Last spring, ABC unveiled Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, a reality show that features an enthusiastic chef who wants to teach parents and kids about proper nutrition. Though it could be considered a noble effort, the show didn’t attract a very big audience. The six episodes garnered an unimpressive 1.8 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic and 5.11 million total viewers. The numbers didn’t really warrant it but ABC renewed Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution for a second season anyway, likely hoping the numbers would grow.
The reality series returned for the second round of episodes a month ago and started pulling worse ratings than season one did. The first episode attracted a poor 1.5 rating in the demo and 5.36 million viewers. The second episode dropped nearly 27%, pulling in a 1.1 with 4.72 million.
ABC decided to replace the next of Food Revolution with a recap of Dancing with the Stars. The numbers improved significantly, doing 227% better in the demo and attracting nearly three times as many viewers. They replaced it again this week and, though the recap show’s numbers weren’t as good, they were still much better than Food Revolution.
As a result, ABC has pulled Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution for the remainder of the May sweeps period. The Dancing with the Stars recaps will continue through May 24th.
The network will rerun the first two installments of this season’s Food Revolution on Friday, May 27th, and the final four episodes of the new season will begin airing the following Friday, June 3rd. The season should conclude on June 24th.
Right now, it’s looks highly unlikely that Food Revolution will be renewed for a third season. A 1.1 demo rating isn’t really strong enough to keep a reality show going — even on Friday nights.
However, if more people start tuning in because there’s less competition during June, ABC could certainly bring it back for another round. Either way, it seems unlikely that execs will make a final decision until after the second season finishes airing.
But, what do you think? Given its performance, should ABC have renewed Jamie Oliver’s show for a second season or cancelled it after one year? Do you watch? What do you like or dislike about it?
Image courtesy ABC.
I wondered where the show went, I found it very interesting and I was engaged.
I’n not suprised nobody’s watching this grandstanding scold promote himself. Like much reality programming his show bore about as much of a relationship to reality as Jersey Shore.
I wouldnt be so sure of that Bob. “Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States – triple the rate from just one generation ago.” (http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/archives/2010/06-June.htm. )
We should all be caring about our children and listening to their needs. Here is a quote from one of my students “Dancing with the stars is exactly the wrong thing to put on instead of a highly educational and inspiring show on health benefits!”
Prey tell, Mr. Rock, what does selective editing, confusing “fresh food” faddism with food quality, and relentless promotion of Jamie Oliver have to do with making real reductions in obesity? Food Revolution is neither highly educational (check out some of the claims made by Oliver vs reality in his past) nor inspiring to anyone looking for ways to actually get kids to eat better or exercise more.
Fresh food faddism? Really? Fresh food has been around, well, for as long as humans have been eating! Replacing processed foods with fresh fruits and vegetables is a great step in the right direction of reducing obesity.
I’m certain we will see you again Jamie because America is hungry (pun intended) for the truth about our food supply.
Our teenagers not only watched the show, they taped it so I could watch it with them and they watched it again. Wondered all along who the advertisers for healthier, better food choices would be?
It’s so strange, America (and her children) have never been fatter or sicker and strangely we can’t seem to figure out why. I think you were on to something Jamie…yes! You were definitely on to something…
What could be more important than the health of our children and educating both children and adults on the importance of good diet, literally saving lives? While I realize that network TV is primarily concerned with ratings and making money it would be nice to see just for once, priority on something that has the potential of making a profound affect on the health of our society, in particular our children. If ABC doesn’t pick this up for another season, I hope that some cable channel does. It’s a great program and a real eye opener.
LA is a big town with small connections. I wonder who at the LAUSD was good friends with whom at ABC? “Hey, can you do something about this show…”
For the record, the show is not canceled and the final 4 episodes WILL return. It is also interesting that Mr Alaniz has been crawling the web and leaving this same cut and paste message all over the place to save face. There is something dirty in LA and it’s not just the air.
I just started watching the show when it was pulled. I am very interested in the show and have changed the way that i think about food because i watched the entire 1st season on hulu. I have been talking about Jamie and what he is trying to do with several of my friends I will watch if they renew it for another season!!!
