If the show’s premise and the Instagram/television connection seem confusing, according to the video release, Food Porn follows Chernow to various U.S. cities to track down the “sexiest, most buzzed about dishes.” To provide a taste of the show’s theme, Chernow travels to Gunshow in Atlanta – a super popular restaurant with, according to the video, 7,000 followers and 10,000 Facebook likes, that has “hit the bull’s eye on social media.”
According to the six-minute video, the show appears to incorporate the Instagram platform by sharing various photos of dishes already on Instagram. There are also nudges throughout the preview reminding you to follow the restaurant on Twitter, and the cameras catch diners with their phones in the air snapping photos of their plates.
It appears that Food Porn focuses on features common to foodie TV. In the show’s preview, Top Chef-alumnus Kevin Gillespie creates his recipe for the viral-worthy “Closed on Sunday” fried chicken sandwich and then whips up his special sandwich spread made of dill pickles, mayo, and hot sauce. And then, just as with any other food show, you get to watch everyone on television eat the most mouth-watering, delicious- looking food you’ve ever seen, until it’s time to scrounge around your own refrigerator for leftover tuna casserole.
The shift to include social media in television isn’t exactly a new idea. It isn’t unusual for viewers to send thousands of tweets while watching an event or a television show, and many shows give some kind of social media shout-out at least once per episode. It is a bit innovative, and an almost obvious connection, however, to connect food porn to food television. So if you’ve had your fill of Chopped and have already binge watched every episode of Iron Chef America of the last ten years, you might want to check out Food Porn on FYI on December 3 at 9 p.m. ET.
Head over to Eater to watch the first episode.
