It’s been a whole month since we’ve seen Gordon Ramsay crown the new winner of Hell’s Kitchen, and I don’t know about you, but I had been missing our little British ray of sunshine. Though after Wednesday night’s premiere of his latest show, Kitchen Nightmares, I’m beginning to wonder if the ever-entertaining hotheaded chef has traded in his knives for a ball of yarn.
As a devoted Hell’s Kitchen watcher who has never seen the BBC version of Nightmares, I was looking forward to watching Ramsay help salvage an ailing restaurant while hurling insults at hapless kitchen staffers. Because I expected Ramsay’s whip-them-into-shape tactics to consist of demands that the #$%& donkeys just cook their #$%& Beef Wellingtons and risottos already!, I have to say I was quite surprised to see a kinder and gentler Ramsay rearing his matted, pretty head. Not only was Ramsay helpful and encouraging while helping a family resuscitate a dying Italian eatery, but the chef also managed to extinguish fights instead of igniting them — all while wrapped up in a dashing tight-fitting sweater. Kitchen Nightmares seems to exist in a world outside Hell’s Kitchen, one in which Ramsay discourages attitude, praises teamwork, and is utterly baffled over the fact that people yell in the kitchen.
But a calmer Ramsay doesn’t necessarily translate in to a watchable Ramsay. Sure, the family antics featured on Wednesday night’s episode never failed to entertain (A Goodfellas wannabe almost getting into a fistfight with a bill collector? The casting director deserves a raise), but Ramsay — who always rules Hell’s Kitchen — managed to completely evade the spotlight by playing a secondary role in the restaurant’s re-launch. Sure, the chef scolded the staff for an unhygienic set-up, purchased a new kitchen for the family, and retooled their menu, but mostly he seemed to do little more than play president of the get-along gang during the last half of the show. As much as we like to see a smiling, friendlier Ramsay, viewers really tune in to see what this chef does best: cook up a nice batch of expletive-riddled rants.
So will you continue to watch Kitchen Nightmares, cuddly Ramsay and all? Or does the frighteningly bad flying-knives intro make you want to run the other way? And, finally, were you as surprised as I was to learn that teeth bleaching costs $1,000 a pop? And, of course, make sure to check the magazine for our critic’s official take on the show.
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Typical of reality shows, it was too stitched together for me. Peter had 2-3 different outfits on in what seemed like every scene. I would prefer more reality and less writing.
This show lends itself to display a more helpful, caring spirit in Ramsey. Its more flashy than the UK version (which I preferred) but still good TV and absolutly something I’ll continue to watch. I like that he shows why he is such a sucessful chef with his helpful tips and new recipes, rather than just yelling at people.
there is no way that was real right? I mean come on…
Especially the bit about the community day. Please they managed to do a lot in a very short time…
Seems like longer than a month ago that Hell’s Kitchen had its finale. I’ll keep watching, Chef Gordon’s expressions are priceless!!!
Not as good as the British version (where he would never pony up the cash to get them a new kitchen)….
The people who ran that restaurant reminded me why I moved out of Long Island.
I have watched both the British and now American versions of this show. And I like seeing the softer side of Gordon.
However, that Sopranos family from last night were way over the top. Peter, the guy with the permatan and fake teeth who went postal on his bill collector? I mean, they shouldn’t let the cast overshadow Gordon and last night it was a bit too OTT / Sopranos.
In the UK version the restaurant people are usually nice but a bit clueless, who truly value Gordon’s help.
This show will work better if they don’t make Gordon work with complete psychos who take the attention away from the main message of the show!
Why isn’t this on the regular review? KN is a much better show than HK, and I am an HK fan. Have to say I’ve enjoyed most of the UK shows better than the US premier. Last night’s show focused way too much on Peter and his temper and lazy ways. By the time the show ended Ramsey really didn’t have much time to get involved, it was a quick progression of, clean the kitchen, buy new equipment (compliments of FOX) switch to family style meals and finished. Otherwise it was all about Peter. Hopefully future eps will show Ramsey more involved in turning around a restaraunt that has bigger issues than a personality problem manager! Check out the UK version on BBCA on Thursdays, you’ll notice the difference.
Ms. Ward is pretty much off-base in her critique, which I guess is expected since she’s never never seen the BBC version, which is where this comes from. That’s what Ramsay does, he takes a back seat and let’s the restaurant / re-launch be the focus, not him. And he’s always had a softer side in Kitchen Nightmares, which I think makes the show more appealing than his screaming rants. Of course, Ms. Ward would know all this if she had watched the orginal.
You know whats funny… my girlfriend and I regularly watch Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares on the BBC channel (while you’re at it, check out Hotel Babylon… that show is a trip!). Anyway, Ramsey bought this mob family a brand new kitchen. He hasnt sprang a dime for the people across the pond. In fact, he even made one chef sell his CAR to pay off some of his debt. Now, Ramsey is usually his fire-cracker self on the BBC version of the show… the only reason I think he was somewhat subtle during Kitchen Nightmares last night, was because Peter is a huge goon (though he seems like he has a nice heart). Ramsey was probably a LITTLE intimidated by the guy, and I would be too. The BBC version of the show has people with funny accents and very proper manners, so he can yell at them all he wants, and they wont retaliate. Trust me, I think Ramsey will show his true colors again when the manager isnt some huge crazy mobster boss.
