Fix the Show

[Bella]

You have 20 minutes to collect your thoughts and write a post - Starting NOW!!!

[Bella]

First course: Relocate to another city. Since they don't pay travel expenses, they should take a week in each of several cities and film multiple episodes there. Go to New Orleans and film 4 shows, then Santa Fe, then Chicago, then San Francisco. Bring in local chefs. Have at least one course in each episode reflect the regional cuisine.

 

Second course: For one of the three rounds, add a fifth mandatory ingredient, since there's evidently a need to make things harder to keep the show interesting.

 

Third course: For the second or third round, make them carry over something they made in the previous round. Do this randomly, so they don't anticipate it.

[cooksdelight]

Randomly take away the pantry and 'fridge. Nothing but what's in your basket.

[Totale]

Nothing here that hasn't been said before, but

 

Replace the three courses with breakfast, lunch and dinner. No one likes doing desserts and they mostly suck.

Terminate all special fun contestants episodes with extreme prejudice.  No one not employed in the food industry shall apply. Goes triple for mugging entertainers.

Special fun food themes may continue on occasion, but none of the chosen contestants for that episode shall be experts in that area, even if self-proclaimed.

The winner is already going to lose half of their 10 grand to taxes, pay for them to get there and stay over once they've passed a local audition and been cast, plus rotate auditions and tapings around the country as Bella suggested.

No mentions of any contestant's personal problems, sexual proclivities, unhappy childhood or unappreciative/dead parents or pets. (Sorry, cooksdelight).  If the show thinks we need something outside its own parameters to entice us to like the participants, use Jeopardy!'s "10 seconds on your personal life and then we don't care" approach.

With all the extra time, bring back the judge's critiques.

[rujasu]

 

First course: Relocate to another city. Since they don't pay travel expenses, they should take a week in each of several cities and film multiple episodes there. Go to New Orleans and film 4 shows, then Santa Fe, then Chicago, then San Francisco. Bring in local chefs. Have at least one course in each episode reflect the regional cuisine.

 

I think this part alone is a big part of what the show needs.  Yes, NYC has some great chefs.  It is not the only place in the USA with good restaurants.  Really, I'm all for anything that involves bringing more chefs to the show.  Nothing against the teens, ballpark chefs, retired firefighters' grandmas working in cafeterias seeking redemption from the last retired firefighters' grandmas episode, but the show is supposed to be about chefs!

 

Other ideas: more Marcus Samuelson, no reality show people ever again, for dessert have two ice cream machines or zero but not one.

[Wings]

Stay where you are, just pay expenses; it is the right thing to do.   Traveling around would be very costly.  They would have to build a kitchen set at every location.  If they are not able to spring for airfare and hotel they don't have the budget to do this.  

I agree, change up the three courses.   Appetizer/entree/dessert is old and tired.  People don't eat sandwiches for their first course!  I am always shocked when they do that.  Often the appetizers are way too heavy or too large.  

Tapas or small plates for every round would be perfect for my viewing pleasure.   That is how I eat.  The typical protein/starch/vegetable is dead to me and boring.   :>)  They could make dessert if they choose.  

The format desperately needs some changes.

And buy another ice cream machine.  It does not heighten viewing pleasure to see someone fail because there isn't time for 2 to use it. 

[Clover]

Agree with most of the above, except more Marcus Samuelson.  I only watch him to find out what patterns he is mixing in whatever outfit he is wearing.  I mute or fast forward through his comments.  Same with Aron.  If not moving/travelling the country, agree Chopped needs to cover travel expenses including lodging for the chefs.  And they either need to get another ice cream machine and deep fryer, or get rid of them.  Hate the drama; oh no, some other orphan, convict, dying, abandoned, clinically depressed and desperate for his/her first restaurant/house/spouse/child/elephant chef got there first.  Also, provide enough of the pantry ingredients, so that one contestant doesn't use/hoard any "key" ingredient (e.g., eggs). 
"

Edited November 3, 2016 by Clover
corrected spelling

[Wings]

NEVER have Robert Irvine on this show EVER again.  What an arrogant, aggressive fool. 

[xaxat]

I don't think they can "fix" the show in a way that would get me watching as avidly as I used to. 

