BravoBoardBoss
March 15, 2006 - 03:17 PM
What do you think about the judges and their decisions? Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts here!
argot
March 15, 2006 - 06:24 PM
Quote:
What do you think about the judges and their decisions? Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts here!
All I can say is that these judges (if they ever read these boards) are going to dislike argot quite a bit before this is all said and done (assuming that they will keep me interested long enough to bash them).
TheStig
March 15, 2006 - 07:10 PM
IMO, Ken was railroaded out partly because of attitude but mostly because he talked back to Keller. He did ask a valid question but didn't word it properly and so was thought of as argumentative, even rude by Colicchio. Maybe, maybe not. Ken's a character to be sure and hopefully he's learned something though I'm sure this isn't the first time he's gotten into trouble for his mouth. When you're the recognized "best at something" you can get away with it but when you're not, "shut up and cook." He should live by his own words.
But there was definitely something going on as Keller thought highly only of those contestants who performed well in his Q/F challenge.
rickrack
March 15, 2006 - 08:05 PM
I think my reply under the Show Heading should have been in this category. It was inappropriate for Tim Colicchio to not have told the chef that there was an ice cream maker available unless all the chefs were given a list of all the appliances that would be in the kitchen. Mr. Colicchio is trying to split time between being a judge and being "Tim Gunn." You can't do both. The judge from Food & Wine needs to become more comfortable in front of the camera. Her responses come out 'clipped' and it reduces your confidence in her knowledge of food. She should watch some of Nina best episodes from Project Runway. The best judge on the 'Sexy Food' episode was the chef from Citizen Cake.
gracehatter
March 15, 2006 - 08:09 PM
That remains to be seen, but is it me or is there something slightly stilted and unsettling about Kathy Joel's voice? I can't put my finger on what it is but it reminds me of something...and it's not pleasant.
notatool
March 15, 2006 - 08:42 PM
it seems to me that the judges are of no real consequence. If anyone has taken the time to read the quick disclaimer at the end of the show (exactly the same as runway) The producers have the final say in who stays and who goes. So in the end it's not about who made the best food, it's about who makes the most drama and so far it's following the exact script as project runway. I think they have a personality sheet that they fill out to find the same people only now they cook!
I knew the hippy chick was getting the boot because an old lady who swears alot and has a father with cancer has better ratings than the cute hippie...The producers will leave the snotty wine twit, a gay, and a straight for the final three because it covers the demographics of the show.
Don't be a tool.
deezee
March 15, 2006 - 10:30 PM
how about rating the supposed host..mrs. billy joel? can someome buy her a personality please? she can hardly read the cue cards. let's pray she doesn't have to adlib. what a bore!
Michelle_Knife
March 15, 2006 - 11:23 PM
I want to like this show, but there's very little personality in the judges and the main host is like cardboard. She doesn't inspire the contestants at all and listening to her voice is like listening to public access television. The most distracting effect is her voice overs. We could start to tell in PR that Heidi's voice was recorded later to fill in the critique flow, but it was minimal. In this case, it's like someone put her and the other judge in a dead room to record them in a deadpan tone and then cut these lines in without any finesse. The most exciting times I've had working in a kitchen were with chefs with strong personalities. The chef in the first challenge was tough and engaging. He commanded respect. None of these judges command respect.
pwaikiki
March 16, 2006 - 02:22 AM
Spot on, Michelle.
tygerlilli
March 16, 2006 - 04:07 AM
So far, Mrs. Billy Joel makes Heidi Klum sound like she's Meryl Streep!
tunisianswife
March 16, 2006 - 06:38 AM
Oh dear God....not another Heidi Klum".........that is what I thought when I saw the first episode with Mrs. Joel. Is she a snore or what? Couldn't Bravo do any better with this show? This woman puts me to sleep. What is her experience with food? All I could see written in her vitae is that she "had a love of food from an early age"....well didn't we all!??? Come on Bravo....you could do better. I can't stand to listen to that dead monotone voice of hers. She needs to pack her knives!
I like Tom...think he is sexy cute as well. I do love his grins he gives out...I always wonder what he is thinking as he is doing his walk-around while the chefs are working out their projects in the kitchen. Wish they would add more of what he is thinking to the show.
