Hell's Kitchen back July 18

[smartie]

I guess it will be bigger and better than ever. I'll still watch it though. We thought we might make HK suppers on Monday nights, risotto, salmon, lamb, beef en croute so my kids can yell '"it's raw" and other GR expletives.

[mamachef]

The only way this season could be BIGGER, BETTER, AND THE MOST SHOCKING YET (considering that there really are only SO many ways to shriek at people and call them names, and for them to react likewise...etc.) would be for GR to march out buck naked and painted blue, with peanuts stuffed up his nose, wearing duckboots. Then, I might be SHOCKED. I'd also be laughing hysterically, but you get the point.

[GraydonCarter]

Funny thing about this "talent search" show is, based on his shows F-word and the UK version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (where I think GR is more a chef-like), he really delights in finding the very young (17 year old), very shy, pimply-faced chef who started by washing dishes and has a god-given talent for cooking. This chef doesn't make for good TV, however.

[greygarious]

How about Bachelorette's Biggest Brother Kitchen? A bunch of single, male, overweight cooks check in to a walled compound where they sweat off the pounds in a hot kitchen and in various stupid feats of strength, trying to impress a vapid Valley Girl with their food, while being yelled at by Jillian and Gordon (who commence a rocky affair). You listening, Rupert?

[smartie]

do the contestants get to dance with the stars too?

[Bob W]

LOL +1 to the both of you.

[nextguy]

For me the meat smoothie made me so angry I felt compelled to write an email to the show's producer. I am not an activist or a member of some "feed the world" group, but how can anyone justify wasting all that food?

I really enjoy Ramsay's UK shows but these American ones are just so awful. I PVR them and literally watch the 44 minutes show (yes, there are 16 minutes of commercials per 60 minute episode) in less than 30 by fast forwarding through the nonsense. I mean why is it that whenever they come back from a break they spend 2 minutes recapping what just happened 2 minutes before the break?

[tommy]

Wasting food? It seems to me they ate the food. You do realize that it was made from the steaks from the challenge, yes?

Don't go looking through dumpsters all across the country. You'll likely feel compelled to write lots of emails to lots of people.

[nextguy]

ya whatever buddy. Taking what appeared to a very good steak, cooking it, pureeing it, feeding it to people and watching them spit it into a garbage can is not wasting food. Really, did you actually watch the whole thing are are you just being an ass? Do you think that maybe someone somewhere would have actually like to have a piece of steak from that challenge and actually eaten it without spitting it out? The crew? The contestants themselves? A hobo?

[tommy]

LOL!

[Worldwide Diner]

There's a ton of food wasted on every episode since season 1. No one is forcing you to watch this show. Hellooooo, we're on season 9 already.

[smartie]

they couldn't even spell Caesar salad correctly, it was written as Ceasar

[Firegoat]

I read that Will was a previous contestant on Chopped.

[cheesemaestro]

I hadn't watched an episode of HK for a long time before I caught part of last night's episode. Honestly, I don't know how someone can stay interested in this dreck year after year. The names and faces of the contestants change from season to season, but nothing else does. It's the same blunders, the same egomania (on the part of both the contestants and GR), the same backbiting among contestants, the same impatient diners waiting eternally for food that the kitchen can't turn out, the same insults. And how many times per episode does GR go back and forth between screaming "It's overcooked!" and "Raw! Raw! Raw!"? Of the three GR shows produced on US television, HK is by far the worst, although that's not saying much for the other two.

[Cheese Boy]

As ridiculous as this might sound, I find it entertaining to hear Gordon with that same rhetoric all the time. It's Raw !!! Raw you bleeping idiot !! Raw !!!
Truth be told, Dana Carvey's impersonation of John McLaughlin is very good and IMO it's somewhat Gordonesque also.

Look --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0Yr9X...

[Joanie]

Thanks for that clip. I remember watching the SNL version before knowing of the actual show. Always liked that skit (then the real thing).

[rockandroller1]

I agree. We find if very entertaining and funny, and the swearing doesn't seem at all over the top to me, but then again we are David Lynch and Guy Ritchie film fans. I love to be amazed at how bad these people are when they come in thinking they're so good. And yes, we've already had the overweight guy having a heart condition, who disappeared with a POOF after being taken to the medics, no mention of him the rest of the ep.

[kpaxonite]

WHAT THE HELL? Sex in a closet??? the new season is more like jersey shore than a cooking show

[jjjrfoodie]

Well... as in where the girls had to eat the "meat" milkshakes from the grilling leftovers. You're now into "Fear Factor" TV range. Gross and unappetizing. Wait---isn't this a food and foodie show? Huh?
Wow.

