The Reality of Cooking

I was pretty psyched about the return of Hell's Kitchen even though I never did get around to actually watching the finale from last season, having gotten fed up with the over-played drama of it all. Still, it's usually an entertaining show, for whatever reason. Because our DVR is woefully lacking in things to record right now (summer hiatus and everything), I decided to also add The Next Food Network Star and Top Chef to my programming. I've seen re-runs of Top Chef and found them fairly enjoyable and Jen has said positive things about The Next Food Network Star and I trust her judgement. (Plus, it's the Food Network. There are few shows they produce that aren't worth at least a passing glance.)

I'm one episode into Hell's Kitchen (haven't seen last night's episode yet, possibly this evening, though I have homework) and 2 episodes into TNFNS (haven't seen Sunday's yet). Top Chef starts tomorrow. While they're all reality cooking shows, that's really where the similarities end. And if for whatever reason I had to choose between the three and only watch one it would be an easy, hand's down decision for TNFNS.

Why? Because while it's still a reality show, with all the little confessionals and team dynamic/personality issues that come into play, it's also upfront enough to say, essentially, "Yes, we care that you can cook, but we also need you look good on TV and have a TV personality." Because the prize is a show on The Food Network. So while Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef clearly make casting decisions in part based on how they think it's going to play for TV, those decisions are arbitrary. TNFNS has a reason for it. And it seems to help temper the massive personality issues to some degree. Or at least it has so far. Consider that in Hell's Kitchen there were already clearly defined b-words and typical reality TV antics in just the first episode. In the 2 part opener for TNFNS there really wasn't any of that. Of course, that could be just due to the cast this go-round. I've not watched it before, so I can't say if previous versions have had the same differences. It's interesting because Top Chef seems to balance in the middle of the two.

For me, TNFNS and Top Chef are more enjoyable to watch. I do a lot less fast forwarding. I just don't enjoy seeing people behave like little children and be ugly and all the other maneuvering that gives Hell's Kitchen the feeling of it trying to be "Survivor: Kitchen Island". I only really watch it because Gordon Ramsay is interesting (despite his crassness) and I can see how, with the right contestant, he could help you move from being a good chef to a great one.

Still, it's fascinating to me that there are three shows with essentially the same premise that still manage to be completely different and fascinating in their own right. Are you watching any of the three?