"The Restaurant" (2003) TV series 2003-2004

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Creators:

Mark Burnett
Mark Koops
H.T. Owens
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

20 July 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Reality-TV

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant

Cast

Ayelet Argaman

...

Herself (2 episodes, 2003)

(more)

Series Writing credits
Mark Burnett		(unknown episodes)
Mark Koops		(unknown episodes)
H.T. Owens		(unknown episodes)
Benjamin Silverman		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Christopher Campbell	....	co-producer (7 episodes, 2003-2004)
Roberta Brodsky	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 2003)
Al Castellanos	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 2003-2004)
Roy Bank	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Bruce Beresford-Redman	....	producer (unknown episodes)
David C. Brown	....	story producer (unknown episodes)
James Bruce	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Mark Burnett	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Jay Cannold	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
Henrietta Conrad	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Patrick Costello	....	senior associate producer (unknown episodes)
Freddy Deane	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Kara Doherty	....	assistant field producer (unknown episodes)
Tracy Dorsey	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
John Feist	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes)
Mona Grenier	....	story producer (unknown episodes)
Elizabeth Grizzle	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Kate Hall	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Pieter Helms	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Holly Hines	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Cathrine Irgens Nilsen	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Mark Koops	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
Marco Londoner	....	field producer (unknown episodes)
Monica Martino	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
H.T. Owens	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
Esther Reyes	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Robert Riesenberg	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Saskia Rifkin	....	line producer (unknown episodes)
Conrad Riggs	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes)
Sebastian Scott	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Benjamin Silverman	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Russ Landau		(unknown episodes)
David Vanacore		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Allison Dunn		(6 episodes, 2003)
Lane Baker		(unknown episodes)
Michael Berkowitz		(unknown episodes)
Sue Blainey		(unknown episodes)
Dave Cannon		(unknown episodes)
Mitchell Danton		(unknown episodes)
Mary DeChambres		(unknown episodes)
Glen Ebesu		(unknown episodes)
Andrew Ecker		(unknown episodes)
Sean Foley		(unknown episodes)
Jerry U. Frizell		(unknown episodes)
Barry L. Gold		(unknown episodes)
John Laus		(unknown episodes)
Rick Livingstone		(unknown episodes)
Alan Oxman		(unknown episodes)
James Ruxin		(unknown episodes)
Chris Simpson		(unknown episodes)
Sharon Singer		(unknown episodes)
Tony Solomons		(unknown episodes)
Michael Tansill		(unknown episodes)
Eric Van Wagenen		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Sanna Riley	....	key makeup artist (2 episodes, 2003)

Series Production Management
Luigi Porco	....	post-production supervisor (7 episodes, 2003-2004)
Saskia Rifkin	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Piras Sebastian	....	second assistant director: second unit (2 episodes, 2003)
Kara Doherty	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)
Sebastian Piras	....	first assistant director: second unit (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Jose Torres	....	sound mixer (6 episodes, 2003)
Damian Canelos	....	sound mixer (2 episodes, 2003)
Brett Alphin	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Rod Bermudez	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Kevin Bowe	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Jim Champagne	....	sound supervisor (unknown episodes)
Damon Karys	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Desiree Ortiz	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Aaron Saddler	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
David Weinstock	....	sound installer (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Melissa Bidwell	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Terry Brown	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Danna Feintuch	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Christopher Fondulas	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Jim Harrington	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Mark Hryma	....	aerial director of photography: Wescam camera (unknown episodes)
Spencer Laroche	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Abraham Martinez	....	assistant camera: opening sequence (unknown episodes)
Joshua Mayes	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Alan Pierce	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Jeff Watt	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Jeff Kovatch	....	co-casting director (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Mark Arbitrario	....	lead assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Jonathon Braun	....	editorial supervisor / supervising editor (unknown episodes)
Shawn Chou	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Angela Engelhardt	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Chris Haley	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
John C. Heard	....	post-production assistant (unknown episodes)
Brett Jacobsen	....	post-production assistant (unknown episodes)
James Nugent	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Gary Reid	....	associate editor (unknown episodes)
Tricia Rodrigo	....	editorial assistant (unknown episodes)
Eric Sievering	....	lead assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Martin Skibosh	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Michael T. Smith	....	on-line editor (unknown episodes)
Nick Staller	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Mara Weinstock	....	post-production coordinator: New York (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Craig Owens	....	composer: additional music (1 episode)
Michael Brake	....	music editor (unknown episodes)
Nicole de la Torriente	....	music consultant (unknown episodes)
Michelle Ann Owens	....	composer: additional music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Frank Moultak	....	release coordinator (6 episodes, 2003)
Mikhael Antone	....	assistant production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Ian Spencer Bell	....	public relations manager: Rocco DiSpirito (unknown episodes)
Liz Bradley	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Al Castellanos	....	story assistant (unknown episodes)
Michael Cory	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Jane Crawford	....	craft service (unknown episodes)
Rocco DiSpirito	....	creative consultant (unknown episodes)
Scott Duncan	....	title designer: main titles (unknown episodes)
Sean Foley	....	title designer: main titles (unknown episodes)
Diana Hofstein	....	assistant: Rocco Dispirito (unknown episodes)
Snezhana Londoner	....	assistant location manager (unknown episodes)
Jordan J. Mallari	....	assistant: Mark Burnett (unknown episodes)
Hillary Meyer	....	assistant accountant: New York (unknown episodes)
Philip Ng	....	story assistant (unknown episodes)
Mark Olsen	....	assistant technical manager (unknown episodes)
Maren S. Patterson	....	story assistant (unknown episodes)
Jennifer K. Rosner	....	assistant: James Bruce (unknown episodes)
Kimberly Shea	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Shavon Sullivan	....	craft service (unknown episodes)
Jamie Welling	....	story assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Magna Global Entertainment
• Mark Burnett Productions
• Reveille Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Other Companies