With all of the unkept promises by GR and the Network along with additional BS that have been dealt to winners-past on this show, there really is no "prize." Just disgrace and unending shame.

I don't get the allure and desire to be a part of it.
To each their own.

Meanwhile, I have learned to use the words:
Fat
Donkey
F^%&*(*
Ugly
Stupid
Big
Cow
Come here you
Shut it down

in enough ways to produce both fridge magnets and keep a drinking game happily alive.

Yea. Like that was hard.
LOL.

[LindaWhit]

I watched Monday night's MasterChef during the 8pm hour last night, and then had to wait for the Tuesday MC episode to come on at 9pm - so I got to see a bit of Tuesday's HK, including when GR told the entire blue team to go upstairs when they failed to put out one proper entree.

I was *floored* at the amount of bleeping out of the swearing while the guys were upstairs bitching. Seriously stunned.

[Bob W]

I missed Monday's opener but caught most of last night's show. Those guys are hilarious with their macho preening and swearing. I don't t know all the names yet -- who is the fat, sweaty, unshaven guy who thinks he's god's gift to kitchens?

[Firegoat]

Yeah the guy's team has a little much testosterone going on. That's the worst I can recall it. Was wondering if they'd come to blows.

[rockycat]

After last night, I'm pulling the plug on HK for real. I watch with my child and she is now old enough to know exactly what everyone's saying when they're being only partially bleeped. I had to spend the whole hour explaining that real people don't speak that way and reminding her that, based on her own personal experience, that is NOT how a professional kitchen is really run. She's trailed in a white tablecloth restaurant and not one word was spoken that I wouldn't want a child to hear, nor was a single voice raised in anger or disrespect.

I know it's Fox and I know it's all about the ratings, but HK is still on before 9 PM and I don't expect to have nearly 1 out of every 3 words bleeped at that hour. It's time for me to be a parent and say, "No mas."

[cliffandy]

Well said, rocky. I wish every network would read your comment.

[lunaburning]

Why is it that we Americans love to be yelled at and insulted by someone with a British accent? Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay, Anne Robinson...

[Cheese Boy]

Add Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan to that list also.

[coney with everything]

We think the accent indicates they're smart...well I did until I started working for a British company :)

We just make fun of them. All in good fun, of course.

Cheers!

[C. Hamster]

Another "Look What the Cat Dragged In" cast!

I do like the "time-out" table and him pulling the doofuses off the line, though.

[jujuthomas]

seriously, the "penalty box" was the best part! the whole show is a train wreck, not sure why I watch it, but i still do!

[John E.]

It seems that each time this show starts up again I make a half-hearted vow to not watch it. While I watched part of tonight's episode, I think I may be able to avoid it this time around. The show mostly consists of Ramsay yelling at the contestants. The only part of the program that I like to watch is their version of the 'quickfire' to see how they do at cooking and to see what sort of prize/penalty the teams receive.

I have a question to the food professionals that frequent this site. Do the contestants from Hell's Kitchen or Top Chef more closely resemble the kitchen staff at any restaurant above fast food?

[Joanie]

I watched 5 min last nite but couldn't even wait to get a view of all the contestants. This show is just the dregs and I had DVR stuff to catch up on, including other dreggy stuff like Celebrity Rehab and Famous Food. In fact, I'll start a post to see if anyone's caught that one. Pretty bad.

[Worldwide Diner]

What's the difference btwn Hell's Kitchen the the Next Food Network Star? In each case there're a bunch of hacks trying to become a D list celebrity. In each case, the judging is suspect (more for drama than merit). At least Gordo is acting and the abuses he heaps is funny.

[kpaxonite]

what i really want to know is the difference between hells kitchen and and masterchef

[Worldwide Diner]

None really, except Gordo plays a different role. The only show that's substantively different is Top Chef, where the contestants are generally talented and the judging is presumably based on merit.

[C. Hamster]

Arent the people on masterchef "home cooks?" While none of the Hells Kitchen people are ... or very few, at least.

[Joanie]

Well, I don't think his acting is funny. How can it even have an effect anymore when e/o word out of his mouth is a swear or an insult? As much as the FN judges can say and do stupid things, they're not caricatures. IMO at least. I just can't take Gordon Ramsey on HK and there's something about half the chefs that feels a lot more fake than the FN guys. Who can suck or be goofs too, but not to the degree of HK.

[cliffandy]

You might want to look up MasterChef Australia. It's a class act with regard to its format and how they develop the cooks. Entirely more self-respect and yet still a competition for the contestants. Nothing like MC-US.

[kpaxonite]

agreed its a really great show i love it

[chris2269]

Yeah the judges become mentors and friends V.S. adversaries.

