On Thursday, August 12, TLC's "BBQ Pitmasters" makes its return for season two.  But don't expect to see Myron, Johnny and the crew going head-to-head each week.  No, this season has been flipped upside down and is no longer the documentary style competition from a year ago.  And while some of us hard core cooks may cry foul, the truth is that change was necessary in order to draw the ratings (and ad dollars) necessary to keep the show alive.


Set in an outdoor stadium, four different teams will compete in each of the first five episodes with only one taking home a weekly $5,000 prize after one traditional and one "hold on to your hat" category.  Food is smoked, grilled and even fried over natural heat then presented to three judges -- Myron Mixon, Warren Sapp, and Art Smith -- who decide who's a grill dude and who's a grill dud.  And leading the action is Kevin Roberts who does manage to keep things lively between the competitors and judges.  And in week six, the five winners throw down in a final battle of skills with one taking home the $100,000 prize. 

Kicking off week one are Ponderosa BBQ, Taint the Sauce, Hot Grill on Grill Action and Southern Soul BBQ.  Future weeks include several of our barbecue buddies including Diva Q, Big Poppa, 3Eyz, Big Mista BBQ, BBQ Thom, Wood Chicks, and more (sans Smoke In Da Eye due to an unfortunate last minute change in direction).  And while we can't reveal the outcome of episode one (that would spoil the fun of watching now wouldn't it?), we can say that it's action packed.  And while everyone wait for its premier, we took a couple minutes to catch up with the show's creator, John Markus.  Check out what John has to say on all things BBQ Pitmasters...


SmokeInDaEye:  First of all, congratulations on churning out those episode so quickly!  I know you all only wrapped shooting a little more than a month ago.  So let's start with the dramatic makeover from season one.  While a lot of hardcore barbecue folks have been outraged by the new look, its obvious that it had to be done in order to draw a broader audience. Did it hurt you artistically to completely flip something you are personally so passionate about?

John Markus:  I've been writing and producing television shows since 1980, and the involvement of TLC in shaping season two of Pitmasters is what my network experience has primed me for.  If the hardcore 'Q folks had come out in greater numbers for season one, we'd be gearing up to repeat the format this year.  But we have to reach a broader audience to survive.  That being said, my goal is to preserve the spirit of competition barbecue, showcase the humor and pluck of the cookers, and work within the collaborative vision of creator and network.

To those  purists who are outraged, I'm impressed.  They can really know the whole series from a 30 second promo?  Come on, folks, give it a chance. Sure you'll see an alligator in a promo.  IT'S A PROMO.  Watch a couple of entire episodes.  Then you can get your panties in a bunch. I'm just grateful that Discovery, a very successful communications corporation, continues to demonstrate a keen interest in the world of barbecue. They've put millions of dollars behind their belief.  I hope people watch, because my passion for BBQ continues unabated.


SIDE:  It feels very, very similar to the Kingsford Barbecue Championship Series.  Did you ever feel like you were taking a step backwards in the telling of the competition barbecue story? 

JM:  I really believe that all versions of this series -- counting OLN and VS, this is the 4th -- have offered a fun peek into the world of competition Q.  Sure, the docudrama of last season was the purest.  But, hey, there were plenty of BBQ people complaining about that show.  Look, here's what I've learned producing television.  If you attempt to capture a very specific subject and, in its portrayal, tryto please everybody, you'll end up with something that looks like a two headed goat.  And nobody likes looking at those. Unless you're at a sideshow at the county fair.


SIDE:  So why the stadium?  I know initially you were planning on staging the battles at real contests across the country.

JM:  At the conclusion of season one, it frustrated TLC that the teams we chose for the show were not winning grands.  Viewers become invested and wanted their teams to win.  I told TLC, "Hey, it's competition Q. Few people EVER win consistently."  So, creating a stadium allowed oneof the teams to win.  Also, not all KCBS rules and judging make for scintillating television.  Love the organization, but we have to grab our audience. Simplify, engage, make them feel satisfied that they spent time with us.  Having now screened all the episodes from this season, I totally agree with TLC's decision.


SIDE:  We've seen some of what's in store and the personalities involved. Are we looking at 20 actual competitive cooks or will we see a backyarder or two thrown in?

JM:  Oh yeah, you'll see a couple of Backyarders thrown in.  But what is a Backyarder? All that term means is that haven't spent the same amount of miles and hours cooking for KCBS judges.  They're fresh and they can surprise you as superb Q'rs. It's a real thrill to watch when that happens.  But none of these teams were pure jackasses.  I made sure they could all cook good Q.


SIDE:  And as you and I know, we won't be seeing Smoke In Da Eye this season.  You didn't want us beating the others too badly?   Seriously, though, what was the selection process like for you with no home state representation?

JM:  Early on the selection process, we have every effort to representing all parts of the country.  Also, my job as Executive Producer is to make sure a complete array of characters is present.  At the end of the day, TLC weighed in on the final choices.


SIDE:  As mentioned previously, viewers will see four teams facing off for five weeks with each week's winner advancing to a single final showdown worth $100,000.  We'll see traditional and none traditional proteins thrown at them in the various rounds ala Chopped.  Anything else you can reveal pre-debut?   

JM:  Not without risking my freedom to live and breathe as an American citizen.


SIDE:  Fair enough!  Finally, I know Myron had a lot of choice words for the new host Kevin Roberts at first.  Did their relationship eventually evolve?   And Myron and Art got along?

JM:  Wait until you see the flinty relationship that developed between Myronand Art.  These two couldn't be more opposite in their approach tocooking and dishing out criticism.  So, by the third episode, and this is delightful to watch, these two guys ended up going at each other constantly.  Authenticity vs. taste, sauce vs. meat, sides vs. main dish, competition food vs. home cooking.  I mean it got scrappy enough where I had to step in.  However, amazing thing is, their scoring was very, very similar.  Which made me feel that the best cook would win the whole shooting match.  And that team did.


SIDE:  Thanks again for taking the time, John, and best of luck this season!

- SmokeInDaEye.com, Home of Bigger, Badder, Bolder Competition BBQ(c)