Long before “edutainment” was a content strategy, Alton Brown was doing it, effortlessly and intentionally. Rewatching Good Eats today feels like discovering the blueprint for the internet’s favorite video style.

Recently, I came across a thread where someone posted a random episode of Good Eats. I nearly gasped! Dare I say this was my official introduction to cooking? Even before Anthony Bourdain! I had a laugh with Kevin because he was like, “Watching the Food Network… as a kid… for fun? Never.” Me, on the other hand? It was between that and HGTV. Whenever I visit my mom, or anywhere that still has cable, it’s my guilty pleasure: toggling between the two channels, even to this day. 

Alton Brown and his team had a way of structuring their episodes that made them educational, yet captivating. He was ahead of his time. The same kind of content he was producing back in ’99 is now everywhere—recreated in thousands of variations across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Before we had TikTok creators breaking down emulsification in 30 seconds, we had Alton, a chalkboard, and a sock puppet.


(& with a genius call back here - Puppet Making 101, lol)

It’s such a treat to see him so active on his YouTube channel! I checked it out while putting this post together, and he had just gone live three hours earlier. A literal OG.

Who knew a chalkboard, a camera, and a curious brain could spark a lifelong love of cooking? Alton Brown showed us that food could be worth learning about on a deeper level than just reading a recipe.


Good Eats: The Return came back in 2019, but he did not move forward with a third season. I assume that’s why he’s so heavy on YouTube. I mean why not? Might as well stand on business and own fully what you post. 

Below is his love letter to Good Eats <3 I highly recommend doing a deep dive on his channel here!