The Chopping Block

The Chopping Block is an Australian reality television series which began airing on the Nine Network on 6 February 2008.[1] Produced by Granada Productions, it was hosted by chef Matt Moran. Catriona Rowntree co-hosted the show with Moran in its first season.[2] It ran for two series of 8 episodes each.

For the webcomic, see Chopping Block. For the US reality television series, see The Chopping Block (U.S. TV series).

The Chopping Block
GenreReality
Presented byMatt Moran
Catriona Rowntree
Country of originAustralia
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Producer(s)David Barbour
Julian Cress
Running time60 minutes
(including commercials)
Release
Original networkNine Network
Picture format576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Audio formatStereo
Original release6 February –
2 December 2008
Chronology
Related showsThe Chopping Block (U.S. TV series)

Format

Each week two Melbourne and Sydney restaurants were reviewed by a secret critic (ABC Radio National broadcaster and food critic Alan Saunders) and given A$5,000. With assistance from restaurateur Matt Moran, they were given 72 hours to use that money to overhaul their menu, service and décor in an effort to win both his and the critics' approval.

Episodes

Season 1
Episode Original Airdate Ratings Ref
01
 "Café Parlo vs Café 43" 6 February 2008 718,000 [3]
02
 "Bella Vita vs Mamma Teresa's" 13 February 2008 1,040,000 [4]
03
 "Dimitris vs Morris'" 20 February 2008 918,000 [5]
04
 "Grace vs Wild Oscars" 27 February 2008 943,000 [6]
05
 "Cafe Burgundy vs Cafe Matto" 5 March 2008 979,000 [7]
06
 "La Bella Vista vs Sophocles" 12 March 2008 1,062,000 [8]
07
 "The Olive Drum vs Unwine" 19 March 2008 1,025,000 [9]
08
 "Michelinos vs Zingarella" 2 April 2008 1,081,000 [10]

Season 2
Episode Original Airdate Ratings Ref
01
 "Angelina’s vs Tandoori Junction" 14 October 2008 825,000 [11]
02
 "Emad's vs Gloria's Cafe" 21 October 2008 825,000 [12]
03
 "Anacapri vs La De Da's" 28 October 2008 856,000 [13]
04
 "Piazza Navona vs South Yarra China House" 4 November 2008 962,000 [14]
05
 "Courthouse Restaurant vs Hotel Eden" 11 November 2008 902,000 [15]
06
 "Mambo Italiano vs Spargo Espresso" 18 November 2008 953,000 [16]
07
 "Baja Cantina vs Modena 88" 25 November 2008 913,000 [17]
08
 "Morri's Place vs Pizza Piazza" 2 December 2008 952,000 [18]

Ratings

The first episode of The Chopping Block had a disappointing debut, with only 718,000 viewers nationally, a low figure for its 7:30 - 8:30 timeslot.[3] An uncut repeat of the first episode was aired the following night at 10:30pm, managing a reasonable 546,000 viewers for its timeslot.[19] The second episode fared much better, managing 1,040,000 viewers nationally - nearly 300,000 more viewers than the first episode.[4]

Overall, ratings for the second series were generally higher than the first, and both series averaged 959,517 viewers across the year.[20]

U.S. version

NBC and Granada America have picked up the rights to produce the series in the United States. The U.S. version is hosted by Marco Pierre White, and features a number of changes to the format, such as multiple contestants, an ongoing objective instead of self-contained episodes, and an emphasis on competition.[21]

The first episode premiered on 11 March 2009,[22] but was canceled due to low ratings after three episodes. After a 3-month hiatus, 'Chopping Block' returned to complete its season.

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References
  1. Knox, David (25 January 2008). "Airdate: The Chopping Block". tvtonight.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  2. Knox, David (5 November 2007). "Returning: The Chopping Block". Retrieved 1 October 2008.
  3. Knox, David (7 February 2008). "Chopping Block lacking customers". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  4. Knox, David (11 February 2008). "Week 7". Retrieved 14 February 2008.
  5. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/02/week-8.html
  6. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/02/week-9.html
  7. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/03/week-10.html%5B%5D
  8. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/03/week-11.html%5B%5D
  9. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/03/week-12.html
  10. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/04/week-14.html%5B%5D
  11. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/10/week-42.html
  12. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/10/week-43.html
  13. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/10/week-44.html
  14. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/11/week-45.html
  15. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/11/week-46.html
  16. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/11/week-47.html
  17. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/11/week-48.html
  18. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/12/week-49.html
  19. Knox, David (4 February 2008). "Week 6". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  20. Knox, David (30 November 2008). "2008: The Top 200". Retrieved 2 December 2008.
  21. Knox, David (18 March 2008). "NBC re-heats 'improved' Chopping Block". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  22. Adelian, Josef (17 March 2008). "NBC puts White on 'Chopping Block'". Variety. Retrieved 6 April 2008.


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