It’s a darn shame that ABC pulled Jamie Oliver’s show.I am quite upset this has been cancelled
I think the problem with the ratings may be due to the fact people don’t want to be enlightened, they’re scared to know what they eat and would rather be blissfully unaware, just as many people feature IN the show are. That’s so sad to me. Personally, I’ve learned a lot from this, I no longer eat burgers, hot dogs or ready-meals (which were few and far between in my diet anyway) and I feel it has made me eat much healthier. I am quite upset this has been cancelled, a show which legitimately taught and helped people, but the… Read more »
I agree that this show is extremely important–and I also have found it very interesting. I just watched the first two episodes of season 2 on Hulu and was extremely shocked to learn about “pink slime” of which legally up to 15% of hamburger can consist of…and I was also shocked by the kids he is meeting–one whose parents and 13-year-old sister are Type 2 diabetics, and who seems to feel there is nothing she can do to prevent it happening to her; her parents are still cooking unhealthy food, her school serves unhealthy food–Jamie is really her only hope.… Read more »
The show is aimed at parents with school aged kids. Many parents try to limit TV viewing in the household. Evening are spent trying to get homework done and kids to bed. Many parents I talked with never heard about it or have meant to watch at a later time and forgot about it. You needs to reach out to parent groups. Promote more on the programs that proactive parents are most likely to watch. We DVR everything or find it on the internet to watch. We don’t have time to waste. We fast forward commercials. If you figure out… Read more »
Food Revolution is an important show and more people should watch it. Obesity is a huge problem (pun intended), and Jamie Oliver deals with it in a serious yet funny way. I loved the last season and did watch both episodes this season. ABC should NOT cancel the show but, as stated above, keep it going on a schedule where people can find it if they want to watch it. America’s schools need to stop serving junk food which is cheap and convenient but not healthy. Jamie is on the right track.
Good riddance, trolling a town isn’t the way to get people to eat right.
So why don’t you like the show? Did it offend you?
And notice he offered no alternatives to Jamie’s suggestions! I smell a troll.
I thought the show was incredibly informative and exactly the eye-opener many Americans needed to start taking ownership of their health. Most people don’t even realize how poorly they eat, and information is the first and most necessary step toward changing that. Big companies whose only goals are to make big profits are not going to tell you that what they are “boxing up” for you to eat is killing you!! Instead, they do everything possible to mislead you; it’s appalling! What’s most disturbing is that most Americans, according to the ratings, would rather watch garbage, reality TV–reruns of it… Read more »
I can understand the lack of revenue/business concerns if the viewing audience is truly as small as reported, yet I am deeply saddened that such a unique show with such flabbergasting revelations has to suffer the fate of a bad sitcom. In a world full of millionaire twits like Sheen and, really, reruns of ‘dancing with the stars'(!?), we could sure use somebody as big as ABC to just push something good for people and not just ratings. They could have thrown any bit of money into some real promotion, a few of the over-the-top (bus full of sugar) snippets… Read more »
It’s a darn shame that ABC pulled Jamie Oliver’s show. I’d watched two episodes of it and it’s starting to get interesting! More interesting than “The Biggest Loser,” “NCIS,” and “Glee!” It was also more educational too! I guess some adults (mostly parents) don’t care about what their children are eating these days that they are letting their children be obese, have life-threating diseases, and die due to poor eating habits. WAKE UP PEOPLE! OBESITY AND DEATH IS NOT A JOKE! Jamie Oliver started the food revolution not to gain celebrity in the United States, but to help improve the… Read more »
For the record LAUSD’s school lunch rooms and kitchens have always been open to legitimate news media organizations and many have covered the school district’s efforts over the years. LAUSD’s concern over unscripted reality television and the disruption it causes in the classroom was of great concern however, given the District’s past history with similar shows. LAUSD’s invitation to Mr. Oliver still stands. In fact the current superintendent, Dr. John Deasy met with Jamie Oliver to see if there is an opportunity to work together to mutually benefit the children of Los Angeles. LAUSD hopes Mr. Oliver chooses to share… Read more »
Nice PR spin there, Robert. Go back to your LAUSD office and come up with something a little more believable. What is your school system so afraid of? Hmm.
Robert is actually correct in what he states. Jamie Oliver is a huge ego-maniac imo. Check out the school menu at LAUSD if you think it’s so horrible. It is not. The school welcomed him to work with them, as long as he could keep within their budget and do it without cameras. California is actually fairly ahead nutrition wise, and Jamie acts as if all is lost without him. No, I do not work for the district. I simply live in LA, my children go to public school, and they are not overweight…if anything, they are underweight. The school… Read more »
Robert is actually correct is what he says. And no, I do not work for the school district. My children go to public school here in LA. If you think the LAUSD food program is so bad, check out their website. You will find it is not.
This show’s importance goes beyond ratings. I truly hope if ABC can not see it’s importance, it gets picked up by an alternate cable channel like the FOOD NETWORK or something appropriate for its demographic.
Perhaps if ABC would stop skipping weeks and keep a consistent schedule, it would have a fighting chance. Hard to get people to watch a show, no matter how good, if they never know when or if it will be on.