I mentioned the other day having watched a “behind the scenes” special for “Good Eats,” one of my favorite TV shows. It was quite entertaining, just like the show itself. Because the show involves various skits and recurring characters, at one point Alton did a little segment explaining who was real and who was fake. Deb Duchon, whose appearances are always foreshadowed by Alton saying “…. but I’m not a nutritional anthropologist,” is, in fact, a nutritional anthropologist, and Shirley Corriher is a well-known food expert whom I’ve heard mentioned by other chefs.
At the same time, I had figured that Alton’s “sister” was an actress, having seen her in promos for the DIY network. Other recurring characters, like Chuck and Paul, are also obviously actors.
But what about “W,” who introduces Alton to a variety of kitchen equipment and appliances, but with whom he bickers constantly?
For the uninitiated, her name — a play on “Q” from the James Bond films — goes back to the first season of “Good Eats” in 1999, before the letter had become shorthand for George W. Bush. If I recall correctly, they had introduced her in one episode as “Suzy Wong,” and then her next appearance happened to be in an episode with a spy-parody theme, and so she became “W.” She’s been “W” ever since.
I had assumed “W” to be a professional actress. I was only half right. She’s not any sort of kitchen equipment expert, and her comments on the topic are 100 percent scripted. But neither is she a professional actress, despite her comic banter with AB. She is, in fact, Alton’s chiropractor! The special even included a little footage of her working on her famous client.
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