For some reason, there doesn't seem to be enough critique...just very short commentary when they are judged. I seem to get more commentary from the blogs than I do from watching the show.
I did like Chef Hubert (sp) from the first show as guest judge...he had the most commentary.
Although I want to be entertained, I want to learn too, as I love to cook and bake. We can only see the food...they are the ones tasting it...so I wish there would be more commentary on how things tasted so we would know.
foodie19
March 16, 2006 - 10:00 AM
First of all, I dont' think any of these chefs KNEW what a fetish shop was. Maybe Tifanni...but most of them didn't get it. I thought most of the desserts were boring. I know most of the chefs didn't want to be raunchy, but they weren't even sexy! The chef from Citizen Cake was right to point out that this was a cocktail party, and most of the food created by the competitors was not user friendly. Tiffani had the best idea, but apparently it was awful to taste. I don't know, I didn't get to taste it. I thought for sure the hot chic-name escapes me- would have taken the opportunity to put the food on herself and use herself as the display. It would have improved her boring 'lingerie drawer.' And her idea was one of the sexier ones in the competition!
I find myself watching this like a train wreck...can't stop watching. Oh, and I do want to smack lil' Miss Joel. Some one get a vocal coach PLEASE!
RockysMom
March 16, 2006 - 12:47 PM
The entire show needs some pizzazz. I found myself dozing throughout until I finally missed who won & lost. I will give it another week. I sure hope it picks up the pace.
TheSherm
March 16, 2006 - 02:11 PM
Go back and reread the disclaimer. Yes, the producers do have some input. They don't make the final decision. The same disclaimer appears on Project Runway.
btw, I'm not anyones tool. If I like something I watch it. If I don't like it I won't. To believe that everyone is being manipulated is a skewed world view IMHO.
metaregina
March 16, 2006 - 03:51 PM
This show is definately missing something ... and that something is a MENTOR! A Tim Gunn type of someone to critique the contestants and to HELP them. I apologize, for I have not yet memorized the names of people on the show. But why couldn't that bald dude show the guy making ice-cream where the ice-cream machine was?? He just goes from person to person, sometimes making faces, but never giving useful input. It really bothers me.
lexi11
March 16, 2006 - 04:34 PM
This show has the potential to be really good-- the contestants are lively and aggressive enough. So what is the problem? THE JUDGES. Gail is the worst-- she is totally wooden has zero affectation...it is painfully obvious she is just reading a teleprompter like a robot. They should replace her immediately to heat this show up a little.
Second-Tim Colicchio is a dud as well. He is also wooden, offers little input to the contestants, and is incredibly boring whenever he does have something to say.
The elimination part is so stagey too-- one judge recites one lame sentence to one contestant, the next judge recites another lame sentence to the next, etc. There's barely any constructive criticism or challenges to the contestants from the judges. Where's the conversation aspect, the invitation for debate between judge and contestant that is so memorable and enjoyable in Project Runway?
More excited, confrontational, less camera-aware and scripted judges, and this could be a real hit.
MarissaAriana
March 16, 2006 - 06:14 PM
Personally, my most difficult thing to deal with on the show is that we only have the commentary of the judges to let us know what the food is really like... and they don't really say much. The guest judges have more productive input then the two who host the show. I kinda wish they would put out recipes for more then just the winners so that the viewers could see what really went into the other contestants dishes (this would give a clue to technique as well as the flavor of the dish). As of now all I have to go on is presentation and looks can be deceptive (Stephen's fruit cups sounded like the flavor combos would be disgusting and Tiffani's cookies looked fun and interactive but Mrs S. said were horrible). It's up to the judges to help us with what really tasted good or bad because we can't try any of it ourselves and I don't get any of that from the hosts.
Marissa
heyheyhey
March 16, 2006 - 06:35 PM
yea! Why wouldnt he tell harold where the ice cream machine was!
wheres the tim gunn figure
honestly, i think all the judges on this show take themselves a BIT too seriously, at least heidi and tim gunn could have a laugh and actually relate to the contestants.
maybe its something about chefs?
