Cauchemar en cuisine : Avec Gordon Ramsay (version U.K)

Every, (mostly) episode is the same. We see a restaurant in chaos, Ramsay turns up, orders, some slip arrives as his criticises everything and sends it back.

Then he goes into the kitchen, shouting and swearing at everyone. Looking for dirt, mouldy food etc.

Quite often someone gets fired, he observes a service and the chaos, exasperated by the pressure of him being in the kitchen, one again raising his voice causing more mistakes and anxiety.

He normally then shuts the place down, giving the restaurant a free makeover worth thousands - is that the hidden motive of these restaurants?

It's always the same, simplify the menu as he slaps his palm on his hand, "Simple, beautiful food". I think I've only seen one that he walked away from?

I'm sure he's got into a proper fight and been knocked out, or at least a bloodied nose. Shouting through his hands at owners, he bullies and abuses the owners of failing restaurants before turning into the nice guy, only occasionally being called out like Amy in the bakery

It's an hour of guilty pleasures, but if you have seen one, you have mainly seen them all.

While I do enjoy seeing angry humans completely meltdown, this hideously contrived show is nothing more than a vessel to display what a perfect specimen of an alpha male Gordon Ramsey is, as he coddles pretty waitresses and undermines everyone who has the temerity to assume a position of power.

I don't usually watch "reality" shows, because quite frankly, they are not real. I have enjoyed this one though, I'm sure there is some staged stuff in it, but it seems to be minimal. I work in the restaurant business myself, so I really appreciate all the things Gordon Ramsay is saying and trying to get these people to do. Once again, I could be completely wrong, but I get the impression that he really does want these places to succeed. Also, I even find myself rooting for these chefs and restaurants that he is working with, to succeed. Overall, a very good watch, I would say.

Really outdid themselves with the UK version. Don't even bother with the American KN, loses all semblance of personality and charm the UK version has. It's so personal and stylistic, Gordon really cares about the restaurants he helps instead of the US where he practically does all the work to get a restaurant out of the rut.

Only weeks before the more mainstream 'Hell's Kitchen' came along, this one-hour, 4-part documentary series on Channel 4 was a real unexpected treat for viewers, particularly for jaded ones such as myself, tired at the whole cringe worthy "celebrity chef" genre.

Grizzly chef Gordon Ramsey travelled around Britain, each week visiting a different restaurant that was struggling to make money, serve decent food etc. In his now-famous way, Gordon would shout, swear & threaten the incompetent chefs at the restaurants, warn the restaurant owners that they will go out of business if they don't put their foot down & try & turn their fortunes around, help out in the kitchen, & promptly criticise anyone who had the guts to disagree with him on any sort of decision he made.

Seeing Mr. Ramsay tear into young upstarts, arrogant owners & generally anyone who got in his way, made for fascinating television, but it was also pleasant to see that, more often than not, the help Gordon had provided made a lot of difference, & that the restaurant began attracting more customers & serving better food.

No doubt there will be a second series of 'Hell's Kitchen' on ITV1 next year, but I would also like to see this show recommissioned as well. Not as glamorous as seeing celebrity chefs whinge at each other in a glorified TV studio, but 'Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares' was the best cookery-related show to come out in a long, long time