If you were to ask someone on the street what they know about the Food Network, odds are that they will mention one of two things: Guy Fieri or Chopped. Both are pretty much synonymous with the channel and other than Beat Bobby Flay, seemingly the only things the networks airs anymore.
Chopped first aired in 2009 and quickly became a mainstay of the Food Network. For those who may be unfamiliar, The series sees four chefs given baskets of the same mystery ingredients with the challenge to create something edible from them. Each round the chef’s meals are judged on the Chopping Block and the one the judges decide isn’t quite good enough is chopped.
Clever, huh?
Over the course of almost 50 seasons and 550 episodes the formula has rarely changed. There have been numerous spinoffs from the series over the years, including Chopped Junior, Chopped Sweets and numerous versions that pitted past champions and judges against each other.
Now it has been revealed that two new versions of the show are heading to the streaming service Discovery Plus. The goal is to gain younger viewers (Gen Z) and Food Network thinks the way to do that is with younger chefs and, of all things, cannabis.
Say hello to Food Network’s Chopped 420 and Gen Next
According to Variety, Chopped 420, which wins the award for most clever name, will see host and comedian Ron Funches give four chefs the standard mystery baskets but they will be welcome and encouraged to use cannabis and cannabis-infused ingredients in their preparations.
Meanwhile, Chopped Gen Next host Liza Koshy will challenge four Gen Z chefs with the standard series formula with the catch being that they are all much too young to really have experience with a large variety of exotic foods.
Will either of these new version of the iconic series connect with audiences? We’ll have to wait and see. All five hour-long episodes of Chopped 420 arrive on April 20 while the five hour-long episodes of Chopped Next Gen drop on May 25.
What do you think Guilty Eats Nation? Do either of these new versions of the classic cooking show spark your interest? Or do you prefer the original version? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter page