Jennifer Fazey has an Eye for Culinary Talent
During our youth, many of us found ourselves on the floor of our parents living room, captivated by the stories on the television. Fewer of us have ventured into making these productions as an adult, while still fewer have achieved the acclaim and success of someone like Jennifer Fazey. Sometimes titled as a executive producer, sometimes co-executive producer, sometimes showrunner; these are all monikers which point back to Jennifer’s passion to create riveting programs like those which once enchanted her. She’s known for her work in the UK and the US on productions like FOX’s Emmy Award-Winning series Masterchef and its offshoot Masterchef Junior, The BBC’s Nigellissima and Simply Nigella, and many others. Fazey has found a vocational “sweet spot” contributing her immense talent to culinary based programs with mutually beneficial success. Her role establishing fresh and popular shows like Food Network’s Girl Meets Farm or even her upcoming The Cooks’ Books project (still in the early stages) attest that she is a driven and innovative storyteller within this globally popular and relatable genre.
The Food Network felt strongly that their new series Girl Meets Farm had something special and unique to offer; placing Jennifer Fazey in the role of Executive Producer and Showrunner for its pilot and subsequent first and second seasons was proof of this. Jennifer is known throughout the industry for her ability to spotlight the uniqueness of a production with spectacular results. Now in its fourth season, Girl Meets Farm is not only a ratings success for the Food Network but a critical one as well, with Molly Yeh’s nomination for both a daytime Emmy and James Beard Award for Outstanding Personality/Host. While Yeh brought her own style to the host position, it was Fazey’s decades of experience producing original formats for prime time networks and producing inexperienced talent, which enabled this to come through authentically. The EP/Showrunner divulges, “Molly was already a very successful blogger with a well-established brand who brought a core set of fans to the show. She was beloved for her style of cooking as well as a writer and person. I think the key to the success of our show was making sure we were able to package that same magic formula into the show and onto the screen. I love working with new hosts as much as I do well-established ones and meeting Molly got me excited as a producer. I couldn’t wait to open the flood gates on all of her as yet untapped ideas and get them onto the screen. As a producer, it’s always important to make new hosts feel credible and knowledgeable to the viewer. Molly and I worked closely together to decide which recipes we should air in the first few shows that could really show off her skills as a cook.”
The BBC has made proper use of Fazey’s talent on the immensely popular UK and internationally distributed Nigellissima and Simply Nigella. Also serving as EP and Showrunner on these two series which center around renowned and respected food host Nigella Lawson, Jennifer scrutinized every aspect from pre to postproduction. Nigella herself requested that Jennifer oversee Simply Nigella following their collaboration on Nigellissima. The host’s decision was vetted by her receipt of the Royal Television Society Award for Best Female On Screen Talent for the series [Nigellissima]. A reputation for excellence such as Fazey’s comes as a result of talent AND perceiving how to work with THE talent. She communicates, “Nigella is one of the most intelligent people I’ve worked with. She is loved for her incredible repertoire when it comes to food as well as how passionately and articulately she describes her dishes and ingredients. I quickly realized that Nigella was a host who would best respond to a lightness of touch when it came to producing. As such, we never scripted anything and relied on more casual briefings instead. This was her show in her words and the viewers loved it.”
While viewers focus on those seen “in frame”, there’s more than enough action to go around off-camera for someone like Jennifer Fazey. From making documentaries about World War 1 veterans to those about NGO’s working in Southern Sudan and doctors finding cures for life threatening diseases; cooking and culinary programs are not the only themes she’s been a part of creating. The biggest draw for her is the challenge of creating a product which requires a group effort. She’s immensely proud of the award-winning shows she has helped to steer into the public’s vision. When questioned about the less expected dangers of her vocation she reveals, “When people learn what I do, most of them are familiar with these shows. The first question is always, ‘Do you get to eat the food?’, to which the answer is of course ‘yes.’ I’ve definitely learned my way around the kitchen better as a result of my work on these programs but just as importantly, I’ve learned to eat way less in the weeks running up to a shoot, in order to make way for the pounds I’m going to add!” Jennifer Fazey is currently working on the upcoming FOX series Masterchef season #11.
