Iron Chef

A Japanese television program made by FujiTV. The original Japanese title is "Ironmen of Cooking" (Ryōri no tetsujin). It began airing on October 10, 1993 as a half-hour show, and after 23 episodes was expanded to a one-hour format. The show ended September 24, 1999, but had television specials until 2002. The series had over 300 episodes. The program has an eccentric flavor. Its host is the flamboyant Takeshi Kaga, known on the show as Chairman Kaga. Its extravagant production values are highlighted with well informed commentary made by two regular commentators and two guest commentators (who serve also as judges). In each episode, chefs have one hour to cook a multicourse meal around a theme ingredient that must be present in each dish. While always a success in Japan, Iron Chef became a surprise cult favorite in the United States when it was picked up by the Food Network and dubbed in English. An American spinoff, entitled "Iron Chef America" is now produced on the Food Network. (from Wikipedia)