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Madelane
| Monday, August 25, 2003 - 12:52 pm
I don't think we can really discuss this program until we've all enjoyed a couple COORS LIGHT BEERS. I know I'm not relaxed until I've had my COORS LIGHT. How clever would it be to dunk someone in a bucket of iced-down COORS LIGHT beers? And when I'm at the beach, freezing next to a tiny fire, with a bunch of people I never liked, unclear about where I'm staying the night and missing poor Gideon, all I need is someone to show up with a case of COORS LIGHT. On a more somber note: At Lollapalooza the only beer available near my seats was COORS LIGHT. I only had one, even though I promised to boycott, then I came to my senses and walked all the way down the hill to pay two dollars more for a "premium" beer so COORS LIGHT wouldn't get any more of my money.
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Realfan
| Monday, August 25, 2003 - 1:51 pm
Scorpiomom, Paradise Hotel is cheesy guilty fun. The Restaurant just makes me squirm. It got worse as the weeks went on--more obviously staged, more apparent it wasn't about an actual restaurant opening and really about Rocco skeeving it up in front of the cameras. I didn't know how creepy Rocco himself was until perhaps episode 3--at first as a terrible manager, then with the so-called "flirting" (really groping) of restaurant guests. That was more of a slow reveal. When, by the end, we saw what a tool he really was, I was fairly shocked that I'd wasted time watching him. (What about that "you've made history" speech on the beach? Was that stupid, or what? And way to go, Rocco, and not give your employees any shelter or a place to go to the bathroom. Oh, yeah, you didn't think of that basic biological need, cuz you're used to renting out your bathroom stalls to couples by the hour! Bwah!).
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Warrenn
| Monday, August 25, 2003 - 3:32 pm
Yes, I knew it was going to be a train wreck from the beginning, but they crossed the line. I want the train wreck to be from conflicts of people's personalities as they are put in stressful situations. See how they react to each other and what they say. Sure it's a contrived situation, but the participants should react in a believable way. What we saw in the "The Restaurant" is not believable. It was a bunch of people acting wacky for the cameras. It was a train wreck because it was so awful. Does Rocco really fondle all the customers like that in his other restaurants? Unless his other two restaurants are strip clubs, I don't think so. And since when do customers tell the waiter to clear the table so they can give him some luvin' right there? Ugh.
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Realfan
| Monday, August 25, 2003 - 4:29 pm
Wasn't that gross? And it seemed clear Rocco was jealous that the women liked their waiter, so he had to diss him and get in on the action. And that awful line about never having tried a married black woman... It's just so skeevy, there are no words. And his precious mama was sitting right behind him at the next table! I had the silly notion at the outset that this would be about an upscale restaurant getting launched, and that I might learn something about the restaurant industry. Let me tell ya, this place is nothing like any restaurant I've ever eaten in, and I've dined in a lot.
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Pamy
| Monday, August 25, 2003 - 6:21 pm
Yes this show got worse every week! I can't imagine how Rocco can hold his head up after this mess, I wonder if he saw the edited show before it aired. That kid was irritating as hell! He was waaay to young to say those things! He reminded me of Chachi from Happy Days but at least Chachi was older. This show would have been better if they would have just called it a campy drama. Now all of you go watch The Family this week, THAT is good tv!!!
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Scorpiomoon
| Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 12:15 am
Yep. Pamy is right The Family is great TV. Pamy: I read, in one of the article YIC graciously supllied, Rocco got $2 million for this show. I'd guess he doesn't care about his reputation after that pay out. Madelane: Your was the funniest post I read all day! You just crack me up! Warrenn, Realfan: I want to argue with you guys, but I just can't I know everything you guys wrote is true, damn it!
