From Digital Spy reality telly news:

The US version of Hell's Kitchen has received a thumbs down from the critics.

The reworked reality show, which sees foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay attempting to train a group of amateurs, premiered on the FOX network last night (Monday).

Variety described Ramsay as a "cartoonishly abusive snot," adding that he "overplays his part from the opening moments." [etc]
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hahahahahahahaha

It's about time Ramsay came in for a bit of criticism for his self-important boorish behaviour. It's not attractive (OK, many may disagree) or entertaining; it's ugly and unpleasant to watch.

The man is making a mint through this odious persona he's created (who actually runs his restaurants?). He seems to derive pleasure from belittling and bullying people whom he considers to be lesser folk than he - ie, everyone else alive.

I'm watching it now. It's very American.. if you've seen The Apprentice (US version) it's rather simular to that in style. Lots of voice overs by the contestants talking about whats happening.

They for some strange reason have to call him "Chef Ramsay" rather than just Chef. Maybe its an American thing or maybe they did it just to keep reminding the American audience who he is. They all have some cooking knowledge which is very simular to the recent UK version. They all had to make their own dishes for the first test too which again is a repeat of the UK idea. I liked the Omlette starter better.

He had to explain what "plank" meant to one contestant, rather amusing. Hes going to absolutely slaughter some of the contestants.

AND they are bleeping out all his swearing

Quite simply it is bound to fail because the American audience simply won't "get him". They won't understand what hes about.

Jean-Phillipe Susilovic is back as the maitre d.

I wouldn't say hes created a persona. He used to play football and I don't doubt he was like that back then too. He never claims to run all his restaurants, how could he? But he cooks at two and cooks every day apparently. He hasn't been voted the best chef in the England for 9 years running for nothing. Whatever people feel about his personality and the way he works, hes damn good at his job, and the folk he trains are damn good at their jobs too. Something has to be right there.

That's not what it says on MSN..they say it was well recieved and they all loved him..especially the women viewers!

Ach..who to believe.

I like him for what it's worth.

I'm watching it now. Who the hell would cook salmon on a plank of cedar? And what the hell is an "executive" chef? And that spagetti/pasta bake/pancake looked absolutely vile.

It's very American in style. Very strange seeing it "not live" and with no host. But I quite like seeing their faces when he swears at them!

All good points, and yes he is good at what he does. But I still think he's a bully, and I don't really like the current veneration of boss-boy bullies (cf Cowell).

iwas a chef for 16 years and unfortunitly there are chefs out there like gordan but it is a high preshured job and if you look at the chefs that are on tv today bthey all have a gimick as a quite pleasaunt chef would never make it on tv or in life

this is normaily a chef who works for a big chane of hotels or restrauntes and he is a chef who dose alot of papper work or ware a kitchen is huge or open 7 24 ahd they would have head chef who is in charge for his shift and the exe chef over sees all but verry rarliy dose cooking

And there's me thinking the good old USA only ate French-fries
and burgers

I watched the 1st episode, it really is awful. I would go as far as too say it is cringe worthy.

Gorden doesn't look comfortable at all, its REALLY false (not that the UK version isn't cut/edited) but I almost got the feeling gorden was reading a script. The yanks really will not "get" it at all. They must have paid him a lot of money to look like such a prat (which I don't believe he is).

I have to agree with the previous comment, its great to watch the contestnts jump when he shouts & swears at them.

I think one of the local channels has picked up the series to show later on this year. I am sure Gorden hopes that never happens.

I am a big fan of the "kitchen nightmares" series, there we get to see a bit more of the real Gorden (imho) not this derived nonsense.

Simon

Watched the 2nd episode today. They diners started ordering pizza and the Maitre D' was assaulted (pushed).

LOL did he sue for emotional distress?

God love America...

I don't know why they even bother trying to export formats like this to America, they just don't seem to get the same level of entertainment from seeing people humiliated and put down as us Brits do.
Gordon shouldn't make the same mistake as Ainsley "cottaging" Harriot, that is make a crap US version of his show, not fellate strange men in public toilets.

