It's been a big year for Gordon Ramsay in Australia. After several of his shows aired and flopped (most notably Hells Kitchen) mere months before, out of nowhere, there was an extreme and sudden surge of interest in the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares.
Popularity
was so high, that Channel Nine (an ailing network at that point in
time) made the rather brash move of airing Ramsay-Related products four
nights of the week. And, it worked, with Ramsay fever spreading to
every part of the Australian nation.
So, after the genuinely enjoyable and realistic experience of Kitchen Nightmares, it's kind of sad to see that the USA version turn this gem into little more than The Simple Life meets Survivor.
Any of the real emotions that made the original series so engrossing
are replaced here with 'wacky' noises and 'zany unrelated cut aways'.
Sure - that might cut it with a show like The Osbournes or The Simple Life
where producers are desperate to create some sense of emotion or action
out of nothing - but there really is no need for it with the tension
and drama that naturally occurs within the Kitchen Nightmares formula.
That said, Kitchen Nightmares USA
still delivers a good deal of the charm that made the UK version such a
sensation. The key really is how much Gordon Ramsay dislikes the
arrogant chefs and how dirty the restaurants are - and it's when
characters like that rear their ugly head that the show is at it's best.
There
are some rip-snorters on offer during the first series, nothing beating
the "French Pig" encountered at The Secret Garden. Ramsay's explosive
rant must be seen to be believed.
Well worth checking out,
despite it being a weaker format than it's UK cousin (the US series
doesn't really follow up on each restaurants success/failure like the
UK version either), but most importantly it is strangely addictive
viewing and should be experienced at any cost.
One of the best shows on TV.
EXTRAS
The
review copy we recieved didn't include any extras - but, to be honest,
it's hard to think of what sort of extras are really needed for a
series like this.
Even without extras, it's a pretty solid release which is worth checking out if you have the time.
Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: N/A
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