The Chopping Block
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | February 6, 2008 |
| Founder | Granada Productions |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Reality television program |
| Parent | Granada Productions |
The Chopping Block is a reality television program from Australia that first aired on the Nine Network on 6 February 2008. The series was produced by Granada Productions and featured chef Matt Moran as the host, with Catriona Rowntree serving as co-host during the inaugural season. The show spanned two seasons, each containing eight episodes.
Format
Every week, two restaurants located in Melbourne and Sydney were secretly reviewed by critic Alan Saunders, who awarded a prize of A$5,000. Under the mentorship of restaurateur Matt Moran, these venues were given 72 hours to overhaul their menu, service quality, and interior design in order to win approval from both Moran and the critic.
Season 1
| Episode | Original Airdate | Ratings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Center | "Café Parlo vs Café 43" | 6 February 2008 | 718,000 |
| Template:Center | "Bella Vita vs Mamma Teresa's" | 13 February 2008 | 1,040,000 |
| Template:Center | "Dimitris vs Morris'" | 20 February 2008 | 918,000 |
| Template:Center | "Grace vs Wild Oscars" | 27 February 2008 | 943,000 |
| Template:Center | "Cafe Burgundy vs Cafe Matto" | 5 March 2008 | 979,000 |
| Template:Center | "La Bella Vista vs Sophocles" | 12 March 2008 | 1,062,000 |
| Template:Center | "The Olive Drum vs Unwine" | 19 March 2008 | 1,025,000 |
| Template:Center | "Michelinos vs Zingarella" | 2 April 2008 | 1,081,000 |
Season 2
| Episode | Original Airdate | Ratings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Center | "Angelina’s vs Tandoori Junction" | 14 October 2008 | 825,000 |
| Template:Center | "Emad's vs Gloria's Cafe" | 21 October 2008 | 825,000 |
| Template:Center | "Anacapri vs La De Da's" | 28 October 2008 | 856,000 |
| Template:Center | "Piazza Navona vs South Yarra China House" | 4 November 2008 | 962,000 |
| Template:Center | "Courthouse Restaurant vs Hotel Eden" | 11 November 2008 | 902,000 |
| Template:Center | "Mambo Italiano vs Spargo Espresso" | 18 November 2008 | 953,000 |
| Template:Center | "Baja Cantina vs Modena 88" | 25 November 2008 | 913,000 |
| Template:Center | "Morri's Place vs Pizza Piazza" | 2 December 2008 | 952,000 |
Ratings
The premiere episode of The Chopping Block attracted a national audience of only 718,000 viewers, falling short of expectations for its prime-time slot. An unedited repeat broadcast the following evening garnered a respectable viewership of 546,000. The show's second episode saw a notable increase in audience numbers, reaching approximately 1,040,000 viewers nationwide—an uplift of nearly three hundred thousand compared to the debut.
Across both seasons, Season Two generally achieved higher ratings than the first. On average throughout the year, both seasons maintained a viewership close to 959,517.
U.S. version
NBC and Granada America secured rights to develop an American adaptation hosted by Marco Pierre White. This version featured several contestants competing continuously with a greater focus on rivalry.
The U.S. series premiered on 11 March 2009 but was pulled after just three episodes due to poor ratings. After a three-month break, it resumed airing to finish its season.