Even though he was the host of the show, Alton Brown wasn't particularly a fan of "Cutthorat
Kitchen." If Food Network did officially cancel its wacky competition where chefs would bid
on creative ways to sabotage their competitors' cooking, it was only because Brown quit. After
nearly 200 episodes over 15 seasons broadcast from 2013 to 2017, he had enough.
Brown dropped the news in July 2018 on Twitter. A fan asked if new episodes of "Cutthroat
Kitchen" were coming. In his trademark way, Brown responded with a Post-it Note stuck
to a computer monitor displaying the fan's tweet:
"Cutthroat Kitchen got cancelled. Sorry. #ProbablyMyFault."
Brown actually explained much earlier why he was done with "Cutthroat Kitchen," in a
Facebook Live video posted in late 2016 that's no longer publicly available, he said:
"I've had enough, guys. I need to get back to what I do."
What Brown does was made clear in his previous Food Network series, "Good Eats," the award-winning
show that revolutionized cooking shows. It added science, history, and humorous skits
to the mix during its 13-year run. In "Cutthroat," Brown appeared out of his element, according
to a critic at Entertainment Weekly, who wrote:
"It is NOT a show about cooking."
Brown, of course, wanted to get back to cooking. He said in the 2016 Facebook Live stream,
"I think I've game-show hosted about all I can take, and life is short."
At that time, Brown planned to go independent and make his own internet-only show, on his
own terms, As he explained on the since-removed Facebook Live video,
"I want freedom to do what I want, and say what I want, and work with the food that I
want, without being concerned about what a larger corporate entity might or might not
want from that."
For Brown, that meant cooking with rabbit, liver, or chicken gizzards — some of the
items he said were forbidden on Food Network.
"I would never fry cat, of course. That's a braised dish."
Brown's internet series never materialized — although he did create a small online
hit with "Quarantine Quitchen" on YouTube, co-hosted by his wife, Elizabeth Ingram.
His planned internet show was to be called, simply, "A Cooking Show," and Brown envisioned
hundreds of episodes for a spiritual "Good Eats" sequel. But the lure of a network's
audience reach may have been too much for Brown to resist.
"Good Eats: The Return," the long-anticipated sequel series, debuted on Food Network in
August 2019. Brown added new wrinkles to the old show, working with recipes and kitchen
equipment that were less available or too expensive even seven years ago. He also brought
in a real food scientist, admitting his own science background was limited. While recipes
from the new episodes posted on the Food Network website include forays into a raw ahi tuna
poke and steak tartare, rabbit and liver didn't make an appearance.
"Good Eats: The Return" got a second season and a new platform, appearing on Discovery+
in February. The folks at the Discovery family of networks just called the 2021 season "Good
Eats" Season 16 and bundled it with all the past seasons on the new streaming service.
While Brown had clearly tired of "Cutthroat Kitchen," he remained proud of "Good Eats"
through 16 seasons. Brown said in a Discovery+ press release,
"This is hands down my favorite season of 'Good Eats' episodes we've ever cranked out.
I'm proud to have them, and the entire 'Good Eats' library, finally available in one place."
Season 16 eventually found its way to Food Network. As the season's run was concluding
on the network, Brown announced sad news for "Good Eats" fans: The episodes airing that
night would mark the end of the show. He said on Facebook:
"This is it folks... the big hurrah. ... Without question the most rewarding work of my career...
I hope the show has brought something positive into your lives and kitchens."
We're not sure what might be in Alton Brown's television future, but we do know what he
will be up to for the next seven months or so. He is gearing up for a massive tour of
the U.S. and Canada with his cooking, comedy, music, and science live show.
According to the "Alton Brown: Live!" website, the tour kicks off in Minneapolis on October
13.
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