Freedom fries don't you mean?

gordon ramsey does overplay his part.. he as been that way in all the programs has been in. Kitchen nightmares hes the same!!

I just dont think the america's get it (or like change from there nabby pabby line up)

I think it's more that a large percentage of Americans (like a lot of other nations) simply don't like to be shown how to do something better by other nations, unless they're going to do it in an almost apologetic manner. Add to that Gordon's penchant for swearing, his unwillingness to be impressed by them just because they are impressed by themselves, plus his insistence on not just saying something's not good enough but also with peppering his criticism with personal abuse, & it's no wonder they don't like him. This is the nation who had Graham Kerr on a cooking show for years - he was one of the best chefs on tv, but he could also do smarm with the best of them when it suited him. If you don't do smarm, you don't do the US.

Isn't it just easier to recognize that the fault lies with FOX (owned by Rupert Murdoch... a non-American), than to typify a whole nation?

It's not that Americans do or don't get it, it's that the version of Hell's Kitchen produced for that market wasn't very good.

Graham Kerr, by the way, was never really a hit in the U.S. He spent most of his American career on public broadcasting, where ratings were not an issue. So he's not a very good comparison to Ramsey's FOX show--which was created for a mass market.

The cable-TV broadcasts of Ramsey's U.K. shows actually do fairly well in America, at least as well as any show ever does on a basic cable channel.

I didn't typify a whole nation, & that certainly wasn't my intention either - I said "a large percentage of Americans (like a lot of other nations)". I'm quite an outspoken Brit who works with several Americans & has some working for me that are nearly twice my age. I've been told by many that the only reason they take my criticism is because I give it politely. They themselves say that some Americans are raised to have such faith in themselves (which I'm not saying is a bad thing in itself) that blunt rude criticism from the likes of Gordon doesn't go down well. Gordon takes himself and his craft very seriously, but also uses abusive language at a level that a lot of Americans simply aren't used to in the work place. They're not necessarily wrong either - Gordon would find his teeth firmly fixed in another opening in his body if he spoke to me the way he does the chefs .

As for Graham Kerr, he was the only non-British chef we had on TV in the UK at the time, & whatever his status/career in the US, he was very much liked here. However, even as a youngster who rated his cooking, I thought he came across as too oily for healthy living.
Last edited by melodytoon : 09-10-2005 at 01:01

Hell's Kitchen has been renewed for a second series in the US, though, hasn't it?

Having been a chef for over six years Gordon is without doubt a talented individual.. what you must realise is thay he was trained "old skool" style, which means you do it simply you do it well oryou wear it, a professional kitchen is no place for a prima donna wannabe chef, you must learn the hard way or its brewers fayre for you :P

The best thing about my training was the abuse i took from my sous and head chefs, it trains you to make sure your work meets the required standard every time, if you cant do that and if you dont fear your head chef you're in the wrong trade.

I remember one shift in an edinburgh hotel where i spend 4 hours doing julienne and brunoise vegatables and the cuts were out by about 1mm chef through them in the bin and made me do them over, then again, in the bin.. until i got it right, now my veg prep is exact every single time, with a softer chef, my cuts would not be as accurate and i would be half the chef i am now.

what i'm saying is there is method in his ways and i have worked under harder chefs and him, he is not acting if it was a real kitchen enviroment he would have belted a few of his staff by now and they would never have answered him back

Well said.. ok I am not a chef but I understood what you where saying. It is very important to get it right in the Kitchen, especially if you are cooking for members of the public, everything has to be perfect and enough to make them come back for more.

I watched the 1st Hells Kitchen(UK) and at the start I thought he was horrid to everyone, but as time went on, the celebs that he was horrible too all seemed to praise him in the end...they didn't have to but they did, and a lot of them that lasted quite a while also added that they did learn a lot from Gordon Ramsey, they where abused, and worked long hours and still where glad they did it.
I think if you really have your heart set on becoming a chef, you will be thankful that you where made do things over and over again and you took abuse untill you got it exactly right...but as the saying goes if you cant stand the heat get out of the kitchen!!!