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Pamy
| Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 6:44 am
Oh how I love to see the phrase 'Pamy is right' LOL
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Madelane
| Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 11:33 am
And how I love to see the phrase "you just crack me up!" :-)
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Yankee_In_Ca
| Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 5:51 pm
I'll finish this off with some final articles on the show: Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada) August 25, 2003 Monday Final Edition HEADLINE: TV audiences ATE UP what The Restaurant had to offer BYLINE: Pamela Klaffke BODY: It is standard practice for the producers of reality television shows to have participants sign a non-disclosure agreement, stating that they will not reveal any top-secret information (i.e. who takes home the million bucks, etc.) before the show concludes its run. Such agreements can also legally forbid TV's wannabe stars from saying much of anything at all -- other than what viewers saw on their screens. In other words, chatting indiscreetly about the behind-the-scenes action is not cool. But whatever the legal ramifications or producer-inflicted wrath a reality TV personality may incur if they can't keep their mouths shut, that hasn't stopped the staff/stars of NBC's The Restaurant from dishing the dirt. The show, which was produced by Survivor kingpin Mark Burnett and ended its six-week run Sunday night, fed into many trends in entertainment, not the least of which is the compulsion anyone who's been in front of the camera for more than 10 seconds has to spill the beans. Or at least, what they consider to be "the beans." No less than four of The Restaurant's former (or current) staffers have set up Web sites that detail their experiences. (Visit www.tophergoodman.com, www.misslolabelle.com, www.uzaytumer.com, www.gideonhorowitz.com to get an idea of just what's going on.) Now, it's pretty much a given that producer Burnett did make the chaos of opening a Manhattan restaurant in a ridiculously short period of time (seven weeks) with an acclaimed chef (Rocco DiSpirito) good TV, however staged some of the segments felt. Burnett and his crew made The Restaurant interesting, but somehow the waitstaff, bartenders and kitchen staff seemed to mistakenly think this actually made them interesting. To be fair, I'm sure many of those involved are indeed lovely and interesting people, just not in a super-star kind of way. They simply happened to be the right person in the right place at a time when food TV has evolved past recipes and into kitchen chronicles. While Food Network Canada's programming schedule is still chock full of traditional cooking shows, more and more viewers are tuning in to find programs about the foodie/restaurant/-chef lifestyle. There's Opening Night (which also airs on Life Network), a fast-paced half-hour which follows chefs and restaurateurs through the process of opening a new establishment. There's Cooking School Stories, which is, well, just that: stories of students attending cooking school with dreams of becoming great chefs. And then there is Anthony Bourdain. A New York chef and author, Bourdain's Cook's Tour show follows the outspoken chef as he travels the world exploring and eating the local cuisine. Bourdain has made quite a career out of revealing the secret lives of chefs. In his 2000 book, Kitchen Confidential, he shared -- maybe overshared -- enough behind-the-scenes gross-out stories to put readers off eating out for life. With the rise of food TV and cooking's newfound cool, Bourdain rode the wave of celebrity chefdom, although in a decidedly (and frankly, more entertaining) manner than the gimmicky, made-for-TV likes of Emeril Lagasse. If People magazine (which named Rocco DiSpirito as one of its 50 Most Beautiful People) and New York magazine (which named Bourdain as one of its sexiest New Yorkers earlier this month) are to be believed, guys who cook are hot -- and guys who cook at a professional level are even hotter. So perhaps that's why The Restaurant got under the skin of so many of the people who work(ed) there and those who secretly wished they did -- they all want to be that guy who's flattered by magazines and feted by socialites. Undoubtedly, the execs at NBC couldn't be more pleased. The Restaurant's ratings were consistently good and they didn't have to pay for the show (Burnett financed it solely through product placement). And now that the masses have had their appetite whet for the crazy scene behind the scenes of the food business, season two can't be far behind -- and you can bet those same wannabe TV stars will line up to do it all over again.
