Currently, we have superstar chef Gordon Ramsay as host and berater of FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. We also have him as host of the British version of Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay’s F Word on BBC America. So, do we need to see any more of the verbally abusive chef who we never see actually cook anything?
Apparently we do. FOX has decided to bring over the Masterchef concept from jolly ol’ England to air in America because, frankly, we don’t have enough cooking shows out there that start or end with Master. The show will be hosted by Ramsay, who will challenge everyday backyard BBQers, homemakers, and folks who can’t boil water to prepare delicious dishes on their way to becoming a MasterChef. As with Ramsay’s 500 other shows, he’ll gently put these innocent folks through their paces to create amazing, culinary creations. That, or he’ll make them crying heaps of Jello.
When you have folks like Regis Philbin, Drew Carey or, dare I say it, Ryan Seacrest monopolizing blocks of primetime programming, it isn’t a big deal. Normally, they’re innocuous enough that they don’t bother the average viewer. When you give someone like Ramsay multiple blocks of programming time, it’s a different story. It’s not like he’s really that much different between Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares; he’s pretty acerbic on both shows. Adding a third show where he freely insults the contestants is reaching saturation levels.
On top of that, does television really need another cooking competition show? Between Bravo and Food Network it seems that the whole genre is filled up with Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Next Iron Chef, Next Food Network Star, Food Network Challenge, Chopped, and Kate Gosselin Plus 8 Cooks (you know, so she can keep milking her television appearances). Is the country really ready to watch Billy Bob Joetom, who normally grills whatever he can find on the road while wearing an “I’m with Dick Cheney” apron, whip up beef tenderloin in a white wine cream sauce with grilled Raddichio, while Gordon berates him about his body odor? Well, when you put it that way….
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Nov 04, 2009 @ 16:07 EST5EDT
Yes and ONLY yes if they actually show “Billy Bob Joetom, who normally grills whatever he can find on the road while wearing an “I’m with Dick Cheney” apron, whip up beef tenderloin in a white wine cream sauce with grilled Raddichio, while Gordon berates him about his body odor?”
I don’t know. I like Gordon. I know that his schtick is yelling at people, but I don’t think it’s forced. I think he has just gotten a lot of air time and publicity because of it so we can blame the Brits for putting him on TV. We Americans just happened to notice and stole him. If that’s what gets ratings, then so be it.
I agree with you about the saturation of food contest shows. It’s just an accomplishment for me not to burn something let alone create a five-course Indian feast in two hours.