Molto Mario Cancelled
September 15, 2006 by Tracey Thompson
Filed under Food & Nutrition

Yes…this is right. Mario Batali has had his show, Molto Mario, cancelled by the Food Network.
What are they doing over there at the Food Network? There are a couple of new faces coming but it seems that most of the shows are being done by just a handful of people and that the actual cooking shows on the Food Network are slowly becoming dinosaurs. According to the network executives, they are keeping their how-to programming for the daytime, and going for something different in the prime-time. You can read more here, an article from the St. Petersburg Times.
So is everyone as disappointed as me???? Good news though, Mario’s ponytail and orange Crocs will still be around on the Iron Chef America and reruns will continue of Molto Mario probably for quite a while.


































Pretty soon it’s going to be like MTV, and we’ll be sitting around saying, “I remember when they used to COOK on food network.”
Food Network is going to hell. They take an actual chef/cook off the air and put these idiotic programs on. Plus there are so many repeats. Who’s running the show over there/ Then they have these stupid competitions and select these nice, but not tv-personality, boring people. If Food Network had stock, it would be down to $0.01.
Politics baby! Mario is the hottest American Iron Chef and has a great following.
However, he’s also been very overt about his friendship with Tony Bourdain, and has actually cameo’d on Bourdain’s Travel Channel Show. Also, there are 2-3 old Molto Mario shows which include TB in the little 3 person group.
Bourdain is a bad word around Food Network, and he isn’t shy about dissing them and their personalities, including Rachel & Emeril who are Food Network’s top gravy producers.
Pretty clear! Mario doesn’t really need FNW anyway.
Son of a B*tch! It’s like the MTVization of the Food Channel!
I am so sorry to see Mario go he has been a life saver for me. I have been battling cancer science 2000. I drove 9o miles for chemo and radiation. I could not eat or drink, but the one big highlight was to get home in time to watch Mario.I have been told that my cancer may be back. I will miss not getting to watch Mario.when I get home. I can’t make the trip to see him or I would of done so. I will miss his shows. Thank you
the only tv cooking show worth watching.. a pitty… mario is simply the best… long live the King…
Finally, a chef who cooks authentic Italian!! Dropping his show is tantamount to dressing Katie Couric like a blond at a funeral, night after night!!
Dumb, dumb, dumb!!!
I have been looking for a source to get DVD/DVDs of all of the Molto Mario Series. Any suggestions or links?
Frank
I will never look in on the food network again.
mario was the best show on that network.
I have also been looking for DVDs of Molto Mario. So far I have not been able to find a single source or that they even exist. Are these being traded on the web? Anyone who can help, please do!
Nik
Hello mario,
I miss you show!!
I am going to visit the city were my roots are from and I wanted to know
about the best places to go,
or are they all over in US ???
WRITE BACK
God Father,
Anthony
Maybe someone with TVO capability could record as many as possible while there still in reruns?
We were flabbergasted to check our list of recorded programs on DVR and not see a Molto Mario today. He is…was…our favorite Food Network personality next to Alton Brown.
Mario’s show had this little thing called “content”. We actually cooked some of his dishes and utilized his culinary tips. Why didn’t they get rid of that stupid show with the falling towers of colored sugar, instead?
Mindy & Ed
Did you keep any of the shows on DVR?
Frank
BTW, I did a show schedule check and apparently there will still be one show each Monday at 1000 am.
Frank
I have watched Molto Mario for years and after all these reruns you have cancelled the show completely. I am of Italian decent and know how authentic his cooking show is..His show was so interesting because of the different provences he would chose to bring the audience their specialties..some of which brought back many memories of my families recipies..
What a pity the Food Network is incapeable of recognizing the Best of the Best!!!!
Wake up FNW…
Nanette Fechtner
I am furious that those JERKS at the Food network have canceled the best show they had.
So, what Now?… MORE RR & PD re-runs?? Im nauseated by the thought.
Ciege.
Some one who can not only cook but can also TEACH — even food network has caved to mindless tv. Anyone can follow a recipe - why watch mindless shows.
