| The Food That Built America | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Docudrama |
| Presented by | Adam Richman and others[1] |
| Narrated by | Campbell Scott[2] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 69 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production company | Lucky 8 |
| Original release | |
| Network | History |
| Release | August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11) – present |
The Food That Built America is an American nonfictiondocudrama series for theHistory Channel, that premiered on August 11, 2019. Each episode outlines the development of a popular type of food or restaurant in the United States, typically focusing on the rise of two major companies that become rivals. Historical events in the relevant timelines are re-enacted for dramatic effect and interspersed with commentary by culinary historians, business experts, and food enthusiasts.[3][4]
The series was first announced in March 2019 and premiered on August 11, 2019. To date, it has aired six complete seasons and 69 episodes. It is the fourth installment of theThat Built franchise.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 3 | August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11) | August 13, 2019 (2019-08-13) | |
| 2 | 16 | February 9, 2021 (2021-02-09) | June 27, 2021 (2021-06-27) | |
| 3 | 12 | February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) | May 15, 2022 (2022-05-15) | |
| 4 | 16 | February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19) | July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23) | |
| 5 | 12 | February 25, 2024 (2024-02-25) | July 28, 2024 (2024-07-28) | |
| 6 | 10 | February 23, 2025 (2025-02-23) | May 4, 2025 (2025-05-04) | |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Lines in the Sand" | August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11) | 1.16[5] | |
Before they become brand names, budding innovators likeHenry Heinz,John andWill Kellogg, andC.W. Post push the limits of ingenuity to launch business that will revolutionize industry, and change the landscape of the nation forever. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Best Served Cold" | August 12, 2019 (2019-08-12) | 1.36[6] | |
A trailblazer namedMilton Hershey bets big on a revolutionary idea, and then a father and son duo namedMars start on a path to challenge the chocolate throne. Plus, the titans of food weather the storm of the First World War and push the boundaries of invention in the Roaring Twenties. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Spoils of War" | August 13, 2019 (2019-08-13) | 1.51[7] | |
WWII sees competing industrial empires joining the war effort in a united front to fuel the forces fighting abroad. In Post-War America, visionaries likeHarland Sanders,the McDonald brothers andRay Kroc battle to revolutionize the restaurant industry, and pave the way for the golden age of the American dream. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | "Pizza Wars" | February 9, 2021 (2021-02-09) | 1.21[8] | |
Two sets of Irish-American brothers, the Carney brothers in Kansas and the Monaghan brothers in Michigan created the rival pizza restaurant chains in America that became the largest chains in the world,Pizza Hut andDomino's Pizza respectively. | |||||
| 5 | 2 | "Chocolate Rush" | February 14, 2021 (2021-02-14) | 1.03[9] | |
H.B. Reese andOtto Schnering appear in the market to challenge Milton Hershey's chocolate supremacy. | |||||
| 6 | 3 | "The Kings of Burgers" | February 21, 2021 (2021-02-21) | 1.25[10] | |
The founders ofBurger King take on the behemoth that isMcDonald's by introducing the first signature burger, theWhopper. | |||||
| 7 | 4 | "American Cheese" | February 28, 2021 (2021-02-28) | 1.15[11] | |
James L. Kraft tackles the problem of preserving cheese, developing the first processed cheese. In order to save their company duringProhibition, thePabst brothers introduce a shelf-stable cheese of their own. | |||||
| 8 | 5 | "Cola Wars" | March 7, 2021 (2021-03-07) | 0.99[12] | |
| 9 | 6 | "Chip Dynasties" | March 14, 2021 (2021-03-14) | 1.10[13] | |
The introduction of convenient salty snacks, fromHerman Lay andCharles Elmer Doolin come two of the most iconic foods in America. | |||||
