Fox will go with an all-Gordon Ramsay summer, slotting his next imported show "MasterChef" to follow the next season of "Hell's Kitchen."

The network is expected to announce that Ramsay's version of "American Idol" in the kitchen will begin airing July 29. "Hell's Kitchen" starts June 10. The network could announce the new show as early as Thursday.

Production began in Los Angeles last week on the American version of the U.K./Australia hit show.

Details on the show have been scarce, but last week, Ramsay's production company, One Potato, Two Potato Inc., threw a bash in Beverly Hills with a guest list that included Chicago-based chef Graham Elliot and New York-based restaurateur Joe Bastianich. The two are among the kitchen professionals involved in the show.

The format for "MasterChef" dates to 20 years ago, when it started on the BBC. An Australian version debuted in 2009 and was a ratings phenom, airing six nights per week. The U.S. version is expected to be similar to the one seen Down Under.

It's expected the show will take Fox to the September launch of the fall season.

3 Ball Productions, the company behind "Biggest Loser" and the "Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live" special, cast the show in several cities in January. The shows will feature hobbyist cooks.

Members of the team behind Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen," meanwhile, are across town at CBS developing a show that will bring together home chefs and professionals. Casting of the pros has not been set, but it's likely they will be three faces familiar to fans of cable cooking competitions.

While the American show is being taped, the Australian version of the show was able to make news by announcing the home states of the show’s 50 contestants.

Phil Gallo is an entertainment journalist who writes about music, television, theater and film in addition to food and wine.

Photo: Gordon Ramsay. Credit: Gordon Ramsay Holdings.

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