National Geographic Channel Debuts “Chug,” The First Fully Fan-Funded Series from Kickstarter

Itamp8217s not easy for reality series of any kind that focus on food to stand out from the rest in what is clearly a burgeoning program category but these two manage to do exactly thatamp8220Eric Greenspan is Hungryamp8221 features the celebrity chef known for his fancy Los Angeles restaurants traveling around the country and getting down and dirty in pursuit of local ingredients mostly of the fourlegged variety for regional recipes amp8220Chugamp8221 follows comedian and television host Zane Lamprey as he travels to foreign locales both urban and exotic to sample specialty cocktails and other potent beverages amp8220Chugamp8221 is all about alcohol but it fits into the food category because Lamprey also indulges in local culinary delicacies during his travelsamp8220Chugamp8221 will be noted in the media history books as the first series fully fanfunded via Kickstarter to be telecast on an American television network In case you are wondering the scripted gay drama amp8220DTLAamp8221 telecast two years ago on Logo was a project partially funded via Kickstarter Lamprey and his wife Melissa Schilling who is also an executive producer of amp8220Chugamp8221 were able to complete six episodes of the show before finding a network to run them It was Schillingamp8217s idea to make food a component of this series rather than having Lamprey focus exclusively on alcohol to make it accessible to a broader audienceIf amp8220Greenspanamp8221 is a domestic travelogue amp8220Chugamp8221 is in every way an international travel series taking viewers to such farflung locales as Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and Sydney Australia In that regard it is easy to place amp8220Chugamp8221 within the traditional National Geographic wheelhouse but with this show there is a twist It seems no matter where Lamprey goes alcohol is the universal languageamp8220Greenspanamp8221 offers the unusual opportunity to watch a man widely acknowledged as one of the top chefs in the country amp8211 one who has been instrumental in the success of many acclaimed restaurants in Los Angeles including several of his own amp8211 travel to areas he might not otherwise be found and become involved in the hunting killing and butchering of wild creatures that will eventually become primary ingredients in meals prepared using local recipes and cooking techniquesIn that light amp8220Eric Greenspan is Hungryamp8221 may be more about People Eating Tasty Animals than People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will want to see but the stories it tells provide much food for thoughtAt first blush it may sound harsh or even unwatchable but amp8220Greenspanamp8221 is very thoughtfully produced generally taking care to not make the hunting and killing too disturbing The series reinforces the fact that the animals that end up on Greenspanamp8217s plate have been living perfectly normal natural lives in the wild right up until a very bad and very brief moment or two when it all comes to an abrupt end That is certainly preferable to a lifetime of misery in a hellish factory farming complexWatching Greenspan pictured above left with old friend and series costar Josh Klausner get to know people in different towns and communities in what the media might describe as flyover country amp8211 places like Warren Texas Tunica Mississippi and Breaux Bridge Louisiana while they capture butcher cook and consume feral hogs wild turkeys American buffalo and other wildlife all the while witnessing firsthand the great respect people have for the animals they capture and eat is an experience unlike that associated with typical food programsIndeed Greenspan is quite outspoken about the current state of food shows amp8220The Food Network is going the way of MTVamp8221 he told me at a National Geographic Channel press event in New Orleans a few weeks ago amp8220Itamp8217s all competition shows They have taken overamp8221 He added that he is excited about NGC39s recent foray into food programming like amp8220Eatamp8221 in which he appears and his series because they provide viewers with opportunities to amp8220learn about food and cultureamp8221 Educating people about food he said isnamp8217t easy to do at least not in a way that entertains them and holds their attention Culinary competition shows on the other hand are in his opinion amp8220nobrainer programmingamp8221Greenspan said his show amp8220is about people breaking down stereotypesamp8221 He described its approach to the study of American cuisine as amp8220microregionalityamp8221The experience of shooting the first six episodes of his series changed his perspective on amp8220handling meatamp8221 Greenspan continued He was especially impressed by the fact that the people he met have a bond with the animals they eat and leave nothing behind after preparing themamp8220It has changed the way I feel about farm to table diningamp8221 he concludedThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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National Geographic Channel Debuts “Chug,” The First Fully Fan-Funded Series from Kickstarter

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National Geographic Channel Debuts “Chug,” The First Fully Fan-Funded Series from Kickstarter

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