Critics knife US Chopping Block

Julian Cress and David Barbour’s US adaptation of The Chopping Block hits screens on NBC today, with a number of variations to its format. But by the sound of the first reviews, not enough to win over TV critics.

The show is hosted by British chef Marco Pierre White (pictured) and once again includes a secret food critic.

Variety said:
“The Chopping Block” stirs in ingredients from so many reality shows it’s a wonder this gruel has any flavor at all. Marco Pierre White hosted “Hell’s Kitchen” in the U.K., and we’re told he trained fellow celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Mario Batali. Mostly, though, this is just “The Amazing Race” meets “The Restaurant,” as two teams consisting of couples try to start competing Manhattan bistros, with the winning duo earning $250,000 to open their own eatery. Unfortunately, the show faces a double whammy familiar to both TV and foodies — serving a bland dish in a rotten location.

Philadelphia’s Daily News said:
The show’s format will seem plenty familiar to anyone who’s seen “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.” But what about White, whose temper’s advertised to be as hot as Ramsay’s? “Reality” show contestants are used to cowering before people with British accents by now, but White’s the first torturer whose hair I feared might find its way into the food. I get that he’s too busy to shave – but shouldn’t he be wearing a hair net? Though perhaps slightly more rational than his Fox counterpart, who’s increasingly becoming a caricature of himself, White’s given to ponderous pronouncements that make every decision on “The Chopping Block” sound like a matter of life and death. Instead of mere garnish for a dish we’ve been offered before.

NBC also screened the American version of Kath & Kim.

Cress and Barbour are also behind Nine’s new renovation series.