Joanna Gaines Reveals Classic Show Is Headed to the Magnolia Network

Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines‘ Magnolia Network is just about to launch on Discovery+, and Joanna revealed to her social media followers this week that along with a number of design shows, a classic television show will also be joining the network’s lineup. Julia Child’s cooking show The French Chef will soon be streaming on Magnolia Network, and Gaines shared the news with a black and white photo of the famed chef holding up two loaves of bread.

“I’ve always been inspired by Julia Child—her magnetic personality, her laidback approach to cooking, and the way she encourages every home cook to just go for it,” Gaines wrote. “I’ve loved watching episodes of The French Chef with my girls. What an honor to have this classic show as part of our network launch on July 15!” The French Chef was created and hosted by Child and was one of the first cooking shows on American television. The show grew from a presentation Child gave on Boston’s public television station, WGBH, based on the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which she co-authored. The French Chef ran on WGBH from 1963-1973 and reruns continued on PBS until 1989. They have since aired on a number of channels and were available on the PBS streaming service as of 2020.

Magnolia Network originally shared the news that The French Chef would be streaming on its platform back in June, posting a photo of Child holding a fish along with the same black and white image that Gaines shared. “In addition to all of our new Magnolia Originals, we’re also bringing shows back from the vault!” the network’s caption read. “Shows like The French Chef, hosted by Julia Child—plus a few others—will be available on the all new Magnolia app, launching July 15.”

Gaines also has her own cooking show on Magnolia Network, Magnolia Table, which has already wrapped filming on its third season. Unlike traditional cooking shows, Magnolia Table happily includes Gaines’ mistakes, in keeping with the series’ laid-back feel. “I had started feeling like, ‘Oh this is not real, this is more produced,’” Gaines said of other cooking shows in a “making of” episode of Magnolia Table. “I think that’s normal. That’s not anyone’s fault, that’s just how you shoot TV […] But the process was harder for me because it felt produced. I think I realized in that moment, ‘Hey, if I’m going to do this, it’s going to be me really cooking something, start to finish. Don’t stop me. If I mess up, we show it.”