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"Feasting on Asphalt" on 7/29

4K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  pignataco 
#1 ·
The host of this TV show, Alton Brown, will be riding cross-country on his (BMW?) motorcycle and covering road food along the way. What else would you expect from the Food Network?

http://www.altonbrown.com/adventure/press_pages/press_foaepisodes.html

Those of you familiar with Alton Brown and his TV show "Good Eats" already know this should be an entertaining series.
 
#2 ·
Something that may be of interest only to me....

..but anyone catch the first episode on this series?

I noticed they covered up the Roundel on Alton Brown's bike - how odd.....

alow
 
#5 ·
Okay, I've now forced myself through two of these episodes, and I think this show ABSOLUTELY SUCKS ASS!!!

I normally like Alton's programs, but this show just sucks beyond all belief. Maybe I'll have to to go watch Snakes on a Plane with Samuel L Jackson just to get this bad experience out of my head.

No wonder the BMW logo is blacked out.

This guy and his crew makes the Fort Worth Cheese Tray Group look like a gang of hardened Iron Butters.
 
#6 ·
The only people who are gonna watch Alton Brown's new show are fan-boys.

"Ooh, ooh....look. He rides a BMW..(swoon-faint from sheer joy ) :v:

There's damned little worth watching on the food channel these days.
Certainly nothing "adventurous".

Rachel Ray is kinda cute though. :)


The only "food" guy worth watching on TV is, IMO, Anthony Bourdain.

That guy is seriously out there :wtf
 
#7 ·
How hard a job does this guy have. He rides around the counrty and he stops places to eat. What a novel idea. I do that every time I go on a trip. He also rides with a posse of three other bikers that you never get to meet. How much money is this TOOL making.
 
#8 ·
MassGT said:
How hard a job does this guy have. He rides around the counrty and he stops places to eat. What a novel idea. I do that every time I go on a trip. He also rides with a posse of three other bikers that you never get to meet. How much money is this TOOL making.
Sounds line envy to me.
Isn't it great how people talk trash about other people they really know nothing about?

Anyway, from what little I know about Alton Brown, he's supposed to be a pretty decent guy. He's been into BMW motorcycles in the same manner as many of us well before this show came to be.

I believe this is simply his attempt at doing what many wish they could do. Combining your passions (in this case two of his passions, motorcycling and food), share your enthusiasm and get paid for it.

Being a BMW fan and loving motorcycling, traveling, food, etc. you'd think this should be a great show. Well, like many of you, I've watched several episodes of "Feasting on Asphalt" and I have to admit, I have yet to be inspired.

While I think his primary show "Good Eats" is a fantastic series, for some reason this show misses the mark for me.

Maybe it's because the idea of sampling food across the country for TV has been done several times before in one form or another. Maybe it's because, there's no waypoints to the places he actually does visit. Maybe it's because he never says "this place sucks." Maybe it's because there's not enough about the motorcycling aspect of it (i.e. what it's like to be on the open road in all kinds of weather, navigation, group riding, road hazards, close calls, packing light, maintenance, other experiences you just can't get in a car, etc...). What ever it is, for me it comes down to the fact that IMO, almost every aspect of the show could have been done allot better.

Oh, and although I could care less wether or not the roundel shows up on screen, I think it's stupid that it has to be blacked out for TV. What ever the reason (licensing agreements, who's not getting paid for the advertising, whatever...), it's no excuse. It's just dumb and every time I see a scene of him riding the RT with the roundel blacked out it distracts my attention from the point of the show and all I can think of is how once again, someone's corporate greed is putting a sour taste on things.

It's all too bad because I think this could have been a very good show. Never the less, although I won't go out of my way to see it, I'll still watch it if it happens to be on when I'm flipping channels and I'll always hoping it will get better but knowing it probably wont.

Still, on this subject, Alton's ok in my book, at least "Good Eats" is still a good show, and maybe if Giada De Laurentiis would ride pillion, Feasting on Asphalt would be a little more interesting.
 
#9 ·
Like I said, Alton on Good Eats is really great. This show just is abysmal. I think it has a lot to do with Alton being unprepared for each destination. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who can ad lib or do improvazation on camera. The production value is pretty bad, considering he has a complete production team with him, it feels like they have taken the public-access channel approach to production values.

