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Chopped: After Hours
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Judges tackle ingredients in good watch-together web show.
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What's the Story?
After the competition is over on Chopped, Food Network's companion broadcast series, the cameras stick around for CHOPPED: AFTER HOURS. The judges who worked that week's Chopped are given the exact same basket of ingredients that contestants were given, and in 30 minutes, must come up with delicious and unique dishes that incorporate odd ingredients like coconut/almond candy bars, pink beans and halibut. At the end of the time, each chef tastes each dish and criticizes or praises it.
Is It Any Good?
Watching a seasoned professional work under pressure is, by now, well known to make for great TV. Just ask the showrunners behind Project Runway, Face Off, or the innumerable other shows that use this concept. Chopped: After Hours has the delicious added bonus of serving up humble pie to its contestants, with the same judges who criticized the efforts of chefs on Chopped having to now try their hand at the same challenge, with varying levels of success.
Thus Chopped: After Hours has much of the same appeal as Chopped, with a fun turnabout-is-fair-play aspect in addition. The briefness of each episode (just 10 minutes) and the fact that it goes up after its companion episode of Chopped has just aired, will probably make Chopped: After Hours an indispensable first stop after Chopped fans have just watched an episode. You think you're so smart, judges? Well, then: You try it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about web shows. Try watching Chopped before you watch Chopped: After Hours. Does the web series improve when watched with its broadcast companion? Does it add something to the "real" TV show?
Chopped has become a very popular TV series. Why would Food Network want to make more versions of this show? Why did they start with a web series?
The ingredient baskets on Chopped: After Hours usually contain one jarring ingredient. Why do the showrunners do that? Does it make for more interesting watching than if the baskets held ordinary ingredients?
TV Details
- Premiere date: April 30, 2013
- Cast: Aaron Sanchez , Alex Guarnaschelli , Chris Santos , Marc Murphy
- Network: Food Network
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Cooking and Baking
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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