Food Coma TV announces Season 2 will be its last

Food Coma TV, the popular web series starring Joe Ricchio and Joel Beauchamp that took viewers on a no-holds-barred tour of Maine dining, drinking and fun, announced Thursday morning that Season 2 would be its last. The Old Orchard Beach episode, released on Wednesday, wraps up a year of travel around the state from the FCTV crew, from Sanford to the St. John Valley.

“The financial strain of creating the show was pretty epic, as we were routinely spending more money than we were bringing in. Beyond that, as the show matured, it became somewhat clear that we each had a somewhat different view of what the show was supposed to be, the tone, the genre, and so on,” said Alex Streed, producer of the show. “And so we decided that before we let these factors eat into the quality of future shows, we’d pursue other creative, hopefully sustainable endeavors at a time where we feel like we are at the top of our game.”

The cast and crew of FCTV became known in Maine and beyond for visiting towns and locales in the state outside of well-known food enclaves like Portland and Mt. Desert Island, to investigate and partake in the restaurants, bars, institutions and events that give them all local color. From firing guns and eating ployes in Fort Kent to shining the spotlight on Downtown Bangor‘s burgeoning food and nightlife scene, FCTV helped showcase Maine as more than just a handful of towns that tourist visit, but as a vibrant, unique corner of the country, full of interesting, entertaining people and fun places to eat and drink. It’s also laugh out loud funny and unabashedly, gleefully profane.

“For someone who is still new to Maine, this show gave me the opportunity to experience a new state and make new friends along the way,” said director and producer Kurt Graser.

In the coming months, Steed, Graser and cameraman Zack Bowen plan to make a documentary about Maine breweries and start a production firm with fellow FCTV contributors Beth Taylor and Thomas Starkey. Joe Ricchio will continue blogging at FoodComa.TV, as well as writing for Maine Magazine and hosting food events statewide.

“[And] Joel will continue being fabulous,” said Steed.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.