. Chef's table Plays in a hungry landscape. The stories and spin-offs are endless. Is the only roadblock starving them to keep talking? —Pervaiz Shallwani, Associate Director of Global Food Products
Chicken Shop Date: Andrew Garfield
People have been waiting a long time for Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield to team up. We finally got our wish this year. After For years, “will they or won’t they? Against the backdrop of a glamorous Hollywood red carpet, interviewer Dimoldenberg finally takes Garfield to a chicken shop. The next 11 minutes were as tense and awkward as we all wanted. Flirting Dimoldenberg's characteristic ribbing, and Garfield's constantly changing into a giggling pattern. I'm sure I was more inspired in those minutes than some Wattpad fan fiction (I wouldn't know if it was personal or anything). It felt like a rom-com fantasy come to life and gave us all hope that we, too, might meet our very own Andrew Garfield in a chicken shop. —Megan Wahn Commercial Editor
Culinary class wars
The cooking competition format has been reinvented several times, but many have ended up sticking to the formula. But Culinary class wars It is something new. I rewatched two episodes one Sunday evening; I was thinking about them. The show is a royal match between two classes of chefs: their knowledge; longevity and the top white spoons of culinary experts respected by lineage; black spoons brilliant chefs; Chefs and restaurateurs are still getting professional recognition. The exhibition begins with 80 black spoons and 20 white spoons arranged in a series of intense works. While these challenges are similar to many cooking competitions, it's the judging that's the most fun for me. The two judges—a beloved food critic and commentator as well as a chef (from three Michelin-starred restaurants in Korea)—represent two worlds of dining and cuisine. Their cooperation and combination make this more obvious to the brain than to the public. —Hali Bey Ramdene, Content Director
The Great British Baking Show; Series 15
Part of viewing The Great British Baking Show Every year. Similarity— a familiar tent setup; feedback and preferences by Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood; Even contestants who fit into repeatable categories. But the 2024 season has found a way to distinguish itself from previous years, mostly because of the high level of competition and talent this year. Typically, After a week or three, a gap appears between the bakers, and the audience aims to make it to the final pieces. You will be able to predict ideas and follow-ups. But this year, it's clear that most of the contestants have matched their design and technical skills at the start of the season. We can no longer predict who will go home and when—it's all a bit more unpredictable with each challenge. The surprise in each episode makes the season worth watching on its own. —Social Media Manager Olivia Quintana
Omnivore
In René Redzepi and Matt Goulding's documentary series omnivore We learn that very simple ingredients have very complex stories. Cut into eight parts; The show is set in the village of Paprika in Serbia. Coffee Roasters in North Carolina; Kerala Chile, around the world with rice farmers in India and more. It highlights the people and communities that produce common ingredients such as coffee or rice. together Planet Earth– Like cinematography (think pans hovering over salt slabs and close-ups of sizzling tuna) Parts not known.–esque narration (by Redzepi, who goes on a journey with the viewer), it is a display that dramatically shows the human and ecological networks behind every ingredient. yes That's a serious point. But this is also his point. I want to remind you that the production of these foods has a huge impact on people's lives and their environment. Be sure to at least watch the tuna episode — the beautifully loud and chaotic tuna auction at Tokyo's Toyosu Market is one of the series' best scenes, and it ties all of these themes together. —Karen culture editor;
The Bear Season 3
If there's one thing I love more than an unpopular opinion, it's that. It was a work-in-progress play that catapulted Ayo Edibiri's rocket to superstardom. So imagine how much I enjoyed watching Season 3. bear And then, My joy grew when I became one of three people who enjoyed the third season. Critics of the show's third season curving it; Call it confusion, and it ultimately doesn't satisfy its first two seasons. But I saw the opening to the almost completely silent first episode, which others called meandering as fresh and quietly stunning. Natalie (Abby Elliot), along with her neurotic mother (Jamie Lee Curtis), who reviewers called irrelevant to the narrative; as a matter of fact A beautiful and poignant reflection on motherhood and the legacy we leave behind. The constant back-and-forth between the hateful Fak brothers, who called it “boring,” is a cringe-worthy joke…yeah. Actually, the haters accept it. It's the third season though A bear to love It all comes together in a richly challenging format of personal roller coaster rides at work and restaurants. What more could you ask for? —Sam Stone, Staff Writer