So far, here are the Fall Prime Time reality TV premieres on the major networks. More can always be announced later, but this isthe main ones so far. I’ll report on the additional shows and premieres as they are announced.

Tuesday, September 15
8:00-10:00 PM – The Biggest Loser - NBC

Wednesday, September 16
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT So You Think You Can Dance (Season Premiere) -FOX

Thursday, September 17
8:00-9:00 PM Survivor: Samoa (19th Installment Premiere) - CBS

Monday, September 21
8:00-10:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars - ABC

Tuesday, September 22
8:00-10:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (special two-hour episode) - ABC

Wednesday, September 23
8:00-9:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars the Results Show (special day and time) - ABC

Sunday, September 27
7:00-9:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (two-hour season premiere) - ABC
8:00-10:00 PM The Amazing Race (15th Edition Premiere) - CBS

Tuesday, September 29
8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT Hell’s Kitchen (All-New Episode) - FOX
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT So You Think You Can Dance (Time Period Premiere) - FOX
9:00-10:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars the Results Show (regular day & time period premiere) - ABC

Sunday, October 4
8:00-9:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (regular time period premiere) - ABC

Friday, October 16
8:00-9:00 p.m. Supernanny - ABC

Tuesday, October 27
8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT So You Think You Can Dance (Time Period Premiere) - FOX

[Photo: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Brian Bowen Smith/FOX]

Chef Gordon Ramsay is headed back to our TV sets this summer with a brand new season of Hell’s Kitchen. He’s rounded up 16 new and talented cheftestants that he can abuse until he finds just the right person to win the prize. The sixth season of Hell’s Kitchen premieres on FOX on Tuesday, July 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

This time, the grand prize is a Head Chef position at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The winning chef will have the added privilege of joining executive chef James Walt in welcoming the world during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The 16 Hell’s Kitchen chefs are:

The Red Team:

[Photo: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Brian Bowen Smith/FOX]

Read more

Chef Gordon Ramsay, the demanding head chef on Hell’s Kitchen and the restaurant savior on Kitchen Nightmares, was at last week’s FOX Upfronts presentation in New York City. He’s a very happy guy because both of his shows will be back for more this year on FOX.

Here’s a photo of him greeting a fan at the event. See? He really is a nice guy!

[Photo: © 2009 FOX BROADCASTING CR: Frank Micelotta/FOX]

[Photos: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX]

[©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOX]

I spotted Danny’s talent early in the season of Hell’s Kitchen and was not all that surprised that he won this season. He’s only 23 years old, but it’s clear that he has a very big future ahead of him. (But he may want to reconsider the mounted fish in his restaurant - LOL!)

Danny joins a group of very elite chefs, the five who have managed to make their way through the challenges of Hell’s Kitchen to win their seasons. Here’s Danny with the first four season winners and Chef Ramsay:

[©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOX]

[©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Mike Yarish/FOX]

Paula could have just as easily won this season with her talent too. She was also an early favorite and has obvious skill and amazing creativity. If anything, Lacey was probably her downfall….it sucks having to choose second.

But I expect that Paula has an extremely bright future ahead as well. Both of these two individuals deserve to run great kitchens. To survive Chef Ramsay’s wrath and still shine, they are both amazing chefs. I wish them both the best of everything.

[Photos: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX]

Thursday’s episode of Hell’s Kitchen was an exciting one because it’s down to the final two. Chef Ramsay started them off on the usual mission to design their own restaurant and menu, but then whisked them away to the Borgata again before the job was done. He had them leave their family members in charge of making their vision come to life. I have to say that all the loved ones did a great job of staying true to Danny & Paula’s visions.

When they got to the Borgata, they were brought in front of 500 of their (hopefully) future fellow Borgata employees to face off in one more challenge. They each had to prepare a three course meal and be judged by the had chefs and General Manager of the casino/hotel. It was a close competition, but Danny won.

It went a long way toward raising their confidence. They’ll need it for the final dinner service.

Once back at Hell’s Kitchen, they got to choose team members from some of the eliminated contestants. Poor Paula is stuck with Lacey. Now it’s up to the two teams to perform at their best for the final showdown dinner service on Next Thursday night’s season finale.

My personal prediction is that Paula will win it. She seems so much more calm under pressure and is a bit more experienced than Danny. (And what was that with the mounted fish in his restaurant?) Yikes! But they both seem incredibly talented and will probably do a great job in the finale.

Be sure to watch Hell’s Kitchen season 5 finale on FOX this Thursday at 9/8c.

[Photo: ©2007 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX]

In preparation for the season 5 finale of Hell’s Kitchen, Chef Gordon Ramsay took part in a conference call interview with a number of us who report on the show. Just as he was the first two times I helped interview him, he was very charming and interesting on the phone. There was absolutely no indication of the screaming head chef we see on the show.

In the interview, he gives us his assessment of many of the contestants this season and about the restaurant industry. He’s a very interesting guy! Here’s the transcript of the full interview:

Gordon Ramsay: First of all, good afternoon, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for taking the time.

And can I just say that I am very happy about the finale. More importantly, having a female in the final is somewhat reassuring that - it’s a constant question I’m always faced with, why aren’t there more female chefs? Last year we had an amazing winner, and this year we’ve got two of the most talented chefs that have ever graced the kitchens of Hell’s Kitchen. So off we go.

Q: I wanted to ask you about Danny Veltri. What’s your take on him? What sort of future do you see for him?
Read more

[Photos: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX]

One by one, the aspiring Borgata chefs have fallen on Hell’s Kitchen this season. Now it’s just as many of us predicted…it’s down to Paula & Danny for the final challenge.

But the one thing that seems to trip up all the contestants at one time or another is maing a perfect risotto. I’ve made it before and it’s not that tricky…unless you have limited time and a demanding, shouting head chef on your case about it. Here’s Chef Ramsay to tell us why risotto is so difficult for the contestants:

I saw the entire interview with Chef Gordon Ramsay on the Late Show With David Letterman last night and it was great! I can’t find a clip of the entire interview, but this is the first 4 minutes or so. In this clip, David interviews Chef Ramsay with his signature silly style and Chef was in great spirits.

I liked it first of all, because it’s fun to see him when he’s not yelling at cooks, and because he explains about his 22 restaurants all over the world. I think it’s interesting to find out how he got started.

If you get the chance to watch the entire interview, he went on to tell David about how he ws in Iceland and killed a puffin (a type of bird) and according to local custom, he had to take out its still beating heart and eat it right then. He apparently didn’t have an easy time doing it. (I wouldn’t be able to do it at all…)

Be sure to watch Hell’s Kitchen on Thursday, 9/8c on FOX.

[Photos: ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX]

On Hell’s Kitchen, it’s down to the final three cheftestants. This is the part of the season where Chef Ramsay gives each of the chefs a chance to run the kitchen for a while during the dinner service to see how well they keep everything on track and still maintain the food quality.

Here’s the promo clip for tomorrow’s episode. Poor Danny has his voice crack during his time in charge. His nerves had to have been getting to him. I’m still betting that it will be Paula and Danny in the finale going head-to-head. But anything can happen in Hell’s Kitchen…

I just found this hilarious clip of a practical joke that the crew of Hell’s Kitchen played on Chef Gordon Ramsay in honor of April Fool’s Day last week.

Chef is in the middle of a serious training session about cooking for vegetarians, when Jean-Philip appears. They totally caught Chef Ramsay off guard and I must say that after he got over the initial shock of the joke, he seemed to take the whole thing extremely well. This clip is fun because it gives us a glimpse of the fun side of Gordon Ramsay.