Archive through July 26, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archive: The Restaurant (ARCHIVES):
Archive through July 26, 2003
Marysafan | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 09:28 am     I had no idea what it was about. I had no knowledge of Rocco. I found it to be both interesting and entertaining and I will tune in again next week. |
Marysafan | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 09:34 am     Okay...guess what I found www.gideonhorowitz.com Remember they guy who was "First in line"? |
Mak1 | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:00 am     I saw Rocco on one of the morning shows but didn't get to see the actual show last night. He said there were 3 fires in the kitchen on opening night and they ran out of wine. |
Seamonkey | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:04 am     hmm, shortly after I posted, they did one of the blatant plugs for coors and then the guy saying he'd drink the spit and I ended up flipping to the end of a bio of Katharine Hepburn, which was quite enjoyable. |
Ladybug007 | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:05 am     I live in NYC and the restaurant is across the street from my friends place...I'll go check it out this week and report back ...ha ha |
Marysafan | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:24 am     Great ladybug! I would like to know if th eplace is still standing ...and if the folks are still working there. |
Jan | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:31 am     Mary, it never occurred to me till I read Gideon's site that they WERE actually looking/interviewing for a cast for a TV reality show..not for REAL waiters, cooks etc! What a laugh |
Yankee_In_Ca | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:31 am     My random thoughts: 1) The ads in the promo and "inserted" throughout the program were both appalling and uncomfortable. I know that Burnett has been lauded for finding ways to get advertising on air in Survivor, but this was over the top. And besides Coors, Mitsubishi, and AmEx (the main sponsors), there were other plugs too – the PR firm’s name on a big board behind the head of the publicist, the limo passing the Origins shop every time they showed the limo, etc. And it was manipulative -- at one point, the kitchen manager is doing something icky and the mood is menacing, and then the "Coors guy" comes and finds him -- and the next shot is them laughing and happy, unloading the Coors boxes, with upbeat, happy music playing in the background. The line where Rocco says something like, "Don’t come back here without Coors for these people” was so obviously dubbed in after the fact that it was cringe-inducing. Which leads me to my next point... 2) There were at least 4 or 5 places where I noticed that lines were dubbed in – very obviously – after the fact. I already mentioned one; there was another during the "Mitsubishi-product-placement-gas-fillup" (there are gas stations in Manhattan?! just kidding) when Rocco is talking with his publicist; and many more. Also, much of what was said or done in this “reality show” was so obviously scripted. And I’m not talking about Rocco’s voiceovers – of course those would be scripted. I’m talking about the “supposed” family dinner at the beginning – the “lawsuit delivery” on the street – the bringing the steak to the 1st in line guy (which was cute, but obviously set up) -- much of what was said by the construction foreman, investor, etc. I understand that lots of this is meant to drive narrative (building tension between “back of the house” and “front of the house” workers), but a lot of the dialogue seemed fake to me. 3) I was annoyed by the fact that they made it seem as though Rocco was getting all that publicity because he was such a hot chef, and that plugging a “staff call” for his new restaurant would actually get him on the Today Show. Nowhere did last night's show mention that the reason he was getting all the press about the “staff call” was because the word went out that they were “casting” for staff for the Mark Burnett reality show “The Restaurant.” That’s why there were people lined up around the block, and why you’ll find that many of the staff are actors/actresses (not that that’s very uncommon – but the second I saw the guy Gideon, I said to my partner – he’s an actor). Not that it makes a huge difference in the end, but it bugged me that they made it seem like Rocco was so hot that he’d get on the Today Show to ask for wait staff. Not happening. Trust me, I know – I place people on Today all the time. 4) The 7-week deadline. Yes, it was unrealistic. Yes, it made for great TV drama. But also, in a “real” world, it would have been disastrous to open your restaurant using obvious banquette rentals and a staff that doesn’t know the menu. But again, this is not reality. I’d be willing to bet that the 7-week deadline was imposed by the television schedule ... and that because of the pre-publicity about the television show, they knew that people would forgive them of a bad launch. In the real restaurant world, a bad launch would have meant awful press, awful word–of-mouth, and the potential eventual death of the venture. All that said, I understand how it made for a good narrative – and I can see how they’re setting up “conflicts” for the future. Perhaps it's a good TV experience, and that's all that matters -- and all that should matter. I’m not saying the show was awful, but the things above jumped out at me so much that I didn’t enjoy myself. Maybe because I have experience in many areas related to this show (publicity, TV, restaurant), I looked at it with a more critical eye than most. In any case, I’m sure the producers would say, “Even though they’re complaining about it, every single person who watched that show knows who the 3 main sponsors are – and so we’ve done our job and earned our money.” |
