When Kitchen Nightmares returns to Fox, Gordon Ramsay will be bringing back one of reality TV's most enduring shows. The reason the series is able to start over after a decade-long hiatus is because it continues to draw an audience through reruns and streaming. Audiences love Chef Ramsay, and they know what to expect from his unique brand of television.
Ramsay has plenty of shows on British television. But his U.S. portfolio is also very broad, ranging from American adaptations of his proven hits to travel series with National Geographic. In honor of Kitchen Nightmares' return on Sept. 24, 2023, here are all of Gordon Ramsay's TV series on the American airwaves, ranked in order of excellence.
Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars
Ramsay's newest series was essentially a food-based version of Shark Tank, and it was a rare miss. There have been other shows involving food investments before, including some with a competition element (see: CNBC's Restaurant Startup and Spike's Hungry Investors). They're just not that interesting to watch, regardless of which personalities are leading them.
But on top of that, the contestants on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars equally failed to engage the audience. Some seemed like they were trying too hard for the TV cameras and others were downright unlikeable. The only reason to watch was for Chef Ramsay, and that meant audience members didn't have any investment in the competition. The end result was that this series never felt like a Gordon Ramsay show.
Hell's Kitchen
The U.S. version of Hell's Kitchen was truly entertaining to watch in its early seasons. The first few years featured some great competitors in a serious culinary competition -- most notably Christina Wilson, who would go on to achieve great success working for Chef Ramsay. The stakes felt like they mattered, and the surrounding staff like the sous chefs and maitre'd Jean-Philippe Susilovic were also incredibly engaging.
Unfortunately, later seasons dropped in quality, with some contestants clearly unqualified and/or unprepared to be there. In addition, the series succumbed to predictable patterns, such as the women's team arguing amongst themselves almost every single time and contestants struggling to make the restaurant's signature risotto. It's still fun to watch for Chef Ramsay's reactions, but is no longer distinct from any other TV cooking competition.
24 Hours to Hell and Back
Aside from having a massively unwieldy title, Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back was an obvious attempt to make a condensed version of Kitchen Nightmares. That proved to be its Achilles heel. It was great to see Gordon working with struggling restaurants again, and the idea of putting him in disguise was hilarious -- even if it didn't actually add much to the show. But 24 Hours never compared to Kitchen Nightmares.
The condensed time frame may have worked for production, yet it never created the Jack Bauer level of tension the show seemed to be aiming for. And because Gordon wasn't spending as much time with each restaurant, audiences didn't form as much of a connection with the people he was helping. The show is worth watching, however, for the two-hour "Save Our Town" special that saw Chef Ramsay work on multiple places in one devastated town.
Next Level Chef
Next Level Chef relies heavily on its titular gimmick that will seem familiar to Netflix viewers. It's also another example of Fox porting over one of Ramsay's British series. The American version is entertaining and it lacks the overwhelming drama of Hell's Kitchen. However, fans of Gordon can see much more of him on other shows.
Cooking competitions either need to have great competitors or something that makes the game itself stand out. The platform that gives Next Level Chef its title presents some wrinkles to the contestants, but for viewers the novelty wears off quickly. In addition, the show's judging trio is eclipsed by the one on MasterChef, leaving this feeling like MasterChef's high-tech sibling.
MasterChef / MasterChef Junior
MasterChef is the quintessential cooking competition. It doesn't have a particular style or conceit like Hell's Kitchen and Next Level Chef; it's just home cooks trying to prove themselves to professional chefs. As a result there are good seasons and bad seasons. Gordon's presence anchors the show and strikes a balance between the blunt criticisms of Joe Bastianich and the more affable Aarón Sanchez.
Longevity-wise, MasterChef is similar to Top Chef in that both have built a recognizable brand over a long run. MasterChef has also avoided most obvious choices, except for the introduction of MasterChef Junior as part of a trend of kids-oriented cooking shows. It's a reliable source of entertainment if viewers want to see a calmer Ramsay not dealing with a ton of drama. However, it's not as fun as other alternatives.
The F Word
American audiences may not remember the U.S. version of Gordon Ramsay's The F Word, because it only lasted one season. It didn't catch on the same way that the British edition did, but it had the potential to be more successful than it was. There were interesting segments scattered throughout the season, and some different celebrity guests like Rob McElhenney from Apple's subversive workplace comedy Mythic Quest and David Beckham.
These flashes of fun kept The F Word from being easy to define, which might have confused viewers. It was one-part competition show and one-part food show with celebrity guests. Amidst everything else Gordon had going on at the time, it didn't stand out enough to justify going past one season. Yet if one goes back and watches those episodes, there's some pleasant surprises.
Hotel Hell
Hotel Hell was somewhat of a swerve, because Gordon Ramsay is known as a restaurant expert, not a hotel expert. However, the show worked because he demonstrated that there are common problems that both restaurateurs and hoteliers have to deal with. It also played to Gordon's strengths as a problem-solver and a motivator; he's at his best when he's driving the series, rather than simply standing back as a judge or a host.
The series never gained much momentum, since each of its three seasons were years apart (in 2012, 2014 and 2016 respectively). One wonders if it would have flourished with consistency. However, it's getting its due on streaming and in syndicated re-airings, so audiences can enjoy a few classic moments such as Gordon coming face-to-face with a hotel owner in a giant mushroom costume and some truly strange hotel rooms.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted
Uncharted is Gordon's first show on National Geographic and something of a spiritual cousin to Anthony Bourdain's peerless travelogues. It's not as in-depth as No Reservations or Parts Unknown, but it carries the same spirit of a celebrity chef immersing themselves in local culture... and often getting in over their head. There are a few Uncharted moments where viewers see the normally unflappable Chef Ramsay actually bewildered or scared, and that's what makes it special.
There's no shortage of travel shows but in watching Uncharted, audiences get the sense that Gordon is honestly being pushed out of his element and it's exciting to see him learn and rise to the occasion. British viewers will have seen him try new things in shows like Gordon's Great Escape, but Uncharted is the American version of that complete with a "big cook" at the end to test his mettle. It varies so much from anything else he's done that it reaffirms that Gordon is far more than the intimidating chef people believe he is.
Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares has never really gone away. Despite the series ending years ago, it's a common presence in TV reruns and on streaming services, with places like Fox-owned and overly creative Tubi and Amazon's Prime Video having specific Gordon Ramsay channels that show episodes daily. The appeal is simple to understand: it's an easy to follow format that allows Gordon to shine, solving problems and not suffering fools.
The U.S. version of the show combines the tension of Hell's Kitchen with Gordon's kinder, gentler side and so audiences get to see more depth but also the same level of entertainment. They come for the horrible kitchens and Ramsay one-liners, but they stay because the series makes viewers care about these restaurants in the same way Ramsay does. The American version has some episodes that were almost too dramatic, but overall it's still as entertaining now as it was when it premiered.
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
The gold standard of Gordon Ramsay TV shows remains Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, which was the basis for Kitchen Nightmares. This British version has begun to resurface in syndication, and is easily accessible on streaming, so any fan can see the original idea -- and how it remains superior to the American version. The U.S. Kitchen Nightmares is great, but the U.K. version is excellent.
In Kitchen Nightmares U.K., Gordon serves as the narrator, which sets a far different tone. There are also moments that provide more insight into why he's doing what he does, such as a scene in each episode where he changes into his chef's jacket while explaining one or more of the problems facing the restaurant. The British version isn't afraid to slow things down either. Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is Ramsay at his best, showing why he became a TV icon.