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Call to shift MasterChef locale

A rather bizarre notion is being floated today that MasterChef might move to Melbourne for its third series.

A rather bizarre notion is being floated today that MasterChef might move to Melbourne for its third series.

Question: why?

Melbourne mayor Cr. Robert Doyle welcomed the idea and described Melbourne as the “MasterChef city”.

MasterChef is already 100% Melbourne with Matt, George and Gary and so we would love to give them some home cooking,” he said.

Melbourne viewers also watch the show in higher numbers than Sydney viewers.

But (speaking as a Melburnian) this is a daft notion.

The show works because of the people, not the city. The people in the show, and the hard-working people who make the thing. Most of them are based in Sydney.

The fact that more Melbourne viewers watch it than Sydney is not unique to MasterChef, and arguably reiterates exactly why it should remain in Sydney.

TEN’s Melbourne programmer Peter Andrews said “anything is possible” for series three.

Sorry.

Maybe they should just compromise and stick the thing in Albury-Wodonga. See if it rates any higher then?

Source: Herald Sun

37 Responses

  1. The way it is keeps both sets of ridiculous fan waving city fans happy – ie judges from Melbourne, set in Sydney – taking care of the two biggest population bases. Moving the filming to Melbourne will just have Sydney people feeling its all a little bit too Melbourne. Mind you, Sydney people aren’t anywhere near as paranoid about how ‘important’ the city is as Melbourne people are.

  2. I see how Melbourne would benefit but it’s pretty pointless from the show’s end. I don’t know if I’m peculiar in this respect (I don’t think I am) but a show’s geographic location has never been factored into my decision-making process when deciding what to watch. The notion seems a bit nonsensical to me, unless the location actually has some kind of bearing on the content (like the Melbourne/London weeks) and the day Masterchef becomes a permanent tourism ad is the day I stop watching Masterchef.

  3. sorry that’s “If you want to take it to a foodie city” – always get excited when I think of Matt and his natty way of dressing!!

  4. the masterchef kitchen set is a specially fitted out abandoned warehouse, plenty of which can be found in melbourne. more importantly, if gary, george and matt all live in melbourne, then the costs of their flights and accommodation would no longer factor into the show. as the show becomes more and more popular, their agents would no doubt be pushing for business or first class flights, and bigger suites for the stars to stay in.

  5. I had wondered at times why the show wasn’t majority done in Melbourne as that’s where the judges have their restaurants and live.

  6. @ mac – agree 100% change the set/city you change the entire tone of the show. It’s perfect as it is and as the saying goes “if it ain’t broke..” And personally I prefer Mel to Syd but it needs to stay where it is.

  7. Rewards in the press club & laneway holes in walls? Quick, change the channel.
    Ten is already on the nose in Sydney because it is seen as too Melbourne-centric. Moving MC would be a disaster.

  8. Sydney has more top quality restaurants and chefs than Melbourne.

    Melbourne’s just jealous, as usual.

    If it really affected the judges, why sign on in the first place?

  9. Here we go again – the Sydney / Melbourne debate.

    It seems stupid to change location when it doesn’t really matter where it’s filmed.

    Really a non-issue, next….

  10. David, the “why” is because of the economic benefit associated with more television (or film) production in the city. Simple.

    Nothing to do with how many watch the show where, or if Melbourne is more ‘foodie’ than Sydney.

  11. The set is a MASSIVE part of the branding and the success. Move to Melbourne, lose that fantastic set that is instantly recognisable and people will switch off. It’s all part of the recipe for their success.

  12. Haven’t we seen every Sydney chef and been to every single restaurant in Sydney for the rewards, and seen EVERY possible angle of the harbour bridge? Do you REALLY want to see that all over again in series 3? Or do you want rewards in the press club and laneway holes in the wall (which is really only what the contestants want anyway, not 3 hat rests).
    If it ain’t broke don’t fix it? Tell that to idol and sytycd.
    People eat with their eyes first, viewers eyes need refreshing too or tv just becomes wallpaper.

  13. it makes sense. It would be easier for the judges after all they live in Melbourne and Gary and Geroge have there restaurants here, It woulds save them flying and being away from there families.

    Melbourne do have good restaurants and cafes and it is the food capital of australia.

  14. i agree, its best not to rock the boat on such a successful project, especially since its really the only breadwinner for Ten at the moment.

  15. Makes more sense being in Melbourne than Sydney. Not sure why they put it in Sydney in the first place unless they got an amazing deal with that crazy building they do the show in.

  16. The setting is not really relevant to the storytelling in MC. It’s not like Apprentice / NYC or American Ido/Hollywood. So why not move city? If it does not really matter, then what harm in changing the location?

  17. Absolutely agree. Why change it for the sake of changing it? If it’s garnering a large viewership in melbourne, then it doesn’t need to move there permanently.. What point will that serve. If anything, moving it out of sydney might lower the viewers there. Seems a bit of a daft decision in my opinion. Then again, when i first heard that ten were putting on a cooking show 6 nights a week i thought they’d lost the plot.

    I thought it was appropriate for the 7pm project to travel around a bit, because they were struggling in the sydney market.. but moving MC which is setting ratings records just doesn’t make sense.

  18. I don’t see why this is a daft notion. The Melbourne food scene is much more conducive to the sort of cooking that takes place on the show and is far more nurturing of young talent. And this is coming from a Perth-ite.

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