First Review: The Chopping Block
When Catriona Rowntree first started explaining the format, or dare I say, the rules of The Chopping Block to me I found myself thinking, "has it really been three years since My Restaurant Rules and am I ready to go back there?"
Of course Nine and creators Julian Cress and David Barbour would have me think this new show is an entirely different format. Ok, I'll bend a little.... it's modified. But let's face it, it's still two competing restaurants.
That said, the more the show went on the more I was tantalised with its courses. Cress and Barbour of course were catapulted to glory with the success of The Block. They've even found a way to remind us of their past success in the eponymous title.
This format which pits two different restaurants each week denies them the capacity to create the suburban heroes and villains of the renovation hit. With a lazy susan of changing characters we won't bond as readily with this cast. But Cress and Barbour are accomplished storytellers. With just 44 minutes they still managed to navigate us through highs and lows, tantrums and jubilation.
If there is any villain here, it is the show's Food Critic. This guy is the Dicko of cuisines (hmm maybe Dicko would have been a better judge for MRR than its host?). He shot down the staff, decor, meals and service of the 2 Cronulla cafes with acid-tongue precision. If he keeps up this bitchiness, he will be the first new nasty judge of 2008.
The music overlays were a bit heavy-handed. At one point the strings were so melodramatic I wasn't sure if I was watching a reality show or Platoon. Oh wait, Catriona has her hand one someone's shoulder. Problem solved.
Ms Rowntree works well on Getaway. I haven't worked out what she brings to this yet. It would help if everything didn't sound quite so travelogue...
Once again we had reality participants turning it on for the cameras. A manager tries to pull his staff into line while the cameras are shooting. Frustrated staff telling crews to push off. Or worse. In fact for a 7:30pm timeslot there was a lot of profanity. Have this lot been watching Gordon Ramsay? As the producers well-know, conflict equals drama and it was easily found in the pressure cooker kitchen.
By the time the contest was over Cress and Barbour has successfully entertained me with just enough gasps and laughs. They did let me down at the end by neglecting to find a moment of hope for the losing cafe. Where was the "we'll get over this... now we see the errors of our way, we will come through this better than before" moment? Instead they signed off without me knowing if they would close up shop for good or rise from the ashes.
Somebody get Catriona and a film crew around there to pat them on the shoulder?
The Chopping Block airs 7:30pm Wednesdays on Nine
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