• American Express  promotional tie-ins (2003)
• Coast to Coast Catering  catering
• Coors Brewing Company  promotional tie-ins (2003)
• Hyperion Books  "Flavor" cookbook furnished by (2004)
• Mitsubishi Motors North America  promotional consederation furnished by
• Princess Productions  based on a format devised by
• Rocco Cookware  cookware furnished by (2004)
• Shipwreck Beads  special thanks

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Rocco's on 22nd, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Magna Global Entertainment

'The Restaurant' serves best when it is about the restaurant (season 1), not the whining of a celebrity chef (season 2)

Network: NBC; Genre: Reality; Average Rating: TV-PG (for language); Classification: Contemporary (Star Range: 1 - 4);

Season Reviewed: Complete Series (2 seasons)

Somewhere along the winding road of TV network execu-logic, the term 'reality show' was hi-jacked and was redefined into dating game shows where would-be actors send in head shots and studio producers pick them out and masquerade them as real people with 'real' problems that most people would kill for. The modern granddaddy of the reality fad is, of course, Mark Burnett, which makes Burnett's 'The Restaurant' all the more a delightful surprise. From the intro forward, 'Restaurant' is a high concept series that puts class and high entertainment into reality TV. A documentary-style series that follows the high pressure ups and downs of opening and maintaining a restaurant in the middle of New York City. We follow waiters, team leaders, bar tenders, hostesses, the cooks and the management during high volume nights, interoffice scuffles and, ultimately, a battle between for the fate of the business.

The show's anchor is celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito who spends less time in the kitchen and more time out on the floor schmoozing with guests and the nightly table of cute girls in a way that would make Richard Dawson cringe. There is high stress and conflict around every corner as food gets served cold, the customers get restless, and that a**hole head cook treats everyone like garbage. Anti-hero Rocco is the quintessential out-of-touch-with-his-staff boss, implements radical plans, deals with scathing reviews, literal uprisings by the staff and tries to keep his best people from quitting and, ultimately, keeping his co-owner Jeffrey Chodorow from taking things over. Just not hard enough to show up to any of the meetings.

The show puts us right down in the middle of the chaos. The nearly suffocating onslaught of stress works, and the show does give us trapdoors. It's all pretty simple stuff too, made up of the daily minutia off everyday jobs. As a documentary series the creative control in the directing and editing and the packaging is superb. Unlike most, this show's crew seems to respect its material.

But the show goes off the rails in season 2. NBC is, mistakenly, not confident that simply following the nightly action would make a compelling series. When Rocco gets in a bloody turf war with part-owner Chodorow over the business not making money (Rocco is spending a fortune on monogrammed ladles) the dramatic tension is made the soul focus of the show's 2nd half. Also mistakenly, NBC poised babe-magnet DeSpirito as if he is actually the hero of this increasingly sordid story. In season 1 'The Restaurant' was a rich ensemble. In season 2 it becomes all about Rocco who whines and complains constantly that Chodorow is "stealing his dream" but can't bring himself to attend the simplest meeting. DeSpirito is a whining, self-absorbed, shameless and an aloof, if resoundingly incompetent, restaurant manager hated by much of his staff The guilty pleasure highlight of the series actually becomes DeSpirito's schmoozing with the beautiful women who show up to his book signing.

The whole affair becomes just overwhelmingly silly. The two managers bicker like divorcing parents while the staff is caught in the middle like kids being used for leverage and shuttled between them - meanwhile Rocco's 90 year old mother is left in charge of the store. We get vats of sauce being dumped on people and daring raids into a cook's locker while he's being fired.

This is all fine as a single storyline, but 'The Restaurant' is best served when it is about the restaurant, the employees and customers. The players are likable enough or interesting enough to carry the show. There is a budding romance between a put-upon grill cook and a waitress. The occasional marriage proposal that brings the restaurant to a dramatic standstill. Best of all, is a tangentially related bit following a waiter who bombs on stage at a comedy club.

The initial fun of it was just allowing the nightly drama inside the restaurant to unfold before our eyes. Season 2 goes all out to titillate the reality-series audience by artificially amping up the drama. That is exactly the opposite of what was so classy and so much fun about the show in the first place. It was a pure documentary, that doesn't rely on artificial conflict between people grabbing their 15 minutes of fame. I appreciate that there are no studio contrived twists or that nobody gets "kicked out of " the restaurant. Burnett (fresh off his 'The Apprentice' success) could have worked with or around DeSpirito's legal battles and make the show still enjoyable. Even with its sillier moments, 'The Restaurant' was a breath of fresh air in a landscape of dead reality TV. Reality shows before and after this one have been game shows, or dating contests which, in retrospect, makes 'The Restaurant' all the more unique.

* * * / 4