Media Frenzy: Batali/Paltrow Show Premieres

Seeing that's there's been a bit of a media blitz surrounding the new Batali/Gwyneth Paltrow/Bittman public television project "Spain...On the Road Again," we'll keep this relatively short. The first of the 13 installments aired yesterday (and will be on again tonight) and we have to say it's nice to look at—both due the scenery and the beautiful females—but a bit of a snooze. As Batali points out in a long New York Mag profile today:

“My worry is, how many times can you watch me eating something and saying, ‘Boy, that’s good,’...That there’s no real payoff for the customer other than saying, ‘Hey, they’re having a great time, this is a great show.’ The blogs that hate it are gonna be like, ‘Who the fuck cares that he’s eating with Gwyneth Paltrow, she’s a vegan anyway,’ or whatever..."

He kind of nails it right there, though the first show's segments with Bittman and Claudia Bassols are a tad more informative, a bit less self indulgent.

That said, the show will probably do well, as, stated in the profile, everything "Batals" touches turns to gold. And he confirmed to reporters at the show's premiere party/media frenzy last night that the group was considering Italy for the next installment, but that there is "nothing that hasn't already been on TV."
· EaterWire: Batali/Paltrow Signing on For Italy Trip [~E~]