5 must-watch PBS cooking shows to inspire your inner Julia Child

Over the decades, public television has repeatedly revolutionized the reality cooking genre.

By Declan Gallagher

March 18, 2026 6:00 p.m. ET

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Julia Child revolutionized the cooking show, and 'The Great British Bake-Off' may have perfected it. Credit:

PBS shaped the modern cooking show long before food television became a global industry. The foundation was laid in 1962, when *The French Chef* premiered on Boston public television, introducing host Julia Child’s joyful, unpretentious approach to cooking French cuisine in real time.

PBS produced the show for a few more seasons, and it continued to gain new audiences in syndication for years afterward. The series was a watershed moment, effectively inventing the American cooking-show format and proving that viewers would tune in to learn, laugh, and cook alongside a warm, knowledgeable presenter.

PBS has remained a home for shows that prioritize education, craft, and cultural storytelling over flash. *America’s Test Kitchen* refined the genre with its rigorous, science-driven recipe development and unbiased equipment testing, becoming one of the most trusted brands in home cooking.

And let’s not forget: The network introduced American audiences to *The Great British Bake-Off*, another series that has transformed the landscape of food-centric reality TV.

Together, the following five programs reflect PBS’ ongoing commitment to thoughtful, high-quality, and joyful culinary storytelling. They celebrate the technique, heritage, and creativity behind sharing food — values that continue to define the network’s influence on how we cook and how we watch others cook.

These are* *’s picks for the five best PBS cooking shows.

America’s Test Kitchen (2000–present)

Christopher Kimball in season 9 of 'America's Test Kitchen.' (The pig is unnamed).

Daniel J. van Ackere/PBS

This fast-paced reality TV series stands out for its serious-minded approach to cooking, inviting viewers to examine the science behind the dishes. In other words, it’s a cooking show for nerds.

Set in a real test kitchen — a 15,000-square-foot space in Boston — the show features up to several dozen chefs and bakers going through an intense, creative testing process. *America’s Test Kitchen* eschews dramatic plotting and villainy in favor of a rigorous, authentic depiction of the mettle required to blend craft and science in service of the perfect dish. The series is both aspirational and educational, showing viewers how to make perfect recipes at home without professional expertise.

Where to watch *America’s Test Kitchen*: PBS

The French Chef with Julia Child (1962-1973)

Julia Child, working with chocolate in 1971 on her classic 'The French Chef'.

*The French Chef* is the cooking show from which all future cooking shows were forged. Julia Child revolutionized not just the format but educational television itself, demonstrating that such content could be as entertaining and unpredictable as it was illuminating.

Famed writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron, who directed the Child biopic *Julie & Julia *(2009), spoke to *NHPR* about the chef’s influence on her own career. “When I used to cook from Julia’s cookbook, I had long imaginary conversations with her,” she said. “I used to think maybe she would come to dinner, even though I had never met her, and never did… She made you know you could do it.”

Where to watch *The French Chef*: PBS

The Great American Recipe (2022–present)

Tiffany Derry, Graham Elliot, Brad Mahlof, Alejandra Ramos, Leah Cohen in season 2 of 'The Great American Recipe'.

Another show that gained a following due to its lovable personalities, *The Great American Recipe* finds a group of home cooks competing for top honors in a serene country locale. In a modern era during which PBS has produced fewer notable, original cooking shows, *Recipe* stands out as a particularly strong example of the genre.

Each of the competitions focuses on a strand of family history, bringing context to many famous American dishes and expressing the different cultural traditions that exist within the country.

Where to watch *The Great American Recipe*: PBS

The Great British Bake-Off (2010–present)

Prue Leith, Noel Fielding, Alison Hammond, and Paul Hollywood in 'GBBO'.

Arguably the most relaxing cooking/baking show on the market, *The Great British Bake-Off *blends the concept of a village party with a reality TV competition. But the show’s handles the high stakes and criticism with dignity, never allowing it to overshadow the inherent fun of a bake-off.

Since premiering in 2010, *GBBO *has transformed the genre and given way to a host of similar, personality-driven baking shows like *Nailed It,* *Baking It*, and *Bake Squad*.

Where to watch *The Great British Bake-Off*: Netflix, PBS

No Passport Required (2018–2020)

Chef Marcus Samuelsson at his flagship restaurant, Red Rooster.

Christine Carreira/PBS

In each episode of this warm, delightful program, famed chef Marcus Samuelsson finds a different immigrant community within a bustling American metropolis and dives into their ideas and traditions about food. It’s not just about flavors and favorite recipes (although there’s plenty of that) but also what specific culinary traditions mean to us.

Through episodes revolving around Portuguese and Brazilian foods in Boston, Vietnamese cuisine in New Orleans, and Miami’s history of Haitian dishes, *No Passport Required* offers viewers a tantalizing glimpse at the ways food is more than just food.

Where to watch *No Passport Required*: PBS

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Source: “AOL Reality”