What's for Dinner?

Storyline

What's for Dinner? was a long-running Canadian cooking show with humorous overtones that initially aired on Life Network and was later syndicated around the world. The series started in 1994 and aired for several seasons. The series was hosted by Ken Kostick, a chef and cookbook author from Winnipeg, along with Mary Jo Eustace. Kostick, inspired by the American sitcom, Home Improvement and similar "behind the scenes" comedy programs, had come up with the idea of a sitcom built around a genuine cooking program, much like Home Improvement occasionally featured genuine products and tips mixed in with its comedy. The idea of producing a sitcom was eventually dropped; instead, What's for Dinner? developed into a humour-based cooking show. Mary Jo Eustace, a Canadian actress, fashion model, singer and trained sous-chef who stood a bit taller than the diminutive Kostick, was hired to solo host the series, but when it was discovered Eustace and Kostick had good on-camera chemistry, it was decided to make the show a duo act. The appeal of the series was not so much in the dishes prepared, but in the comedic banter—and, quite frequently, barbs—thrown back and forth between the two hosts. Kostick in particular found himself acting as "straight man" to Eustace, as well as the target of a number of running jokes ranging from his height to whether or not he was gay.