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Umm, yes, Lilly, I’m sure there was some editing involved. They didn’t say that the community day was the very next day, did they??
I have watched the first run and the reruns of the BBC version of Kitchen Nightmares – and it is much superior to the Fox version.
I think Fox encouraged Peter – the co-owner of Peter’s on the first episode – the was such a caricature of the Sopranowannabe. The kitchen staff were spot on and Ramsay goes out of his way to find the good ones in the kitchens he is trying to help.
Again, the BBC version is far superior, but I will watch Ramsay wash his car if I had to.
Can you put this on your fall TV Watch???
Love Gordon Ramsey and Kitchen Nightmares last night. I also noticed the huge difference between the attitudes of the restaurant owners on the BBC show, as compared to loud, slightly trashy FOX version. I’m hoping GR will be more assertive in future episodes, but I don’t mind his soft, squishy side every once in a while!
Obviously they’ve already made a number of episodes so no way to change them. What will be interesting to see is did FOX craft a show to cater to the Hell’s Kitchen crowd (ie the Reviewer) or the KN UK original crowd. Looks like the latter has a lot of the early posts and I hope it does go down that road a lot more. Hey I enjoy the ranting Ramsey from time to time as much as any Hell’s Kitchen fan, but the best part of KN should be the point where he takes his expertise to a struggling restaraunt and puts his imprint on turning it around. Also the best part of the UK version is, he ISN’T always successful. Lends a lot of credibility to the show…
I’ve only watched Hell’s Kitchen once but I loved last night’s premiere of Kitchen Nightmares. That Goombah guy was crazy and teeth whitening is only $500 a pop – that kid had to be mildly brain damaged or something. Looking forward to next week when Gordon shuts down a NYC eatery. I hope I’ve never eaten there!!
Yeah, some of the editing is a bit off on the show. At the end of the episode when Ramsey was giving them a speech after service, the camera kept cutting to Peter… sometimes his blazer was on, and sometimes it was off…so that shows that some of this material is not a clean 1 shot segment
My point being that surely by now everyone should know that all reality TV has some component of editing involved.
Someone get me an espresso and a throat lozenge!! Bloody ell!!!!
is there going to be a Top Chef recap today or is KN taking its place?
I got hooked on the UK version. I think that versionb of Kitchen nightmares showed that Ramsay knows what he is talking about. The places that took his advice trived afterwards, those that didn’t continued to fail.
I think Ramsay’s gonna ramp it up a bit as the season goes along. He can only restrain himself but for so long.
People, that was no bill collector. When was the last time AmEx came to your work for their monthly payment? That was a bookie or a loan shark, or both. Peter/Guido probably laid some money on the Jets and won’t pay up. BBC’s version is far superior, but this is good, trashy fun.
Yeah, “bill collector” – I don’t know, but I get bill collectors all the time who threaten to do me harm and, in turn, whom I call wannabe gangstas and throw to the floor.
Another thing – an Italian restaurant that had NO FAMILY DINING options on the menu at all?! I’ve never gone to a “real” Italian restaurant that didn’t have a family dining at least for some dishes on the menu. The fact that the family acted as if they’d never even thought of that before made me wonder, just who the heck are these people and why are they running an Italian restaurant?!
I actually didn’t mind that Ramsay wasn’t the centerpiece of last night’s show as much as I thought I would. I too tune into HK for the creative expletives and stylized abuse/humiliation of “donkeys”
But it’s not like he wasn’t cursing last night. It was a lot more casual and I think the reason he took such a secondary role is because he could afford to. That Italian family was WAY too much, starting with Peter the Godfather/GoodFellas reject. Then you had the older, hot-headed head chef, the wiseguy-looking sous chef (how funny was that guy?) and the put upon wait staff and co-owner.
This ep didn’t NEED a heavy dose of Ramsay.
I love the British version of the show. I enjoyed last night’s episode, even if it was a little too heavily edited. That mobster wannabe was a hoot !
Love the BBC version (didn’t watch Hell’s Kitchen until after I saw the British Nightmares) and this new US version isn’t bad. I’ll keep watching! (I really like that you get to see his softer side, as well as his in your face, swearing side.)
The BBC version is *SO* much better…but I love GR so I’m still gonna watch. Last night’s episode just seemed v.v. scripted to me. What I like about GR is that he worked extremely hard to get where he is & he does seem to genuinely care about making these restaurants work.
Now I know that some Reality TV shows are real…I live in this town and vowed never to go to this piece of crap nice looking buffoonery of a restaurant again…the last time I was there we had horrible service, asked for the owner who ran and hid in the kitchen (orange gansta wannabee), the waitress (now owner) said to us as we were leaving ” Whatya just say about my brutha?”…so I hurled a snowball at front door…..too bad..I hope Gordon really helped…
I wish the US version would let Gordon do the narrative voiceover, like he does for the UK version. Is Fox afraid we won’t understand his accent? Come on. And I am much more interested in watching how the menu gets revamped, how the dining room gets overhauled, how the staff gets retrained instead of focusing on any mega-personality individual restauranteurs. BBC version wins, hands down.
It was just f—–g brillant it really was i love it
I like my GR to be the most abrasive character on the show…this GR must be a cut-rate clone.