"Top Chef" (2006) TV series 2006-????

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

15 February 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Reality-TV

Plot Keywords:

Snack Food | Cooking | Food Market | San Francisco California | Store

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 11 nominations

Cast

Tom Colicchio	...	Himself - Head Judge / ... (81 episodes, 2006-2009)
Padma Lakshmi	...	Herself - Host / ... (70 episodes, 2006-2009)
Gail Simmons	...	Herself - Judge / ... (45 episodes, 2006-2009)

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Magical Elves Productions

Trivia:

Guest Judges from season one: * Hubert Keller * Elizabeth Falkner * Laurent Manrique * Jefferson Hill * Mike Yakura * Ted Allen * Jeffrey Chodorow * Marcy Blum * Greg Cole * Lissa Doumani * Philippe Jeanty * Douglas Keane * Keith Luce * James McDevitt * Cindy Pawlcyn * Victor Scargle * Hiro Sone * John Shafer * Lee Anne Wong * Miguel Morales * Stephen Asprinio * Performers from Cirque Du Soleil's * Lorraine Bracco

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Venture Bros.: ORB (#3.11)" (2008)

Fairly derivative take on the reality knockout model (aka ANTM) but is entertaining enough for those that likes this sort of thing

A group of budding professional chefs come together to compete in a contest to see which of them will become "Top Chef". Each week they have a challenge and a "cook off" with the winner lauded by the panel of judges, while the individual deemed the weakest is sent home and takes no further part in the competition.

Yes, here we are in familiar territory with the reality contest model of a group of gradually dwindling people competing for a dream job. Fans of America's Next Top Model will recognise it and I'm sure it has been done many times in other guises in shows I just not aware of. Like ANTM, the contestants want to get a major jump in their chosen career and compete to get it. Each week we have the challenges, the in-fighting, the tensions and then the removal of one of the group. It is a winning approach so I can understand why others have just tried to apply that model to other disciplines – in this case cookery.

As with ANTM, the subject isn't really important because it the show is driven by the tension tensions between the characters. It may be clever editing but the most is made of the minor snaps at one another and the "diary room" comments are used to feed the minor fire. As such it is engaging enough guff that I find easy to watch without actually having to commit any emotion or brain power in watching. Everyone hates some characters and likes others and this is where the entertainment comes from. I confess that I found the judges quite dull and lacking in the sort of character and extremes that other similarly structured shows tend to have.

Overall then a fairly derivative affair perhaps but it is a formula that works and those that like this short of show will enjoy it. For my money though, it is distracting enough nonsense but nothing that I remember for more than five minutes after watching an episode.