Zero appetite for banter
FOODIE chums Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix have been on their travels again, filming another series for ITV. Yes, I knew you’d be pleased. This one is called GORDON, GINO AND FRED: AMERICAN ROAD TRIP (9pm) and begins tonight with the three of them in Mexico, picking up their new motorised caravan thingy before setting out on a quest to find the “best breakfast in the world”.
This latest four-parter (oh, yes, there are four whole episodes of this) promises to be their “most outrageous road trip yet”. It also promises to bring us “their own distinctive brand of bickering and ego-bashing”, along with “more bad behaviour, banter and bromance than ever before”.
I have to say I really wish it wouldn’t.
I had a bit of a problem with the first series these three made together, and I’m afraid it hasn’t really gone away. I think it might be the “banter” thing. I’m not a huge fan of TV shows that assume blokey banter – or, heaven forbid, “bants” – is the height of comedy.
And yet we seem to be getting more and more of them. I’m tempted to blame Jeremy Clarkson for all this, only his are some of the few I actually like.
Tonight’s takes more than 20 minutes before it actually gets around to any cooking. Even then it’s hard to keep up with what they’re making, owing to – guess what – all the bickering and banter.
And before that? Well, we have quite a lot of swearing, a fair bit of bragging, some bad driving, some more swearing, some boozing and… hmm, let me just check my notes – ah, yes, some more swearing.
Oh, sorry, I almost forgot. There’s actually a food-related bit a little earlier, where they taste a variety of powerful chillis.You should see how they splutter as their mouths catch fire. Ha ha etc!
Still, at least Gordon, being of Michelin-star status, is able to provide some professional insight, articulating precisely why one of these chillis affects him particularly badly.
“That is a f ****** hot chilli,” he explains.
In contrast, on BBC2, we continue with a food show that takes us to almost the opposite extreme, amusement-wise.
Other than chirpy host Susan Calman, does anyone on GREAT BRITISH MENU (8pm) ever look as though they’re having even a modicum of fun?
One contestant does look as if he’s about to introduce a little, promising a dish inspired by comic hero Desperate Dan’s famous cow pie.
And then he serves it up. Desperate Dan’s, you may recall, had horns poking through the pastry.
This one? No horns. Barely any pastry. The world’s gone mad.