Posted by The Times, UK on December 28, 2009 at 09:32:29:
French TV viewers hunger for Britain’s cookery show leftovers
French broadcasters have developed an appetite for British food show formats, although one Paris-based critic suggested that Gordon Ramsay's approach may not be to their tastes
They have the finest gastronomic tradition in the West and are keen to let the rest of the world know. But when it comes to demonstrating their culinary talents on television the French are seeking inspiration from Britain.
With Gallic viewers tiring of old-fashioned cooking programmes involving self-important chefs, television executives are borrowing from Britain’s recipe book in an attempt to liven up their schedules.
For instance, TF1, the biggest television channel in France, announced that it has bought the rights to MasterChef, the 20-year-old BBC show which is being touted as a revolution in French cuisine.
The privately owned channel plans to run the series — which it describes as the most important amateur cooking competition held in France — on prime-time television in the new year with a first prize of €100,000 (£90,000).
The announcement underlines profound change in the French approach to culinary arts, which are quitting their authoritarian origins for more democratic territory .
Take, for example, Un Diner Presque Parfait. The programme regularly attracts more than two million viewers on the privately owned M6 channel. It is a Gallic imitation of Come Dine with Me, which was first shown on Channel 4 in 2005.
Consider, too, Cyril Lignac, a 32-year-old cook who has become a celebrity in France by copying Jamie Oliver with shows such as Oui Chef, a Gallic version of Jamie’s Kitchen, or Vive la Cantine, which was inspired by Jamie’s School Dinners.
“You have to show the general public that la grande cuisine is not just for the rich,” Mr Lignac said.
Isabelle Grillot, the director of programmes on Cuisine TV, the specialist channel, said that culinary shows had become fashionable amid a revival of home cooking, which was prompted in part by the economic crisis.
“The French have fallen back on friends and family and they want to rediscover how to cook for them,” she said. “There is a desire for cooking shows to be entertaining and frankly you only find that abroad. French chefs don’t tend to have that offbeat side to them.”
Critics say that the old-fashioned programmes such as Bon Appétit Bien Sûr — where renowned chefs show how to make dishes such as asparagus with cold mousseline sauce or marinated scallops with grapefruit — are outdated.
David Djaoui, the director of programmes on the state-owned France 3 channel, said: “A lot of recipes presented by important chefs were very beautiful to watch, interesting to follow but not very easy to reproduce at home.” He said that working mothers were the core audience for French cooking shows and “what they want is something which is creative and easy to do every day”.
François Simon, a restaurant critic for Le Figaro newspaper, said that British-style programmes were in tune with the modern French attitude to gastronomy.
He said: “In the old days, it was all about obedience and respect. You listened to the chef and did what he said. But the days of chefs ordering everyone around are over. People have got rid of their complexes. They’re prepared to try things themselves and they’re not afraid to make mistakes.
“These shows are a good thing because they are making cuisine more popular and they prove that it is not just reserved for knowledgeable insiders.”
He added, however, that there was one British chef who was unlikely to find a television audience in France — Gordon Ramsay. “His sadistic side wouldn’t go down well here.”
Recipe for global success
The BBC flagship cookery show MasterChef has been snapped up around the world. An American version, hosted by Gordon Ramsay, will air next year. Other countries have adaptations planned. The finale of the Australian version this year had 3.74 million viewers.
Gordon Ramsay has already appeared in a US version of Hell’s Kitchen. It started in 2005 and is going into its eighth season. Under American broadcasting rules Ramsay’s swearing is bleeped out. The American version has been broadcast in Belgium, Mexico, Brazil, Korea, Finland, Norway, Poland and Canada, among other countries.
Jamie’s Kitchen was adapted for Australia, with 25 disadvantaged young people selected to join the staff of the Fifteen restaurant in Melbourne. Oliver appeared briefly in the series. His Fifteen foundation is responsible for restaurants in London, Cornwall and Amsterdam.
Come Dine With Me has appeared under various titles around the world. Derivatives of the show have been broadcast in Greece, Turkey, Spain, Hungary and elsewhere. The German version goes under the title Das Perfekte Dinner and in the United States it is known as Dinner Takes All.
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