Don't hate me for saying this, but summer is on its last legs.But if you must stay inside for some binge-watching, you could do worse than HBO Max.While the service is basking in the green glow of its chart-topping, 93%-rated U.S.
subscribers still have some new and new-ish things to watch.For this week, one of food television's most competitive chefs unleashed a new sizzling throwdown season; a couple of gearheads race the clock to make everyday cars go faster; and my top pick for the week is a new season of a beloved, Emmy-winning school comedy.3 Bobby's Triple Threat (Season 5) Feisty Flay's titans take on a new class of contenders I saw Bobby Flay on Jimmy Fallon promoting this show recently, and the thought occurred to me that the feisty celebrity chef has made a career out of taunting people—chefs and amateur cooks—to beat him at cooking (and come to mind).
, now in its 5th season on Food Network (streaming next day on HBO Max), is a bit different.Each episode of the competition show sees one exceptional chef come to the show to take on Flay's handpicked team of three culinary "Titans" to win $25,000. Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge Name that famous cooking showTrivia challenge From fiery kitchens to soggy bottoms — can you identify these iconic cooking and food competition shows from the clues? CompetitionBakingChefsFood TVFormats Begin 01 / 8 Food TV This show features amateur home cooks competing for a large cash prize and the title of 'home cook of the year,' with Gordon Ramsay as one of its most famous judges.
What show is it? ATop ChefBHell's KitchenCMasterChefDIron Chef Correct! MasterChef originally began as a BBC show in the UK back in 1990 before being rebooted in 2005.The American version launched in 2010 with Gordon Ramsay and became a massive hit, spawning spin-offs like MasterChef Junior. Not quite — the answer is MasterChef.While Gordon Ramsay does appear on Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef is the show specifically focused on amateur home cooks competing for the prestigious 'home cook of the year' title and a cash prize. Continue 02 / 8 Competition In this intense culinary competition, aspiring professional chefs work in a real restaurant environment under the ferocious supervision of Gordon Ramsay, who famously screams at contestants for undercooked scallops.
Name the show. AMasterChefBHell's KitchenCChoppedDTop Chef That's right! Hell's Kitchen has been running on Fox since 2005 and is set in an actual working restaurant in Los Angeles.Gordon Ramsay's volcanic temper and brutal critiques have made it one of the most dramatic cooking shows on television. Not quite — the answer is Hell's Kitchen.This Fox series places professional chef hopefuls in a high-pressure restaurant environment where Gordon Ramsay tests their skills and patience with equal ferocity.
It's been airing since 2005 and shows no signs of cooling down. Continue 03 / 8 Baking Originating in the UK, this beloved baking competition takes place in a big white tent and is famous for its 'soggy bottom' judgments, the technical challenge, and the coveted title of 'Star Baker.' What is it? ANailed It!BSugar RushCThe Great British Baking ShowDCake Boss Well done! The Great British Baking Show — known in the UK as The Great British Bake Off — first aired on BBC Two in 2010.It's known for its warm, non-elimination-style culture and has launched the careers of many beloved bakers and presenters. Not quite — the answer is The Great British Baking Show.Known in the UK as The Great British Bake Off, this charming tent-based competition first aired in 2010 and became a cultural phenomenon.
The 'soggy bottom' warning from judge Paul Hollywood has become one of TV's most iconic phrases. Continue 04 / 8 Chefs This Food Network show puts talented chefs head-to-head against celebrity chef and 'King of Grilling' Bobby Flay, challenging them to cook a dish better than he can.What's the show called? AIron Chef AmericaBChoppedCBeat Bobby FlayDTop Chef Masters Nicely done! Beat Bobby Flay has been a Food Network staple since 2013. Contestants must first battle each other before earning the right to challenge Bobby Flay in his own specialty.Despite the show's name, Flay wins the majority of his battles. Not quite — the answer is Beat Bobby Flay.
This Food Network show, running since 2013, gives chefs the chance to take on Bobby Flay in a cook-off.Ironically, despite the aspirational title, Flay wins far more often than he loses, making each defeat extra memorable. Continue 05 / 8 Formats This quirky Netflix reality show challenges skilled artists and bakers to create hyper-realistic cake replicas of everyday objects, while judges and celebrities try to figure out what's dessert and what's real.Name it. ASugar RushBNailed It!CUgly DeliciousDIs It Cake? You got it! Is It Cake? premiered on Netflix in 2022 and became an instant viral sensation.
