 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Top Chef
- Bravo
- Genre: Reality TV
Common Sense Media says
Too saucy for a kid's palate.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this reality series is a reflection of the real hierarchical power struggles in the restaurant industry. Produced by the same folks who put together the highly successful Project Runway, this show focuses on the nasty behavior between competitors instead of the cooking process itself. Critiques from judges are harsh, which may be hard for kid viewers to understand.
What's the story?
In TOP CHEF, aspiring cooks compete for the title of king/queen of the kitchen. The competitors face two challenges each week, in which they're judged by famous chefs and other notable foodies. First they must prepare a meal using a specific -- and often unusual -- ingredient under tight time constraints. The winner of this challenge is safe from elimination from the second challenge, which is to prepare another meal for a group of demanding clients. The last chef standing will receive, of course, the title of Top Chef, along with lucrative prizes they can use to jump-start their culinary career.
Is it any good?
Kids like to cook, but this show skimps on the process, focusing on personalities instead. The whiny, confrontational, self-absorbed contestants' language and behavior aren't age-appropriate for younger viewers, and they never show what it takes to work cooperatively as a team.
Also, some challenges aren't for young eyes. For example, one season had an episode that was all about preparing sexy, erotic food for a fetish ball. And another challenge revolved around cooking monkfish for a group of 10-year-olds; many of the competing chefs threw up their noses at the idea of preparing food for kids. Whose team won? The mom of three.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the challenges of working in a creative field under tight time pressures. What skills are required to make this situation successful? Also, how do you balance your individual creative talent while working cooperatively as part of a team? For kids interested in cooking, the featured meals may spur discussions about exotic foods or the process of preparing and cooking them.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Interesting conversations
My 10 year old son loves to cook and he likes game shows and reality shows. He records his favorite shows fom food network and he asked to watch this one. I record them and pre-watch them and then we watch them together if I think the weeks shenanigans are OK. Most of the time we end up watching the show together and talking about how to play fair, good, creative ideas for recipes, and strange attitudes and behaviors by the chefs. I wouldn't let him watch it alone, but we have a great time watching it together :-)He has volunteered to start cooking one dinner a week as a result!
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Amazing show about food.
Oh, boohoo. go cry to your mommies this show RULES i love it. it teaches you about food and how to deal with a**holes. you all know what im saying. to all you haters out there:
TOP CHEF IS THE BEST SHOW EVER CREATED!!!
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Kid, 11 years old
August 23, 2009
AGE
I love this show
I love this show! It's really good. I'm aloud to watch it.
What other families should know:
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Parent of 12 year old
March 23, 2010
AGE
Good for any kid old enough to be interested by it.
I believe this show to be fantastic. I also think any problems with behavior are mild. Any serious swearing is bleeped and it lets kids see a different level of social interaction. You do learn about cooking, not step by step but you do learn a lot from watching the show.
What other families should know:
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Addicting Reality TV
The kids won't learn how to cook, but they'll learn about team work and tolerence. This is one of my favorite shows, this season, the chefs have a bit of moral issues and language to work out, but its still good tv.
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Teen, 13 years old
July 5, 2010
AGE
Pretty good
Pretty good, kinda boring at times.It reminds me of Project Runway, except with cooking.
What other families should know:
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| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | Bravo |
| Cast: | Gail Simmons, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio |
| Genre: | Reality TV |
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