After 249 episodes, "Good Eats" is no more.
Alton Brown called an end to his instructional half-hour show May 8th, announcing it to fans as his first post on Twitter:
"G.E. fans, I've decided to cut the half hour series at 249 eps. There will be 3 new 1 hour eps this year and that's it. But mourn not. New things brew on the horizon..."good" things."
The final new, half-hour episode aired last week.
The pilot for "Good Eats" aired originally on Chicago's WTTW in 1998 before it was picked up by the Food Network. It became such a staple of the network that reruns aired twice daily for years. It also became one of the Food Network's most respected shows, picking up Peabody and Beard awards along the way (including a Beard on Friday for "TV food personality/host"), largely because of Brown's genial Mr. Science-meets-Chef approach.
Along the way "Good Eats" covered topics from steak (Episode 1: "Steak Your Claim") to Asian noodles (Episode 249: "Use Your Noodle 5") and everything in between.
No, really. Everything.
Here's the entire list of topics:
Steak, potatoes, eggs, salad, roasted chicken, ice cream, biscuits, gravy/roux, onion soup, fish, pasta, pilaf, chocolate, roasted turkey, fruitcake, fondue, grilled cheese, apples, pie crust, sugar/caramel, canning, shrimp, coffee, corn, fish and chips, ground beef, tomato sauce, mushrooms, clarified butter, pork ribs, tofu, mussels, quiche/custard/flan, duck, chocolate chip cookies, grilling, pickling, butter, pancakes/maple syrup, cabbage, pizza, beans, poaching, turkey leftovers, smoking/smoked salmon, pressure cooking, fried chicken, lobster, ham, angel food cake, pot roast, honey, garlic, mayonnaise, puff pastry, tea, chili peppers, gelatin, oats/haggis, crepes, roast beef, bacon, eggplant, cheesecake, squid/wok cooking, cocoa powder/brownies, squash, macaroni and cheese, clams, potatoes, tuna, strawberries, artichokes, yogurt, souffle, tomato, home brewing, dip, pork chops, choux pastry, casseroles, ravioli/tortellini, slaw, yellow cake, buttercream frosting, beets, roulade, crab, pulled pork, french omelet, muffins, chicken stock, sausage, steak/fajita/sirloin, steaming, grains, candy, sweet potato, sugar cookie, herbs, spices, corn dogs/sliders, fudge, nuts/pesto, lemon meringue pie, bread toast, banana, hollandaise sauce, oysters, flattened meat, doughnuts, wonton, chili con carne, sandwiches, soup, cheese, chocolate, grits/polenta, stuffing, pudding, melon, myths, coq au vin, carrots, leeks, baking, gyros, greens, rice, peas, shish kebab, beef jerky, ice cream, energy bar, sushi, cobbler, vinegar, waffle, meatball, avocado, pocket pie, eggnog, vanilla, beef tenderloin, cocktails, flounder, pad thai, scallop, olives, tortillas, barley, sweet yeast breads, cube steak, water, peaches, okra, squid, calamari, popcorn, peppercorns, deep fried turkey, lentils, tortillas, gumbo, cornish game hen, pomegranate, corned beef, espresso, spinach salad, milk, pretzels, coconut cake, substitutions, whole fish, dried fruit, beef stew, dill pickles, peanuts, green bean casserole, blueberries, marshmallow, knives, buffalo wings, apple pie, broccoli, crown of lamb, cranberry, cupcakes, dutch ovens, popovers, celery, tuna, oils, preservations, mincemeat, edamame, graham crackers, creole-style beans and rice, baklava, ginger, brussels sprouts, oranges, molasses, salmon, crawfish, tamales, spaghetti, pork tenderloin, parsnip, punch, breakfast, cooking with beer and wine, pound cake, trout, Japanese ingredients, spirits,diets, cocktails, salt, chicken and dumplings, curry, catfish, paella, porterhouse steak, grilled chicken, asparagus, eggs benedict, wood-fired pizzas, banana pudding, tacos, tempura, oats, homemade candy, summer squash, pumpkin pie, meringue, hummus, devil's food cake, chicken pot pie, lasagna, bouillabaisse, bread pudding, yeast rolls, cauliflower, Asian noodles.
Whew. That's a lot of eats. Considering that Brown has written and produced all of the episodes, he's earned a respite.
The show will continue in reruns, likely for years. There's an element of timelessness to the episodes and his early appearances, even ones from the '90s, still hold up because of their focus on basics, technique and the "why" of cooking.
As for Brown, he's the face of the "Iron Chef America" franchise as well as its "Next Iron Chef" spinoff. He's also done three different "Feasting On" road anthologies and appeared on numerous other shows, so he's not hurting for work. Production just began on the fourth season of "Next Iron Chef" and episodes will air in the fall.
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This man is basically the only thing I ever catch on Food Network (If I had access to the Cook channel, I'd add the original Japanese Iron Chef as well). My one question is, why couldn't he hold out for one last episode? 250 is a nice, round figure.
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