| 10 | 7 | "Cookie Wars" | March 21, 2021 (2021-03-21) | 1.07[14] | |
Cookies and crackers arrive on the market asNabisco andSunshine Biscuits battle for biscuit supremacy, introducing Hydrox and Oreo cookies among other favorites. | |||||
| 11 | 8 | "Soup of the Century" | March 28, 2021 (2021-03-28) | 0.95[15] | |
The history ofJoseph A. Campbell's creation of condensed soup and his rivalry withHenry Heinz. | |||||
| 12 | 9 | "Godfathers of Fast Food" | April 4, 2021 (2021-04-04) | 1.15[16] | |
The histories of fast food pioneersWhite Castle andNathan's Famous. | |||||
| 13 | 10 | "The TV Dinner" | April 11, 2021 (2021-04-11) | 1.05[17] | |
GilbertSwanson's creation of theTV dinner to use excess frozen turkey while restaurateurVernon Stouffer's creation of the TV dinner to harness new technology - themicrowave. | |||||
| 14 | 11 | "Ice Cream Empires" | April 18, 2021 (2021-04-18) | 1.00[18] | |
Harry Burt andFrank Epperson begin the battle of the ice cream treats in the 1920s. | |||||
| 15 | 12 | "A Game of Chicken" | May 31, 2021 (2021-05-31) | 1.00[19] | |
Donald N. Smith leavesMcDonald's to become theBurger KingCEO.Fred L. Turner andRay Kroc churn out theHappy Meal in 1979. | |||||
| 16 | 13 | "When the Chips Are Down" | June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) | 0.82[20] | |
Herman Lay introduces the first flavored potato chip and steers the merger betweenFrito-Lay andPepsiCo. AtProcter & Gamble, a chemist sets out to develop the perfect potato chip and comes up withPringles. | |||||
| 17 | 14 | "The Rise of a Rival" | June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13) | 0.64[21] | |
Charles Guth develops a rival to Coca Cola, introducing the world toPepsi. | |||||
| 18 | 15 | "Gum Slingers" | June 20, 2021 (2021-06-20) | 0.75[22] | |
The birth and growth of theAmerican Chicle andWrigley in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the development of thechewing gum industry is dramatized. | |||||
| 19 | 16 | "Breakfast Barons" | June 27, 2021 (2021-06-27) | 0.59[23] | |
C. W. Post and hiscompany battle the Kellogg brothers'Kellogg's in this dramatization about the development of thebreakfast cereal industry. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "Submarine Warfare" | February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) | 0.81[24] | |
The birth in the mid-1960s and growth of theSubway andBlimpiesubmarine sandwich chains are dramatized. | |||||
| 21 | 2 | "A Cold One" | March 6, 2022 (2022-03-06) | 0.86[25] | |
| 22 | 3 | "Do or Donut" | March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13) | 0.89[26] | |
The birth in the mid-20th century and growth of theDunkin' Donuts and theKrispy Kreme retaildoughnut chains are dramatized. | |||||
| 23 | 4 | "A Dish Best Served... Soft" | March 20, 2022 (2022-03-20) | 0.68[27] | |
The birth in the mid-20th century and growth of theCarvel andDairy Queensoft serve ice cream chains are dramatized. | |||||
| 24 | 5 | "The Best Thing Since..." | March 27, 2022 (2022-03-27) | 0.76[28] | |
The best thing since sliced bread. This episode is the dramatization of the rise of theContinental Baking Company during the mid-20th century under the leadership of Lee Marshall with the development ofWonder Bread, the first nationwide available pre-sliced white bread, and the supermarket bakery snackTwinkie. This story is contrast with that of the birth and rise ofPepperidge Farm under the leadership ofMargaret Rudkin whose company developed awhole wheat bread before diversifying with the introductions ofGoldfish crackers andMilano cookies. | |||||
| 25 | 6 | "Cookie Fortunes" | April 3, 2022 (2022-04-03) | 0.73[29] | |
By the 1970s, large food conglomerates such asNabisco andKeebler had dominated the low cost store-bought cookie market for decades, but none of those cookies had that at-home taste that people crave and willing to pay more money for higher-quality better-tasting cookies. That all changed when entrepreneursDebbi Fields andWally Amos respectively created theMrs. Fields andFamous Amos brands of gourmet chocolate chip cookies. | |||||
| 26 | 7 | "The Beef is On" | April 10, 2022 (2022-04-10) | 0.73[30] | |
