The Food Network is teaming with Yelp in an upcoming TV show about Yelpers reviewing the featured restaurant of the episode.
Aptly titled 12 Hungry Yelpers, Forbes described the show as one of the channel's most crowd-pleasing moves to date. Its huge focus will be on helping restaurants "discover and fix their problems" by using terrible and hilarious reviews from Yelp users.
Details about the upcoming show are a bit scarce, although according to Eater, it will be hosted by Monti Carlo, a season three finalist of MasterChef and also a food show host on the FYI Network.
12 Hungry Yelpers may just be the beginning of perceiving online reviews in a more positive light and could even encourage people to be more responsible when giving out reviews.
Definitely, the show will be more flattering than South Park, which in a recent Yelp-focused episode has featured the "sad and dark side of reviews" and "egotistic reviewers." It showed how Cartman threatened to give the restaurant a one-star review if he doesn't get free food.
Back in October 2015, Tech Times reported on how Yelp decided to hand over the data of a user based on an order from a municipal court judge. The controversial case was between a reviewer known only as Linda G. and George Pelz. The latter, who is the owner of Pageo Jewelry, filed a case in July 2015 in which he accused Linda G. of defamation.
While Yelp claims that it follows generally accepted standards when it comes to protecting the user's personal information, its Privacy Policy does not deem the protection as absolute.
"We may investigate and disclose information from or about you if we have a good faith belief that such investigation or disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process and law enforcement instructions and orders; is helpful to prevent, investigate, or identify possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service; and protects our rights, reputation, property, or that of our users, affiliates, or the public."
12 Hungry Yelpers can also be compared to Restaurant: Impossible,. However, instead of using advice from experts and industry consultants, the upcoming TV show will use the reviews from Yelpers, who in turn can have their 15 minutes of fame and probably have the chance to meet Bobby Flay.
There is no exact date yet on the show's first airing, nor any information on the full lineup of restaurants that will be featured.
