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TV Media Weekly | March 1 - 7, 2014 By Andrew Warren TV Media L ove him or hate him — and, judging by the Inter- net, Food Network fans definitely fall into both camps — there's no denying that Bobby Flay sure loves to com- pete. The celebrity chef with a pas- sion for Cajun cuisine has been one of the titular residents of Kitchen Stadium in "Iron Chef: America" since that show's in- ception. He's currently battling it out with chef Anne Burrell for the third time in "Worst Cooks in America," and he spent nine ex- citing seasons challenging well- known cooks on their home turf in "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay." His new show, then, is true-to- form Flay. A one-off special of "Beat Bobby Flay" aired last year, and it has gone over well with audiences — it's been turned into a full-fledged series with Flay at the helm, and it pre- mieres on the Food Network the evening of Thursday, March 6. Each of the eight planned epi- sodes of this new series will find a chef going head-to-head with the culinary master, cooking a dish of his or her choosing. With Flay being forced to cook the same dish, and with only minutes to prepare, the advantage is defi- nitely in the challenger's court. The concept sure sounds a lot like "Throwdown!," but this is not the same show. In that show, Flay knew his competition and dish ahead of time and was given time to prepare and perfect his recipe and technique. Some viewers also saw him as a bit of a jerk, showing up unexpectedly in an attempt to prove that, what- ever his target did well, Flay could do better. "Beat Bobby Flay" could be seen as a softer reimagining of the old "Throwdown!" These challengers are bringing the fight to Flay, not the other way around. In fact, they need to compete just for the chance to beat him. Before Flay is even brought out in each episode, two chal- lengers must first fight it out amongst themselves. Using an ingredient of Flay's choice, they'll be cooking like never before, with the winner of this culinary battle moving on to face Flay himself. The Food Network may feel bloated with competition shows at times, but "Beat Bobby Flay" may have itself an edge; Flay's challengers are cooking their sig- nature dishes, the food that they have a real passion for. That kind of passion can really shine though the screen, and could make for some downright enter- taining viewing. Chef Bobby Flay as seen in "Beat Bobby Flay" Beat the master Bobby Flay's throwing down on his home turf Saturday 4:00 p.m. (FOOD) Food Court Wars 6:00 p.m. (FOOD) Chopped 7:00 p.m. (FOOD) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 7:30 p.m. (WPTA) Let's Eat (FOOD) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Sunday 4:00 p.m. (FOOD) Mystery Diners 4:30 p.m. (FOOD) Mystery Diners 5:00 p.m. (FOOD) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 6:00 p.m. (FOOD) Chopped 7:00 p.m. (FOOD) Worst Cooks in America 8:00 p.m. (FOOD) Food Court Wars 9:00 p.m. (FOOD) Iron Chef America Monday 4:00 p.m. (FOOD) The Kitchen 5:00 p.m. (FOOD) The Pioneer Woman 5:30 p.m. (FOOD) Rachael Ray's 3 in the Bag 6:00 p.m. (FOOD) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 7:00 p.m. (FOOD) Guy's Grocery Games 8:00 p.m. (FOOD) Worst Cooks in America 9:00 p.m. (FOOD) Worst Cooks in America 10:00 p.m. (FOOD) Beat Bobby Flay Tuesday 4:00 p.m. (FOOD) Barefoot Contessa 5:00 p.m. (FOOD) The Pioneer Woman 5:30 p.m. (WSOT) Judie Byrd's Kitchen (FOOD) Trisha's Southern Kitchen 6:00 p.m. (FOOD) Chopped Wednesday 3:00 p.m. (WISH) The Rachael Ray Show (FOOD) Kelsey's Essentials 3:30 p.m. (FOOD) Giada at Home 4:00 p.m. (WSOT) Judie Byrd's Kitchen (FOOD) Barefoot Contessa 4:30 p.m. (FOOD) Barefoot Contessa 5:00 p.m. (FOOD) The Pioneer Woman 5:30 p.m. (FOOD) Sandwich King 6:00 p.m. (WIPB) The Mind of a Chef (FOOD) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 9:00 p.m. (FOOD) Buy This Restaurant 9:30 p.m. (FOOD) Buy This Restaurant Thursday (FOOD) 30 Minute Meals 3:00 p.m. (WISH) The Rachael Ray Show (FOOD) Kelsey's Essentials 3:30 p.m. (FOOD) Giada at Home 4:00 p.m. (WSOT) Judie Byrd's Kitchen (FOOD) Barefoot Contessa 5:00 p.m. (FOOD) The Pioneer Woman 5:30 p.m. (FOOD) Trisha's Southern Kitchen 6:00 p.m. (FOOD) Cupcake Wars 7:00 p.m. (FOOD) Chopped 9:00 p.m. (FOOD) Chopped Canada 10:00 p.m. (FOOD) Beat Bobby Flay Friday 3:00 p.m. (WISH) The Rachael Ray Show 4:30 p.m. (WSOT) Judie Byrd's Kitchen 6:00 p.m. (FOOD) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Kokomo Tribune, IN: Food Mar 1, 2014 to Mar 7, 2014 10 | Cooking this week