A rising star atKFC,Dave Thomas, comes up with some of the most iconic items of the chicken chain's history, such as the red and white bucket. Then, he decides to go off on his own and createWendy's. | |||||
| 27 | 8 | "Pop Stars" | April 17, 2022 (2022-04-17) | 0.85[31] | |
WhileOrville Redenbacher spends decades perfecting the popcorn kernel, Frederick Mennen develops a better way to pop popcorn inJiffy Pop. Meanwhile,General Mills enters the popcorn wars with microwave popcornPop Secret | |||||
| 28 | 9 | "Beyond the Burger" | April 24, 2022 (2022-04-24) | 0.80[32] | |
| 29 | 10 | "Chain Reaction" | May 1, 2022 (2022-05-01) | 0.82[33] | |
In New York, two men each come up with a separate and vastly different idea that turns into one of the biggest chain restaurants in America -Benihana andTGI Fridays. | |||||
| 30 | 11 | "Let Them Eat Snack Cakes" | May 8, 2022 (2022-05-08) | 0.89[34] | |
The battle of the prepackaged snack cakes is on, asEntenmann's andLittle Debbie make their way onto America's shelves. | |||||
| 31 | 12 | "Pasta Party" | May 15, 2022 (2022-05-15) | 0.86[35] | |
The rivalry of Kraft andChef Boyardee over macaroni. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [36] | Original release date [36] | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 1 | "Breakfast That Pops" | February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19) | 0.55[37] | |
Kellogg's and Post renew their rivalry, this time over breakfast foods that require the use of a bread toaster. | |||||
| 33 | 2 | "Holiday Treats" | February 26, 2023 (2023-02-26) | 0.56[38] | |
The story of how three types of candy become associated with different holidays:conversation hearts for Valentine's Day,candy corn for Halloween, andPeeps for Easter. | |||||
| 34 | 3 | "Flight of the Buffalo Wing" | March 5, 2023 (2023-03-05) | 0.50[39] | |
The development of the chicken wing as a signature American snack, and the rise of two restaurant chains specializing in them:Buffalo Wild Wings andHooters. | |||||
| 35 | 4 | "Candy Revolution" | March 12, 2023 (2023-03-12) | 0.47[40] | |
| 36 | 5 | "Clash of the Coffee" | March 19, 2023 (2023-03-19) | 0.60[41] | |
Alfred Peet mentors three friends whose Italian-style coffeehouses eventually become the world's largest chain. The rivalry of coffee titansStarbucks andDunkin' Donuts leads to new, high-sugar drinks like theFrappuccino which revolutionize the coffee market in America. | |||||
| 37 | 6 | "The Chicken Coup" | March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26) | 0.45[42] | |
The rise of the chicken sandwich underPopeyes andChick-fil-A. | |||||
| 38 | 7 | "When Food Freezes Over" | April 2, 2023 (2023-04-02) | 0.50[43] | |
The microwave oven helps the rise of frozen food brands likeTotino's,Hot Pockets and White Castle's frozen sliders. | |||||
| 39 | 8 | "Thanksgiving Dinner" | April 9, 2023 (2023-04-09) | 0.38[44] | |
The Thanksgiving feast inspires technological innovations including theButterball frozen turkey andOcean Spray canned jelliedcranberry sauce.Dorcas Reilly invents thegreen bean casserole for Campbell's, andRuth Siems createsStove Top stuffing atGeneral Foods. | |||||
| 40 | 9 | "Peanut Butter Battle" | April 16, 2023 (2023-04-16) | 0.47[45] | |
Joseph L. Rosefield patents a non-separatinghydrogenatedpeanut butter that leads to the rival brandsPeter Pan andSkippy. Procter & Gamble changes the market withJif, which contains more sugar and non-peanut vegetable oils. | |||||
| 41 | 10 | "American Spirits" | April 23, 2023 (2023-04-23) | 0.68[46] | |
How bourbon and vodka was saved in America. | |||||
| 42 | 11 | "Where There's Smoke" | June 11, 2023 (2023-06-11) | 0.50[47] | |
How the essentials of the American barbecue experience were invented. | |||||
| 43 | 12 | "Thirst Quenchers" | June 18, 2023 (2023-06-18) | 0.46[48] | |
| 44 | 13 | "Supermarket Sweep" | June 25, 2023 (2023-06-25) | 0.63[49] | |
The story of who created the supermarket. | |||||
| 45 | 14 | "Bring Home the Bacon" | July 9, 2023 (2023-07-09) | N/A | |
HowOscar Mayer andGeorge A. Hormel modernized America's meat industry. | |||||
| 46 | 15 | "Dog Eat Dog" | July 16, 2023 (2023-07-16) | N/A | |