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Yankee_In_Ca
| Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 5:54 pm
NBC News Transcripts SHOW: Sunday Today (9:00 AM ET) - NBC August 24, 2003 Sunday HEADLINE: Rocco Dispirito discusses "The Restaurant" and tonight's season finale ANCHORS: CAMPBELL BROWN BODY: CAMPBELL BROWN, co-host: And no rest for the weary, Rocco Dispirito joins us now from his vacation in New Hampshire. Rocco, vacation? What's the matter with you? You needed a little getaway from all this? Mr. ROCCO DISPIRITO ("The Restaurant"): I know. It's crazy. It's crazy. Did all that happen to me really? Oh, my God. BROWN: Yeah, I think so. So how does it feel now that it's essentially over and you've had a chance to sort of see how it turned out, I guess, in a way on television? Mr. DISPIRITO: Well, it definitely feels great to be here on vacation, I can tell you that. And you know what? Tonight's going to be fun. You'll see that even my story has a happy ending. BROWN: Well, let's go to the big which we teased just a moment ago, is there going to be a second season? Mr. DISPIRITO: Well, if America wants more I think they should let us know, don't you think? BROWN: Absolutely. Absolutely. How do you--do you think the show is a success overall? Are you ready for another round? Mr. DISPIRITO: Well, the people at NBC seem happy, and a lot of people have come into the restaurant and said they've watched it and, you know, despite what they've seen, they're--they're in the restaurant having fun, having a great time, and that's what counts. So I guess in that sense it's a--it's a success. BROWN: So, looking back--I mean, you have obviously done this before, but never with cameras following you around. How did it feel? Did it make it a lot more difficult? Mr. DISPIRITO: As you can see, I--I basically have no inhibitions when cameras are around. After a few months I--I--well, after a few weeks, actually, I forgot they were there. You know, chefs are used to being under the microscope, especially in New York City where, you know, we cook for some of the most sophisticated and fickle people on the planet so the pressure's always on. The cameras definitely added a level of interest and complication that I didn't expect. And I have to say even the customers were affected a great deal by the way the--by the cameras being around. BROWN: You mean in terms of the way they acted. And I noticed that there--there are some... Mr. DISPIRITO: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. BROWN: ...from what I've watched, where you--you aren't always portrayed as the most charming, loveable guy. Of course, we know you here at the TODAY show, and we know you are, but was that a little tough watching yourself that way? Mr. DISPIRITO: Yeah, there were definitely a couple of moments where I watched myself, and I cringed and, you know, couldn't believe that they caught that on tape. But, you know, when you give someone full access to your life they see everything, the good, the bad the ugly. And that's what makes it interesting, I hope. BROWN: OK, give us a little hint about what we're going to see tonight. Mr. DISPIRITO: Well, tonight we've got a couple things going on. We've got--we've got a trip to the beach, which is fun. You know, we all decided we needed to take a break. And we hired a new employee just as we were headed towards--to the beach, so there's--there's a couple of moments in there where--where one of our bartenders isn't so happy about our new addition. There's a--there's a couple of people that--let's say they fall in love, maybe, you could call it. And there's a couple of other surprises. You'll have to watch, obviously. It's a good show, though. BROWN: Now that the cameras are out of the... Mr. DISPIRITO: Lot of happy customers, too. BROWN: Yeah, and--well, I was going to say now that the cameras are out of the restaurant is--is it different there? Mr. DISPIRITO: It's definitely--it's much, much different. You know, it's--a restaurant's always supposed to have a really sort of happy, circus-like atmosphere, but when there were 12 cameras crews walk--walking around and, you know, boom mics and producers taking notes everywhere, it made it feel, you know, more like a set than a--than a restaurant. So now it's--you know, it's own kind of chaos. It's a big busy restaurant restaurant which is just as difficult to control but, you know, another kind of craziness. BROWN: Rocco, thanks. Good to see you. Mr. DISPIRITO: You're welcome. Nice to see you. Bye. BROWN: And you can watch the season finale of "The Restaurant" tonight on NBC at 10 Eastern.
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Gina8642
| Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 10:29 am
This last episode was the worst one of the bunch. I simply had to fast foward through about 70-80% of it. How stupid was the story line of the new waitress? It seemed extremely manufactured. Same for all of Gideon's scenes (previously my favorite) - way too scripted! Sorry, if they come back for another season and this is what's in store? Fake jealosy and fake romance story lines to go along with fake firing scenes (previous week), I'll pass NBC.