Sharla
March 16, 2006 - 08:02 PM
Well.....last night I was just a bit creeped out by Madame Bondage as a judge. I know the challenge...blah, blah, blah. And yet, I felt the show won't be seen as credible or having any dignity if it continues with the gimmicky judging.
tunisianswife
March 17, 2006 - 06:44 AM
I totally agree with you metaregina. They need a mentor like Tim Gunn. I was very disheartened by Tom's not telling Harold about the ice cream maker. Tim Gunn would have NEVER done that. I know this is not PR, but come on.
Wow, I've read all these threads about the judges and it seems like we all are on the same page here.
Mrs. Joel....argggh. I don't want to even type my feelings on that wooden puppet.
We all seem to agree that there is not enough interaction and debate between the judges/contestants.
We all seem to agree that they need to step it up a little. We want to be entertained but would like to really get to know the dishes that are being served...not just a camera shot here and there and a one-liner to describe what it was all about.
My biggest hope is that they will not renew Mrs. Joel's contract for next season. If you read my posts, I am not a very critical person but I cannot help being critical of her. Again I will repeat, did they not screen test her first?????
As far as that last judge of episode 2, she apparently is very well known in the pastry arena. She runs a very successful cake business in S.F.
It would be nice to see people like Emeril, Sarah Molten, Nick Malgierri, Jacque Papan, etc. be guest judges, but they all are probably very, very busy. A few mentioned have their own shows. I am assuming that it is probably a little easier to have people that are well-known chefs there in San Francisco.
I did read that one of the guest judges will be Ted? Allen from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
dogabone
March 17, 2006 - 07:41 AM
I must say something about Tom's and Gail's blogs. Doesn't anyone at Bravo proofread them before they're posted? Except for a missing period, Gail's wasn't bad (she is a journalist, after all), but Tom's was nearly impossible to read. It's bad enough when viewers post without previewing their posts for errors--and even worse when they simply have no grasp of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage--but the judges should have a bit more time to look over their blogs before they are uploaded to the site.
Although there was the occasional gaffe, for the most part, I did not have this kind of chronic problem with Tim Gunn's blogs.
tunisianswife
March 17, 2006 - 08:35 AM
wow, you are very astute! I didn't notice but will have to go back and read again. I agree that they should take a little time to preview before they post. lol
I do enjoy reading their blogs. I think I get more out of the blogs than I do from their time on the show judging. I think that further reinforces what many of us think thus far regarding the judges: they are too stiff and maybe a bit uncomfortable in front of the camera. Once they have time to digest the episode, their real take on it comes out in their blogs. With time, maybe they will be a bit more comfortable and spontaneous on camera.
I didn't understand Gail's blog on segment II. Was she suggesting that these were her ideas of sexy desserts? I didn't click on each one to see what the list of ingredients were, but just the recipes alone didn't sound at all 'sexy'. I also thought her blog from ep. II was more like a cooking lesson and not what her thoughts of the contestants recipes were. I would like to see a little more of that in her blogs.
**just a note and not to compare but....I so enjoyed Tim Gunn's blogs. I really felt you got a look at the 'behind the scenes' take and he added alot of reasoning behind his ratings of the designs. I sooo miss Tim. (sigh)
dylann
March 17, 2006 - 08:41 AM
As I mentioned on one of my (probably too long) posts on Epi 2 board, I have been having a hard time not disliking Miss Katie Lee (and is she really Billy Joel's wife?). She seems so critical and almost hostile. It could be, though, that she is just not able to be herself yet in front of the camera, as apparently she is new at that. I really hope she unbends a little and at least puts on a smile. After all, though the pressure must seem great to her to do well, this is not a TRIAL, it's a TV show! And the results won't send someone to prison for life! Katie Lee and the other lady (sorry, forgot her name--as I mention many times elsewhere, my brain is obviously going, but I apologize again!) seem so deadly SERIOUS--and it's not the entertaining-serious that Michael Kors or Nina had on Runway; I think it's the I'm-insecure-and-new-at-this-and-taking-myself-too-seriously seriousness, the kind that's not fun to watch. Am I right?
Califblondy
March 17, 2006 - 04:07 PM
Am I right?
