Brian Boitano has a friend who a woman. So Brian decides to plan a house party where calls a bunch of friends and invites random women in the supermarket to come to his house and meet his friend. Does this sound like the plot of a pilot episode of a sitcom? It certainly does.
And holy crap, I’m totally in.
I can’t decide on my favorite part of this show. Brian’s non-sequitor, Family Guy style jokes? Maybe Brian’s fake accents? Or maybe the random skits like Brian calling a buddy who has an extensive “little black book” and demands he invite whores over for their other buddy to sort through? The first recorded Food Network appearance of the Slap Chop? Or maybe it’s the fact they actually USE What Would Brian Boitano Do as the show’s theme? At first, I thought it was just going to be an incredible assortment of unintentional comedy — but it appears to be completely intentional. It almost seems like Tuschman called up Trey and Matt and asked them to script a cooking show for Brian Boitano.
The food is totally secondary to the gimmick. Nothing is complicated. His cheese balls are goat cheese rolled up in to balls and skewered with a sun-dried tomato. His polenta bites with spicy sausage are literally a piece of spicy Italian sausage thrown in a pan and cut on the diagonal resting on a fried piece of polenta.
After the first episode I’m not sure what to make of the show. It’s hardly about cooking — seeming more like a campy, almost satirized version of a cooking show. It’s like someone finally realized how ridiculous the skits on Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello and Barefoot Contessa are and decided to make funny versions. It’s incredible. It’s like someone told Brian to be over-the-top gay and funny for 22 minutes and make ridiculous skits to follow the episode’s ridiculous theme — oh, and throw in some random appetizer bites for your fake cocktail party.
The reason I’m not sure if the comedy is totally intentional is because of Tuschman’s quotes about the show. He says: Brian’s combination of off-the-wall humor and culinary inventiveness will be a revelation to viewers. His clever recipes, infectious enthusiasm and stylish ideas will inspire and entertain. A cheeseball on a stick? Crabmeat on a crostini? I don’t know if I’d call the show inspiring. I’d certainly call it entertaining.
Regardless of the food, I implore you to make this show part of your life. What Would Brian Boitano Make airs Sunday mornings on Food Network.
