Notional making adventure cooking series for BBC America

IAC-backed production company Notional is making a series for BBC America, No Kitchen Required, a Survivor-meets-Masterchef cooking show. The UK public broadcaster’s US cable channel is ramping up original production and will launch the 10x60mins adventure cooking series next spring.

In the unscripted show, three chefs will be dropped into remote locations whereupon they have to work with locals to hunt and forage for ingredients for a locally-inspired meal. The resulting feast will be judged by the local community.

The chefs in question are New York restaurateur Michael Psilakis, grand champion of Notional-produced cooking show Chopped, Madison Cowan, and Kiwi chef Kayne Raymond. They will be dropped into remote locations including in countries including Thailand, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Australia and New Zealand.

Perry Simon, general manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America, greenlit the series and says: “No Kitchen Required is a unique hybrid food/travel/adventure show that gives our audience fascinating insights into diverse cultures, making it a perfect fit for the BBC America brand.”

Chachi Senior, president, Notional LA says: “We really wanted to create a cooking competition series as big in scope as The Amazing Race or Survivor, with No Kitchen Required we’re confident that we’ve succeeded. Each week our chefs are dropped out of a helicopter into a super-remote part of the world and the audience is invited along for the awesome ride.”

Other BBC America original productions include comedy panel show Would You Rather…? with Graham Norton, which premieres on December 3 and a series of specials featuring Chris Hardwick as The Nerdist premiering on December 24.