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Scorpiomoon
| Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 2:16 pm
Thanks for the articles, as always, YIC.
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Ladybug007
| Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 2:44 pm
VIEWERS 7.8 million WHAT HAPPENED We learned that opening a Manhattan restaurant is really, really hard, as celeb chef Rocco DiSpirito launched an Italian eatery before our eyes -- and then whined about it in all those American Express ads. WHY WE'RE SPLIT ''We weren't being salacious, weren't asking people to choose between the gay one and the straight one,'' executive producer Ben Silverman says. Even so, we got fires in the kitchen, staff sex in the bathroom, and flambeed tempers. Ratings were lukewarm, but producers say they're negotiating for a second season. LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO THE GENRE Drama with nary an elimination ceremony -- unless you count all those firings.
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Italiana
| Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 4:17 pm
At the risk of most of you not believing me...I have worked in the restaurant industry for 25 years now, in almost every capacity. I am here to say that although there were a few things I think would not have happened unless the cameras were rolling, most of the goings on in The Restaurant were everyday occurrences at my job. Actually most of it was tame in comparison to a lot of the things we see happening. I have often wanted to write a book. After every episode of The Restaurant my friends would call me to rehash it all! We all would get so stressed out almost as if it were happening to us!LOL! In one of the restaurants I worked in the chef/owner had a table set up in the kitchen right next to the food line where people could dine and watch everything happening. I could never understand why anyone would want to listen to us scream and yell and hear all the customer complaints while they were eating. For most, once was enough, but some loved it! They ALL, however, remarked they never knew how crazy it got back there and how they had a new found respect for what we had to go through every night! I could REALLY tell some stories!
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Texannie
| Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 7:56 am
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1989003 As for "The Restaurant," it has not been decided yet if chef Rocco DiSpirito will continue to be at the center of the show from Mark Burnett, Ben Silverman and Magna Global Entertainment. "We're either going to continue working with Rocco -- and there are incredible story lines that haven't yet been dealt with -- or we're going to launch a new 'Restaurant' with a new chef, and we might even do both," Silverman said. The new deal firms up Burnett and Silverman's relationship with NBC. In addition to shepherding "The Restaurant" together, Silverman separately executive produces the network's new comedy "Coupling," while Burnett is executive producing NBC's upcoming reality series "The Apprentice." "We are very, very happy to continue our joint relationship with NBC," Burnett said. In addition to "The Restaurant," the two producers also are working on a new reality show for NBC that will have "similar kind of storytelling in a different arena," Silverman said. No decision has been made yet about the new project's setting, but sources indicated that a casino is among the options being considered (HR 9/9).
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Scorpiomoon
| Tuesday, September 30, 2003 - 10:45 pm
Texannie: Thanks for the article! Just to let you guys know: Any time someone posts in this thread it just reignites the sexual fantasies I had of Rocco all summer.
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Texannie
| Wednesday, October 01, 2003 - 6:06 am
ROFL!!! and you're welcome! I have noticed that I am having a hard time watching the rerun on Bravo, it seems so painful now. Also, they were showing the 2nd episode where the staff (was about to type cast! LOL) had a big party, lots of kissing and stuff and Topher had his tongue way down some girl's throat!
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Rslover
| Wednesday, October 01, 2003 - 9:21 am
Wow, isn't Topher gay?
