A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Beat the Chefs, a CBS Pilot for a New Reality Television Cooking Show

On a recent afternoon at the CBS studios in Studio City, production was underway for a new reality television cooking show called Beat the Chefs. Part cooking show, part competition, the new show should appeal to a wide range of audiences. Pitting amateur chefs against seasoned, well-known chefs from around the world, Beat the Chefs is CBS' first foray into the reality television cooking genre. CBS is well known for many other reality television series including: The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Big Brother. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Beat the Chefs.

The Premise of Beat the Chefs
The premise of Beat the Chefs is to take one amateur chef (along with family and friends they select to help in the kitchen) and put them up against famous chefs to see who creates the best meal. The kicker: the dish selected is chosen by the amateur contestant and the chefs do not find out what the recipe is until it's time to start cooking. The final dishes are critiqued by a panel of food critics who determine the winner of Beat the Chefs. If the selected family is chosen as having the better dish, they win $50,000. Not bad for an afternoon of cooking your favorite recipe. But don't think it's easy to beat the chefs though, these are award winning chefs you're competing against. You better be pretty confident in your recipe to take on that challenge.

Filming an Episode of Beat the Chefs
As an audience member at the taping of the pilot episode for Beat the Chefs, I got a first hand look at how this reality television cooking show was made. The set is split in half: one side is a warm, cozy kitchen complete with yellow lighting to enhance the homey ambiance; the other side is a sterile industrial-style corporate kitchen with bright white lighting much like you'd find in a top-notch restaurant. Similar to a 3-ring circus, the show is fast paced and audience members were busy trying to watch both kitchens so not to miss any of the action. The episode that was being filmed featured a family of four from Arizona - the Felton family. The mother selected her grandma's favorite chicken and dumplings recipe to prepare. Helping her in the kitchen were her husband and two young children. The chefs that were competing included James Beard award-winning chefs Art Smith and Michelle Bernstein as well as cooking bad boy, Ludo Levebre. All three chefs have distinctively different styles. Upon finding out the meal they would be preparing, the chefs huddled together to determine what to make, how to make it and who would do what. A bit of tug-of-war and debate ensued making for good television and of course bolstering the Felton's confidence that they were the stronger, more cohesive team. There were six hand-held cameras on set as well as a jib camera crane to capture the various close-ups and overheads as the cooking activities ensued.

Matt Rogers is the Host of Beat the Chefs
Matt Rogers is probably best known for his appearance on the third season of American Idol. Matt was a favorite contestant on the series and made it into the top 12 contestants. Matt Rogers has also hosted Really Big Things on the Discovery Channel. A Southern California native boy, Matt was raised in Rancho Cucamonga. Matt handled the hosting responsibilities of Beat the Chefs well, bringing a lot of energy and excitement to the show.

How will Beat the Chefs fare against a slew of other reality television shows?
Beat the Chefs is a unique take on reality television and could do well if picked up for a complete run. I can see future episodes featuring college guys with their favorite chili recipe; grandmothers cooking a multi-generational family recipe; young vegans preparing their favorite organic meal; and the list goes on. With a rotating cast of celebrity chefs, the show will stay fresh. And if the critics truly evaluate the food for its worth and are rather discriminating about handing over the large cash prize each week, the suspense will continue to build. CBS has the makings of a hit series. Time will tell if we'll see it soon as a summer replacement or possibly in the new Fall lineup.

Sources:
www.americanidol.com
http://dsc.discovery.com