The creation of the pet food industry. | |||||
| 47 | 16 | "Beer Run" | July 23, 2023 (2023-07-23) | N/A | |
The rivalry ofAnheuser-Busch andMiller Brewing Company over lite beer. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 1 | "All American Marinara" | February 25, 2024 (2024-02-25) | N/A | |
The introduction ofSpaghettiOs in the 1960s and thePrego brand of pasta sauce in the 1980s byCampbell's.General Mills starts the first nationwide restaurant chain specializing in Italian–American cuisine,Olive Garden. | |||||
| 49 | 2 | "Ice Cream Revolution" | March 3, 2024 (2024-03-03) | N/A | |
The invention of mix-in ice cream, as well as the founding ofHerrell's Ice Cream andBen & Jerry's. Around the same time,Dairy Queen introduced their Blizzard. | |||||
| 50 | 3 | "Soda Rising: Birth of Pop" | March 10, 2024 (2024-03-10) | N/A | |
The origins of soft drink brandsHires Root Beer andDr. Pepper is depicted. | |||||
| 51 | 4 | "Sunshine in a Glass" | March 17, 2024 (2024-03-17) | N/A | |
The origins of orange juice brandsMinute Maid andTropicana are depicted. | |||||
| 52 | 5 | "Let Them Bake Cake" | March 24, 2024 (2024-03-24) | N/A | |
The origins of theBetty Crocker andDuncan Hines brands are presented, stemming from efforts to formulate an easy-to-use boxed cake mix. | |||||
| 53 | 6 | "Penny Candy Craze" | March 31, 2024 (2024-03-31) | N/A | |
The origin of theTootsie Roll and theCharms Candy Company, triggering a wave of popularity inpenny candy sales to the general public. | |||||
| 54 | 7 | "Champions of Breakfast" | April 14, 2024 (2024-04-14) | N/A | |
The rise ofGeneral Mills as a competitor to Kellogg's in the breakfast cereal industry, spurring a race to develop new cereal types and marketing techniques with the introduction ofWheaties,Pep,Rice Krispies,Kix,Cheerios,Frosted Flakes, andTrix. | |||||
| 55 | 8 | "Planet Mars" | April 21, 2024 (2024-04-21) | N/A | |
The founding ofMars Inc. and the disagreements betweenFranklin Clarence Mars and his sonForrest, who strikes out on his own to expand the family brand into Europe and turn it into a candy-making powerhouse. | |||||
| 56 | 9 | "Lunchbox Legends" | July 7, 2024 (2024-07-07) | N/A | |
The development of three products from the 1960s through the 1980s that revolutionize schoolchildren's lunches –Kraft Singles, individually wrapped cheese slices;Joray Fruit Rolls, dried fruit snacks that become the forerunner ofFruit Roll-Ups; andLunchables, pre-packaged meat/cheese/cracker meals. | |||||
| 57 | 10 | "The Colonel" | July 14, 2024 (2024-07-14) | N/A | |
The story ofHarland Sanders and his new method for cooking fried chicken is presented, tracing his path from small-time restaurant owner to founder ofKentucky Fried Chicken and then to strident critic of the cost-cutting measures imposed by the company's new owners after he sells it. | |||||
| 58 | 11 | "Citrus Soda Stars" | July 21, 2024 (2024-07-21) | N/A | |
The development of two citrus-flavored soda brands,7 Up andMountain Dew, as a counterattack against the cola products offered by theCoca-Cola andPepsi companies that dominate the soft drink industry in the early 20th century. | |||||
| 59 | 12 | "Burger Empire: The Ray Kroc Story" | July 28, 2024 (2024-07-28) | N/A | |
The career ofRay Kroc is presented, chronicling his purchase of a small hamburger restaurant company in California and efforts to grow it into the worldwideMcDonald's fast food chain throughfranchising and product/kitchen innovation. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 1 | "Tortilla Takeover" | February 23, 2025 (2025-02-23) | N/A | |
The developments of bottledsalsa byPace Foods and of the Frito-Laytortilla chip brandsDoritos andTostitos are presented, culminating in the introduction of chips and salsa to the American public. | |||||
| 61 | 2 | "Movie Theatre Munchies" | March 2, 2025 (2025-03-02) | N/A | |
Two new entrants into the candy business, and a movie theater employee who sees a future in selling snacks at entertainment venues, give rise to the modern theaterconcession stand and some of the world's best-known candy brands sold there, includingMilk Duds,Sno-Caps,Raisinets, andGoobers. | |||||
| 62 | 3 | "Baking Chocolate Chip History" | March 9, 2025 (2025-03-09) | N/A | |
In the 1930s, inn ownerRuth Graves Wakefield devises achocolate chip cookie recipe usingNestlé chocolate that has far-reaching effects on herself, the company, and both the snack food and baking supply industries. | |||||
| 63 | 4 | "Empire of Convenience" | March 16, 2025 (2025-03-16) | N/A | |
The development of the modernconvenience store is presented, with a focus on the founding of7-Eleven and its distinctive products such as theSlurpee slush drink andBig Gulp beverage line. | |||||
| 64 | 5 | "Legends of the Mall" | March 23, 2025 (2025-03-23) | N/A | |
Three companies –Panda Express,Cinnabon, andAuntie Anne's – bring new life to the shopping mallfood court by adapting their recipes and marketing methods to attract and quickly serve large numbers of customers. | |||||
| 65 | 6 | "Coffee: A Brewed Awakening" | March 30, 2025 (2025-03-30) | N/A | |
Starting in the 1850s, advances in coffee roasting, grinding, and preparation touch off a series of revolutions in the American industry for the beverage, with brands such asFolgers,Maxwell House,Mr. Coffee,Starbucks, andKeurig vying for position in it. | |||||
| 66 | 7 | "A Box of Chocolates" | April 13, 2025 (2025-04-13) | N/A | |
The founding ofWhitman's andRussell Stover Candies is presented, focusing on their strategies to distinguish their high-quality chocolates from those of their mass-market competitors and the development of the chocolate sampler box. In the process,Russell Stover plays a role in the creation of theEskimo Pie ice cream bar, and Whitman's use of coconut inspires thePeter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company to market theMounds candy bar. | |||||
| 67 | 8 | "Beer Necessities" | April 20, 2025 (2025-04-20) | N/A | |
After taking charge of a brewery in the late 19th century that will eventually becomeAnheuser-Busch,Adolphus Busch creates its flagshipBudweiser brand and a nationwide market for it through new methods of brewing, packaging, transporting, and marketing beer. Note: Footage from the 2022 History miniseriesThe Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America was reused for this episode. | |||||
| 68 | 9 | "Asian Food Invasion" | April 27, 2025 (2025-04-27) | N/A | |
Momofuku Ando and his companyNissin Foods developinstant ramen and introduce it to the United States asCup Noodles.Cecilia Chiang brings authentic Mandarin cuisine to San Francisco; decades later, her sonPhilip Chiang and restaurateurPaul Fleming found theP. F. Chang's restaurant chain. | |||||
| 69 | 10 | "You Don't Know Jack" | May 4, 2025 (2025-05-04) | N/A | |
After the Civil War, distillerJack Daniel strives to create and market a high-quality whiskey, leading to the founding ofhis namesake brand and setting the stage for its struggles to survive in the face of thetemperance andprohibition movements. Note: Footage fromThe Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America was reused for this episode. | |||||
In March 2019, the series was green-lit.[50] In May 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[51][52] Yoshi Stone is the series' showrunner.[53] Along with Stone, Kim Woodard, Greg Henry, and Isaac Holub executive produce for Lucky 8. Jim Pasquarella and Mary E. Donahue executive produce for theHistory Channel.[54][51]
The first season garnered a total of 18.8 million viewers.[55][51]
In February 2021, the History Channel partnered withOzy Media to launch a podcast of the same name.[56] The first episode premiered on February 4, 2021.[57]
In 2021, the producers ofThe Food That Built America created a new series calledThe Food That Built America Snack Sized by reediting some episodes to approximately half of the original size through the elimination of food historian commentary and some minor scenes to make smaller size episodes with a faster pace.[58]
59.https://www.memorabletv.com/news/food-that-built-america-new-season/. New season60.https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_food_that_built_america/s05/e14. Season 6 Episode 161.https://en.myshows.me/view/episode/18837529/. Season 6 Episode 262.https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_food_that_built_america/s06/e03. Season 6 Episode 3