Mystery Diners On FoodTV

[launderess]

Has anyone else seen this? This show is a hoot!

Mystery Diners

When a restaurant owner suspects employees of not doing their jobs — whether it be stealing, lying, mistreating customers or generally doing lousy work — they call in the Mystery Diners. These Mystery Diners are undercover operatives who go into restaurants, bars and food-service establishments...

www.foodnetwork.com

 

[whirlcool]

I've seen this a few times. I liked tonight's episode. They had the manager of a dive bar in Las Vegas running an exotic dating service out of the bar owners bar. She was a real piece of work.

Some of the people they catch! OMG. But sometimes I wonder if this whole thing is staged. After all this IS a "reality" program. What gives this away is not all the scenes shown inside the bar or restaurant under surveillance come from the hidden surveillance cameras, especially the close ups of the activity at the tables.

 

[launderess]

Did A Quick Internet Search

And word on the street (restaurant and or service biziness persons) is that the whole thing is staged.

Tonight's episode was a hoot, that is what was, a HOOT with a capital "H".

However it does seem like the 'host" is staging and or setting things up. Each time one has seen this show he always is acting like a tattle-tale saying things like "man, he's stealing from you and your customers', and some such.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/851426

 

[rp2813]

Not surprised to receive confirmation that it's staged. 

 

I tuned out because due to the over-the-top outrageous behaviors, I had made up my mind that it had to be staged.  It's the same with Willie Degel's "Restaurant Stakeout" although behaviors on that program are toned down by comparison.  Even though I find Degel a stout and sexy package, the whole spy theme has worn thin and I've stopped watching.

 

[whirlcool]

I think "Mystery Diner" is just a cheap imitation of "Restaurant Stakeout"

The worst "reality show" to ever hit the airwaves was that "Breaking Amish" show. It was supposed to be about some young Amish adults who leave the community to see the big bad world in New York. It was ok for the first couple of weeks but then it was leaked out that these characters had already left the Amish years ago and while the characters didn't really know each other it turned out that two of them were actually married to each other! This created a minor scandal in the news. You would think the show would be over by then....

But nooo...

They ran the complete season then started a new season on another cable channel!

Just unbelieveable.

 

[angus]

Just another piece of Food Network trash. Amazing what that channel has become since it hit the airwaves in 1996. There is almost nothing instructional by anyone reputable anymore - everything has become so over the top it is laughable. Or maybe this is just a reflection of what now passes for entertainment in the US.

 

[whirlcool]

I think that network execs thing the general public likes shows that are over the top. Hey, look at that Honey Boo Boo show.

What we want is something that is believable. For awhile the Food Network was running Julia Child reruns but not anymore. But I heard that the people who represent Julia Child's estate have those shows and her cookbooks locked down tight for the estate. In other words they won't release anything until they are shown some serious bucks.

I wish they would get rid of that Guy Fieri guy. He is so obnoxious! Give u a show that demonstrates good cooking technique. Karen likes "French Food At Home" with Laura Calder. She demonstrates technique as well as a little bit of history of French culture along the way. We've made some of the dishes Laura's made on that show and they are usually quite easy and VERY good. Plus the show has very quirky bistro kind of music in it.

 

[launderess]

FoodTV Basically Stinks

Which is another reason we don't have cable, there isn't anything on worth paying those prices.

Now back when "Taste" was on that was different. Even Alton Brown's "Good Eats" was interesting back in the day. PBS has decent offerings including Lidia's Kitchen and they are free.

 

[whirlcool]

Which is another reason we don't have cable, there isn't anything on worth paying those prices.

You are so right about that. We are very seriously thinking about dropping our DirecTV because the last bill was $93.00 per month for just expanded basic, no pay channels or anything like that. It's reached the point where is what we have worth paying that much for?

We are also looking for an ATSC converter box, our Sony 36" Trinitron set still works fine. We bought it in 2003. Any tips anyone?

 

[rp2813]

ATSC

Allen, is that a digital-to-analog converter box?

 

I found one on craigslist for $10.  I had to take the old portable TV too, but I just dropped that off at Salvation Army.

 

As for cable, I'm crossing my fingers that the feds go forward with requiring cable and satellite companies to allow subscribers to choose the channels they want, and pay accordingly.  There's far too much garbage that I don't want, and the least they could do is place all of it at the nosebleed level among the 900 band choices.

 

[launderess]

@whirlcool

Where America shops:

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[angus]

The thing that absolutely kills me are the Food Network "executives" that are all over that dreadful "Next Food Network Star" show. These people, Bob Tuchman, Susie Fogelman and the president, that stone faced Brooke Johnson (I may have misspelled the names) behave as if they and people like Guy Fieri, Rachael Ray and others are out there splitting atoms and discovering uranium. Really?????

I cannot imagine Julia Child, Lidia Bastianich, Jacques Pepin or anyone who actually is serious about food and teaching being part of such a cheesy institution.