Gordon Ramsey's show is a - IMO - a weak knockoff of Irvine's show.
Too much of Ramsey's crazy tantrums/antics (i.e., swearing; throwing food; gagging; scolding; etc) are featured and they use the last 15 minutes of the show to miraculously solve any restaurant issues which - again IMO - seemed contrived and seem unresolved and unbelievable.
At least Irvine would work with the owners and analyze the business - and teach the people how to correctly run the business. He would work with the chef(s) and teach them new recipes and actually show how to prepare them; and at the end of the show he would tell you if the restaurant survived and how they are doing. You would actually see the effects and results.
In Nightmares - the restaurant overnight gets renovated (no decorating team renovating or cleaning or transforming); a table shows the new dishes he suggests (no actual preparing of the new recipes he suggests); no emphasis on correct food purchasing habits and all the attention is on him versus the people that run the restaurant. It's too fake for me. And the emphasis is on Ramsey and not the people that own and run the restaurant. Ramsey has gone too Hollywood.
Irvine's show was very realistic. He'd show how a dirty kitchen was cleaned; how he helped with a new menu; how they redecorated the restaurant; how he made the business more efficient with computer technology and simple shifting of people's responsibilities within the establishment.
With Irvine's show one learned how to run a restaurant business. Which again in my humble opinion is a great teaching element for anyone who would like to get into the restaurant business or anyone that has a restaurant to pick up some tips and tidbits to run their business more efficiently.
Ramsey is all blow and show with no real substance.
I think the Food Network made a mistake by cancelling Restaurant Impossible.
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