Fall TV Preview: Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

Gordon Ramsay's introduction to the American reality TV scene came three seasons ago with the premiere of Hell's Kitchen -- an in-your-face culinary elimination show, rather like Survivor with flammable cooking oil and dangerously sharp knives. Since then he has inspired and intimidated dozens of aspiring chefs and has made the careers of three talented winners. Now, this fall, Ramsay's new show Kitchen Nightmares will debut on Wednesday nights on Fox, beginning September 19.

Viewers who have seen the British version of this series, which airs in the States on BBC America, will have some idea of what to expect; for those who haven't, here is a brief rundown of the show's premise: Ramsay visits financially struggling restaurants, and offers them a critique of everything from dining room decor, to menu choices, to the way the kitchen is run. And he does it in typical Ramsay style -- forcefully, no sugar-coating. I have personally seen him make more than one grown man cry, and in one episode, the head chef actually locked Ramsay out of the restaurant, unable to take any more "advice". In the end, however, the advice proves beneficial, and after making some difficult changes to menus, staff, and policies, the struggling restaurants usually regain their footing and earn Ramsay's seal of approval.