How FOX Ruined "Kitchen Nightmares"

Let me begin by saying that I was beyond excited to hear that FOX was going to be airing a U.S. version of the BBC's "Kitchen Nightmares", a show that over the course of this summer became a staple in our household. Featuring chef Gordon Ramsay (of FOX's bombastic "Hell's Kitchen"), the show follows the famed chef to various failing restaurants throughout Europe, where he works a kind of tough love magic and brings them miraculously back to a profitable life. The show is -- dare I say it? -- heartwarming, but not in a cheesy or cloying way, and Ramsay comes off as a much more complex and likable character than his red and shrieking "Hell's Kitchen" incarnation. He's a benevolent dictator, an asshole with a heart of gold if you will, and someone who quite clearly has the restaurant owners best interests at heart. All of this makes for great viewing, and I couldn't wait to see the show play out here in the states using the same formula as the BBC offering.

But, of course, FOX had to go and f%*k it all up. STUPID FOX.

Never known for subtlety, the FOX network clearly took one look at the original "Kitchen Nightmares" and decided it needed to cram it into some sort of awful, hyped-up Makeover Show template they contrived to make it suitable for the U.S. market. Ridiculous and wrong-headed changes to the show include:

1. A total absence of Ramsay's informative, insightful narration throughout the show. Instead he occasionally barks empty asides at the camera, Jerry Springer style.

2. Little-to-no coverage of the details involved in the Ramsay-instituted menu changes, including how the new menu items are cooked and how the kitchen learns to produce them (in the BBC show a great deal of attention is paid to following the development and execution of a new, corrective menu for the restaurant, and its a very fun and interesting process to watch).

3. Perhaps worst of all, a new "Extreme Makeover: Kitchen Edition"-type edge, thankfully absent from the original: in the first episode of the FOX show, the kitchen in question returns one morning to find that Ramsay had a team working through the night building them a completely new kitchen, with new appliances, stoves, tools, etcetera. (Incidentally, this is the point in watching the FOX version where my husband -- a fan of the BBC show -- bolted from the room in disgust.) This turn is completely at odds with what made the original show great: that while Ramsay would give the restauranteurs and kitchen staff he dealt with guidance, advice, and a good swift kick in the pants when needed, he made THEM do the work to make it right. And that right there was what made the show so exciting: watching these restaurant workers band together and raise themselves -- and their workplace, by extension -- up from the depths of despair and ruin. Stupid FOX.

4. Finally, the FOX show fails to do one last, very important thing: unlike the BBC show, it doesn't follow up with the restaurants to see how they fared after the show-induced changes were implemented. In the original program, Ramsay would return weeks later to check in on the refurbished eateries, a moment filled with anxious anticipation: Is the place still open? Did they keep the new menu, or return to their, bad old ways? Are they bringing the customers in now? Did they fire that slack-ass chef? All good questions that the audience deserves to have answered. DO YOU HEAR ME, FOX?

So that's that. Ruined. Why did I even allow myself to think that FOX might be able to get this one thing right without turning it into some kind of ludicrous, flash-without-substance spectacle? Blarrgh.

The good news is that BBC America is still showing reruns of their "Kitchen Nightmares" almost daily. So do be sure to check out the delicious and nutritious BBC version, and skip the heartburn-inducing FOX atrocity. Bon appetite!

Comments

[Bethany]

I totally agree! We were so disappointed. Also, those bill collector fights had to be staged- the restaurant guy couldn't even keep a straight face.

A great show ruined.

[Nic]

I'm glad to hear that the original is better, I haven't seen it. I caught part of the show the other night and it was just a stereotypical "helpful" reality show. Nothing special. I was bummed because I love Gordon Ramsay.

[Michele]

Glad to see we weren't the only ones disappointed with the FOX version of Kitchen Nightmares.

There were so many WTF!?! moments while watching that show. Uhh .. so apparently people want to eat family style and doing that will solve all of your problems - like that pesky bill collector who keeps showing up as if on cue.

I wonder if Gordon Ramsay got pissed off when he saw what FOX had done to his brilliant show. I'd love to see that yelling-fest.

[mortimersmom]

I am SOOOO with you on this! Also, did they have to find the biggest A-hole ever as the first restaurateur? I mean, some of the British ones were pretty annoying, but this guy was just such a cartoon, it made the whole think totally fake and scripted.

[Sarah]

I agree with everyone. I was excited about this because I watch the british version all the time. Well I was watching tv that night with a bunch of my friends, we always watch ANTM together but tyras big forehead and big ego is another story, and they had never seen the British version. I kept interjecting the whole time we were watching it going, man they messed this show up, and telling how it's done in the british version.

