Hell's Kitchen (UK, 2009)
Reviewed by Conor O'Neill via 
on 13 Apr 2009
item website
Marco is still the man and the tension is great. Many of the celebrities are recognisable but bizarrely the show is presented by a Bratz Doll called Claudia Winkleman.
So The Chopping Block in the US was a flop for Marco and ended after three episodes. The opening episode of this Hell's Kitchen shows why. That US show was flat, boring, shallow and basically pointless. This UK show has humour, wit, arguments and real cooking.
It's the usual setup - a bunch of C to Z-listers cook in Hell's Kitchen under the watchful eye of the god-like Marco Pierre White and lots of eliminations happen. People I recognise include Ade Edmonson, Linda Evans, Ms Dynamite, Anthea Turner and Bruce Grobbelaar.
One big problem I had watching the show was the camera jumping from a freakish looking Claudia with her giant head on a pre-pubescent girl's body to a freakish looking Linda Evans with the shockingly familiar aging US actress cut-n-shut Discount Bob plastic surgery. Two women who can and have looked great suffering from body dysmorphia on a food programme is just a bit sick.
Apart from that one annoyance this is setting up to be a great series. Using a sandwich to dictate kitchen positions makes total sense. Opening a restaurant one hour later was lunacy. Most important of all tho: "don't fear the stove"!
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Comments
reviewer191253 at 14:06 - 15 Apr, 2009 said:
This was the lamest show I've even seen on TV period!..... I'm not sure which show came on first the UK or US version...... But the UK version with Marco and these dumb celebrities was horrible.... The annoying host girl looked so stiff and was incredibly annoying.... The show was so boring and should have been edited better... A total yawn fest.... The build up of this Marco guy and the fear in the so called celebrities eye's was over exaggerated.... He was super nice ....
Watch this season of Hells Kitchen US... Gordon Ramsey is the man and this show is amazing
reviewer191257 at 21:00 - 16 Apr, 2009 said:
I think that whoever left the previous comment needs to get their head checked.
Marco Pierre White does not deserve to be called "that Marco guy". He is a very clever chef who is respectable. I believe that the programme is incredibly educational, and that's very cool.
I believe that Gordon Ramsay is a bit of a fake, but I prefer him to the plastic doll that is Jamie Oliver.
I think that Marco is "the man" and that Hells Kitchen UK is "amazing", in Reviewer191253's words.
The only comment I agree with in what he/she said is the part about the barbie doll presenter who is stiffer than an ironing board. She brings the show down inevitably.