When the Food Network debuted in 1993, it quickly became a go-to for food loving people who flocked to their TV sets to see shows that celebrated their favorite pastimes of cooking and eating. The network (which owes a lot of debt to public television programming) then spurred other cable television channels to put forth their own shows. When streaming services began offering their own productions, food shows were a necessity. So in 2022, we should be surrounded by a surfeit of high quality culinary programs, right? According to Eater's Amy McCarthy, that is sadly not the case.

Outside of FX's The Bear, McCarthy says that most small screen food shows missed the mark. Some are getting a bit long in the teeth (Top Chef and even our beloved GBBO) and are having trouble exciting even longtime fans, while others are downright bizarre. Says McCarthy, "Instead of focusing on talented chefs making great dishes, TV producers decided to push chefs to the extreme, subjecting them to increasingly bizarre cooking conditions." Shows like Easy-Bake Battle and Is It Cake? wore thin after a few episodes.

There were a few bright spots, however. McCarthy called out Chef’s Table: Pizza and Be My Guest with Ina Garten as shows worth watching. I have to agree that food programs do not capture my interest as they once did. I gave up on Top Chef after I moved to another state several years ago and left my TV behind. I avoided most culinary competition shows that emerged in recent years because I found them over the top or too scripted, although the pandemic did spur me to watch (and fall in love with) The Great British Bake Off. But as McCarthy said, even that program is starting to lose its charm although I am not yet ready to write it off. Did you have any food shows in 2022 that were a 'must-watch'?