Overall, very disappointed. I knew it was going to be slightly different and I'm sure FOX was worried that Americans wouldn't get Gordon's harsh manner, instead just finding him mean but still, they tweaked every essential detail of the show which all combined makes it an entirely different show then what it was. I'm suprised Ramsey isn't upset about their "adaptions" to the show He seems like the kind of person who wouldn't just take a check and give up full control, letting the execs do whatever they wanted but maybe he is. Sad.

[LauraJT77]

I agree. I was upset about the changes made as well. I thought Ramsey did not deal with that a- hole like he would normally have. I thought he normally would have kicked that guy out of the business and really told him off. That guy was disgusting. I had a lot of trouble watching him. He was in hock up to his a#$ and had "bill collectors" stalking him. Meanwhile he had fake tan, custom $3000.oo suits, rolex and a BMW. And he was stealing from the restaurant!Did anyone else see when he pushed his Dad to the ground during his big tantrum? He was so selfish I was upset Gordon did not deal with those awful behaviors.

[jamie]

From the husband that bolted: I loved how on the BBC show some of the restaurants _had not_ improved or had _further declined_ when Ramsey did his check up. Nothing builds the "will they make it" suspense like knowing it doesn't always work, duh. The US show will become, "how loud will he yell this week," and "what new shiny things will I see."

And not to get to philosophical and shit, but I LOVE the American myth of underdogs working their asses off to make it. In the BBC show, Ramsey would help them buy a new stove from a friend of his by getting them a deal -- but you felt like the restaurant was buying it with their own money (I'm fine if that is an illusion)... remember the episode on the BBC one where Ramsey is trying to sell the vanity plate off the guys car AND the car, too?

I know that "work hard" thing is often a self-aggrandizing myth (Ben Franklin, Andrew Carnegie), but it really happens, too. Why fuck up one of the best chances to show off that myth? Restaurants are the #1 failing businesses in America -- what better place to show that pluck and entrepreneurial (sp?) daring that we like to pretend is the backbone of our citizenry? I guess we could import that backbone into our citizenry by giving the hard-ass-working illegal immigrants citizen status, huh?

[leslie]

See, I like both shows. But then I wasn't expecting Fox to keep the BBC formula - they have to cater to their audience, and unfortunately, Americans have little patience for a format including a narrative throughout. I wasn't surprised it was gone, though I did miss it.

I do agree wholeheartedly that the follow up is essential though - I was hoping they'd leave that in.

Did anyone else find Fox's camera time for the buffoon of a brother irritating as well? I wanted to know more about the chick who actually owned the restaurant. Like how someone that milquetoasty would ever be able to keep it running smoothly without firing that dumbass brother.

[Chloe]

I'm so glad that other people have the same opinion of the Fox version! I've been watching the BBC version for years now, and even got my hubby hooked on it. We sat down to watch the new show and ended up staring slack-jawed at the tv - and not in a good way :-P

[Foxhill]

Just to point out that the original is made by Channel 4 and not the BBC. It's aired on BBC America yes, but this channel is a collection of programmes made by all four main free-to-air channels - BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4.

[christopher]

I couldn't agree more! The BBC version of the show is much better. I still watch the US version because its all I readily have access to but it is just over sensationalized with the mood setting music and the cookie cutter plot. I hope FOX makes the next season better.

Chloe - thanks for the info. I'll be excited if we get one of those channels.

[christopher]

ah, name goes under the comment. Credit goes to Foxhill, not Chloe.

[Scott Hardin]

Amen,

The BBC version is wonderfully complex. The Fox version uses every kitchy cliche used in American Reality TV and does to Ramsay's show what Stoufers does to good cooking.

[greg]

Thank god I found this article I couldn't agree any more. My one roommate and I tape the bbc version daily and have seen almost every episode. Last night we found the american version online on fox's website. We started with one episode where the dining room was redone, the head waiter was an ***hole but they wouldn't fire and ramsay would hardly yell at him, the voice over wasn't even ramsay's! furthermore we were convinced the part where the head waiter flipped out at the end did not actually take place while customers were there, but through crafty editing appeared that way. disappointed we decided to give it another chance and watch another, but unfortionatly the next episode we watched was the Italian one with the extremely pampas north jersey ****head of a head waiter. Not only did they redo the kitchen for free paid by fox i suppose, but they showed nothing about ramsay redoing the menu, focused on the constantly annoying drama and interviews, the episode was unwatchable and we had to slam his computer shut before it was even over in pure disgust. Fox has destroyed the show beyond belief, I feel bad for anyone who watched this after never seeing the great BBC version. we vowed to not only never watch the ramsay usa version again, but to never watch a single show on fox ever again