What a shame! I am sure it was politics because a show like this should never be cancelled. Or at least, cancel it gracefuly - all of the sudden just stopped from being aired; even the re-runs. The trend seems to be to make stars of these newcomers (like the abnoscius guy with the tinted blond hair, the tatoos and the jewelery (in a kitchen!!)). Reality TV and contests have taken over everything (last one was the golf channel, now foodnetwork). I wish somebody there would think clearly and do a clean up of the shows - I am not watching the foodnetwork anymore but just to see Iron Chef. Onec that one is cancelled then there is no more reason to tune in.
Still hoping that someone following this string has or knows someone who TVOED or Taped or Down Loaded eposodes of Molto Mario and willing to share.
Frank (Sauchelli) Mazurkiewicz
…so now all we get are Rachel (who wants to spend time in the kitchen?) Ray (ugh!) and the phoney from Fall River masquerading as a New Orleans original (”Bam!”)? Foodnet is off my list…forever.
I agree with everyone. FoodTV must be looking at the wrong program. Mario not only gave us wonderful receipes(except octopus)ugh!! He actually cooked authentic Italian food and a geography lesson to boot!! Maybe a summer ightime show would be good. Grace
Can you believe the IDIOTS at Food Network?????? They keep the Barefoot Contessa and that numb skull from Napa Valley and get rid of Mario!!!!!! I WILL NEVER WATCH THE FOOD NETWORK AGAIN!!
For those of us that have DirecTV, Mario is on the Fine Living channel, 232. Looks like weekdays at 1pm. He’s also on the Food Network Mondays at 10 am, channel 231 for DTV.
Food Network needs more Malto like the Mafia needs more Italians. He was insufferable and overblown.
The problem you guys are addressing re the MTV’ing of Food Network is just a bit off the mark; right now, they’re finally realizing that the “insufferability index” of their current slate of hosts was almost intolerable — a string of “beautiful people” who did nothing but get ready for parties with their “beautiful people” friends. I think they’re working to overcome that, but at the risk of drastically overselling and overexposing some of their marquee faces…
-dew
I am from Seattle and now live in NorCal. I felt Mario was family. I do miss his show dearly. I feel homesick. Foodnetwork is getting so bland and predictable, white and pasty. I crave real chefs with that honest touch of hospitality. Mario is a true artist, and a kindred spirit.
J.E.
I ALSO WILL NOT WATCH FOOD NETWORK AGAIN. THEY GET RID OF THE GOOD SHOWES AND PUT MORE TRASH ON.
It’s time to get of the couch and in to the kitchen, people. Entertaining as the show is (ever tape it!?), I suggest buying and closely studying his and other top flight cook’s books. Less schtick, more real substance and ethno-info. In addition to Mario’s fabulous books, try Lidia Bastianich, Marcella Hazan, Lynn Rosseto Kasper etc.
Mario will survive…look for him on the otherwise DRAB Fine Living Network…but don’t let the tube rule! It’s great cooking that makes you drool (sorry!) Get busy!
Shame on you Food Network, Mario was the best chef you had.
why dosn’t foodnetwork just change its name to food contests.. mario is the best chef and its a shame that his show is cancelled and emiril is left on.
A contest here and there is fine, but I agree. All the new shows are turning into reality shows or competitions.
I think he is an incredible chef…I worry that his days are numbered all together over there.
I tuned out Food TV. I miss the chefs. Tell me the ’sassy shortcut cuisine’ experiment is over and I’ll come back. Otherwise I’ll follow those chefs to their new homes.
It is sad. I really don’t watch as much of it as I used to. I don’t mind a few of those shows, but the whole schedule is ending up that way.
Now all the real Chefs are off the food network…back to watching PBS on the weekends. Yeah Emerill, I’m calling you a hack. Mario is till on the Fine Living Network if you get that. Why do I have to look at Rachael Ray’s dumpy butt using some Betty Crocker recipe that I could of cooked when I was 8? Giada is worth looking at but not listening to…I guess boobs make better TV than brains…once again. Why does Sandra Lee’s haggered, over-the-hill, untalented, uninspired, annoying, bad boob job, pointless, brain-dead persona take one second of airtime on any network? Every time I see that show, I want to light my head on fire and poke my eyes out with a paring knife. Just waiting for Mario to keep it real and put out a show on PBS like Ming Tsai did.
It’s about BOOBS…MArio has no BOOBS…it’s all women and cleavage boys & girls….
It’s not the end of the world, guys.
What about Gino D’Acampo or whatever his name is?
Gino D’Acampo? He is on the East side of the pond. Mario was our Italian Guru on TV here in the USA…
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Mario cooks real italian food, but real Italian anything is fast disappearing