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22 comments in total

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31 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Finally, A Good Reality Show!, 14 June 2005
Author: MPenn64 from United States

After watching reality shows like Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, The Ashlee Simpson Show, Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, and other pointless reality shows, i thought the reality show genre has sunk to a new low. Hell's Kitchen is one of those reality shows you can't take your eyes off. The Main chef, Gordon Ramsay, is always angry and looks miserable (it is said that he is worse than Simon Cowell), the wannabe chefs look and act like amateurs, and so far every episode shows how bad these people are at cooking and taking orders(with the exception of two or three people). I don't know and i really don't care if this reality show is actually real, but it will certainly get your attention. If you haven't seen this show you should try watching it and you may be addicted to it as I am.

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26 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
You want to look away, but you can't!, 30 May 2005
Author: Tony-B4 from Washington DC area

Two teams compete for an ultimate prize, but this isn't "Survivor" or "The Apprentice".

The prize is a restaurant for the winner to operate. And Chef Ramsay isn't a mere host like Jeff Probst, nor a hands-off boss like Donald Trump. He's with the contestants all evening, as they attempt to operate their restaurant, "Hell's Kitchen". He serves as the order co-coordinator, with final say on whether dishes are presentable. And if one dish in an order isn't acceptable, back the whole order goes. He grating and foul-mouthed, and almost brings the contestants to tears. He's more drill instructor than chef at times, berating those who aren't performing well. Customers aren't immune to Ramsay's temper; he'll yell and curse at patrons who dare to "speak to the chef".

You feel so bad for those getting the brunt of Ramsay's wrath; you want to look away, but you can't. It's an interesting twist to the elimination-style "reality" show.

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24 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
Hell's Kitchen, 25 July 2005
Author: Alex Haladay from United States

I hate reality shows. Always have and I probably always will. Hated Survivor since the 1st 5 seconds I watched of it. Came off as corny. Was forced to watch it again because my friends were addicts of it and that didn't change my opinion of it. The FOX goes and makes 20 of these every season. Remember Murder in Small town X or ever it was called? Cancelled after what, 2 episodes. Point is, the reality show is over done, specially the reality game show.

This said, I liked Hell's Kitchen. For once the contestants are involved with something that the viewers can relate to, working in a hot kitchen with a boss yelling down at us every chance he gets. The "we can relate" factor is very high in this show.

And Ramsey may be an jerk in the kitchen, but i get a little smile every time a customer is yelled at by him. It can warm the heart of anyone one that has had to deal with customers in a restaurant or retail job.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Where do they get these contestants?, 10 August 2007

Author: DKOSTY from United States

As a rule I am not a fan of reality TV. What makes this show go with me is Gordon Ramsey. He is very very good at his role on this.

Where do they get these contestants? I don't think any of the ones on the latest installment should win anything. I'd think there must be better people than this show comes up with.

The best on the show usually gets tossed & some of the worst I could do more around the kitchen than these losers & it has been 30 years since I was a hospital short order cook!

We have princesses who want run a place but have no ambition to do any labor themselves. We have ego maniacs who think they are the world when I can't even understand why they even qualify to collect garbage. I am Glad when Ramsey lashes into them.

At least when Ramsey gets rid of some these losers, he doesn't always say "this is a tough decision." That is because sometimes it is a no Briney.

Still, I do find enjoyment in watching Ramsey go through these paring them down to find a winner. Wish they can find him better candidates in future seasons.

"Get out of Hell's Kitchen!" If you don't like that concept, then go cook for yourself. I may not have cooked for many years, but I never took food out of the garbage.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Two things you need to know about the show, 21 June 2008
Author: sj2571 from Australia

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

These are not spoilers, but my personal opinion: (1) The guests have been invited to eat in the restaurant, possibly without having to pay, and knowing full well that they may not get their meal and that they are being filmed for a TV show. (2) Gordon's history and reputation has been briefed to the cooks, so know what they signed up for and how he will treat them. They then agree to appear on the show anyway.

So, don't feel sorry for either when watching -- they all know what they're in for. Some people here have commented that the show is fake and so on, but it's really just due to the two items above that make it feel that way.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Yes, a Reality Show CAN be entertaining!, 9 July 2008

Author: ij-holmes from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Hell's Kitchen isn't a show about learning how to cook well. It isn't a How-to show in cooking. The whole appeal is in Gordon Ramsay tearing people apart. Either you enjoy that aspect of the show, or you don't. It's an acquired taste (no pun intended).

Ramsay's purpose is not to teach people how to cook better; he assumes their ability in the cooking department is already exceptional. He is taking them a step further by teaching them to work as a team and, at the end of the season, work in a position of power in the kitchen. The show is very successful when you take into account what it is attempting to do (other than make money, which it is still successful at). It places these already incredible chefs in a situation of becoming more than a great cook, which is why the focus is not on the food but the people.

