DISH Network turned on that channel unexpectedly. They do that, from time to time, trying to promote an upgrade. Anyway, been watching it while it lasts.
I've got mixed feelings. On one hand, it's certainly exponentially better than what's on FN, in terms of the actual how-to of cooking. With some really good shows, such as Michael Symon's How To Cook Like An Iron Chef. Much of the "new" programming is merely a redo of an FN show currently in production. For instance, instead of Alex's Day Off we have Chuck's Day Off.
That said, the majority of the programming consists of blasts from the past. The far past, with reruns of things like Julia Childs' several shows, The Galloping Gourmet, etc., or more recent past, with shows that didn't make it on FN, for one reason or another, or on their Canadian equivalent, such as Molto Mario and Nigella Feasts.
There are, to be sure, some real screamers, like La Doce Vita. But, on the other hand, they still run the original Iron Chef (now called "Iron Chef Japan").
Taken as a whole, I'd have to give it high marks for reaching out as a cooking education medium, despite some rather obvious flaws. But I don't understand why, with a network that's barely been around, they feel it necessary to repeat the same shows ad nauseum. That's something the new network shares with FN.
That's a head scratcher!
To say the least. Around here, sushi without rice is called bait.