TV: Other Shows: The Chopping Block: "Opening Night"

For a brief stretch a few weeks back, my weekly TiVo queue contained Top Chef , Hell’s Kitchen , The Amazing Race and Survivor : four shows that pretty much run the gamut of reality competition, at least in terms of how they frame their games. The Amazing Race , as befits a perpetual Emmy-winner, is the arguably the classiest example of the genre, focusing more on how the teams play than on their personality clashes. On Survivor of course, personality conflicts are part of the game, but the show still emphasizes strategizing and merit along with the needling and seething. Top Chef ... (link)