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"The Restaurant" Reality Show Season 1

bpearis

By bpearis
in Food Media & Arts

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Jason Perlow

Jason Perlow

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But, according to Variety, NBC has been fielding offers from several celebrity chefs who would like to throw their aprons in the ring.

Bourdain ... ?:huh:

Uh, no.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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Wow...the show is garnering an average of 8 million viewers. :shock:

It would seem to me, and I am not in the business of television programming, that NBC is more than satisfied to "rest on its laurels" and declare "The Restaurant", as the French are likely to say, un succes fou .... witness the decision to look for yet another "vehicle" for food lovers ... and the general population as well ...

For a summer replacement, it has done precisely what the objective was, namely, to find a viewing audience and "watch the numbers" to determine whether or not such programming is viable in the more competitive fall or spring season ...

And as for the 'quality'? Not everyone is particularly concerned with that and to sell Coors, Mitsubishi cars, and American Express, just how much 'quality' is required? Truly discriminating viewers can always retreat to the "intellectual safety" PBS ostensibly provides...

What may seem elitist to some is simply the reality of life today ... "reality television", no matter how crass and annoying, will remain until the numbers show it unprofitable, unsaleable, and the sponsors are off to yet another jackpot ...

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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Posted (edited)

Bourdain ... ? Uh, no.

I'll second that opinion, Jason!

As much as we would absolutely cherish the idea of a Bourdain show, this just ain't his type of vehicle ... he is far too intelligent to put his name on something over which he is ultimately unable to exercise some large degree of control over the final product ... and I think he is a very wise person to maintain his own standards ... I think he probably manages the details of "A Cook's Tour" quite closely, and for that he has my respect ...

Edited by Gifted Gourmet (log)

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Bux

Bux

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I don't think he comes across as manaical. For 2 million dollars I would act stupid on TV also.  The scene when the little light bulb in his head went off and he said "captain service" sent me and my friends into gales of uncontrolled laughter.

Speaking of assaying the effects of the show outside eGullet--well someone raised that issue and another sent a questionaire to his friends--Mark, have you noticed an increase in sales for Coors light, or been subliminally influenced to recommend a Coors light? Now there's an image I find amusing.

I tend to agree with you. I think he's being paid enough to risk losing his previous reputation. That's a pretty good salary for one just changing careers. Two million bucks beats a midlife crisis as motive.

Every post here increases his value to NBC.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

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Mabelline

Mabelline

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There's just to me the self-image thing to deal with.Those of us who are only exposed to the "Eatlitists" by virtue of pbs, fnw, mags etc., have built it up that he was somehow more mature,controlled, and food-driven then he turned out to be on the tube. Now that I've watched that crap production, I wouldn't walk across the street to spit on him if he was on fire. :cool:

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jhlurie

jhlurie

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according to Variety, NBC has been fielding offers from several celebrity chefs who would like to throw their aprons in the ring.

So now not only has Rocco jumped the shark, he's just the ramp someone else will drive up over to jump the shark.

It will probably be fun to try and predict who these people are, but also probably a bit of a bummer. I just hope Bourdain is working on his pal Ripert, who seemed a bit enamoured of the concept when Rocco was doing it, to STAY THE HELL AWAY. :wink:

Jon Lurie, aka "jhlurie"

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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33 or 34.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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So how old is this Rocco guy? In human years, not emotionally.

His age has probably less to do with his inclination to get into this program than the lucative offers extended by NBC, possibly even American Express ... then too, very possibly, some publicity agent probably told him that this was the "ideal vehicle" for him to become more widely known ... not his Mitsubishi ...

in any event, he fell for the idea, however it was presented and the rest, as they say, is history ... coulda been worse, he could have been in a potboiler like "Gigli" which would have left him careerless but then he'd have JLo, about whom something appeared earlier in this thread ....

ah yes, mediocrity ...ain't it grand? As Albert Brooks said in "Broadcast News", the devil will come to you, not in a red horned suit with a tail, but as mediocrity, and will slowly devour your soul, or some words to that effect ... I still remember that after many years ... mediocrity as the antiChrist ... hmmmm? :unsure:

Edited by Gifted Gourmet (log)

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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Never. Ever.

Ah...... Finally, someone who won't sell out ... and remains true to his vision of whom he chooses to present to the public .... Tony Bourdain, you are indeed not only an inspiration, but a "classic" every sense of the word ... thank you!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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bilrus

bilrus

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Never. Ever.

Ah...... Finally, someone who won't sell out ... and remains true to his vision of whom he chooses to present to the public .... Tony Bourdain, you are indeed not only an inspiration, but a "classic" every sense of the word ... thank you!

I wonder if our friend Tony ever thought when he got into the "public realm" that he would be held up as a paragon of virtue, class and restraint?

Bill Russell

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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Never. Ever.

Ah...... Finally, someone who won't sell out ... and remains true to his vision of whom he chooses to present to the public .... Tony Bourdain, you are indeed not only an inspiration, but a "classic" every sense of the word ... thank you!

I wonder if our friend Tony ever thought when he got into the "public realm" that he would be held up as a paragon of virtue, class and restraint?

Oh, certainly.

Tony B hung himself arms akimbo on rabbit ear antennas and fibre-optic cable to save TV from its sins.

(I like my Bourdain neat, not with a splash of cream.)

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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i think rocco is 36.

I thought he looked like a baby.

Perhaps that little "zit" on his cheek during the closeups?

I have clothes in my closet older than Rocco ...none of which is particularly significant in the overall picture ... his age probably belies his really fine cooking skills at Union Pacific which, in fact, did help to build his reputation ... the awards he got there were genuine and no doubt deserved ...

all this other stuff will probably work against his public image but, in the long run, he may be able to overcome his newest, blackest press reviews, move on to other things ... however, will he be able to find a monied, wealthy backer who did not see "The Restaurant" ?? Time will tell ....

I like him messy.

Re: Tony Bourdain ... again ... Tana, I think he will be fine whether messy or clad in his best tux ... it must be those incredible vibes he gives off .... but, primarily his writing and cooking skills ultimately prevail over his appearance ... sometimes ... sex sells, it has been said ....

Edited by Gifted Gourmet (log)

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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bloviatrix

bloviatrix

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I think it's going to be Emeril, since his last attempt at network TV went so well. :rolleyes: NOT!! :raz:

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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