'Little Chocolatiers,'
empty calories
But sweet to watch and moderately entertaining
By Tom Conroy
Jan 28, 2010
One of the clichés of Hollywood is pitching a project as “It’s [‘Title’] meets [‘Title’]!” For example, a producer trying to sell the new series “The Deep End” to a network might say, “It’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ meets ‘L.A. Law’!”
Somebody must have pitched TLC’s new reality series “Little Chocolatiers” as “It’s ‘Cake Boss’ meets ‘Little People, Big World’!”
Surprisingly, the odd combination of two of the channel’s successful ingredients — dessert manufacturing and dwarfs — results in a moderately entertaining show. Although the show is as full of fake suspense as the average workplace reality series, the two protagonists, diminutive husband-and-wife candy makers named Steve Hatch and Katie Masterson, are good company.
In the series premiere, airing on TLC at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Steve and Katie receive an order to construct a chocolate log cabin for a couple’s retirement party; meanwhile, Katie bets Steve that he can’t lose three pounds in a week.
While the footage showing the creation of the various treats is engrossing, those who still remember that the L in TLC stands for “learning” should be forewarned that the show won’t improve viewers’ sweet-making skills, especially since most of us are unlikely to be whipping up desserts involving chocolate rivers and trees.
The plot lines in the episode are basically beside the point. As is typical with this type of show, each commercial break is preceded by a brief montage that is meant to pump up the drama.
One early tease informs us that — oh, my goodness! — it’s going to snow. “If we don’t deliver this quickly,” Katie says, “the entire cabin could be ruined.”
Despite the ominous music that plays over such moments, few viewers will be fooled into thinking that anything serious is going to occur.
The main reason for tuning in is to watch Steve and Katie. Their bantering is funny, if contrived. If Steve loses that bet, he’ll have to take salsa lessons with her. To sabotage his diet, Katie buys his favorite kind of pizza.
In a word, Steve and Katie are cute. That reaction raises the question whether the show patronizes its subjects. In fact, when an hour-long “Little Chocolatiers” special aired in December, several reviewers said the show made them think of Oompa-Loompas.
In this case, patronizing is in the eye of the beholder. The filming and editing treat the two chocolatiers as if they were two average-sized reality subjects.
Viewers can read an uplifting message into that if they so desire. Most will probably enjoy “Little Chocolatiers” for what it is: a fluffy confection consisting largely of sweet, empty calories.
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