Also, this seems to show a very dark side of Alton -- the "it's all about me" side of Alton. I would think with a great crew with him (especially the other motorcyclists), there might be more of the interaction or "reality" to this program than just Alton and his chasing of the bees or eating of herbacide coated kudzu. And when you take a bite out of a pigs foot or fried brain sandwich and it sucks, say so. Don't become the culianry equivalent on an apologist.

Good Eats is a great show, and had Alton stuck to the forumla that worked and did "Good Eats on a Bike", it would have been great. "Feasting on Asphalt" really has been a total letdown. At least the Food Network's choice of celebrity Geico commercials with Bert Baccurat, Little Richard, and Charo have been marginally entertaining.
 
#11 ·
archer_tx said:
Remember, its a just a TV show.
Yes, yes, yes, but when your paying cable and satellite companies obscene amounts of cash each month to watch a little TV (which is still chock full of commercials) I think it's fair to expect a quality product. Especially when the show has great potential and is coming from a personality who's demonstrated the ability to produce a quality product in prior efforts.
 
#12 ·
eljeffe said:
- I think it has a lot to do with Alton being unprepared for each destination.
- He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who can ad lib or do improvazation on camera. -- The production value is pretty bad, considering he has a complete production team with him, it feels like they have taken the public-access channel approach to production values.
- Also, this seems to show a very dark side of Alton -- the "it's all about me" side of Alton.
- Good Eats is a great show, and had Alton stuck to the forumla that worked and did "Good Eats on a Bike", it would have been great.
Good points. Nicely said.

- At least the Food Network's choice of celebrity Geico commercials with Bert Baccurat, Little Richard, and Charo have been marginally entertaining.
The Bert Baccurat one is the best! Cracks me up.
 
#14 ·
mark5lam said:
Good points. Nicely said.


The Bert Baccurat one is the best! Cracks me up.
Actually Little Richard doing "Mashed Potatos, heyaaaaaaaaaaa" cracks me up.
 
#15 ·
#16 ·
eljeffe said:
Actually Little Richard doing "Mashed Potatos, heyaaaaaaaaaaa" cracks me up.
Since the Food Network seems to have dropped the ball, maybe the company that produces those Geico commercials can take over production of "Feasting on Asphalt?"

Put those two CaveMen on the BMW's and have them ride around sampling the food. Then I'll set my DVR to never miss a show. :)
 
#17 ·
mark5lam said:
Since the Food Network seems to have dropped the ball, maybe the company that produces those Geico commercials can take over production of "Feasting on Asphalt?"

Put those two CaveMen on the BMW's and have them ride around sampling the food. Then I'll set my DVR to never miss a show. :)
Yeah, I love the way the one caveman says, "Nothing for me, I seem to have lost my appetite". LOL!!!

What is sorry is that I can get a chuckle out of a commercial, and can't find any redeeming value from the program thus far (except knowing where to get some really great bisquits).
 
#18 ·
I understand Alton takes a spill on road in the 4th episode. Broke his clavicle. I guess they've got it in the show.

I like Good Eats, too. This new show hasn't hooked me yet, but I haven't give it much of a chance.
 
#19 ·
Maybe the New Season - Mississippi River Run will Be Better???

Watched the first episode of the Mississippi River run (2007 season starting in Nawleans).

Here are some random comments/observations:

This time Alton is riding a GS instead of an (R1200RT?). Maybe this has something to do with his fall in season #1 and the damage incurred by him and his RT???

Think the interviews with some of the rural folk along the way and their life stories is kind of interesting and how the food differs from place to place. A little U.S. history (associated with SOME of the eating establishments) is thrown in too.

There really isn't a strong-enough theme here, but maybe the life stories is as good as it gets.

One of the ground rules is "no whining," but think the series would be more interesting if they would show all of the bickering and fighting that may go on amongst the crew members.... Then the show would seem less "watered down," no pun.

Also, are there any camera shots taken "on motorcycle" or just from the chaser truck? Think it could use a larger dash of "on motorcycle shots."

Way too many commercial breaks - tend to break up the continuity of the journey.
 
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