Feed the Beast: Season One

Perhaps hoping to take advantage of the public's current fascination with food shows, AMC served up this English-language remake of the Danish series Bankerot, which translates as “Bankrupt”—an appropriate title given that the network, discovering that few viewers had an appetite for the series, cancelled it after a single season. The plot centers on the efforts of two old friends—chef Dion (Jim Sturgess), newly released from prison, and ex-sommelier Tommy (David Schwimmer), now an alcoholic salesman struggling to raise his mute young son (Elijah Jacob)—to open an upscale Greek restaurant, Thirio (The Beast), in a rundown area of the Bronx. The project is hobbled by an estrangement between Tommy and Dion over the death of Tommy's wife, and a lack of money, which leads Tommy to ask for a loan from his racist father (John Dorman), a wealthy businessman with underworld connections. While these problems are ultimately overcome, a greater one lies in the fact that Dion is deep in debt to mobster Patrick Woichik (Michael Gladis), a brutal thug known as the Tooth Fairy for his habit of dealing with deadbeats using pliers, and he plans to pay him off with the insurance money from burning down the restaurant. Meanwhile, Tommy begins to overcome his grief by entering into a relationship with an engaging young woman (Lorenza Izzo) he meets in group therapy. While Feed the Beast initially has promise, it is undermined by an overly convoluted plot, generally unsympathetic characters, and performances that range from dull to hysterical (and the season ends with a cliffhanger that will never be resolved). Presenting all 10 episodes from the 2016 first and only season, extras include episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Not a necessary purchase. (F. Swietek)