Without Ramsay, however, this show would be yawn-worthy: he adds a certain spice to it (ok, that was intended) that any other reality/chef show can't hope to compete with. For a reality show, it certainly isn't a disappointing romp, and if you were bored at 9:00 on your Tuesday nights (like me) it certainly had its appeal.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful experiences, 9 February 2008

Author: gideonlp from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I am not sure if this is a spoiler, but since I give a way the winners, it must be. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the first season. I just had to get the second, and the third. Like many others, it is hard for me to conceive of these contestants actually running these big hotel facilities. However, it is obviously being done with the one woman in Season 2. I thought in season 1 that the winner gave up the chance for his own restaurant in exchange for a chance to go to London and work with Gordon, to become a super chef. In Season 3, he is shown running his own restaurant. All in all I am looking forward to season 4, and 5 if they do go. I fully recommend it.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Hell Is Only Entertaining When It Is In A Kitchen With A British Guy Who Curses Every Other Word (SPOILERS), 7 June 2007

Author: MovieGuyTay-7-G from Minnesota

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

SPOILERS

It is reality competition month on television and there are a lot of mediocre shows. So You Think You Can Dance, Pirate Master, and a lot more. There are a few good shows, though. On the Lot, and this, Hell's Kitchen, are the best. When I first heard the idea for Hell's Kitchen I thought the premise will never make it. Well, Gordan Ramsey made the show great. He yells every five seconds and swears every two seconds. He makes it so darn entertaining!

Here is the basis. Several amateur shows compete to see who can open a multi-million dollar restaurant. The only problem they face is Gordan Ramsey. Every week they divide into two teams and try to serve people at a real restaurant. Gordan then decides the winning team. The winning team do something fun, while the losers work. One person is eliminated each week until they have a winner, who can open their own restaurant. The first season's winner was this tattooed guy, the second season's winner was Heather.

Overall, this is actually a really fun and tense reality. Dare I say this is one of the best reality shows out there? Okay, I will say it. This is definitely one of the greatest reality shows ever. Not the greatest, but it comes really close. This has what a reality show should have. Exciting moments, tense moments, a winner that deserves to win, and a British guy. Anyway, this is a fantastic reality show.

8/10

Recommended Shows: American Idol, America's Got Talent.

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
I am pretty happy with the winner!, 2 August 2005
Author: potterface from Canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I so knew Michael was gonna win, believe me it was no shock. After watching the first episode after nanny911, I am VERY pleased with the show. I love chef Ramzi, because he is so mean but inside he is so nice, at first through the whole thing I was rooting for Eilsey. I cannot believe everyone voted her off, I was so mad. Everyone was jealous just because she got to cook on morning television. I loved her, but overall, I am happy that Michael won last night, he's an amazing chef. I, personally, hate Ralph. He's such a cocky guy, he thinks he has an advantage over Michael, nope he doesn't. Michael won fair and square, and Ralph is still cocky. I think Michael, did an amazing job sabotaging him, and taking Jessica, but I was sure Jessica would try to sabotage Michael, plus have I mentioned I love Dewberry? Thanks for reading, Krista

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4 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Put together like trash, but it's top notch guilty pleasure entertainment, 19 August 2007
Author: howTVshouldbe from star range: 1 - 4, expanded to 5 for classics

Network: Fox; Genre: Reality, Game; Content Rating: TV-14 (strong language, mostly edited); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: Season 3

Had this been written about season one of "Hell's Kitchen" it would have been a completely different review. Still reeling from the reality series hostile takeover, I was un-amused by British tornado Chef Gordon Ramsey's blood-vessel bursting tantrums over food and sadistic treatment of his would-be chefs. A treatment that was a perfect metaphor for the way Fox was abusing it's own viewers.

But flash-forward to season 3 and Chef Gordon Ramsey and his team of inept contestants have grown on me. "Hell's Kitchen" is every bit a reality show and all that that implies. You've seen it before, but this time in a kitchen. Teams of chefs – divided by gender "Apprentice"-style – live in suites by night and compete in cooking tasks by day. Tasks like designing their own menu, cooking for an elementary school, turning traditional dishes into cuisine or blind taste tests of their palette. Each time a team looses, people are picked to eliminate and Ramsey picks one to be kicked off. And yes, like any reality/competition the most talented contestants are kicked off for something insignificant so that the most interesting personalities can be standing in the final rounds. No doubt, Ramsey is just as shrew about audience interest as Simon Cowell.

But there is a fiendishly entertaining bent to "Kitchen" that only Gordon Ramsey can deliver. A sadism to the high school reminiscent eliminations that is only bubbling cynically under the surface of other reality shows. When Ramsey eliminates people he tells them to "f*** off" then smacks their chef's jacket on a meat hook with a Leatherface-like zeal. It's hard to deny how entertaining it is watching Ramsey scream obscenities at the more inept contestants, shoving food in their face and putting together a string of expletives involving Risotto and Wellington so creative it demands an uncensored DVD release. The show does say a few things about the love and creativity of cooking, but that get pretty buried under it's hyper-sensory reality series excesses. Ramsey has taken this one-note act and spun it into quite a career.

This is not TV for the drive-by viewer looking for something to make them feel good after a day at work. It will be too stressful, too sweat-inducing, too claustrophobic and manipulative. Like any reality show it trusts the audience is stupid and is crammed with unnecessary narration and flashbacks of events we just saw 30 seconds ago. The cooking and elimination action is put together with the ridiculousness of an overblown Michael Bay film, and yet the "world-is-at-stake" action movie music and quick cuts to horrified faces doesn't fail to send up a giddy tickle of guilty pleasure entertainment in my belly.

I wouldn't be surprised to see "Hell's Kitchen" on a list of the worst shows of the year by the HBO-loving, "American Idol" cow-towing media. But I'll take Ramsey's hysterical wrath on inept contestants over reality shows that reach further to mean something any day. This is solid mindless entertainment of the first order.

* * * /4

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