ABOUT THE SHOW

The US version of Hell's Kitchen, also starring Gordon Ramsay, is broadcast on the FOX television network. and features12 ordinary people competing to own a "million-dollar restaurant" of their own.

The show was taped at KCOP - UPN 13 (now My13), a converted former television broadcast facility (which previously hosted the Barry & Enright game shows The Joker's Wild & Tic-Tac-Dough in the late '70's to the mid 80's) located at 915 North La Brea Avenue at the corner of Willoughby Avenue in Los Angeles, California.

The format of the program was the same as the UK version, with a red team and a blue team competing in various cooking challenges. The restaurant's Belgian maitre d’, Jean Philippe Susilovic, came from Petrus, one of Ramsay's London restaurants. Jean Phillipe was also the maitre d’ for the first UK series of Hell's Kitchen. Each team also had the services of one of two sous-chefs: Scott Leibfried and Mary Ann Salcedo.

Diners are recruited by producers to "try a new restaurant." Diners must sign the usual TV-related non-disclosure agreements. Diners do not pay for dinner; on the contrary, each diner receives $50 for their evening.