MovieChat Forums > Restaurant: Impossible (2011) Discussion > Robert Irvine and his show are frauds

Robert Irvine and his show are frauds

posted 10 years ago by FilioScotia
18 replies | jump to latest

I've never believed there is anything "real" about "Reality Shows," but now I know it for certain.

Last March, Irvine came to Lufkin Texas to do a makeover of a BBQ restaurant that had serious problems. It got the makeover, but now - a year later - the owners have sold it, but that's not the most interesting part of the story.

Former owner Lynn Bryan said it was her brother-in-law who contacted Food Network without her knowledge. “I had never even seen the show. They came in here that morning and I never knew they were coming. I had no idea.

Bryan also said most of the show was scripted to make it look as if the restaurant was struggling, which it was not. Bryan told Irvine that she had lied to her husband about being deep in debt as well as leaving for years, allowing employees to run the business. That never happened."

“But reality ain’t reality. He said they needed to script the show, so they made up the story that I lied to my husband about the debts, and the part about us being in debt for $160,000 was not true. Irvine said he loved the restaurant, but he had to make something up so they could have a show."

So there you have it. Proof that there is nothing real about reality shows, at least THIS reality show. When the truth isn't good enough, make something up.

The greatest trick the devil ever did was to convince the modern world that he doesn't exist.

[–] GraceFromSoCal 10 years ago

What are your sources for this, FilioScotia? Where did those quotes come from?

I don't know about anyone else, but I find it rather hard to believe that the actual owner had no knowledge of the show coming to her restaurant. Seems odd to me that the producers wouldn't do a few basic preliminary checks, such as investigating who owns the place vs who requested the show to come help it. I don't see how they'd think it's okay to show up at a business without the actual owner knowing about it. That would be like if my daughter called a contractor to come add a room to my house, and the contractor showed up and started tearing out walls and I had no knowledge of it beforehand--and hadn't authorized the work. That's not how it works.

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] dmrmlr-1 10 years ago

I find that hard to believe as well. I read an article which said that the show sends a crew in well in advance of filming to check the places out and get decorating ideas. As for the owner's claims, she was posting a lot of crap about RI on her Facebook page. One claim was that the people of Lufkin were rude to the RI people. Many locals took offense to this and sounded off on her page. There's a website, Food Network Gossip, which has an entire page about RI including updates about the places visited.

[–] poordogabone-1 10 years ago

She also posted an incoherent, rambling rant on the Food Network Gossip site, accusing the employees of being lazy drug addicts among other things.

I'd like to be a pessimist, but this is a luxury I cannot afford.
—Joseph of Cordoba

[–] zombienut 10 years ago

I'm sure the show is somewhat scripted. What isn't? However, the OP's story sounds ridiculous. So my business isn't struggling at all but I'm going to allow someone to walk in and start changing things. Wrong. Contracts need to be signed, and liabilities waived. I bet Food Network's paperwork is thicker than Irvine's wallet.

We used to make sh-t in this country. Build sh-t. Now we put our hands in the next guys pocket.

[–] sandifay62 10 years ago

Exactly.

Now reality shows are staged and sometimes scripted, but the restaurant's failures, bad food, and disgusting practices are hard to fake since its a fact.

A TV show can't just walk in to a random place, make up that places financial trouble and change things around with out that place's permission and. Those places have to approach the show to even be considered and if a restaurant isn't in trouble and need a drastic makeover they wouldn't need to contact the show.

Unless it's the restaurant that's just trying to save face after the fact, or they're the fraudulent ones. People can look them up on Yelp and see what's what based on customer reactions. The reviews that date before Robert's visits usually tell the same story Robert tells when he first visits the place.

[–] bunny3k 9 years ago

Exactly!

3k

[–] DCompton86 10 years ago

I'm not sure I fully believe this. Can you come up with a credible source? Why would a booming, popular restaurant allow Robert Irvine to make changes? I do believe some of the show is scripted and it's quite obvious the team is there more than two days though.

"It's better to be hated for who you are than be loved for who you aren't."

[–] DingelBerry 10 years ago

I love the show. It has to be some how scripted but I don't care.

[–] sirtiger1 10 years ago

the OP nonsense is all scripted

[–] eddysl12 10 years ago

What about the owner who ( on camera during the show ) claimed that Robert planted bugs in her restaurant? Oh sure, he walks around with a container filled with dead bugs, dead mice, and an assortment of grease and grime so he can make the restaurants look bad.

[–] bunny3k 9 years ago

It was so obvious that the restaurant was in poor repair in so many areas, the RI crew had to do nothing to film what was there.

3k

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

So by the Op's logic many of the bad reviews (going back years) of some of the restaurants featured on RI were planted over time by Robert Irvine and his people in preparation and anticipation of filming a TV episode at those restaurants?

Yes! That's exactly what they did! Pretty sneaky of them, eh? Planning ahead several years, covertly planting bad reviews online, the whole works, wow. I'm in awe, and I'm sure you are, too, wildj7. 

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

Oh, me too! Maybe if you and I get together and try REALLY, really hard, we can hatch a clever scheme of our own! Then we can have a fake 'reality' show on TV and become famous and everything!

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com

[–] daughterofjane 9 years ago

I grew up in Lufkin, and Bryan's Smokehouse has always been known as gross. I haven't returned to Lufkin in several years, but I highly doubt that Irvine loved the restaurant.

[–] Hiragana_Kanji 9 years ago

That is not how the show works at all . They have shown us this. They have producers come talk to the people and check out to store before the host comes. So there is no way the the most is just going to pop in there out the blue.

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.

[–] GraceFromSoCal 9 years ago

I'd say it's pretty obvious that the OP, FilioScotia, couldn't provide ANYTHING to back up their claims, hence the reason they've disappeared from this thread!

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http://www.CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com