The show was inspired by a series of social media videos showing hyper-realistic cake sculptures, and it taps into the internet's endless fascination with optical illusions made of dessert. Not quite — the answer is Is It Cake? This Netflix show debuted in 2022 and was directly inspired by viral social media videos of jaw-dropping realistic cake art.Contestants craft edible replicas of things like sneakers, purses, and animals, and judges must decide what's real and what's cake. Continue 06 / 8 Chefs This long-running competition show originally aired in Japan before being adapted for American audiences, featuring secret challenger chefs battling culinary masters in a dramatic kitchen arena called 'Kitchen Stadium.' What show is it? ATop ChefBIron ChefCHell's KitchenDMasterChef Excellent! Iron Chef began in Japan in 1993 as Ryōri no Tetsujin and became a cult classic worldwide.The American adaptation, Iron Chef America, launched in 2004.
The show is famous for its theatrical presentation, secret ingredients, and the dramatic cry of 'Allez cuisine!' Not quite — the answer is Iron Chef.This iconic cooking competition originated in Japan in 1993 and was later adapted as Iron Chef America.The show's dramatic flair, including the secret ingredient reveal and the battle in 'Kitchen Stadium,' made it unlike anything else on food television. Continue 07 / 8 Competition This Bravo network series follows professional chefs competing through a series of culinary challenges, with contestants frequently being eliminated with the phrase 'Please pack your knives and go.' Which show is it? AHell's KitchenBMasterChefCTop ChefDBeat Bobby Flay Well done! Top Chef has aired on Bravo since 2006 and is widely regarded as one of the most respected culinary competition shows.
Unlike many food shows, it's praised for spotlighting genuine cooking talent, and many of its contestants have gone on to earn Michelin stars. Not quite — the answer is Top Chef.This Bravo series, running since 2006, is famous for its 'Please pack your knives and go' elimination phrase.It's considered one of the most prestigious cooking competitions on TV, with alumni going on to earn Michelin stars and open acclaimed restaurants. Continue 08 / 8 Food TV Which of these cooking competition shows is specifically known for giving amateur bakers a chance to shine, while also featuring a grueling 'technical challenge' where contestants must follow a recipe with minimal instructions? AMasterChefBThe Great British Baking ShowCNailed It!DIs It Cake? Spot on! The Great British Baking Show's technical challenge is one of its most beloved and stressful segments.
Contestants receive a recipe stripped of helpful details like temperatures or timings, forcing them to rely purely on skill.Judge Paul Hollywood sets the challenges and ranks the results anonymously. Not quite — the answer is The Great British Baking Show.The technical challenge is one of the show's signature segments, where bakers must produce a specific recipe with deliberately vague instructions.
The results are ranked blindly by the judges, often leading to some surprising outcomes and dramatic moments. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again Flay's house lineup is formidable and includes champions Brooke Williamson and Michael Voltaggio, plus New York chef Ayesha Nurdjaja, who each compete with the challenger, one-on-one, across three rounds— the first two are based on surprise ingredients chosen by Flay, with the last round chosen by the challenger—where they each prepare one dish that's then judged in a blind tasting.Season 5 sees some great challengers, too, including champion Suchanan Aksornnan and runner-up Alex Stupak.But the season also has some fun in store when renowned celebrity chef Antonia Lofaso shows up to judge, but Flay instead surprises her and throws her to the titans as a challenger.
New episodes stream on HBO Max every Wednesday morning, beginning August 26.Bobby's Triple Threat Reality Food Game Show Release Date September 27, 2022 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Network Food Network Cast Andrew Zimmern, Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Geoffrey Zakarian, Jonathan Waxman, Brooke Williamson, Eric Adjepong, Tiffany Derry, Michael Voltaggio, Marc Forgione, Nancy Silverton, Michelle Bernstein, Michael Psilakis, Adrian Urbina, Viet Pham, Naomi Pomeroy, Esther Choi, Francis Lam, Scott Conant, Jose Garces, Stephanie Izard, Marcus Samuelsson, Shirley Chung, Kevin Lee, Jean-Georges Vongerichten Seasons 4 Powered by Expand Collapse 2 Faster With Newbern and Cotten (Season 3) Junkyard cars get souped-up on a budget While I have always loved cars and have even had a few jobs at dealership garages and oil-change shops back in the day, nowadays, I'm more of an armchair gearhead, in that I much prefer watching experienced mechanics get their hands dirty instead.And that's exactly what hosts David Newbern and Mike Cotten do on a fun and insane series where the two masters find cheap and unloved beaters, spend a few days and even fewer dollars making them faster, and then pit them against vehicles and pro drivers they can't possibly beat ...
