Saturday Kitchen - Time for a change?
Discussion
I've spent many a Saturday watching James and his guests cook some great dishes. Recently though I've lost interest due to the repetitive format and non-foody guests that make too big an issue over their 'food hell' dishes. Surely it would make sense to have guests on that can share their love of food rather than discussing their latest soap appearance!
He's been presenting it now for at least three years and I think it needs a new host (not Matt Tebbutt please!)
Eggy puns on omelette challenge, uncomfortable mistakes, odd intonation and too much competitiveness from James towards the chefs is getting a bit tiresome.
Who should the Beeb replace James with?
He's been presenting it now for at least three years and I think it needs a new host (not Matt Tebbutt please!)
Eggy puns on omelette challenge, uncomfortable mistakes, odd intonation and too much competitiveness from James towards the chefs is getting a bit tiresome.
Who should the Beeb replace James with?
I don't thing it's the Anchor, it's the quality of blatantly food hating, rubbush peddling, z-List celeb guests. I'd far rather see a producer or someone like there to talk about their product and possibly a theme for the show. There are too many 'so called' celebs who have no clue why they're there other than to plug some dreadful book, that and the wine experts want shooting as they are that irritating.
I'm torn on this one - I quite like James, and as it's been mentioned he is a true petrolhead, so it's hard to dislike him. However I agree about the format though, I mean what's the point of the MOP guests? They are almost never consulted about the food, and are there for "look I'm on TV" value.
I like the chefs, and sometimes something will get cooked with a twist I really like, but trying to cook dishes that rely on complex processes in such a short time is a hiding to nothing.
So for me, film some segments with the guest chefs (perhaps even in their own kitchens), then let them assemble the food live, and where practical keep the live demonstration aspect going. Involve and include the guests - perhaps celebrate younger chefs, front of house, people coming up though the trade?
I'd also like a segment on techniques, for the striving amateur cook, difficult cuts, soufflés etc.
Lose the wine slot completely, or bring a sommelier into the studio (that spikey haired blonde t
t poncing around Asda does not a good segment make). z-List Celebs can also bugger off, apart from Emilia Fox (Obviously)
Finally, as it is live, try and make it a bit more interactive with Joe Public, the BBC has so many resources for live communication, why not use them?
I like the chefs, and sometimes something will get cooked with a twist I really like, but trying to cook dishes that rely on complex processes in such a short time is a hiding to nothing.
So for me, film some segments with the guest chefs (perhaps even in their own kitchens), then let them assemble the food live, and where practical keep the live demonstration aspect going. Involve and include the guests - perhaps celebrate younger chefs, front of house, people coming up though the trade?
I'd also like a segment on techniques, for the striving amateur cook, difficult cuts, soufflés etc.
Lose the wine slot completely, or bring a sommelier into the studio (that spikey haired blonde t
t poncing around Asda does not a good segment make). z-List Celebs can also bugger off, apart from Emilia Fox (Obviously)Finally, as it is live, try and make it a bit more interactive with Joe Public, the BBC has so many resources for live communication, why not use them?
Saturday kitchen suffered from the call in debacle, pre the ban on phone ins the show had members of the public ring in to ask for food help, they also voted on the heaven or hell section.
Maybe the show needs a studio audience to bring back audience participation, maybe add in an element of ready steady cook in that a selection of ingredients are given to the chefs to come up with a recipe or a menu.
Maybe the show needs a studio audience to bring back audience participation, maybe add in an element of ready steady cook in that a selection of ingredients are given to the chefs to come up with a recipe or a menu.
andy43 said:
In the spirit of PH, give him a break - a proper petrolhead.
A lot of his money goes on motors, and he's even done the Mille Miglia
I've seen him on a couple of things, and I just get annoyed when he starts talking about cars. He obviously loves them, but he bangs on about how many he's got, how much he's spent on them (Especially on the Mile Miglia programme), boasting about owning an F1 car despite it being an engineless show car, how young he was when he bought his first Ferrari. It's all 'look at me, look at my moolah!"A lot of his money goes on motors, and he's even done the Mille Miglia
He's basically the anti-Leno.
Henry Hawthorne said:
Gino D'Campo. Funny and interesting... Never really liked James Martin.
He's just a rat-eating guitar thief who thinks an Italian accent will help him pull the laydees. No thanks.Hosting a live show takes a certain amount of experience and confidence to get right and that's why they've stuck with Martin. Like him or not, he can carry a show like this.
If anyone remembers the embarressment of John Torode trying to stand in for him a while ago, you'd see how it's very easy on a live show to look like a
t.It's quite difficult to think of a 'chef' with enough of an ego and the skills to do this job. Those who can, already have and the rest of them probably don't want to.
What this slot probably needs now is a complete format change if anything, but as long as the ratings are good, they'll stick with it as it's relatively cheap to produce.
In a Top Gearish way I call the show Star in a Not Reasonably Cooked Omelette. Which explains a lot as SIARPC is the worst bit of Top Gear, unless the guest is a real unexpected petrolead or Sir Ranulph, and the whole of Saturday Kitchen is a food version of SIARPC thus total end to end carp.
and there you go, sithee.

and there you go, sithee.

Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff




