New MTV cooking show mixes food, comedy, music

SIBLINGS Josh (left) and Mike Greenfield let “cooking unfold when it happens” in their cable series.

“Building our recipes and pulling it together in a 22-minute episode has probably been the toughest journey,” says Mike Greenfield, one of two brothers featured in the new MTV show “Brothers Green: Eats!,” in an e-mail interview.

The Greenfield siblings Mike and Josh, a.k.a. the Brothers Green, are YouTube sensations. Mike, 27, studied architecture, but became interested in cooking when older brother Josh, 30, started actively pursuing the craft.

“Because we’re brothers, we share the same humor and enjoy many of the same things,” says Josh, “but our personalities are definitely very different.”

The weekly series (debuting today, 11:30 a.m.) will merge comedy and cooking, and will feature some celebrity guests, according to the Brothers Green.

What makes your “dorm-style cooking” approach important?

Josh: Our style of cooking is very free-form. We don’t use a lot of recipes. It’s about what we’re inspired by and letting the cooking unfold as it happens. What makes this really important for us right now is that we’re bringing back the idea that cooking isn’t a sacred art… Our food is simple, delicious and cheap to make!

What do the guest celebrity musicians add to the program?

Mike: We’ve had Enrique Iglesias, Meghan Trainor and Ed Sheeran so far. Their appearances bring a whole other element of “amazingness” that you don’t see in most cooking shows… We think cooking and music are both beautiful art forms that bring people together, so it’s awesome to have them on our show to connect the two together.

What do you agree and disagree on when cooking?

Josh: Mike and I both like mixing food together and we aren’t afraid to get creative in the kitchen! Sometimes we disagree on the outcome of the dish. For example, I may want to put certain ingredients into a sandwich that Mike doesn’t always agree with.

Describe the entertainment value of the show.

Josh: It’s not just about getting through the recipe. It’s [also] about the jokes, the fun, the humor and all the things that go into making cooking fun! You’re going to see skits, dorm-room cooking, late-night cooking and even cooking on the road. Then you realize that in the process you’ve just learned how to make a delicious burger or flatbread pizza!

Mike: You can’t script a real brother relationship and you’ll see that in the show. Even though we are being filmed, you’ll still see our real brotherly relationship which can be very relatable.

What type of viewers do you hope to attract?

Josh: We think our show will attract a younger audience that’s interested in learning how to cook on a budget and want to see something different and entertaining.

How many episodes are in this first season?

Mike: There are 12 episodes in the first season. It’s an interesting format because we did a variety show. We filmed the whole thing in short segments so it didn’t take long to film each episode. And each segment was built to be pushed out online.

How different or similar are your personalities?

Josh: Growing up, our personalities were very different. I was an extremely hyperactive kid. I would go from room to room, just destroying everything in sight. Mike was a lot more chill. I’ll always be a little more crazy and unpredictable and Mike is a little more reserved.

What’s the toughest thing to overcome, and what’s the most rewarding?

Mike: The toughest thing is creating a show from scratch. We’ve done a lot of stuff on the Internet and have had a bunch of cool ideas, but a variety cooking show with music in it has never been done.

Josh: And as for the most rewarding part, we truly love what we do. And we love inspiring people and showing them that cooking is really fun and exciting.

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HBO Originals in May

DAVID Oyelowo in “Nightingale”

“Bessie” stars Queen Latifah as the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith. The HBO Original Movie focuses on her transformation from a struggling young singer into “The Empress of the Blues,” one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s. It premieres on May 17, 10 p.m. on HBO.

“Nightingale,” starring Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo, is a drama that probes the psyche of a disturbed war veteran.

It airs on May 30, 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. on HBO.

‘Mysteries of Laura’ Some of the best episodes of “The Mysteries of Laura,’ starring Debra Messing, will air on 2nd Avenue, tomorrow and on May 10, starting 1 p.m. ‘Indie Kalibre’

GMA News TV will air award-winning independent movies from some of the country’s best filmmakers.

DEBRA Messing in “The Mysteries of Laura”

The series, “Indie Kalibre,” will debut Saturday, 10:15 p.m.

The series, which will end on July 4, will kick off with the Philippine TV premiere of Jun Robles Lana’s “Barber’s Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero).” This will be followed by acclaimed films by directors

Brillante Ma. Mendoza, Jeffrey Jeturian and Alvin Yapan.

Also showing in May are “Ploning,” directed by Dante Nico Garcia and starring Judy Ann Santos, on May 16; “Banal,” directed by Cesar Apolinario and starring Christopher de Leon, on May 23; and “Thy Womb,” directed by Mendoza and starring superstar Nora Aunor, on May 30.