Yes, you are.
dogabone
March 18, 2006 - 07:00 AM
Quote:
**just a note and not to compare but....I so enjoyed Tim Gunn's blogs. I really felt you got a look at the 'behind the scenes' take and he added alot of reasoning behind his ratings of the designs. I sooo miss Tim. (sigh)
Beyond the basic editorial/proofreading problems with Gail's and Tom's blogs, I really don't feel that they address the episodes with the same depth as Tim did, nor do they seem to stay "on point." Of course, part of the problem here is that there's no "Tim" equivalent in the kitchen to both mentor the contestants and fill in background on what the viewers and judges didn't see. Tom's brief, unhelpful forays into the kitchen don't fulfill the same purpose, especially since he is a judge as well. Can you imagine Michael Kors making snooty little visits to the PR workroom? What a disaster that would have been!
dylann
March 18, 2006 - 07:32 AM
You all have insightfully pointed out that a Tim Gunn-like character is missing on this series...and Tim totally pulled Runway together: without him, it would have lacked essential elements in terms of getting to know the contestants and understanding what they were doing.
So I've come to agree with y'all that there is a serious Gunn Deficiency (how ya like them two words together?? (: ) on the show...
BUT...I have one other thought on the matter. Remember how Cynthia told Tom "You can't bug me now!" at one point on the last epi? I could see that being the reaction of all the chefs to a Gunn-type presence in the kitchen, because after all, they have extremely short periods of time to do the cooking...they don't get several days, like the contestants on Runway, they get a day, maybe two, or maybe even mere hours...I could see the show degenerating into chefs' complaints that this person in the kitchen was distracting them terribly and causing their dishes' ruin...I'm sure most of us know how important concentration is in cooking--if you're not right on it at all times, even a few seconds can ruin something (as I know from personal experience!) So that could be why they don't have more kitchen-mentoring going on...although I DO think it would be a big improvement if they got someone who, as you all have pointed out, isn't ALSO a judge.
Last thoughts--perhaps the reason the judges are so boring together is...they don't know each other at all, apparently, and have not jelled as a unit...whereas I would bet all the Runway judges did know each other before the show...but I do still also think the two women's problem is they are taking themselves far too seriously, while Tom probably has never done anything like this before...but at least he seems to have a sense of humor and smiles occasionally. I would like to hear more from him. He's the only one that interests me. Somebody--e-mail that Bravo exec who has a blog, and tell him so!!! (;
obsessive
March 18, 2006 - 07:48 PM
I am enjoying Top Chef, although I'm not as obsessed (yet) with it as I was with Season Two of Project Runway. Some things I really like so far:
1. Quickfire Challenges -- I think they are great and really show the abilities/personalities of the Chefs.
2. Calling Top 3/Bottom 3 into judges room -- It's nice for the Chefs to know where they stand before being called on to defend their work. As the viewer I prefer this to the Runway when they represent the best and worst, but you don't know which until the end.
3. Contestants reaction to critisism -- Maybe this will change later on, but so far the contestants have been their own worst critics and have totally agreed with the judges comments. I like that they accept the things said and don't try to defend or convince the judges that they are wrong.
What I don't like:
1. I miss Tim Gunn -- I don't like the idea of a judge being able to discuss the process with the contestants ahead of time or influencing their decisions. They need a mentor/advisor. On Project Runway, the finished product was the first time any of the judges ever saw the design.
2. No hotel room/private time scenes --Where are all these chefs staying? Do they each have private rooms? I don't see much behind-the-scenes interaction.
3. Judges discussions -- We don't see as much of the Judges deliberation, discussing pros and cons, as we did with Project Runway. I miss that. Again, maybe that will change over time. So far, I don't have a real sense of what the judges are thinking.
tunisianswife
March 19, 2006 - 04:31 AM
agree totally regarding the Tim Gunn "mentoring" comment.
I believe they all are staying in a very nice rented home. It does show a camera shot of the house where they are staying usually when they return from getting their things from the store for whatever challenge. I believe they do share a room. I remember from the first episode, it showed Tiffani moving her things in with Candice? and that was when she made the statement 'I'm not here to make friends'.
