Netflix Doubles Down on Foodie Shows

The Chef Show, a new series from Jon Favreau and Roy Choi, premieres on Netflix June 7. The show sees Favreau, an actor and director, and Choi, a chef, experiment with their favorite recipes and techniques. Highlights include sharing a meal with the Avengers cast in Atlanta and honoring food critic Jonathan Gold in Los Angeles.

“Cooking is a journey. And making a meal is about more than just food. It’s about appreciating friends, family and tradition,” said Netflix.

Guests include Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr. and David Chang.

Favreau and Choi worked on the 2014 film Chef. “During the production of Chef, I developed a much deeper understanding of the ways in which we express our emotions, share our cultures and seek meaningful connections through the act of cooking and eating,” says Favreau. “I am so nostalgic about that time and those experiences -- this series gives me the perfect opportunity to get back in the kitchen and create some new memories.”

The Chef Show is executive produced and directed by Favreau. Choi and Annie Johnson also executive produce.

"I've always wanted a straight-up cooking show since I was a child,” said Choi. “I grew up on Julia Child, Paul Prudhomme, Sara Moulton, and obviously Emeril's first show had a huge impact on my life. There is something timeless and beautiful about cooking straight to camera. The only snafu was, I'm not a natural-born entertainer so doing it alone was always out of the question! But then I met Jon and we built such an amazing friendship over the movie, Chef. We both kinda didn't want it to end. And through this friendship I found my cooking soulmate and a child's dream is now a reality.”

Netflix also said docuseries Chef’s Table and Somebody Feed Phil will return with new seasons. Chef’s Table, currently in its sixth season, is getting two additional ones. David Gelb created the show. Supper Club and Boardwalk Pictures produces. Executive producers are Gelb, Brian McGinn and Andrew Fried.

Somebody Feed Phil is hosted by Phil Rosenthal. Ten more episodes are coming.

Somebody Feed Phil is produced by Lucky Bastards and Zero Point Zero Production, Inc. For Lucky Bastards, executive producers are Phil Rosenthal, Rich Rosenthal and John Bedolis. For Zero Point Zero, exec producers are Christopher Collins and Lydia Tenaglia.

Netflix has not shared premiere dates for the new seasons of those two series. 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.