'Hell’s Kitchen' vs. 'Kitchen Nightmares': Which One is for You?
All summer long, we’ll be highlighting some of the best shows and movies available for free on Sling. This content is available to all customers, no sign-up required. Just open up the Sling app on select devices and start streaming!
This week, we’re taking a look at two intense cooking shows: Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. These notorious shows starring Gordon Ramsay highlight his ferocious personality and passion for cooking. You can watch them both now for free on Sling!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few decades, chances are you’re familiar with Gordon Ramsay. The British food personality has been on television for decades, mostly on cooking shows, where he's known to throw insults and jabs to nervous contestants. While Ramsay has been featured on dozens of shows throughout the years, his two most famous are undoubtedly Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.
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Arguably Ramsay’s flagship show, Hell’s Kitchen is a competition-style show, where dozens of contestants compete against each other to prove who’s the best. They come from all sorts of backgrounds — some with formal culinary training and some with none. In Hell’s Kitchen, that doesn’t matter though: all that matters is that you can stand the heat.
Contestants are organized into two teams that face off in the kitchen each week. Each season features a dozen or so contestants, and one contestant is typically voted off each week. The champion gets cash and, more importantly, an executive chef position at a fancy restaurant. The show has been a huge success with both critics and viewers, so it’s no surprise it’s been on the air since 2005. One of the best parts of the show is its flexibility. Much like Ramsay's temperment, you never know what might happen — both teams being declared losers (LOL), no one getting sent home, two people getting sent home… the options are endless.
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Kitchen Nightmares, on the other hand, is focused on failing restaurants in desperate need of a lift. The owners have self-sabotaged their restaurants through any method of mismanagement and Ramsay spends a week with the staff, deciding how (and sometimes, *if*) he can help save them.
The format of each Kitchen Nightmares episode is straight-forward. Ramsay initially studies the restaurant in its natural condition, like on a busy Friday night, and observes how it functions on its own (spoiler alert: it’s never pretty). Ramsay then steps in to save the day with a mix of cooking lessons, restaurateur advice, and team-building exercises to motivate these often misguided people. Tears are frequently shed (never by Ramsay, of course) as the restaurants realize they actually can succeed with the right changes.
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I’m convinced Ramsay must be practicing his insults in the mirror every morning: He is so fine-tuned and quick-witted about every mishap and screw-up on both shows. I sometimes even get secondhand embarrassment for the cooks and restaurant staff, but it’s quite obvious that they knew what they were getting into.
In both shows, the audience plays a crucial role in the culinary successes and failures. They’re the ones deciding what’s tasty and what’s gross. It’s apparent that some of these dining guests are simply in search of their 15-minutes of fame, as they can often be over-the-top and hilariously extra. It’s my favorite part of each show.
So which show is for you? One factor that might help you decide is the format of both shows. Hell’s Kitchen is best enjoyed when you watch an entire season from start-to-finish, as you get to see the contestants adapt and grow with the heightening competition. Kitchen Nightmares, however, is anthological, so you can watch any episode and still enjoy it.
Both shows are strong in their own ways, but everyone has their own preferences. If you’re looking for a fiery competition, Hell’s Kitchen is your best bet. If you’re looking for a feel-good restaurant makeover, Kitchen Nightmares will appeal to you. Either way, both shows are packed with excessive drama, dinner-rush action, and sick burns, courtesy of Ramsay himself. Treat yourself to some culinary television this week on Sling Free.
Follow the link below to watch Hell’s Kitchen right now on Sling Free!