In a way, I do like the top 3/bottom 3 to the table; however I do think it takes a bit of suspense out of who is going home.
millnecker1
March 19, 2006 - 04:56 AM
Ok, I am going to say out loud what i know everyone elwse is thinking....KATIE LEE JOEL IS A JOKE AND DOES NOT BELONG THERE! Besides her last name there is nothing redeeming at all about her that could have landed her this job. She is truly a robot and has nothing to add. She tries to come off as a polished food veteran instead come off as a cold, lack of epression walking joke. She adds aboslutely nothing to the show. She literally makes me laugh because I can see she is so hard trying to come off as a superior foodie, but in the process making a total fool of herself. In addition, one would expect a young twenty something year old to add spunk, vibrance, excitment and fun to the show, she doesn't pocess those words in her vocabulary! If the show listens to all of us, they will know the only bad judgment call on the show thus far has been hiring her, start looking at her contract guys and do us a favor and replace her with someone who can keep us tuned in. Her voice is like a bad lullaby!
anais_nin
March 19, 2006 - 10:31 AM
Quote:
Ok, I am going to say out loud what i know everyone elwse is thinking....KATIE LEE JOEL IS A JOKE AND DOES NOT BELONG THERE! Besides her last name there is nothing redeeming at all about her that could have landed her this job. She is truly a robot and has nothing to add. She tries to come off as a polished food veteran instead come off as a cold, lack of epression walking joke. She adds aboslutely nothing to the show. She literally makes me laugh because I can see she is so hard trying to come off as a superior foodie, but in the process making a total fool of herself. In addition, one would expect a young twenty something year old to add spunk, vibrance, excitment and fun to the show, she doesn't pocess those words in her vocabulary! If the show listens to all of us, they will know the only bad judgment call on the show thus far has been hiring her, start looking at her contract guys and do us a favor and replace her with someone who can keep us tuned in. Her voice is like a bad lullaby!
Amen to that. One would also think that Mrs Joel is "earning" quite enough being married to bug eyed, but rich, old Billy...maybe her lack of "youthful" energy is due to being a 24 year old married to a guy near retirement age?
Nan546
March 19, 2006 - 02:54 PM
The judges have no personalities whatsoever. They need someone like Tim,to give advise and to help.
Malaka
March 20, 2006 - 01:18 AM
With the exception of Chef Colicchio having these "food critics" is a joke. These two woman are more eye candy than anything else. If you wanted to make it realistic you should have only used established food service professionals to judge. These bimbos have no background to judge technically the cooking skills of the contestants. As a matter of fact you could tell how biased they were when that shcmuck stephen used his espresso cups again for the quickfire challenge, and nothing was mentioned about the taste.
foodie
March 20, 2006 - 05:30 AM
I'm not an expert in television, but one thing is clear to me -- this show is edited, so a lot of what happens never makes it onto the screen! I hope at the end of the series they do a 'behind the scenes episode' so we can get a real sense of what we don't get to see, including the personality that is being edited out in the interest of time, etc.. And while I agree with everyone's dismal opinion of Katie Lee Joel, I think Gail Simmons seems to really know food and Chef Colicchio seems like a great guy. It seems like he wants to offer more advice, but the show has set him up as a judge, which Tim Gunn wasn't -- so he's not allowed to step in and be more of a mentor. Maybe they will address this with the next season.
1wantThat
March 22, 2006 - 02:14 PM
I agree also, Michelle. Gail Simmons has better voice projection than Mrs. Billy Joel. Granted we should give her a chance to settle-in, but she does sound like a pageant contestant speaking of her hobbies and interest.
I vote to make Ms. Gail Simmons next season's host. Look forward to reading more discussion.
saveit
March 22, 2006 - 05:40 PM
agreed--she might be sunshine in person but jeez, she sounds and looks like a dolled-up 14 year old in her first drama club performance. if they've any hope of keeping folks entertained and tuned in a la Project Runway they need a host with more personality or celebrity or both.
Listman
March 22, 2006 - 08:11 PM
I agree with you. The bald guy bothers me.