or can they? The MotorTrend series launched back in 2020 as , named after its host Mike Finnegan, who stepped away, passing the torch to his two co-hosts.Now in its third season with Newbern and Cotten on the marquee, its six new episodes dropped on HBO Max on August 13 and feature some over-the-top builds.Highly bingeable, the roughly 40- to 45-minute episodes see the guys rebuild a 1972 postal Jeep and rip it through an off-road obstacle course owned by monster truck legend Dennis Anderson (of GraveDigger fame); drop a modern HEMI V8 into a 1984 Monte Carlo; and, in an ongoing saga, try to coax a 1999 Trans Am toward a 200 mph single measured mile.
Faster with Newbern and Cotten TV-PG Reality Release Date 2023 - 2026-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Seasons 3 Powered by Expand Collapse 1 Abbott Elementary (Season 5) The Emmy-winning public school sitcom's latest is on HBO Max With the 2026 Emmy Awards ceremony fast approaching on September 14, HBO Max subscribers have plenty of time to sneak in a watch of season 5 of the massively popular workplace mockumentary-style sitcom , which is up for seven statues this year, in the hopes of adding to its four previous wins.If you're not up to speed on the show about the teachers at an underfunded Philadelphia public school, the previous four seasons are there to watch, too.Season 5, however, picks up after principal Ava (Janelle James) was fired over a bribery scandal, but got her job back after the community came to her defense.
Meanwhile, Janine (series creator and starQuinta Brunson) and Gregory ('s Tyler James Williams) are cautiously in love and contemplate moving in together, while Barbara (' Sheryl Lee Ralph) deals with a former student becoming a member of the faculty ('s Luke Tennie).Oh, and then there's the mayhem that ensues with the school having to temporarily move into an abandoned shopping mall while repairs are being done.The show's -like mockumentary humor is clever, silly, and endlessly funny.
All episodes of the 99% Rotten Tomatoes-rated show's 5th season hit HBO Max on August 22.Abbott Elementary TV-PG Comedy Mockumentary Release Date 2021 - 2026-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Network ABC Cast Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph, William Stanford Davis, Zack Fox, Jerry Minor, Pam Trotter, Courtney Taylor, Nikea Gamby-Turner, Josh Segarra, Mason Renfro, Larry Owens, Nate' Jones, Lela Hoffmeister, Vince Staples, Kimia Behpoornia, Dillion Blake Allen, Reggie Conquest, Kate Peterman, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Benjamin Norris, Aayden William, Ben Onyx Dowdy Showrunner Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker Directors Randall Einhorn, Jennifer Celotta, Jaime Eliezer Karas Writers Quinta Brunson, Riley Dufurrena, Garrett Werner, Joya McCrory, Kate Peterman, Justin Tan, Brittani Nichols, Ava Coleman, Chad Morton, Rebekka Pesqueira, Brian Rubenstein Main Genre Comedy Creator(s) Quinta Brunson Producers Jordan Temple, Scott Sites, Josh Greene, Britanni Nichols, Werner Walian, Richie Edelson, Joya McCrory, Ava Coleman, Kate Peterman, Justin Tan Seasons 6 Story By Quinta Brunson Streaming Service(s) Hulu, MAX Where To Watch Hulu Executive Producer(s) Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Randall Einhorn, Brittani Nichols, Brian Rubenstein, Erin Wehrenberg Powered by Expand Collapse HBO Max has some summer life left in it It ain't over till it's over on HBO Max, and while the streaming service may be down to its remaining reality series for the month, it also has a great new season of what might be an Emmy darling at the ceremony next month.Choose whichever show suits you best, or watch them all this week—it's your call.
Then, head to How-To Geek's streaming section for more of what's on.HBO Max Subscription with ads Yes, $10.99/month Simultaneous streams 2 or 4 Live TV Live sports available in Standard and Premium plans Price Starting at $10.99/month or $109.99/year See available plans Expand Collapse
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