Magical Elves on Cooking Up the Best Leftovers Ever!

Jo Sharon and Casey Kriley, co-CEOs at Magical Elves, talk to TV Real about what inspired the Best Leftovers Ever!, the key to successful food-centric titles and their enviable position in the marketplace.

Instead of raiding the pantry and refrigerator for fresh ingredients to create compelling culinary creations, the home chefs on Netflix’s Best Leftovers Ever! must revive old leftovers, making yesterday’s dinner into a delicious new dish. Hosted by Jackie Tohn, the Magical Elves-produced cookery series sees judges David So and Rosemary Shrager review the made-over leftovers served up by the contestants who are competing for a $10,000 prize.

Magical Elves prides itself on creating first-to-market content that is grounded in authenticity and yet also has an aspirational element. Best Leftovers Ever! fits squarely into that programming pocket, according to Kriley. “While brainstorming new show concepts, we realized that we all had leftovers sitting in the back of our fridge, which led us to question how we could reinvent them while cutting back on waste,” says Kriley, explaining how the show was born. “Leftovers were one of the most relatable spaces in the food industry that had not yet been featured in television, so we explored how we could tap into that market.”

When developing new cooking titles, Magical Elves dives in with two key considerations: relatability and what’s trending. Nailed It!, another series that the production company made for Netflix, used these keys as pillars. The show was inspired by the viral meme in which people posted their baking fails, uploading pictures of the elegant creation they were attempting alongside a look at their decidedly less appetizing attempt. And the company’s new show promises to also resonate with home cooks of various skill levels. “With Best Leftovers Ever!, we realized that the concept of having leftover food was something that many people experience,” says Sharon. “It had the tried-and-true relatability factor.”

Also important to any competition series are the personalities overseeing the proceedings. Judge So is a comedian and restauranteur with a big internet following, which Sharon points out is a helpful asset for any new show; and Shrager, who has extensive experience with food and culinary television and a high profile in the U.K., has a larger-than-life personality that matches the series. And while host Tohn doesn’t boast a background in food, she brings a fun presence to the program. “When we did their chemistry tests, it felt like they had known each other for a long time,” says Sharon of the trio. “While all three are uniquely different, they work together in a magical way.”

New and established streaming services have made it a great time to be a seller of unscripted titles. With OTT platforms on the hunt for more exclusive content, buying and distributing is moving along at a rapid pace, according to Sharon. “In terms of food programming, every network and platform wants to find their breakout cooking show (if they don’t already have one) because this genre is one of the few that can be all-encompassing in terms of the target audiences,” she says. “We all love food!”

“We want everyone to watch Best Leftovers Ever! on Netflix and hopefully get creative in their own kitchens,” says Kriley. “Looking to the future, we have some exciting things coming down the line, including a new season of Top Chef and the new Top Chef Amateurs series. As far as challenges, we’re always looking to level up and find the next big thing that hasn’t been done before. Breaking into new territory always comes with risk, but the reward is worth it!”