YumYum
March 22, 2006 - 08:14 PM
I just want to add to the comments about Ms. Billy Joel as host of Top Chef. My enjoyment of the show is really, really affected by how annoying she is to me. Specifically, she has no TV presence, personality, and her speech is lifeless and awkward. It's like she's reading off cue cards....and not doing a very good job at it.
I realize she brings some food experience, and celebrity status, to the show....but those things in themselves don't make up for how terrible a host she is. It's so painful to watch her.
I think the premise of this show is great, and each episode has been interesting....but I really, really believe that the show could be even stronger with a more animated host....or at least one that is articulate and comfortable in front of the camera.
Sorry.
Listman
March 22, 2006 - 08:14 PM
I agree for the most part. But whenever I see a chef stand up for themselves, the judges become very vindictive.
I will definately vote with my TV remote control.
kristine3
March 22, 2006 - 09:49 PM
ms. joel is so dull!!!! I really miss Tim Gunn!!!
dylann
March 23, 2006 - 04:04 AM
I thought Katie Lee and Gail both finally came alive this epi (Epi 3), and it was relating to the kids that did it. Their eyes sparkled, Katie Lee smiled and seemed lighter and, for the first time, friendly.
I think they're both just taking their jobs/roles a little bit too seriously, and I emailed Andy, the exec at Bravo, to that effect. He replied saying he didn't disagree, but thought they would grow into their roles. (I'll post his reply tomorrow or sometime this week.)
You know what I think would work as a Tim Gunn equivalent? Someone from the culinary institute or someplace like that...although since Lee Ann is from the NY site, I guess that would be a conflict of interest...anyone else have ideas for a Tim Gunn-type mentor-guy or -gal on the show? 'Cause I agree with you all, it needs one...is there some reason we don't ever see the contestants at the house? Are the producers maybe trying to get as much time into the actual food prep and tasting as possible?
And does anyone besides me watch Blowout and think Jonathan Antin's new baby boy looks just like him?
(I love kids.) (:
ontime
March 23, 2006 - 07:40 AM
Katie Joel should not have any speaking parts. She seems so uncofortable and scripted. From my understanding she's a real foodie and has a passion for food. None of this is conveyed.
ultraviolet
March 23, 2006 - 11:44 AM
Katie Lee Joel....jeez.... Isn't the purpose of being a tv personality is that you actually HAVE a personality? Did the executive producers not do any kind of screen testing with her? Or did they just hire her because of her "love of food and love for Billy Joel?" You can't even say she's eye candy or window dressing because she has no expression in her face anyway. Oy. She's such a turn-off, I can't even watch the show and I've given it two chances. Why didn't they just use Gail Simmons?
dennisinsanfran
March 23, 2006 - 12:19 PM
This show has so much potential. For next season (assuming they give it one more try), the following suggestions:
(1) Give the chefs a home base -- similar to the Project Runway designers working at Parsons/New School for Design. Work something out with a culinary school somewhere, which would also be good publicity for the school (a win-win situation).
(2) Fire Billy Joel's wife. If that's not possible due to contractual obligation/employment agreement, at least force her to submit to a personality transplant.
(3) Eliminate or greatly reduce the voiceovers! Especially those of Chef Tom during the judging of the elimination challenge. You never see his face while the comments are being made, and that greatly reduces the credibility. Also, on a similar note, step up the engagement between the judges and the chefs. Those Nina/Santino "confrontations" (and Andrae's "meltdown") on the runway in Project Runway were some of the best TV available.
(4) Give us some more comments from the chefs, especially those when they critique the other chefs. Again, this would be similar to the hugely successful and popular Project Runway, but it's a formula that works and is very entertaining.
(5) Recruit candidates from all over the country. For example, I lived in Chicago for 5 years and truly think that city has better restaurants than here in San Francisco.
(6) Keep up the judges' blogs (by the way, the blogs for episode 3 were much better written and seemed to have actually been proofread -- no run-on sentences from Chef Tom this week!) and feature a blog or two from one of the chefs -- maybe a different chef for each episode (could be a video or written blog).
lilfrito
March 23, 2006 - 01:39 PM
Amen, Dennis. I agree with you on every count. Great post!
lf
Apicius
March 23, 2006 - 05:14 PM
I mostly agree with Dennis too, except that I would add a blog from Katie Joel too: (and Heidi on Proj Run).