[chris2269]

OH I watched Famous food while doing a spread sheet on my computer. I was going to start a thread but it's so bad....I mean bad is not even the right word. We need to start a support group for people who have seen this. The horrible thing is I will probably watch the second episode.....don't judge.

[mamachef]

I caught Famous Food, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but that's just me and my love of food combined w/ adoration for pop culture, horrible reprehensible television, and clearly insane celebrities. Or, even worse than insane, completely inane, as evidenced by the stunningly non-contributory Jake Pavelka, whose best comment on the first show was, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

[Joanie]

I knew *someone* had to have watched it, it's actually much more entertaining than half the other food crap on right now. And you're right, inane celebrities is how they should be referred to. But I kind of like Jake since he at least seems nice even if he's got nothing to say. And Danielle makes Penny look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

[mamachef]

Haha. Yes, he does get props for being a pretty nice guy, so it seems. And yep, Danielle's the one I meant by clearly insane. That lady scares me. I'd run a mile to avoid being anyplace she was within throwing distance with a knife.

[Jimmy_Ike]

No better than the last couple of seasons, then? Ugh, spare me from another season of Ramsay-parody and NEVAAH BEFORE SEEN IN HELL'S KITCHEN nonsense.....

[kpaxonite]

Why is there always a fat ass who has a heart attack?

[kpaxonite]

Best quote: "I wish you would have jumped in the oven, that would have made my life easier" ahha

these 'contestants' are rediculous

[LindaWhit]

Sounds like a good season to not watch.

[Bobfrmia]

I'm doin it again. I hate myself for it, but at least it's not Dancing With The Stars.

[LindaWhit]

And I'd take DWTS any day, because at least you see people trying (and succeeding in learning something completely new to them) without any screaming or pretend-vomiting.

[shallots]

They're getting ready for the next "best season EVAH" when the heavyset male chef, collapses, is stepped over, and is carried off under a sheet and the next group challenge is to cook for the family's open house after the funeral.

[C. Hamster]

Do you mean the BIGGEST and BEST Hells Kitchen EVER?

[sharonanne]

With things NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON Hells Kitchen?

[coney with everything]

SHOCKING.

[chileheadmike]

I know it's a character flaw, but I'm looking forward to it. The first few episodes anyway. I usually lose interest once all the shoemakers are gone.

[petek]

And there are plenty of shoemakers on this show... :D But I guess there wouldn't be as much "drama" if all the contestants were good cooks.

[cliffandy]

I hear you. It's to the point that we'll see GR start to get a pot-belly and spouting off almost to the point of self-parody. The structure of this show can't go on much longer. Seeing the "next week on HK" where they're waking everyone up at 4am told me, 'same show, different season'. Bummer.

I noticed Pat Lewellyn is no longer a producer on the show. She's been with GR in both the States and Britain throughout.

[samtron608]

its almost to the point that I dont believe the contestants are "contestants"....actors maybe!
or they pick people off the street:
HK: hey guy, do you like to cook
Guy: no..never cooked before:
HK: would you like to be a contestant on HK?
Guy: sure why not!

[LindaWhit]

Well, two of the chefs from Boston are real - Andy Husbands (Tremont 647) and Jason Santos (formerly Gargoyles, soon to open Blue, Inc.). Another one, Benjamin Knack, used to be at Sel de la Terre; no idea where he is now....further Googling seems to have put him in a private club north of Boston in May, 2011...but they don't list him as their chef.

But I *do* know what you mean about the majority of them. :-)

[southie_chick]

FYI, Benjamin Knack is now running the kitchen at the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH. I haven't been since he took over, but here's the link if you want to check it out:

http://bedfordvillageinn-px.trvlclick.com/new-hampshire-restaurants/index.cfm

Jason Santos just opened (about 2 weeks ago) Blue, Inc. in Boston - here's their website:

http://www.blueincboston.com/

[LindaWhit]

Ahh, so the private club was temporary for Ben.

[rockycat]

Smartie, can we get our kids together so that they can shout "Donkey!" at each other while complaining about the "ris-ahhhh-to"? It would make my kid's Mondays.

[smartie]

do HK and MC share the same location? They looked mighty similar.

[LindaWhit]

Saw the ad on last night's Master Chef. But I just don't know if I'll be able to take it. It just seems more and more over the top and it's not even funny anymore.

But I *do* like your idea of HK suppers, smartie. :-)

[phrekyos]

There was supposed to be a set of DVDs for S1-S4 out yesterday too, but it got delayed. Too bad... I was looking forward to hearing the show without the stupid bleeps all the time.

[Worldwide Diner]

Yes, the donkeys are back.