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Texannie
| Wednesday, October 01, 2003 - 9:25 am
That's why I was surprised to see him sucking this girl's tongue out of her mouth! LOL
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Texannie
| Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 4:55 pm
http://nbc.com/nbc/footer/Contestants.shtml#therestaurant The Restaurant NBC's summer hit The Restaurant is back for a much anticipated second season! The Restaurant will be serving up all the excitement and drama from the first season... and more! We're looking for fun, lively, and outgoing people who want to dine and share their stories with us. Are you pregnant and want to share the exciting news? Do you want to ask that special someone to marry you? Are you trying to reconcile with an Ex and want to work it out? Are you keeping a secret that you'd love to share? OR do you have an entirely different interesting story that needs to be told on The Restaurant? If you live in the tri-state New York City area and would like to be considered to be a part of this exciting television experience email us your: PHONE NUMBER ADDRESS A RECENT DIGITAL PHOTO EMAIL: TheRestaurant2Show@hotmail.com The Restaurant is executive produced by Mark Burnett of Mark Burnett Productions, Reveille's Ben Silverman and Magna Global Entertainment's Robert Riesenberg. Participant selections will be made by the producers in their sole discretion.
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Texannie
| Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 5:00 pm
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/ NBC looking for Restaurant diners. NBC is searching for diners to participate in the next season of The Restaurant. At renewal time, it wasn't clear if the next season would follow Rocco or be set at Rocco's; the casting call makes it seem like they're going for Big Brother-esque diner drama, not megalomaniacal owner/chef drama. The breathless casting call says the network wants "fun, lively, and outgoing people who want to dine and share their stories with us," including people who "are pregnant and want to share the exciting news," are "trying to reconcile with an Ex and want to work it out," and are "keeping a secret that [they'd] love to share."
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Scorpiomoon
| Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 10:42 pm
Oh geez. Is it just me or is this not scraping the bottom of the barrel? Are we really going to watch a reality TV series about people's staged dining experiences--possibly at Rocco's crappy restaurant? Thanks, as always, Texannie. Guess who'll make a guest appearance in my next sexual fantasy thanks to you?
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Fabnsab
| Friday, October 17, 2003 - 1:06 am
So, basically what NBC is looking for is people who are willing to go into a restaurant with cameras everywhere and share an intimate moment with all of us? Who will be the Maitre D- Jerry Springer?? This is just another attempt to mask a tacky talk show like all the court shows do.
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Texannie
| Friday, October 17, 2003 - 9:38 pm
ROFL!!!
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Texannie
| Monday, November 03, 2003 - 7:53 am
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/31/1067233335907.html film tv & radio music arts books fashion good living Home > Entertainment > TV & Radio > Article Nasty Rocco chopped By David Dale October 31, 2003 - 1:05AM Print this article Email to a friend It wasn't the snob factor that killed The Restaurant. It was the scumbag factor. At the beginning of this week, Ten had high hopes for the premiere of a new series called The Restaurant, about a celebrity chef called Rocco de Spirito in Manhattan. Made by the creator of Survivor, it had been a hit in America, and got good advance publicity here. It was also the latest ripple in what looked like a growing fad for food on television - Ten had been attracting strong numbers in its target 16-39 age group for programs hosted by the English chef Jamie Oliver. The only risk was that Rocco's haute cuisine might be a bit pretentious for the average viewer, but his manic energy should have overcome that. The first of six episodes went to air at 8.30 on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Ten sent out this programming alteration for next Tuesday: "8.30pm. Delete Program: The Restaurant. Insert: The Allnewfirsttimebrandnewneverbeforeseenpremiere Simpsons." We knew TV was a ruthless business, but so speedy a demise must be close to a record. What happened? "We're responsive - some things work, some don't," was all a Ten spokesperson would say yesterday. The Restaurant averaged 461,000 viewers on Tuesday - less than half the number who usually watch Jamie. It wasn't the concept of an upmarket restaurateur that deterred the viewers. Close to a million were watching at the opening of the show. They started turning off as soon as they discovered Rocco was a classically neurotic New Yorker, obsessed with money and power, and not a bit like kindly cheerful Jamie. So Ten had to kill him and resort to its reliable standby, Bart Simpson. Will we ever see raging Rocco again? "Anything's possible," the Ten spokesperson said. "It's not in the schedule at this point." * ABC sources confirmed yesterday that although the viewer reaction program Feedback would return next year, it would not be hosted by Indira Naidoo, whose two-year contract ends in December.
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