Canada gets its own Top Chef; wild speculation ensues
News came over the wire today that Canwest is producing a Canadian version of Top Chef that will air on the Food Network next spring, but few details about the show (casting, filming dates, judges, etc.) have been released yet. All we know is that the network has posted a video asking fans to pitch them challenge ideas (read: we’re exploiting Internet users as free labour).
It’s difficult to predict who the contestants might be since there’s no mention of established chefs, but we are willing to speculate that there will be some George Brown graduates butting heads with one or two self-employed caterers. As for the Padma role, Canwest might be keeping it in the family by hiring someone already employed by Food Network Canada (Kevin Brauch might be a good choice, since he’s already done Iron Chef). Anyone but Nadia Giosia from Bitchin’ Kitchen would be good. When it comes to judges and guest judges, we’re betting on such Food Network faces as Lynn Crawford, Mark McEwan, Bob Blumer, Michael Smith and David Adjey to make appearances in order to up the star power.
The obvious elephant in the dining room is how low-rent this is going to look compared to its American counterpart. (Remember the first season of Canada’s Next Top Model, when the contestants went through model boot camp in Victoria?) Of course, it’s unfair to compare Top Chef’s NBC-sized budget to what Canwest can muster. As long as it doesn’t look like it was shot in someone’s basement over the long weekend or involve dollar-store cooking challenges, we’re happy.
• Canwest Scores Internationally Acclaimed Top Chef Series Format for Canada [CNW]
HA! Karen Liu should do her research before writing her article. Food Network Canada already produced a series similar to Top Chef…Superstar Chef Challenge…Aired Summer of 07. Guess who hosted? Kevin Brauch. Guess who Judged? Lynn Crawford and Mark McEwan.
wait…. who’s Karen?
Well, remember Project Runway Canada? The first and subsequent season did look quite good with a good production value. So there is hope that Top Chef Canada might be as well.
The food network is becoming a friggin’ joke. Bitchin’ in the kitchen? Really?
First of all, I saw bitchin kitchen today and thought it was pretty good and very funny. The author seems to be somewhat against anything Canadian. Oh well. There’s a reason she’s on the reality TV beat I guess.
There’s a fine line between clever and stupid and Bitchin’ Kitchen isn’t clever.
has the author forgotten that there is more to canada as far as food is concerned, than just toronto. maybe some cordon bleu, or holland college grads. maybe a chuck hughes or martin pickard sighting.
Would love to see Gail Simmons host – Isn’t she Canadian?
please oh please do not use anna olsen..
absolutely bRAINLESS..
robert fennie..kevin brauch..and lynnne crawford are my
favs..
I wouldn’t put Mc Ewan.. He just take advantage of the stupid people in town.. I will Call Elaina Assellin… She is one the best chefs that canada produced.. forget about the fat and ugly chefs..
Who cares about this lame show. BRING BACK CANADA’S NEXT TOP MODEL AND PROJECT RUNWAY CANADA. Those are the only reality tv shows other than SYTYCDC that are wonderful.
I, for one, am very much looking forward to Top Chef Canada and was hoping we might get a preview of some of the contestants at this stage, however, producers are playing it pretty close to their chest…
BRING IT ON!
As for SYTYCDC and Project Runway – BRING EM BACK!!!!!
Who the fuck cares? These guys are competition chefs. Let’s see them crush 180 for lunch and 220 for dinner; we could at least respect them for that.
Real cooks don’t watch reality Food TV as it is completely the antithesis of what being a chef truly is. Crap like this are going to entice another generation of suckers thinking that you have 30 minutes to create one dish.
I can’t wait for my friends to ask me if kitchens are really like that.
so gay.