The Chew

Produced in NY by Chew Prods. for your ABC Television Network. Executive producer, Gordon Elliott director, John D'Incecco. 60 MIN.With: Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, Michael Symon.As being a promising restaurant opening before its service staff was fully prepared, "The Chew" opened up on ABC Daytime on Sept. 26 with enjoyable hosts fighting to keep anxiously paced live TV. Because the food-centric week day talker is definately not the well-oiled machine of 15-year-old inspiration and network sister "The Scene,In . it's also nowhere near to the instant SOS situation of CBS' "The Talk." With only mild modifications to its recipe, ABC could easily give you a tasty dish for audiences to "Chew" on. The central problem to depart the initial three episodes is certainly an overstuffed approach to infotainment, prices quantity over quality. Quality quality recipes are from time to time referred to and hastily carried out, host banter has short amount of time to breathe between high quality segments, and every dollop of understanding cues rapturous applause within the studio audience, developing a sadly cheesy infomercial vibe. While hourly comes filled with tips, demos and audience taste tests, almost no in the Food Network-on-fast-forward presentation feels coherent or complete. It's really no surprise the show's official website apparently crashed on the very first day browsing on the internet is in order to a home chef could've properly recreated whatever they saw onscreen. Fortunately, the important thing facet of a normal gabfest will come in who's manning the ship, and "The Chew" roped in five strong personas to keep it afloat. Give four stars to know of Italian cuisine Mario Batali, the quickest wit and least rattled and shook and shook with the show's breakneck speed. Piped in via satellite in the charitable organization event on the very first day, Batali's presence inside the studio will be a major boost to days two and three. He shown particular sophistication pressurized inside the silliest segment up to now: a pointlessly compressed version of "Iron Chef" that forced him cooking up a dish in the grocery bag of periodic mystery elements with only three minutes left inside the hour. Another four co-hosts each fill an absolute niche: Batali's fellow "Iron Chef" Michael Symon might be the meat-loving Midwesterner getting a crazy grin and concentrate on family, "Top Chef" all-star Carla Hall brings high energy Southern soul to signature recipe-saving segment "It's Gon' Be," "More to useInch co-host Clinton Kelly is experienced in cocktails and entertaining expertise, and 25-year-old author of "The Dorm Room Diet" Daphne Oz (whose father, Dr. Mehmet Oz, fronts their very own daytime show) focuses on medical health insurance and diet. While their chemistry has less than gelled -- especially difficult while using show still rushing from segment to segment -- there isn't always a poor apple inside the bunch. And every one of the voices boosts the variety of audience identification and interest. Unlike say, "The Rachael Ray Show," where audiences need to take or leave just one sort of celebrity chef chatter, "The Chew" hopes there's no such factor as many cooks in the kitchen area area. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com