PAULA DEEN NETWORK

It has been a week now that the Paula Deen Network has been officially up and running. Of course I was one of the anxious ones waiting to see what all it would offer to its subscribers. I honestly did not know what to expect.

Initially from everything I had read and heard I was under the impression that each week we would be treated to a new Paula Deen Show. Something like we were used to getting on television each week. I pictured it to be something like “Paula’s Party” because I had also seen that she was picking guests up at her restaurant to be in her audience.

About a month ago subscribers began receiving emails with a link to previews to her new shows. Did you hear that? Shows, not a show. Paula Deen is not just doing one weekly show she is doing a multitude of shows. She has them all divided into sections as well.

First there are the “Cooking Shows” section. As you can see below she already has 20 different subcategories in this section alone. Each one is filled with individual shows highlighting that category. The “Deen Family Table” and “One Pot Paula” are two of my favorites so far. They are all the classic Paula Deen as we have watched her over the years and come to love. Not only does her family join her in these shows, but also her friends and the audience at times. No longer is there the wondering if the food she just made is as good as she says. Her audience members are always treated to the dishes she prepares. It’s just as she has said, she is now inviting us into her home as we have invited her into our homes over the past many years. She is showing you that the Paula you have watched on television is the same Paula that lives off camera. There is no act or fakeness when the camera’s come on. I have spent time with Paula in public settings and I have spent time with her at her home with only family present. The Paula we see on television and the Paula we’ll see on her new Network is the same person she is when there are no camera’s. She is a true southern lady.

The next section is her “Lifestyle Shows”. She shares with us her life in Savannah as well as Savannah itself. She and Michael take us on a stroll down the riverfront in one episode and share with us the story of a local resident who waited for her husband to return from sea. Living alone on an island mid river with only her dog as company. There’s a statue of her along the Savannah riverfront waving a towel to signal her husband with her dog beside her. I have walked by many times but never knew her story.  Thanks to Paula and Michael, now I do.

Paula is very imaginative with her next section. It’s her “Game Shows”. Remember those classic TV game shows from the 70’s? Paula is recreating those game shows along with some like “Pictionary”® Then there is “What did Paula Deen Just Put in Your Mouth?”. This is one she is doing on her live tour and I cannot imagine the taste of some of the combinations she puts together. This is when I completely feel for her guest that join her for this game. Paula loves to laugh and make others laugh so these are perfect shows for her to do just that.

Then there are the “Vintage Paula” shows. These are the shows that she had done for the “Food Network®”. She somehow negotiated a deal with FN to regain ownership of all these shows that are what made so many fall in love with her. It’s fun to watch these shows from the beginning to see her evolve into the amazing business woman and entertainer that she now is. Many claim that going on the internet will not work. That there are not enough people who would be willing to put down the remote control and pick up their tablet or smart phone to watch her shows. Well to those people I say – you should just look at how many followers she has on Facebook® alone. We are talking 4 ½ million people. That is 4 ½ million people who are using the internet already to follow her. So there is no shortage of fans to subscribe to her new network. Now these fans do not need to tune in at a special time to watch Paula on television. They can now watch her whenever and however they like. On their tablet or phone while waiting at the airport or waiting for their hairdresser to be ready for them. On their computer while enjoying their morning coffee or midnight snack, or their tablet while relaxing on their front porch sipping a sweet tea. So there is essentially no time that you can not enjoy new shows or re-watch vintage Paula shows.

Finally her shows sections come to an end with “Paula Uncut”. Here we have “Quad Cam” views of the filming of her shows along with uncut versions of others. Then there is the “Ask Us a Question” section. Here is where she, her sons, and others who are close to her answer viewer questions. So you don’t have to be in her audience to ask her questions. You can submit your questions and have them answered on her Network.

Of course you will still find all of her wonderful recipes we’ve grown to enjoy and love. Now though there are step by step “Cook Now” instructions that will take you step by step in the recipes process. You can also share it with your friends, print it and download a shopping list for the recipe or just store it in your favorites for quick future reference. Recipes are easily divided by holidays and even by type of recipe (i.e.…cakes, meats, pastas, pets and such). You can literally spend hours just going through recipes.

So what I have found is more than a “Network”. It is like having a personal hotline right to Paula Deen herself. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year She is there to entertain you. There to teach you. She’s there to share her life with you.  So if your not already a subscriber, head over to The Paula Deen Network and see what you are missing.