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Ramsay's revisited kitchen nightmare
Viewer concern as Gordon Ramsay returns to a classic Kitchen Nightmare, prompts the Channel 4 Viewers' Editor to ask:
What do you really think of 'revisits'?
A revisit to an episode from the previous series of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares prompted fans to pen a number of complaints to Channel 4's Viewer Enquiries and sparked lively debates in the Digital Spy and Channel 4 forums.
Some Ramsay fans had tuned into the new series expecting an entirely new episode, but had been disappointed to find that the show focused on presenter Gordon Ramsay returning to one of his previous missions.
"I don't know how you can get away with airing 45 minutes of a previous episode and not calling it a 'rerun'," said one email to Viewer Enquiries.
"I rushed around to be able to sit down at 9pm last night only to watch 75 percent of something I'd seen before. It's very annoying, especially as it's about the only programme I look forward to watching the entire week," the viewer added.
With similar queries from other viewers, I approached the commissioning team for an explanation.
I was told that regular viewers of factual programmes such as Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Grand Designs and Supernanny are well-acquainted with this format of show called a 'revisit', but normally these would be scheduled for later in the series.
"We believe viewers are fully aware of what Revisits are. It's a chance to catch up with characters and see new developments with stories they've seen before," explained the Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares commissioning editor.
"Normally we would schedule revisits for the end of a run, but in this instance we aired them earlier as we didn't want to spoil viewer choice. We were concerned there would be a shared audience with I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!" he added.
So, this week, I'd like to hear your views on revisits – are they a nightmare or your dream come true? Do you appreciate an update on your favourite episodes from the previous series? Are they better aired at the beginning of the series to get you in the mood or at the end of the series to help tide you over to the next batch? What is the balance between repeated material from the revisited show and new material?
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mikedondfan
It would work better if there was more than one update per show
It would work better if there was more than one update per show
wrote on 06-01-08 22:09
I enjoy Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and am also interested to see updates of people and how their business is doing a year later, but the revist programmes have far too much repeated footage from the original epiosde and not enough new content.
I feel that if you were to do about 3 revisits per programme it would work much better. You could show about 5 minutes of what happened the first time Gordon visited and then have an update with 10-12 minutes of new footage.
Either that or perhaps you should do special 30 minute episodes of a revisit and screen that after a new episode of the show or later in the year.
starbarboy
Cheap schedule filler?
Cheap schedule filler?
wrote on 20-12-07 00:33
Whilst I like to be able to catch up with the characters from programmes such as Ramsay's kitchen nightmares, I feel exteremely frustrated, not to mention short changed, at having to watch 45 minutes of repeat coverage before getting a 10 minute update. Even if they featured 2 revisits in one hour - with 15 minutes covering what happened in the original episode and a 15 minute update for each one it would be an improvement. At the moment it just feels like cheap television - filling an hour slot with 10-15 minutes of new coverage.
Active_Hiatus
The Revisits
The Revisits
wrote on 18-12-07 23:40
As a regular viewer of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares I am well aware that the format will include repeats with a small update at the end. In this house we tape them and then fast forward to the new material. We loathe repeats with a passion and feel cheated when half the new series consists of them. Wouldn't it be better to have a single catch up show at the end of the run without going over old ground? If you insist on these repeats then show them at the end of the run when it doesn't matter if we miss them.
