Too soon to knife MasterChef
Media are looking for stories on TV's newest hit, but the audience isn't ready for stories on behind the scenes conflict.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
As MasterChef Australia continues to surge, there are more and more press articles trying to feed an audience’s interest.
Recently we saw a bit of a backlash from ousted contestant Geni Papacostas, who said the show was editing out conflict. That was followed on the weekend by Chris Badenoch calling her comment “sour grapes.” For a genre that thrives on conflict, it was a rare display from the new series.
Now judge Matt Preston is quoted as denying the reality TV show is rigged. Frankly, this show is still so new the audience isn’t really interested in knifing the show, pardon the pun, or hearing that there is behind the scenes conflict.
For now, they are still enjoying what they have concluded is the nicest new show on telly.
“George, Gary and I aren’t going to let anyone progress who can’t cook,” Preston told TV Week.
“It doesn’t matter about their age or cultural background is, or which state they come from.
“The only thing that stands in their way of winning is whether they can cook, and whether they have a clear vision of what they want to do after the show.”
With a show of this size and this genre it is inevitable there will be conflict and behind the scenes squabbles. With a big prize at stake how could there not be? But we’re in the mood for positivity. That’s why we’ve barely seen any of the home life of these contestants, compared to other reality shows like Australia’s Next Top Model or those early years on Australian Idol (remember Inside Idol?).
Media looking to dig for dirt should wait until the show is over, or someone is robbed of a title (then we’ll all be collectively outraged). For now, MasterChef Australia is too shiny to be taken down and kicked in the mud.
Source: news.com.au
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- Tagged with Australia's Next Top Mode, Australian Idol, Inside Idol, MasterChef Australia
24 Responses
Brilliant! Haven’t wanted to watch TV like this for years. Interesting and entertaining… despite the volume of adverts in between. I love the way the judges show respect and are considerate to the contestants whether they win or lose, despite being tough, which they have to be. Its also good that the contestants are open and frank. Great editing too. Great stuff! Love it!
Chris may wear a hat and have dark hair but can cook,and has a vision andre wouldnt know what three hats really takes!he has been bagging him and the show is a backstabbing idiot who couldnt cook cheese on toast,and served up crap not even proper ghocchi with some diced garbage underneath,andre is just a whinger and looked like his never worked a real job in his life ,im glad his gone,justine will win she got a modern feel and is a good amateur cook.
It’s such a pity that Ten’s Masterchef forums are so cliquey.
There are too many locked threads with a message from a senior moderator, Border Patrol, that are locked because the topic has been discussed elsewhere or is being discussed elsewhere. But where? Is the question on forum members lips, where?
I also love it when a long term member of Ten’s forums makes a pre-emptive post about locking a thread and then Border Patrol just does it! No link to where the topic the new poster was interested in discussing just lock. Bye bye. The topic might have been discussed weeks ago and is so far back in the stupid forum layout that it is impossible for a newbie to find. Never mind the fact that thread titles are totally misleading thus making it impossible for a new poster to ever find the topic they were interested in discussing.
It was long overdue a replacement for those long gone American Sitcoms done to death a million times over.
I hope they never bring back Friends or Seinfeld to 7pm Timeslot
Matt says “George, Gary and I aren’t going to let anyone progress who can’t cook”. Then why the heck is sam still in the competition at this stage – he can’t cook , he’s an irritating personality and he should’ve been eliminated in the first week !!!!!!!!
Hey, this is such a fantastic show! I am addicted and love all the personalities! I also love that there is no blatant product placement- very tastefull(pardon the pun).
Yes the host are very encouraging unlike Ramsay, which is intentional. Thank God for a good honest show that leaves the bickering and backstabbing out of things and focuses on the food and skills.
What a great idea to go to Hong Kong!
What I like about this program is that the judges are encouraging and not cruel. I feel the stress of some of the challenges and can only be in awe of the contestants to hold it together. Sure it is editored for us the viewers to be entertained and we are! We don’t need to see a Big Brother or the inside gossip like that of Idol contestants or have viewers judge who is the best cook!
The other positive is that it is appealing to all age groups, from school age children to grandparents. The best thing about the program is that it is getting everyone back into the kitchen wanting to cook. I heard of a 10 year old boy in the school playground discussing with his friends the making of the croquembouche and that his Mother was buying the ingredients so he could make it for his Dad for his birthday. Now that”s impressive!
Congratulations on such a wonderful show, keep the good work up boys. A pleasure to watch………..
@David: I’m fairly certain there is a lot of that sort of thing going on David, for example, I doubt they had 10 camera’s, with one aimed at each of the contestants whenever something “surprising” happened. Saying that though, generally speaking, they do their :-O faces quite convincingly. One of the best shows Channel Ten has put in the 7 o’clock slot!!!!
