HL,

Watch the next FNS when it starts again, I saw they are taking applications for the next round, you will see the same 'recipe' for contestants.

The first winner was Guy.
The second one was the crazy bistro lady.
Aaron McCargo won # three!
This one has to be Debbie.

For nothing else but to show the percieved need for "international cuisine".

Ratings is the name of the game in TV. So the networks look at the demographics and how to tap into that market. There are a few Asian cooks, Ming Tsai, Tommy Tang and Martin Yan who would be great for the network-I remember Tsai being part of the FN lineup years ago- By holding a "competition", they can get a cheaper version with a game show thrown in.

The winning talent gets a short term contract - I think it was six shows? The total number of shows for both projects is 16.

When you tune into PBS you see the chefs there hawking their cooking CDs and there are about 30 shows in each series? The PBS shows are produced with almost no commericials and the sets are pretty bland. But they teach you how to cook and the personalities are somewhat kept in check.

The NFNS is bearable when you stop thinking about all the politics and stupidity.

I was laughing at the studio challenge- if anything happened on the set, the floor person yells "CUT" and they do it over. Why make the person panic by handicapping them during a screen test?

What was the purpose giving the cooks a chance to pick out their recipe/food then changing it?

I have never seen any chef on the channel stop in the middle of a show and say, "I don't have the ingredients to continue, so I am changing the menu!"


We'll see about Debbie.