Cook Noir

Cook Noir was a fascinating project originally designed for Berkeley System’s “Bezerk” entertainment Web site.

It was conceived as an edgy character-based cooking show. Culinary consultant Al Cook is a hard-boiled, crusty character, full of vinegar—a sort of Sam Spade of the kitchen. In each episode, Al deftly solves another culinary catastrophe. He may be called upon to rescue Thanksgiving, or pick the perfect birthday soufflé for a group of five year olds. In the pilot episode, nebbish Stewart Potts invites lovely Ashley up for a home cooked meal. He’s stunned when she accepts. Unfortunately, Stewart barely knows how to light his stove. Al to the rescue!

Once the fifteen minute streaming video show has been viewed, the audience is given the opportunity to cook the meal. Hypervideo replays of the explanatory material from the show are available together with recipes, shopping lists, and even a set of countdown timers for each dish which insure that the whole meal is ready at the same time.

CUC International’s acquisition of Berkeley Systems trashed the Bezerk network of shows and orphaned the Cook Noir project—we own all the rights! We think it would be best suited as content to add value to a company interested in the consumer cooking mind-space. Now that broadband Internet access is a widespread reality, content such as Cook Noir could be a draw on an e-commerce Web site.

Content such as Cook Noir gives a consumer a reason to look at advertising material.

Alternatively, a CD/DVD insert for a catalog, for example, would get extra play because of compelling content. While catalog companies are eager for the extra depth of description and imagery possible on a CD-ROM, they’ve shied away from the technology due to some early disappointing tests: consumers were throwing out the discs without putting them into their computers. Content such as Cook Noir could change that by giving a consumer a reason to look at the advertising material. And since the content adds value, we’d anticipate that the CD would have some repeat play life.

Cook Noir is important because it uses broadband media in a whole new way—it entertains, informs, and sells in a new form well adapted to its media. We specialize in innovative new media solutions.

That’s what Cook Noir is all about.