I've always loved Alton Brown and Good Eats and used to watch him every chance I could. Sadly, he's given up on Good Eats, although I understand that he's working on something else now.
I've enjoyed Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, too. I like her calmness, while she's cooking. I like her kitchen and I enjoy seeing her gardens.
That's pretty much it. Since the Food Network has switched over to mostly competitions and "where to go to get this food" type shows, I've lost all interest. I enjoy instructional cooking shows and I want to learn something while I'm watching. It's not enough to tell me to do something; tell me why I need to do it that way....it makes a more informative point and that's when I learn.
As for Paula Deen, if you watch her earlier shows, she's nothing like she is now.....she's almost a caricature of herself now. I used to watch her, but stopped a long time ago. People still like her, though, and that's fine.