5 replies to this topic

[ratgirlagogo]

I didn't see a thread for this show, which started last week on BBC America. Apparently it was called Gordon Behind Bars in the UK. I was curious about it because in general GR's BBC shows are more interesting than his American ones. This one looked to be a potentially interesting project, but now that it seems that is supposedly getting this whole project off the ground in FOUR WEEKS I'm pretty disappointed. You can make a reality show in that timeframe but you can't train inexperienced prisoners to cook and run a kitchen in that time. A show that followed a real culinary training program in a prison would be fascinating. Too bad this isn't that.

[MacabreParlor]

I caught this show and enjoyed it, I think it will be an interesting ride. I did kinda smirk a bit at how worried Ramsay was about safety. I am not trying to down play it, I'm really not it's just that prison seemed like a dorm you couldn't leave for a bit. Street clothing, no gangish cliques and people seemed downright polite. I love England, they are so cute - five choices for dinner for the inmates, trying not to upset anyone by changing up routine? I don't think this will be a show he'll try to recreate in America. I'll keep watching this one though.

[GirlInAVolvo]

I don't think this will be a show he'll try to recreate in America.

Yes, probably not a good idea at all!

I was excited about this show, since I love Gordon and also Lockup. So far I'm a little underwhelmed but maybe it will get better. It is funny to watch GR constantly be reminded that the people he's working with are in fact criminals, like when they eat the tarts they've been told a million times not to eat. That same impulsive behavior and lack of thinking about future consequences that got the guys locked up in the first place will naturally keep popping up in big and small ways. I just hope nothing really bad happens to anyone in the crew.

[AladdinSane]

I much prefer the stoic, BBC Ramsay shown here vs. the manic, FOX GRR interpretation of Hells Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares/US.
It seems to me that, in general, the BBC has the patience to let a Ramsay 'story line' develop organically, whereas FOX forces.every.aspect (including counselor). For this reason, I could not watch a FOX produced,USA version of 'Ramsay in a Prison'.
I liked the twist here that rather than this show being about prison food <yawn> Gordon is assembling a team to sell food outside the prison to 'give back' and defray some of the prison cost(s). As if.
Nobody in Gordon's 'Dirty Dozen' (yes show, i caught the reference...) was doing 'hard time' or seemed particularly dangerous if grading on the Prison bell curve, yet all were institutionalized in their own ways.Of particular interest to me was the member who, when faced with the relative unpredictability of a TV production schedule in prison, was prepared to (very loudly) walk away when faced with the prospect of chow time without HIS sauces from HIS cell.
I enjoyed this show and would reccomend it to anyone who enjoys the subtlety of the Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares/UK episodes.

Edited by AladdinSane, Feb 3, 2013 @ 2:34 PM.

[aliyameadow]

I hope this is OK to say - I caught this in YouTube searching around for new Ramsay stuff. His heart is in the right place, but let's say that street clothes and multiple choices for dinner doesn't change these guys from who they are. You'd have the same issues in a US prison in terms of convict behavior.

It's a good series - it's nice that the Brits will let something go for a few useful shows, and move on, rather than try to drag a premise out for years.

[Thena]

As others, I much prefer the British shows that Gordon does for Channel 4 in the UK than his American Fox shows. I saw this when it aired in its UK time, and it was interesting if only to see Gordon being out of his comfort zone and also the look on institutionalized behaviour. He wouldn't be able to take this show to the US, and it was difficult enough for him to make in the UK, but he'd encounter similar issues. While his team were not hard murderers or major sex offenders, all of them were repeat offenders. The show does emphasize how the cycle is very hard to break.