Scorpiomoon | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 10:54 am     Damn you, YAC! Your very astute post forces me to consciously acknowledge, and agree with, everything you wrote. You're so right. And on the one hand, we should be critical of M.B for being so shamelessly fudging reality. But on the other hand, you got to give him credit for creating what could be a "guilty pleasure". Maybe this is the beginning of a reality TV sub-genre--shows where a "reality" situation is completely constructed to the point where it becomes "fictional reality". Granted, all these shows are manipulated to a large extent, but they always tried to have a documentary feel to allow as much reality as possible. The thing I am left wondering is, how will this show impact Rocco's career? I'm assuming his desire to have his own restaurant was genuine. What happens when the show, the sponsors, the publicity and the public's curiousity ends? |
Marysafan | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 11:00 am     Perhaps he ends up with enough money to build the restaurant he really wants. |
Scorpiomoon | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 11:28 am     LOL, Mary! Let's hope so. |
Ocean_Islands | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 11:30 am     Maybe Rocco isn't really a chef but just looks like one. I agree with all the above astute points, a lot of that stuff seemed very fishy. |
Surealityjunkie | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 11:31 am     It's so nice to know that I wasn't losing my mind. I made the earlier comment about all of the plugs because they were jumping out at me left and right and I don't even have a "trained eye." Although I am ashamed to say that I missed the shameless Mitsubishi product placement. But I was left wondering why his publicist felt the need to get out of the car while Rocco was pumping gas to have a conversation. I caught the Coors for everyone comment (how convienient that someone would want beer...) and how happy they were once the beer man came. It wasn't until the commercials (during every break) for American Express that the OPEN sign that he turned in the opening of the show was really a plug for the American Express Open Card for small business people. Here I just thought it was a simple Open/Closed sign... sheesh. Well thanks all for validating all I saw. Don't get me wrong, though -- I will STILL watch the show. Plugs and all. I guess I have to get used to it. I haven't watched a Mark Burnett show to know that is what is he known for. (Never done Survivor...) |
Ocean_Islands | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:02 pm     I thought the Amex commercials using the star of the show were really overkill, if not downright overexposure. |
Yankee_In_Ca | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:18 pm     Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying Rocco isn't "the real thing" as a chef, but that some of the situations he was in were obviously not "real." That's all. I'm not challenging his skills or notoriety. |
Surealityjunkie | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:18 pm     Ocean, At first I thought the show had come back on and Rocco was recapping his thoughts about opening "The Restaurant" only to realize it was a commercial!!! |
Kimmo | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:19 pm     I thought in the AMEX commercial, he mentioned that "The Restaurant" was his third restaurant. (The ad that kept annoyingly repeating, "Do you know me? Do you think you know me?") I thought that meant he had owned or currently owns two other restaurants. |
Surealityjunkie | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:24 pm     Yankee, What got me on a couple of occaissions was the hiring of people because they said they loved people or they were affected by the cattle call on Today show for people with a smile in their hearts... Kinda reminded me of the selection process in "Cupid" when a couple of questionable people slipped thru for some quirky reason... I guess I can get cast/hired as waitstaff because I have NO skills but a in my heart! |
Surealityjunkie | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:26 pm     Kimmo, He did say that this was his third restaurant and I am assuming the same thing that you are... Of course, you know what they say about people who assume!   |
Surealityjunkie | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:35 pm     It looks like he might still own "Union Pacific" and "Dava Restaurant." http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/rocco_dispirito/0,1974,FOOD_9939,00.html |
Jan | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 01:08 pm     I'm pretty sure that Regis and Kelly were talking this AM about what a great chef he is. (and Regis did add that in NY it is absolutely impossible to open a new restaurant in 7 weeks.) |
Yankee_In_Ca | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 01:10 pm     Yes, Rocco does own the other two restaurants -- both 3 stars -- and is one of the "hot" chefs in NY right now. But without the show, the Today Show STILL would not have booked him to have a "call for staff," no matter how hot he was. |
Reader234 | Monday, July 21, 2003 - 02:47 pm     Jan, I also caught R&K live, and he was very cynical to Kelly's amazement, she was hooked on the reality part, and I LOL at the mention of hmmm Today show NBC, Restaurant- NBC you think there might be a connection? LOL, I usually dont watch R&K, but I loved that line!! They kinda looked over at Gelman, wonder if they'll do our show... |
Jan | Saturday, July 26, 2003 - 05:00 pm     NBC appears to be repeating the debut episode tonight (sat. july 26) at 8PM EST |
Fabnsab | Saturday, July 26, 2003 - 05:25 pm     Rocco has been on the Food network quite a few times and he may have been on Martha too. I remember seeing him alot in the past though. |
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