Stateside bound
‘Mary Makes It Easy’ coming to America
Several made-in-Canada series seem to have found homes stateside in recent days — from CBC’s “Fridge Wars” to Food Network Canada’s “Great Chocolate Showdown,” both of which have been picked up by the CBS-owned CW network.
Canada’s latest culinary TV export is the CTV Life Channel series “Mary Makes It Easy,” premiering stateside on Saturday, Feb. 5, when it joins Food Network’s weekend daytime lineup.
It’s probably more accurate to say that the show’s enthusiastic host, Mary Berg, is the true export here, however.
The “MasterChef Canada” winner is already a bestselling cookbook author and award-winning TV personality in her home country, but despite her reputation as Canada’s culinary sweetheart, Berg’s fun approach to stress-free cooking clearly has a universal appeal — one that Food Network executives hope will resonate with American audiences, too.
In a statement, network president Courtney White said, “We are excited to add ‘Mary Makes It Easy’ to our ‘In The Kitchen’ programming lineup. Food Network viewers are always looking for new ways to make their time in the kitchen effortless, and Mary Berg is an expert in this area — full of culinary knowledge, accessible recipes and helpful takeaways for making flavorful and stress-free meals.”
All 13 half-hour episodes of “Mary Makes It Easy” were filmed in Berg’s home kitchen in Toronto, where she serves up tried-and-true tips and tricks that will instill confidence in every home cook, no matter your skill level. Got a fridge full of leftovers? Struggling with meal planning? Tired of lackluster chicken recipes? Mary seems to have an easy fix for every cooking woe.
As Berg explains, “With ‘Mary Makes It Easy,’ I really wanted to think of the things that I have challenges with, and that everybody has challenges with in the kitchen. I’ve created recipes that specifically solve these cooking conundrums, to make the cooking process from prep to serving as easy as possible.”
“Mary Makes It Easy” debuted last year in Canada, and there’s no word yet on whether there will be a second season up north (and, by extension, in the states).
For now, American viewers are invited to tune in to Season 1 on Food Network every Saturday beginning Feb. 5.