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Kitchen Nightmares
SERIES: Fox, Wednesday 9:00p (60 minutes)

7.4 based on 12 reviews read critic reviews how did we calculate this? based on 24 votes read user comments rate this tv show

Get more information on this show at TV.com.

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Starring Gordon Ramsay

Chefs may have escaped from his version of hell, but Gordon Ramsay haunts Fox with his American adaptation of his UK show of the same name.

GENRE(S):	Reality (Non-Competitive)
CREATED BY:	Arthur Smith Pat Llewellyn Kent Weed Gerry McKean
FIRST AIR DATE:	September 19, 2007

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart

Since CBS doesn’t want us to see "Kid Nation" in advance, I guess I’ll just have to declare Kitchen Nightmares the best new reality show of the fall.

88

Chicago Sun-Times Doug Elfman

As usual, he's demanding, brutal and fearless. He repeatedly insults egotistical managers and chefs and yells, "Just smell that for me!" And they do.

83

Entertainment Weekly Alynda Wheat

Mary Poppins it ain't--which is fine because the snooty broad couldn't begin to handle this. [21 Sep 2007, p.74]

80

Variety Phil Gallo

Kitchen Nightmares is shockingly good storytelling and hilarious. This may be the most compelling show of the new season

80

Arizona Republic Randy Cordova

He is just as blustery and foul-mouthed here as he is on "Hell's Kitchen." But he is also oddly endearing, mainly because he genuinely seems invested in the fate of each restaurant.

75

New York Daily News David Hinckley

This show is more entertaining than most unscripted series, but that praise doesn't raise the heat high enough.

70

The New York Times Ginia Bellafante

The subtext of Kitchen Nightmares is that ordinary middle-class business owners need brash and brilliant moguls to save them from a sad reliance on their own mediocrity. It is an ugly message that Mr. Ramsay makes undeniably hypnotic.

70

Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd

It is loud and manipulative and ugly to behold, but it isn't dull.

50

Detroit Free Press Mike Duffy

If you like watching culinary train wrecks, this is your show.

50

Hollywood Reporter Ray Richmond

Kitchen Nightmares pushes all of the proper emotional buttons to draw we viewers in. But we're never for a moment able to suspend the notion that we, the audience, are being played.

30

Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan

Leave it to Fox to take something the Brits did pretty well and muck it up.

30

Miami Herald Glenn Garvin

The show's boorishness is exceeded only by its dissimulation; not one frame of this thing--from the diners who seem not to notice that their table is surrounded by camera crews to the melodramatically villainous managers--is remotely believable.

The average user rating for this tv show is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Craig B gave it a0:
Another piece of junk from Fox. Oh, great idea, let's have the star totally destroy ANY self confidence the contestants have. Are you listening, Simon? I'm proud to say I've never seen any episode of American Idle. This show is no better.

Dick S. gave it an8:
Having been in the restaurant business I am amazed at how some of these places he has found to "fix" are actually open. Where is the health department that always seems to be in my place when something had just gone wrong! Aren't these owners and managers ashamed that they actually run places like this! And to even think that they are doing things right and no one should tell them differently. More of these awful establishments need to be exposed and then maybe the entire restaurant industry will be better off. I personally cannot stand Gordon R. but I appreciate what he is doing. I am surprised that he hasn't taken a blow-torch to some of these places! That is about all they deserve. Just proves that not everyone can run a restaurant - no matter what they think!

Anne S. gave it a9:
Its creepy to see what owners will put up with. I don't think I want to eat out as much as I have in the past. Go Gordon.

K W gave it a4:
BBC version was great. Showed a depth to Ramsay I didn't know. He showed that he really cared about the restaurant owners. Fox shows that they like their Brits obnoxious and nasty. Something tells me that Simon is probably nicer in the UK version of "Idol."

Whitney H gave it a10:
I loved the show!! It had me laughing hysterically throughout the whole episode.I loved the family bonding and working together it shows a real family there with real emotions. It is TV and this is NY! We are who are! That stupid Italian goodfellas stereotype is insulting to me as an Italian myself. Every Italian is not a "Soprano" another fictitious show that is just entertainment for people. The point of TV at the end of the day/show is to be entertained and not to pass judgment on people on a reality show! If you liked it or didn't it, it impacted the people who wrote good or bad reviews enough to make the effort to go out of their way to say something and take the time out to actually write it! Good Luck to Peter and "Peters Restaurant."

Martin S. gave it a9:
This show shows Gordon Ramsey at his best. The man may be a complete social pariah but he speaks the truth without reservation. How many people can you say that about.

Kevin L. gave it a7:
Chef Ramsey's strong personality really gives in through the viewers. His powerful execution is brilliant though sometimes a bit rough. The show brings some purpose from entertainment to development and I personally would say that its range of demographic would assist the show in the future.

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