No Reservations Season 7 Episode 9: Making of India
Tony and his crew are spotlighted in this look at behind the scenes of the making of No Reservations. Tony tells the audience that a camera crew followed the making of the Kerala, India episode, capturing Tony’s interaction with his tight-knit crew. Tony and his main crew members Chris the executive producer and producer Diane are in a pre-production meeting ten days before departure to Kerala, India. Chris and Diane discuss the settings and guides that will help Tony with the episode and they all banter and joke with each other. Diane tends to enjoy having Tony get involved in traditions of the people such as dancing which Tony does not enjoy, telling Diane and Chris “Believe me, nobody wants to see me with my shirt off.” And there is more Tony banter as he seethes against local customs he must be a part of “Running around a tree singing and dancing, I’ve been asking for this for f**king years.” As Chris and Diane discuss what will happen if the crew arrives before Tony does for this shoot, Tony shares with the audience “A lot of talking to Mister Fisty I’m guessing. If something’s missing from my mini-bar, I’m not paying. If they’re charging porn to my room, this will not pass.” Chris tells the audience in a separate scene when asked if Tony still wants to do No Reservations that someone recently asked him the same question and the answer was a resounding yes, he still loves to write, travel and eat for a living. Chris confesses as excited as he is when they get ready to leave for a new location, it is getting tougher to leave his wife and kids behind.
Three days out from leaving for the filming of Kerala, Chris finds out that there is a possible terrorist alert for the area where the boat scene will be filmed. Chris talks with Travel Channel and after some research they finally agree it is safe enough to go forward and travel to India. Chris tells the camera he has a plan B in place in case things go south with the boat location.
As they get ready for the plane trip, Chris, Diane and Tony quip about the valium and alcohol they plan to take in order to sleep through the long plane ride so it feels like they will get there sooner. Tony tells the audience with an active three year old at home he is looking forward to catching up on some sleep on the plane ride.
The crew arrives in India a day earlier than Tony, which gives Chris and Diane time to scout out locations, talk to people involved in filming there and problem solve before Tony arrives. Chris is so hands on with the filming he is more like a line producer than an executive producer. Todd, the main camera guy, and his assistant Zack unpack cameras. While watching the crew film Tony narrates telling the audience B-roll film of local settings and nature are important to the filming of an episode and can make or break it.
Tony arrives in Kerala and starts his usual banter with the crew. Tony has a plan for Diane to help him score some prescription drugs, saying “They have a relaxed attitude towards prescription drugs here, right? You should try to buy some, you look innocent.” Chris rolls his eyes as he tries to set up a bridge scene and Todd begins a twenty minutes explanation of his camera set-up.
In the van driving to another film scene, Tony jokes with the crew that the van rides offer “That atmosphere of warmth, camaraderie, and loose farts.” Chris and Diane check out the inside of a restaurant which is small, dark and not ideal for shooting. Tony shakes his head in agreement, not the best choice for filming. Diane is asked to explain her job and calls herself “Mommy, babysitter, and psychologist” when it comes to watching over and caring for local people and talent involved in the filming of an episode. After the filming of a food scene, Tony jokes to the audience that the crew, Diane in particular, swarm the leftovers “Look at ‘em, they’re falling on those leftovers like seagulls on a corpse.”
As the crew and Tony load up the van, Diane tells the camera its like herding kittens. One of the crew starts talking about needing to take a sh*t once the van starts rolling. Tony tells the crew about an experimental drug he will share with them during filming “Your stools will be like fucking boulders every day for the entire shoot.” As they finish the first day of filming Chris tells the camera the first day is the most nerve wracking, once that is wrapped he begins to relax.
It’s Mamootty time. Todd mentions all cameramen have a comraderie between each other as he compares film techniques with another cameraman from Mamootty’s film set. As Chris and crew begin to film the scenes with Mamootty, he complains about how slow its going, having not been a fan of doing these scenes in the first place. Todd mentions that Mamootty has about thirty people in his trailer, mostly journalists and photographers, making it difficult to film for the episode.
The crew has lunch from food service supplied for Mamootty’s film set. A crew member mentions that Tony only made one crew member cry, and Tony remembers it was Diane. Tony shares that everyone was tired, burnt out and cranky during this Bangkok episode. Tony was puffing on a hookah and Diane, who was feeling ill at the time, took a drag off of it. Tony snapped “Get your diseased lips off my hookah.” Diane is pleased Tony appologizes to her once again, this time getting the apology on film.
Chris mentions he always feels uncomfortable when they need to take cameras into religious places. This time in India the cameras are turned away from the temple. Chris remembers the one time Tony was late to set, Tony is always the first person in the hotel lobby so it was extremely unusual he was not there yet. Tony had been drinking beer like everyone else the night before, then he started drinking tequila. When Tony did not show for the shoot, Chris banged on his door with no response, then had management open the door, fearing Tony was dead. When the door was opened, Tony was startled awake by the yelling. Chris says Tony was talking incessantly and farting.
The boat ride scene is ready to be filmed, the terrorist alert is not a problem at the moment. The crew and Tony are suffering from the extreme heat and the long hours needed to get this scene on film, everyone is tired. The crew enjoys lunch on the boat while Tony abstains, saving his hunger for the coming scenes. Tony shakes his head and whimpers as the crew enjoys their meal and he remains hungry. The logistics of the scenes and crew to film it requires the use of three boats. As they begin filming the food scenes, Tony finally gets a meal.
Tony tells the camera that his is a close crew for the show. Tony has known Chris since Tony’s A Cook’s Tour on Food Network in 2000, and Diane is also A Cook’s Tour alum. Tony has known Todd the cameraman since the third episode of No Reservations. As the crew laughs and jokes, Tony tells the camera when it comes to No Reservations he has the freedom to do the show he wants to do, his close friends are with him filming the show, and he realizes overall he is very, very lucky.
