Especially if the changes I read about really do happen.
Changes? What changes?
Of the various iterations of the Bravo Reality Show that I've seen, Top Chef seems to be the one striving the hardest to give its judging and elimination process credibility (and also seems to be the one that gets the most grief about credibility, even though it has the most knowledgable and stringent judges). They also seem to be trying the hardest to make sure their challenge rules and judging criteria are very explicit and clearly understood by the contestants, possibly because they've had (arguably) the most problems with contestants and rules.
I haven't seen enough Project Runway to speak knowledgably on that show, but Top Design's judging never had a shot a credibility. And Shear Genius does have some credibility issues, and even bigger problems (from what we've seen, though it's created little on-show drama) with rules and judging criteria clarity, it also seems to be too cool to care about the precision and standards that Top Chef is looking for. But that's as a show about hairstylists should be.
Changes are that NONE of the judges do a walk-through - all the judging is blind. Also, Ted Allen has been added to the cast. . . sadly, as a judge not a mentor.
I know that the second thing is true but the first thing is just a rumor so far. (Oh, and that they've added waitstaff and the waitstaff are also competing.)
The major problem I see with Shear Genius' judging is that in real life, the only measure of how good (or at least successful) a stylist you are is how happy your clients are when they leave. You can rate technical skills to some degree, but when I walk out of a salon, I don't give a flying fuck what the editor of Allure magazine would think of my haircut. It's as much about catering to your client's taste as it is about having your own.
Likewise with Top Design, when you're designing a space for someone to live/work in, the only thing that's going to matter in the real world is how happy your clients are. If your client wants their office to be a hideous combination of lime and eggplant, it doesn't matter if those are "good" color choices or not, those are the colors you're going to use.
With PR and TC, the contestants are at least in fields where they'll have to appeal to a mass audience -- you're not making clothes for one person, you're making them for Average American Woman Age 18-44. And in a restaurant, your food needs to taste good to a wide enough variety of people that it can be judged as such in a relatively objective way.
(Oh, and that they've added waitstaff and the waitstaff are also competing.)
Seriously?? Is Padma going to say, "Waiters, this is also a competition for you as well"???
"Waiters, this is also a competition for you as well"???
Bwah! I'm trying to think what the waiter paired with the winning chef could possibly win, though? (Other than cash.) A job waiting tables at the winning chef's restaurant in three years when it finally opens?
Seriously?? Is Padma going to say, "Waiters, this is also a competition for you as well"???
Possibly.
I think that they needed at least minimal waitstaff so that the dishes could be served to the judges blind.
From what I've read the contestants will be drawing knives for a color, the food will be served on a plate rimmed with the same color so it's a blind tasting.
I don't remember how the waitstaff is being chosen but I guess it's either the waitstaff being randomly assigned each time or they are assigned a color which they stay with throughout the season.
Likewise with Top Design, when you're designing a space for someone to live/work in, the only thing that's going to matter in the real world is how happy your clients are. If your client wants their office to be a hideous combination of lime and eggplant, it doesn't matter if those are "good" color choices or not, those are the colors you're going to use.
exactly. I was really annoyed at one of the kids' room judging, where the kid kept saying "I love it, it's exactly what I wanted", but the judges were complaining that it didn't look like a kid's room and marked the designer down for it. The client was over the moon, isn't that the important part?
I'm trying to think what the waiter paired with the winning chef could possibly win, though? (Other than cash.)
I would imagine it's just cash. The way that the carpenter on Top Design got a couple of grand when his designer won.
Changes are that NONE of the judges do a walk-through - all the judging is blind. Also, Ted Allen has been added to the cast. . . sadly, as a judge not a mentor.
This is the only show that still doesn't have a mentor, right? That's always bothered me about the show. I really think they need someone walking through the kitchen doing the Tim Gunn thing.