It was a great concept. FN executed it very well for a good number of "seasons". Ted and the judges were entertaining. But personally, I feel like it's run its course. Much like Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters eventually did. 

[Wings]

I think they can breathe some life back into it. Have more Battles with famous chefs from FN.

Another is  change that horrible set. I hate the red windows and dark brown. It makes no sense.  Other shows have benefited from a face lift and this one was never good. Make it bright so I don't feel I am watching public access TV from someone's basement in 1979.  

[Wings]

If they insist on keeping the 3 courses, and they will, then be firm about it.  A sandwich is not an appetizer and french toast is not dessert.  

Require them to serve an appropriate size appetizer.  I just watched Alex scold someone for not giving her enough food but it was actually the perfect size.  She happened to love it and just wanted more.  On occasion we do see a dish that is too small but that is rare, more often they are too big.  

[Bastet]

I had to give up yelling at my TV about it for the sake of my blood pressure, but it is rare (at least in the sample garnered by my sporadic viewing) for a contestant to put forth an appetizer-sized portion in the first round.  It's almost always too much food, and/or a dish that doesn't make sense as an appetizer.  To me, most episodes are two entrees and a dessert.

I'd rather see breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because I'm not much of a dessert person, but that's just personal preference.  That an appetizer should actually be a damn appetizer - that's a legitimate complaint.

[xaxat]

On 11/6/2016 at 4:10 PM, wings707 said:

Another is  change that horrible set. I hate the red windows and dark brown. It makes no sense.  Other shows have benefited from a face lift and this one was never good. Make it bright so I don't feel I am watching public access TV from someone's basement in 1979.  

A refresh of the set would be nice. I remember being jealous watching Chopped Canada. Especially since they got actual grills at each station. 

ETA. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any way this network would spend money to make it actually happen. After all, they just went from Great Food Truck Race to "let's drive around SoCal."

Edited November 14, 2016 by xaxat

[Wings]

hahahahaha good point. 

[nitrofishblue]

One thing that keeps bugging me is the way the chefs have to fight over access to equipment (ie deep fryers). They make one of the ingredients an item they know the chefs really need the deep fryer. They already have that crappy show Cutthoart Kitchen (a show I actually hate and never watch). Are they trying to turn Chopped into CT2?  The chefs should not have to fight over equipment. That doesn't happen in a commercial kitchen.  I want to see chefs prepare interesting food not physically beatup the others just to get a grill pan or mixer. Is their budget so low they can't afford decent equipment?

[cooksdelight]

They do it on purpose, for exactly what you've stated. To watch them fight over it. And they don't get a runthrough of the kitchen beforehand either. They walk in there knowing only what they've watched on TV.

Edited June 25, 2017 by cooksdelight

[AZChristian]

57 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

They do it on purpose, for exactly what you've stated. To watch them fight over it. And they don't get a runthrough of the kitchen beforehand either. They walk in there knowing only what they've watched on TV.

I read somewhere that they were shown around the pantry so they'd know where to find spices, etc.  But I could be wrong; the internet sometimes lies.

[mlp]

Equipment issues have been my pet peeve about this show too.  I enjoy Chopped but I think having one ice cream machine and one set of fry baskets is silly.  The chefs are already in a high-pressure situation.  Making them compete for equipment is ridiculous.  I suppose the argument might be that not being able to use something makes the chef think on his or her feet but that really applies only to the person who didn't get there first and is inherently unfair - if, in fact, that's a reason.  The Chopped set needs to be updated badly.  They ought to rearrange and provide adequate resources for all.  

I have read that the chefs do get a walk-through of the kitchen beforehand.

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, mlp said:

Equipment issues have been my pet peeve about this show too.  I enjoy Chopped but I think having one ice cream machine and one set of fry baskets is silly.  The chefs are already in a high-pressure situation.  Making them compete for equipment is ridiculous.

So I guess they can't just call dibs???  (LOL)

[cooksdelight]

Nope, it's first come, first served. 

[Bastet]

47 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I read somewhere that they were shown around the pantry so they'd know where to find spices, etc.

I've read two or three contestant interviews in which it was mentioned that they got a tour of the kitchen before filming/competition began.  I don't remember if the pantry was specifically included, but based on how most contestants head in the right general direction of what they want and those who flail around fretting, "Where's the [ingredient]?" are the exception, I suspect it was. 