I’m quite enjoying this show, and yes I like that it’s so nice and the judges are actually encouraging! I really want Julie to win!
This is the most interesting show I’ve ever seen. Thank you very much for hosters
“For now, they are still enjoying what they have concluded is the nicest new show on telly.”
This is one of the reasons I like the show so much – Gary and George are great hosts. They are actually nice to the contestants and seem genuinely enthusiastic about imparting knowledge to their charges and cooking in general. Gary giving a “Master Class” is totally charming!
I was suprised at myself for actually enjoying this show – only noting last night how refreshing it is to have some nice hosts/judges who seem to give everyone encouragement. You can notice they might have favourites (Sam you’re not going unnoticed), but they really seem to support each and every contestent
Very strange editing by FremantleMedia last night of contestants.
The scene where 3 were boarding a boat saying “I wonder where we’re going?” was filmed at Lamma Island, then intercut back into HK island, then arriving back at Lamma and acting surprised. Seems they missed the shots of leaving HK island so they faked it instead.
If I went to a restaurant I would really expect the only oil in the kitchen to be bottled and not in the Chef’s hair. Chris clean up your act.
Like previous posters, nothing is going to stop me watching MC.
I’m not interested in the contestants home lives their age,state etc. I just want to see the best cook win. If there is bitching going on behind the scenes then I don’t want to know about it in the News Headlines every 2nd day either as this is supposed to be about cooking, so thank goodness it’s not up to viewer votes to pick the winner.
I haven’t missed an episode and IMHO the right ones have been eliminated so far.
On an aside, I see the Betting odds have Chris to win………Unless his cooking improves miraculously I can’t see this happening, or someone knows more than we do……..??
IMO, the judges unfairly let contestant Sam progress way too far… I can’t wait to see him finally gone, and I’m hoping Chris wins…
well the uk version has had old people win so why wouldnt we, i dont think the producers would knock back an older contestant it they cooked better than a young one
Harry, Geni got booted because her food didn’t cut it. If you’d been watching that, I would’ve thought you’d have worked it out. The mum with kids is still there, and an ageing ex-golfer.. this isn’t ageist. Its the first show I remember in a long time that actually appears to be holding to its principles.
Hell, if the hosts can’t push out a truly good cook, their own restaurants and businesses will suffer the consequences. What sort of failed critique would Matt look like if a half arsed chef wins at the end, and what sort of failed gastronomic whizkid would George appear to be if the same happened? They’d have egg on their faces, and their wider businesses are much bigger than the appearance fees on this TV show.
.. and I don’t understand why everyone seems to pick on the unshaven guy with the tats. He seems to cook good food and think outside the box when he does it. The hosts like it, and that’s what counts.
Geni shouldnt have gone – she had no chance in hell because of her age. As if the producers would want a 58 year old woman to take the cake. Every contestant that has been eliminated has come out the next day in Confidential and slammed the show for one thing or another. I for one, think Chris needs to get over himself.
Hear hear David. Let it go. They will of course totally stuff it up in the second season with unnecessary tweaks and ‘sob story’ casting, we’ll get plenty of non-cooking-related drama then.
Some bright network spark will start wondering why there’s only a 30-minute show around the “evictions” on Thursdays, and say “hey we could make this 1 hour, 90 mins tops, if we just had the backstabbing and angst element! Come on people, where are those Biggest Loser editors?”. And it will suddenly be shit.
So let’s ignore the sour grapes and enjoy the great, balanced show we’ve got before they ruin it.
I also noticed this uh ‘media interest’ in MC lately, I find it odd that NewsLtd newspapers seem eager to jump on this show somehow and try to portray it as bitchy, when it appears anything but, and even if it is, who cares its great television. I guess we should start to worry when TT or ACA start covering it, but it appears that doesn’t look too far away either…..
Although watching tonight, the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Ramsay is scheduled to be on it and the ‘PR stunt’ with he and Tracy was a means of turning people against Ramsay and MC (if/when Ramsay appears on there)….. ok I will switch off X files mode now!
nothing anyone can say will ever stop me watching the show until its axed!!!
I think Masterchef is doing so well because, for a change, the audience isn’t being bombarded (both during the show, and in later station ad breaks) to SMS or call some 1900 number for “55 cents, higher from mobiles”
In some ways it’s a return to the past – where the TV stations make programming which will entertain, and we sit and watch them. Proof if it was needed that we don’t need to interact with every show on TV – sit back and enjoy works well for me too.
SMSing and calling 1900 numbers should be reserved for Hotdogs (and other reality washouts) and whatever late night show they may be on now, because I’m in bed and will never see it.