Watch this before it gets the chop (Chopping Block)

Member Name: MisterReview

Product:	Chopping Block
Date:	21/05/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good, typical 'reality' viewing

Disadvantages: Not enough attention paid to the cooking. Stateside padding and editing.

OK we are only three episodes in to this, so maybe not much to go on yet.

You may still be recovering from being frightened out of your skin by the imposing presence of Marco Pierre White, after having the 2009 Hell's Kitchen landing on our telescreens - now we are being treated to The Chopping Block.

ITV2 have decided to screen this more or less immediately after the finish of the end of Hell's Kitchen, probably keen to capitalise on Marco, although it is important to note this may have been more to do with the fact the NBC in the good ole US-of-A, got rather low ratings on this show and eventually gave it the chopping block, in favour of repeats of Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

So what is The Chopping Block?

Simply put eight couples battle it out for a chance of winning the prize of running their own restaurant in Manhattan.

The couples are split into two teams of four couples. They are each assigned a blank canvas, in the form of a restaurant. So, two restaurants across the road from each other.

Marco Pierre White will set each team identical tasks - not just food tasks, but tasks associated with running a restaurant. For example [SPOILER ALERT - SKIP TO NEXT PARA], in one episode the teams are given a corner of a room which is painted white. The task is to decorate that corner and dress a table at that corner. Which sounds relatively easy, but after Marco has cast his eye over things, they then need to do the whole restaurant out for the next sitting.

You will of course see other tasks directly involved with the food - you've seen it before in Hell's Kitchen - Marco will ask them to make a particular dish or serve something based on a theme. Marco then does the rounds and does his tasting.

Of course the 'pinnacle' of each episode is the evening sitting, which so far has included a restaurant critic as diner, who will cast the vote on the winning team. Marco then gets the task of firing one of the couples, and so they are whittled down. we are only three episodes in as I write this review, so the format might change

We get many interjections of Mr Pierre White's almost Cantonar-esque gems of knowledge - him sat with authority, in moody, contrasty lighting, with that all important fully straight and erect right forefinger waggling in the air. I tell you what Marco don't half trot them out!

David Bowie is a great singer - he is also a reasonable actor, so long as he is playing David Bowie personas. Vinnie Jones was a great footballer - he is also a reasonable actor, so long as he is playing hardman personas. Marco Pierre White is a great chef. He would also be a great actor, so long as he was playing moody, authoritative chef-philosophers.

This man reeks of authority. Even his unruly hair says so; it being a metaphor of a phrase oft said by his fellow Yorkshiremen "I say what I like, and I like what I say." I won't let the fact that he is starting to go bald spoil the 'poetry' of the metaphor. (What?? you say he is from Yorkshire!!!)

Back to The Chopping Block.

Again it suffers from USA style ultra-fast edits, and a huge amount of padding - this show would be half its length (currently 1 hour including adverts), if some of the padding were taken out. To be fair the fast-paced editing slows down a little for the 'foodie' shots.

As much as I have seemed critical of the show, I have enjoyed watching it. I normally watch stuff like this in the hope that I will learn something about food and cooking, but most of them are now about the celebrity chef and their personal quirks, with the interaction of the competitors taking an equal part. I must admit though, there is no denying that Marco is charismatic and the things he says are enigmatic. whether or not this is natural or part of an act, I still find it entertaining, which is just one important facet of television.

Summary: This is one for the Marco fans out there