Telly Talk

First keep in mind when this series played on BBC ...

2009-05-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

First keep in mind when this series played on BBC it was an hour long (no commercials). BBCA cut 15-20 minutes out of it for commercials. Thus, it was double edited, once by BBC and then by BBCA. Why sometimes the preview didn't fit what was shown nor the voice over to what happened.

Perhaps Michele's problem was in trying too hard. Did she call Russell because she really needed help making a decision or because she wanted to demonstration coordination between kitchen and FOH? They (at least she) wanted to win so badly I think she was afraid of making a mistake which would cause them to lose.

You somewhat need to put the Season 2 results in context of Raymond's experience after Season 1. There he selected Jeremy and Jane, who lasted in the new Eight on the Thatch for about six months before quitting - leaving him stuck with the restaurant. From what I can tell Raymond assigned a sous-chef and assistant FOH from one of his other restaurants. While Jeremy's theme in the series was the eight course tasting menu, apparently he was not allowed to implement it, being allowed to add only two dishes to a menu given to him. According to Wikipedia apparently there were 'heated debates' between the two of them. Plus, Jane had a baby and they were far from their families.

From their blog site (just do a Google search on Michele Russell restaurant) they are being allowed to prepare their own menu (subject to a item-by-item approval of Raymond) and to hire their own staff.

With Ali and James, I suspect he eventually would of had another Jeremy and Jane situation - or at least to assign full-time nannies. I think he simply felt more comfortable going with the safer team of Michele and Russell as business partners.

Russell is more of a 'technical' chef than James and perhaps that better fits a brasserie style restaurant (which, from what I can tell, is somewhere between a pub with food and fine dining).

James simply blew the OE dinner. Lobster at something like $15 USD pound. Then it was overcooked and served with bitter baby turnips (lobster and turnips?). Russell went for a more safe menu and his grapefruit sorbet was apparently a real accomplishment with no on-board refrigeration.

While Russell's menu may not have been as daring as James's, it was apparently far more cost efficient - which is one of Raymond's standards. And, while not shown, apparently the wine flowed freely in Ali's car.

Ali's disposable camera and cheese platter was, at least to me, out done by Michele's gifts which were in keeping with the area they were traveling through - called The Garden of England. They were a gardener's hard soap and lotion and chocolate from a speciality shop.

I can see the logic of only serving white wine as it was in keeping with their garden theme.

Michele, more so than Russell, made mistakes, but they were relatively minor (inexperience) than those of Ali and James (blunders).

I suspect Raymond (and the other judges) identified M&R or A&J as the likely winners about mid-series. While he seemed to be particularly harsh on Michele, he was likely testing her. With A&J I suspect he wanted them to win, but they just kept fustrating him with their blunders. "A cat may have nine lives but you have used up all of your's". "I already have two children, I don't need two more." "If you have any business sense it is well hidden."

M&R were the restaurant of the week three times, compared to none for A&J. They were also the most profitable weekend a couple of times. I doubt A&J were even once.

And, he didn't just throw out Ali and James. After the final BBC airing they were given a three month apprenticeship at his flagship restaurant. I can't find what happened to them afterwards, but suspect both are now working in a Michelin star restaurant, but perhaps not together.

I suspect James has the potential to eventually be a Michelin star chef. However, I don't see Ali as anything more than a head waiter or matre-d (sp?) at a high-end restaurant.

Ahem, some of us actually prefer "Ashes to Ashes" ...

2009-04-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ahem, some of us actually prefer "Ashes to Ashes" in that it's a heck of a lot funnier, creepier, and engaging. LOM was good but the deification of that show is bordering on the ridiculous...there were some excelent ones and some pretty awful ones. That happens with tv.
Your list is so full of inconsistencies and contradictions as to beg the question, "you're kdding, right?"
It's a fun show with mysteries galore and if you don't watch it, fine...but it pulled in more than seven million viewers, which is a terrific number these days. (That's the overnight, not counting downloads, repeats, etc. which will move it higher.)
Fine if it's not your cuppa but really, some of us like a fun mystery and show you actually have to watch to pick up clues.

Actually, the only real problem with this show is ...

2009-04-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

Actually, the only real problem with this show is that it wasn't funny.

A screamingly camp character? Come on, this isn't the eighties. H & C seemed to have lost the very thing that made them so appealing in Gavin & Stacey i.e. their reality.

Sorry but this show is pretty much a fail from start to finish.

Coolio is emerging as a favourite in this house an...

2009-01-15T01:23:00.000-08:00

Coolio is emerging as a favourite in this house and may edge it past Terry "didn't he used to be annoying?" Christian in the last hurdle.
Michelle is a baby and deserves to be torn apart like a doe-eyed deer cowering before a pack of lions.

It totally agree with the comment about Willie's l...

2008-12-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

It totally agree with the comment about Willie's latest oh so smug programme to promote his chocolate products using his family as supporting props. An utterly contrived production depicting a hugely privileged family making even more money out of selling cacao to unsuspecting consumers. Charmless Harcourt-Cooze is evidently self-obsessed and beneath the fluffy veneer runs a business using raw materials gathered by massively underpaid Venezuelan workers. dNext year comes a 3 part programme and book. Channel 4 could at least make an effort to conceal such blatant marketing. Absolutely worthless TV.

So lets all boycott the telephone votes,that would...

2008-11-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

So lets all boycott the telephone votes,that would lose them a good few thousand pounds

I'm glad it wasn't just me who thought that Boneki...

2008-07-16T03:19:00.000-07:00

I'm glad it wasn't just me who thought that Bonekickers was a load of old potsherds. The archeological content made me cringe and the plot made me wonder if the authors shouldn't be prosecuted for inciting religious hatred. Don't telly playwrights ever research their subject? There a lots of real exciting mysteries and puzzles in archeology without this sort of tosh. I watched the first program but I won't be wasting my time with the rest - I'll be doing something more interesting - like thinking about how Atlantis was really in Doggerland.

Big brother is just old and tired, they should giv...

2008-06-09T03:44:00.000-07:00

Big brother is just old and tired, they should give it up!

The apostrophe must be after the s, but what did i...

2008-05-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

The apostrophe must be after the s, but what did it matter anyway? Both team had rubbish ideas. Raif may well win, methinks!

I reckon the bespectacled one that looks like Beak...

2008-04-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

I reckon the bespectacled one that looks like Beaker from The Muppets shuld have gone. SAS is mad.