Today in History—February 11: The French Chef Premiere: When Julia Child Taught America to Cook (and Laugh)

February 11, 1963: How did a woman with a whisk change TV?

On this day in 1963, with the premiere of The French Chef, Julia Child changed cooking—and television—forever.

And she did it in a donated kitchen with a wonky stove and a budget so low that the station had to sell the food after each episode to cover costs. Julia embraced mistakes during taping—something she became known for, along with a liberal use of butter and cream—because the studio couldn’t afford a second take. Each episode was filmed straight through.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking had been published in 1961, establishing Julia as an authority on French cuisine in America. The following year, Julia—along with her husband, Paul, plus a whisk and a hot plate—appeared on a book review show on Boston’s public television station, WGBH, to promote it. Julia demoed an omelette. The idea was laid (get it?) right there. Viewers promptly wrote in asking for more.

It was a long road to that kitchen. More than a decade earlier, while her husband was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Paris, Julia enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu.

Everything snowballed from there.

At the time, public TV was earnest, educational, and a little boring. (Sorry.) A handful of cooking shows had been made, but they were short-lived experiments. That summer Julia filmed three pilot episodes for the station.

Then came the real thing.

On this day in 1963, The French Chef (so named, despite being neither French nor technically a chef) debuted at 8 PM on WGBH as a regular series. Julia made boeuf Bourguignon in a kitchen that belonged to the Cambridge Electric Company. At the time, French food was widely considered complex and fussy. Julia tore down that wall. (Or stabbed it with deboning shears.)

Julia was reportedly horrified when she watched the premiere. She said she looked like “a steam engine” and picked apart her timing. Viewers disagreed. The station received 200 fan letters in 20 days. They adored the tall, spunky, gloriously unpolished Julia. The first season ran 26 episodes, with Julia earning $50 an episode.

Fun Fact

The stove was electric, and the microphone Julia wore was metal. When Julia touched the stove, she got a little shock. When she touched it with damp hands or while sweating, she really got shocked.

The show—and Julia—exploded in popularity. By the end of 1965 it was airing on 96 stations across the country. A whole new genre of TV had been born. Julia became the first public television personality to win an Emmy.

The French Chef was also the first show on public television to include captions for viewers who are hard of hearing. (You know what pairs well with wine and butter? Accessibility.)

Bon appétit! (We hope you heard that in her voice in your head.)