Man v. Food
(Wednesdays at 9 PM on the Travel Channel)
Man v. Food follows Adam Richman, "a regular guy with a serious appetite," as he travels to cities around the United States visiting restaurants and "pigout spots" that serve large portions. At the end of each episode Adam tackles a seemingly impossible eating challenge. In San Francisco at the San Francisco Creamery he faced the Kitchen Sink Challenge that consisted of eight softball-sized scoops of ice cream covered in toppings like whipped cream, sprinkles, bananas, and nuts. His response to being faced with this mound of ice cream? "I'm gonna tackle it like a demon cobra." At The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas, Adam tried the 72 oz. Steak Dinner Challenge: "Enough talk. I wanna eat this bicycle seat made of meat." For this challenge, participants must eat the 72 oz. steak, a dinner roll, baked potato, and dinner salad. If you haven't seen these episodes yet I won't ruin the outcome for you.
No matter what is placed in front of him and no matter how huge the portion or how spicy the flavor, Adam takes unbelievably big bites in hopes of besting his competitor, food. Adam is a very funny guy; it's obvious he loves food and loves what he does. Originally from New York City, he received his Master's in drama at Yale and has worked in restaurants at a variety of jobs and locations. I thought the stuff Guy Fieri features on
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was crazy but the places Adam visits are even crazier. I can't help but wonder what his doctor says about the amount of food he eats. I recently starting watching
Man v. Food in August; Adam's undying enthusiasm for food immediately drew me in to watch more episodes. Old episodes are often repeated before and after the week's newest episode if you are interested in witnessing any of the battles between Adam Richman, the man, and food. In tonight's episode he visits Springfield, Illinois!
Man v. Food website
News came out this week that this is the last season of Hannibal (at least on NBC). It's cancellation should not be seen as failure though, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Hannibal is the most beautiful and stunning television show airing right now, if not ever. This is a bold statement and it seems impossible if you are familiar with the books or previous movies. Beauty is not a word one would associate with a show about a cannibalistic serial killer. But, even at its most gruesome, it is so artful. Bryan Fuller, the show-runner, created the other shows Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me, and Wonderfalls. 
So, on to why this show is special: it's a feast for the senses. The dialogue is not wasted and often carries a double meaning; the imagery is significant and
dream-like (or hallucinogenic); the sets and color palette are lovely and
intentional; the lighting moody; and the food styling is so exquisite its enough to make you want to join in on the meals, even though you know you don't really want to.
The cinematography is so perfect, its a wonder that you're only watching a network
TV show and not a feature film. Now the disclaimer: this show is not for everyone. It is intense, disturbing, and shocking at times-- the crime scenes can be a lot to take. I would also recommend refraining from snacking while watching.
