Customer Reviews

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares: Complete UK Series 1

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A great show & the reason I came to love Gordon Ramsay in the first place (from the airings of these episodes on BBC America). These episodes are uncensored, so be prepared to hear F-Bombs droping throughout the shows.

But be warned: If you were lucky enough to pick up "Kitchen Nightmares: Vol. 1", then you already have all the episodes on this release. Volume 1 actually has all the episodes from Series 1 & 2. Volume 2 has all the episodes from Series 3 & 4. Volumes 1 & 2 were a Canadian release & were sold thru Amazon for a short time (Amazon is where I got mine). Sadly, it looks like they are no longer available thru Amazon.

If you don't have Volume 1, then by all means order this Series 1 DVD. If you do have Volume 1, then you are just buying the same episodes that you already have.

Finally, in all it's uncensored glory, the first series of the UK "Kitchen Nightmares" has arrived! The first four original episodes and Gordon's revisits are:

1. Bonaparte's
2. The Glass House
3. The Walnut Tree
4. Moore Place

Bonaparte's is notoriously known to KN watchers as the restaurant whose owner, Sue Ray tried unsuccessfully to sue GR. Also, the young head chef Tim not only served Gordon a rancid scallop, but didn't even know how to make an omlette. The Glass House features one of Gordon's least favorite (and bad risotto making) chefs, Richard. The man seriously had a risotto with pomegranate on the menu. The Walnut Tree, whose owner basically refused to take Gordon's advice is a classic example of a restaurant desperately holding on to past glory. Moore Place was the big purple monster where the deep fryer and microwaves worked longer hours than the kitchen brigade.

It's a great show, with none of the overblown music and 'impending doom' narration of the US version. Bring on Series 2, 3, 4 & 5!

I caught this one night on tv and was hooked! I love to cook and be in the kitchen, so this was a good fit. Its interesting to get an inside view of some fancy (and some not so) restaurants and see how things work...and well don't.

Ramsay is hard on these people and its good, you can tell he has a love for food and quality! All in all the show is pretty quick paced, with some pretty rough times for these restaurant owners and employees. I will caution you though some of the episodes will make you never wanna eat out again :(

I will be purchasing this on DVD as soon as it releases!

I have been a big fan of Gordon Ramsey for years now. From his books to various shows, it really doesn't get more entertaining the chef Ramsey. I find that the BBC kitchen nightmares has more of a refined & professional feel as opposed to the American version but still is equally as hilarious. You also get to see a somewhat kinder side of Gordon. Yes he's still very intense but uses it more to motivate owners & employees to get their acts together so their restaurant will succeed. Overall just a great show for anyone, especially those who are a fan of cooking.

I was always aware of Gordon Ramsay but never watched any of his shows till recently. I have become hooked on the US version of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. So hooked that I just had to purchase both of the British series that are available. I am so glad I did and cannot praise it enough. Here I am reviewing the complete series one of RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. What Ramsay does here is exactly the same as he does in the US version. Restaurants in trouble have contacted him seeking his expertise and help. He goes to them, investigates in depth what problems exist and helps them to see the problems and implement changes that will hopefully stick.

Here is some news. If you enjoy the US version the British version is better in every way. With British television very little is censored and you see and hear everything and it is much more real. You also see how the producers sensationalize the US version which is of course how US television is done. But it is not necessary. By being uncensored you get to see more of the real Gordon Ramsay. He is very tough and very honest while at the same time being very compassionate. The restaurants and their problems speak for themselves. No sensationalizing is necessary. Just make sure you notice how many bleeps there are in the US version for the language is totally unedited here and there is much f----, etc. So be prepared. But what you get is a world class chef showing us the problems that exist in many restaurants. He does an amazing job at this as well as discovering the true positive entity that exists within each restaurant.

Some say each episode is the same. This is in no way true. The premise of the show is that he goes to restaurants and does what he does but each restaurant is a different unique experience. I find the British version to be so much better than how reality shows are done in the US. If you love Gordon Ramsay and his honesty and skill this series is a highly recommended must. Not just for the fun of watching him but also for an education on restaurants, food and what to watch out for when you think you are just going out for a nice dinner.

It's a good show, but it gets docked a notch for purporting to be 387 minutes. One would assume this to be 387 unduplicated minutes, but 150 of those minutes are just a repeat of each of the four episodes with ten minutes tacked on of Ramsay returning to the restaurant months later. It is only about 230 minutes of unrepeated footage. I felt a little cheated.

I originally picked this up in a local entertainment store, mistakenly thinking it was the US version. However, the UK version proved to be an extremely pleasant surprise and I'm glad I purchased it.

Chef Ramsay is well-known to most television viewers on both sides of the pond by now, so a quick rundown of his "bedside manner" in these kitchens will suffice. Be prepared for lots of f-bombs and healthy doses of criticism on restaurants, their managers, and staff, that really need it. Ramsay doesn't pull punches and his honesty is refreshing; that his assessments are almost always accurate provide a credibility that viewers can appreciate.

The four restaurants Ramsay visits are the Bonaparte's, a fine dining venue; The Glass House, a tourist-area restaurant with lots of competition; The Walnut Tree Inn, a restaurant with a Michelin star and a unique history and place as a local dining institution; and Moore Place, located next a golf course, and whose menu is deep-fat-frying focused horror straight out of the 1970s.

Although the unique culture of each restaurant is interesting, the editors did a fantastic job by making Ramsay's interactions with management, staff, and the locals as the dramatic element of the series. You can see that Gordon really cares about seeing these institutions become successful, and it makes for extremely compelling viewing. The payoff at the end of seeing proprietors and staff realize what they are capable of being in providing quality food and great service is especially gratifying, even if they are not always successful at maintaining that momentum over the long run (as the "Revisited" episodes show)

As an American, I found the operation of the restaurants portrayed here to be particularly fascinating, especially since these places seem to rely quite a bit on local markets to get their ingredients, as opposed to a corporate supplier here in the US like Sysco to bring them via semi-truck every other day. I can imagine it takes a great deal of forethought and creativity to prepare a menu based on the availability of local ingredients, and gave me a greater appreciation for how difficult it is to keep a restaurant successfully running regardless of its location.

I knocked off a star because I would have liked to see some more special features on the DVD set, such as deleted scenes.

If you enjoy travel shows, food-related television, and/or Gordon Ramsay's bombastic personality, pick up this DVD set.

Well...any of us, that began our fascination w/ Hell's Kitchen, will be even more impressed. Gordon is better in the UK version, than the US. I have been to Europe...and glad to see---the chef is enlightening us all...to the reality (behind the scenes), of what lies across the seas. No Martha Stewart~Thank God!!!!

I read the review of this program in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY and they gave it an A-...they're so right! Ramsay is an incredible personality and a delight to watch. I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves the US knock-offs with Ramsay. The UK does it better!

Very good show, I like to see how restaurant close of bankrupt can be alive again with the experience of Chef Ramsay.

The bad thing is, they said 'eight' episodes, which is false. 5th to 8th are only the 10 minutes which Gordon Ramsay come back to restaurants, added to first to 4th episode. Kind of scam.

Thank you