I've never heard a contestant say there was no pre-show rundown, but these are older interviews, so it's possible things have changed.  That would be tacky, though, even for this show.

[cooksdelight]

The guys who talked to me about it were on years ago, so it may have changed. They told me they walked in before actual taping began, had a look from their stations, but couldn't investigate to see what was where or on which shelf.

[AZChristian]

56 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

The guys who talked to me about it were on years ago, so it may have changed. They told me they walked in before actual taping began, had a look from their stations, but couldn't investigate to see what was where or on which shelf.

From an interview with Josh Lewis from about two years ago:

"Yeah, they gave you about five or 10 minutes to walk around the pantry and familiarize yourself with everything. Actually they do this before each round, because the pantry ingredients change periodically between segments. Not totally, but some. They also show you how to use everything in case you don’t know, which surprised me. Like, 'Here’s how you get ice cream out of the ice cream maker.'"

[Wings]

Again I say, make a new set!  This one is depressing.  Brown and orange has NEVER been a "do" in decor, EVER!  

 Light and bright, please.  Fake windows behind the judges to give some depth and brightness which is desperately needed.   The new set on Shark Tank did just that and they changed the brown chairs to white.  What a lift!   

This reminds me of a men's Victorian smoking room without the cigars and snifters of Brandy.  Old, dark and archaic.   

[snarkylady]

The music drives me STARK RAVING MAD.  It seems as though they think it's more exciting with drums banging and loud noises driving towards some sort of dramatic moment. 

[mlp]

Quote

The music drives me STARK RAVING MAD.

I'm just the opposite.  I rarely even notice background music on TV shows or in movies but I do notice it on Chopped and I often think that someone puts a lot of thought into selecting the right sounds.  I like it.

I agree that Chopped needs a new set.  The current one is dismal.  They also need a second ice cream maker.  I've never understood why who gets to the one machine first should be an issue.  It's not Cutthroat Kitchen.

[Bastet]

As I complained before, one of the first things I'd do is start dinging the contestants for making a non-appetizer in the appetizer round.  The majority of offerings don't qualify - they're just smaller-sized entrees, and sometimes even the size reduction doesn't happen - and are not called out for it.

This grumble was renewed tonight by a repeat of a 2017 episode in which someone offered up a whole thick-cut pork chop as an appetizer, and not only was she sent onto the next round, there was not a single word spoken in the judging segment about how non-appetizer her offering was.  And why should it have been, since she was only the most egregious offender; entree as appetizer is a given, and hardly ever called out for not fulfilling such a fundamental aspect of the challenge?

It's bullshit, right up there with the sob stories being predominant; if both were corrected, I'd watch a lot more.

[cooksdelight]

This show, as many others, has fallen into the trap of “we need higher ratings, need better numbers, start creating more drama.”

I’ve stopped watching due to the total fakery on this show and other cooking competitions. Ted should hide his head in shame.

[nitrofishblue]

I just wish they would update the kitchen. That is the darkest, nasty  set ever. Bet there are lost fries from two seasons ago lurking under the fryer.

[roughing it]

On 6/27/2019 at 11:21 PM, Bastet said:

It's bullshit, right up there with the sob stories being predominant; if both were corrected, I'd watch a lot more.

I rarely watch anymore - one reason is because I've grown tired of it, and the other is I just don't care about the sob stories (of which may very well be producer-driven).  Funny that they think the sob stories will keep people watching, when in fact it's what drives people away - well, me anyway.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, roughing it said:

I rarely watch anymore - one reason is because I've grown tired of it, and the other is I just don't care about the sob stories (of which may very well be producer-driven).  Funny that they think the sob stories will keep people watching, when in fact it's what drives people away - well, me anyway.

The sob stories are why we started DVRing American Ninja Warrior.  I want to see people run the course. 

I want to see people (on Chopped) cook.  We got to where we'd talk to the TV:  "Oh, man . . . you're not gonna win.  That other chef had a much sadder story than you did."

Edited July 10, 2019 by AZChristian

[xaxat]

BAN CHOPSTICKS!

(Unless you are from Asia.)

[Colleenna]

Get more than one ice cream machine and blast chiller.

[Brookside]

Take the ice-cream machine away altogether.  

[libgirl2]

No more chopsticks unless its an Asian dish.