Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef, Next Food Network Star Duke It Out

TV with MeeVee - Burlingame, CA, USA - Variety is running head-to-head reviews of "Hell's Kitchen" and "Top Chef," but they've ignored a strong contender in "The Next Food Network Star." Hosted by Food Network giants including Paula Deen and Giada de Laurentis, "Star" hasn't got the audience share that Hell's Kitchen or Top Chef do, but it's still doing quite well. One advantage, a commenter at Duckyxdale points out, is that the players know they need to be likeable if they're going to succeed as TV chefs, so the show is short on backstabbing and long on food.

GordonramsayOf course, if you tune in just for the backstabbing, "Hell's Kitchen" is the way to go. Celebrity chef, host, and professional meanie Gordon Ramsay is even facing lawsuits over the production of another show, "Kitchen Nightmares." He seems to be keeping it legal on "Hell's Kitchen," but he's still a great example of a terrible boss. It's great fun to watch the aspiring cooks scramble, crack under pressure, and tremble before the almighty chef, but after awhile it's hard not to question the logic of a show this cruel to its contestants.