I disagree to an extent on everyone's take on Katie Joel though. By comparison, Heidi was no better the first few episodes of Proj Run. She told the contestants the challenge, repeated the rote lines, said very little in the judging, and about the only personality in those early episodes was when she said goodbye to the contestant at the end. It took most of the first season for Heidi to become a good host and personality on camera.
Both Katie and Gail are obviously talented and passionate, they do need to project that on camera, though, but I'm willing to give them both a few more episodes before turning on the "fire them" switch.
skdavis
March 23, 2006 - 07:41 PM
sorry, i don't know who all the various judges and hosts are, i just know they bite. all are boring and dull, no inflections in their speaking, and the host? who is she? does she have a culinary degree? does she even know how to cook? what credentials does she have to judge food and skills? i ask this because i don't feel like she should judge anything and she needs to go otherwise this series, which i do enjoy, is gonna go down the garbage disposal in a heartbeat. heidi works on her show because she does know fashion. just because i eat alot doesn't make me a master chef, so who is this host? where did she come from? and who is better to replace her? and anybody but bobby flay, but would prefer someone with a true culinary background.
foodie
March 24, 2006 - 06:22 AM
I feel a little bad for Katie Lee. She seems to have been given a hidden earpiece to feed her lines, ala Heidi Klum, because you can literally see her listening to the little voice in her head before she speaks. Maybe the show should have trusted her and let her relax into her role, so that she could gain confidence from being natural.
I think Gail is great -- she obviously knows her stuff and I love what she said about choosing wine on her video clip. And Tom is cute -- he's my favorite. He shows us that you don't need to be an a**hole to be a great chef.
pacer1962
March 24, 2006 - 07:24 AM
the host-ess of this show has one big credential going for her; she's very pretty. sprinkle in a perpetual premonstrual attitude and wham! you've got the brunette/top-chef version of heidi glum.
RexT
March 24, 2006 - 08:45 AM
Quote:
This show has so much potential. For next season (assuming they give it one more try), the following suggestions:
(1) Give the chefs a home base -- similar to the Project Runway designers working at Parsons/New School for Design. Work something out with a culinary school somewhere, which would also be good publicity for the school (a win-win situation).
I've been reading other posts suggesting the same thing about PR's format. Here's what Tim GUnn said about PR & Parsons (Out.com interview):
TG: The first 11 episodes were filmed at Parsons when we were out of session. We couldn’t possibly film when we’re in session because there’s no space. Parsons was, actually, initially never going to be a part of this.
Really?
TG: … the producers were going to outfit a loft space in the Atlas apartment building to make it look like a fashion design studio. But on a very sobering day in mid July [2004] everyone realized the budget wouldn’t allow it. I looked at them and said, “Let’s walk over to Parsons.”
There was no summer session?
TG: We do, but it runs in July. And it was August. So it was a very organic process, and somewhat serendipitous.
Where have they been working all these months since Parsons is in session?
TG: They’ve been set up in a studio at the Banana Republic design headquarters on 18th Street.
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As it is, Top Chef is fine in its present home base. It doesn't need to attach itself with a culinary school since filming could be disruptive to students. I like the kitchen where the contestants currently work. Definitely, the place is camera-friendly.
dennisinsanfran
March 24, 2006 - 10:00 AM
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As it is, Top Chef is fine in its present home base. It doesn't need to attach itself with a culinary school since filming could be disruptive to students. I like the kitchen where the contestants currently work. Definitely, the place is camera-friendly.
It's certainly camera-friendly -- I can't imagine that any TV network would choose a venue that WASN'T camera-friendly. The point I wanted to make (obviously wasn't detailed enough) was that if they cooperated with a culinary school, they could draw on that school's resources, especially faculty who could serve as guest judges, and maybe even discover the next "Tim Gunn" for Top Chef. Obviously, Tim Gunn is in a class of his own and would be impossible to duplicate, but I really think, as others have pointed out, that this show would benefit greatly from a "mentor" who could advise and work with the chefs in a similar way to Tim Gunn working with the designers on Project Runway.