Bourdain Deems Pilot Amputation 'Very Promising'
(Monday, July 18 03:52 PM)
By Brill Bundy
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Between his tell-all book about what goes on behind-the-scenes of many of New York's finer eating establishments, his own position as executive chef of NYC's Brasserie Les Halles and his globe-trotting Food Network series "A Cook's Tour," Anthony Bourdain has developed a bit of a reputation as a culinary renegade with an adventurous palate and more than his fair share of battle scars.
And this fall, FOX's new comedy "Kitchen Confidential" is based on his memoir of the same name. In it, Bradley Cooper ("Alias") plays "Jack" Bourdain, a once-promising chef who has burned multiple bridges due to his fondness for drugs, alcohol and women -- not necessarily in that order. Having bottomed out at a chain restaurant he's given a second chance at a fulfilling career with a kitchen team of his own choosing.
The series doesn't shirk away from the more unsavory aspects of the title character's behavior and Bourdain calls the pilot "pretty good."
"There's some drug use and dismemberment in the first half hour," he says, referring to a scene where another chef gets the tip of his finger cut off. "I found that very promising."
Though the series will follow its own course when it comes to storylines, Bourdain does have some input and recently spent a day walking around the lot watching as they recreated sets loosely based on his life.
"I'm a consultant to the show, which means they pay me to stay the Hell away from the set, I think," he muses. "And now and again they take me out to dinner and we talk about food styling, technical points, things like that."
"Kitchen Confidential" premieres Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
