FOX ORDERS THIRD HELPING OF "KITCHEN NIGHTMARES"

FOX has ordered a third season of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, the ultimate restaurant revival show, it was announced today by Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

During the third season, Michelin-starred Chef Gordon Ramsay will travel the country visiting restaurants that are in desperate need of his help. With Ramsay's reputation on the line, he will demand absolute excellence and perfection from the owners as he gives them advice on everything from food and d�cor to customer service and staff changes. With some training and reinforcement, Ramsay hopes to help breathe new life into these failing eateries or else many will be forced to close their doors forever.

In the next all-new episode of this season's KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, airing Friday, March 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, Chef Ramsay visits Mama Rita's, a struggling Mexican restaurant in Newbury Park, CA. Owner Laura dreams of honoring her grandmother's cooking legacy, but finds the transition from a successful catering business to restaurant ownership challenging. With a chaotic atmosphere in the kitchen and a lack of leadership from management, this restaurant faces foreclosure if Gordon is unable to help Laura's cooking staff add some spice back into their business.

Founded by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed in 2000, A. Smith & Co. Productions generates some of the most innovative, highest-rated and highest-quality unscripted programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Since its launch, the company has created over 1,000 hours of programming and has developed and produced the No. 1 show in America an astonishing 12 times and a top-five show more than 50 times. The company's current production slate with world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay includes KITCHEN NIGHTMARES and the Emmy� Award-nominated HELL'S KITCHEN.

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES is a co-production of ITV Studios (formerly Granada America) and Optomen in association with A. Smith & Co. Productions. Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Patricia Llewellyn serve as executive producers.