- Hulu announced its first slate of original food series, which includes a cooking show with Chrissy Teigen and David Chang, and a food docu-series with Vox’s Eater.
- Food shows are a newer area of original content for Hulu, which has focused mainly on scripted comedies and dramas and, more recently, documentaries.
- Rival streaming service Netflix has owned the food space in recent years with documentary series like, “Chef’s Table,” and competition shows like, “Nailed It!”
- Hulu’s move into food programming could signal a broader shift at the streaming service into new kinds of originals.
Hulu is coming for Netflix’s lunch with new series focused on food.
The streaming-video service, which now has 28 million customers in the US, is developing cooking series, food documentaries, and other original programming around food. Hulu tapped model and personality Chrissy Teigen’s Suit & Thai Productions, restaurateur David Chang’s Majordomo Media, and Eater parent company Vox Media Studios to create its news slate of food-focused originals, the streaming company said on Wednesday.
One of the first original food projects to hit the streaming service will be a cooking show starring Teigen and Chang, currently being called “Family Style.” It will explore the ways people cook for and eat with friends and family. Hulu also has a documentary series in the works with Eater that will explore the world’s best and unique restaurants.
The slate marks a move for Hulu into a newer area of original content – one that rival streaming service Netflix has owned.
Netflix found early success in food TV with original docu-series like "Chef's Table," which launched in 2015, recently released its sixth season, and spawned spinoffs like "Street Food." Netflix now has a collection of popular food originals including "Ugly Delicious," "Somebody Feed Phil," and new seasons of Channel 4's "The Great British Baking Show" in the US. As Netflix spends more on original programming and licenses less from other studios, it has started producing more unscripted fare as well, including cooking and competition shows like "Nailed It!" and "The Final Table."
While Hulu licenses food shows like "Chopped" and "Masterchef Junior," it has focused its original development mainly on scripted series like its Emmy-winning drama, "The Handmaid's Tale," and comedies like "Shrill," "Pen15," and "Ramy," which have been renewed for second seasons.
The upcoming lineup of food programming could signal a move for Hulu into more categories of original programming. Hulu has been experimenting with more original documentaries like the Fyre Festival film, "Frye Fraud," as well.
Teigen, who has written two cookbooks including the 2016 New York Times best seller, "Cravings," also plans to create other series for Hulu. She signed a two-year development deal that could include anything from scripted dramas to talk shows, the company said.
