La Pitchoune: Cooking in France popped up in my feed when HBO and Discovery+ merged. I was intrigued by the title, so I gave it a go!
I should add that I'm not a fan of competition shows (which this is not), and over all not a fan of "reality" tv. The only "reality" tv I tend to watch is the kind that's inspiring, low to no drama, and relaxing. La Pitchoune falls into this category, with its beautiful location, premise and hosts. You can tell that the team at La Pitchoune is really trying to create something special and inspire folks in the same way they are inspired every day by their surroundings. Yes, the school is located in Julia Child's former home, but the show is not about Julia or her style of cooking. Facts and stories about Julia are peppered throughout the show, but it's not the focus. Instead, it tries to focus on the guests and the ethos behind the school.
One of the things I wish we had gotten more of was the backstory of the hosts. It took me a few episodes to connect with them, mainly because I wanted to get to know them a bit more. Nothing invasive, but a bit more about how they got started in cooking and why they landed in France. You get some bits and pieces over the episodes, but weaving the hosts' stories, their "why", into the episodes a bit more would have been nice.
Overall, I enjoyed the show and what kept me coming back for more were the hosts, the ethos of the school and well...France!