Media just loves a juggernaut

So many MasterChef articles today appear in the media this weekend, indicative of the show’s phenomenal success.

But let’s ‘caramelise’ them into one succinct feature, so that you can click and read more if it takes your interest.

Producer Margie Bashfield talks about this series in the Sydney Morning Herald: “‘We went into the series thinking it would have the classic ‘J-curve’ where a show starts with a high number as people came to see who the contestants were and what we were doing, then after a few weeks it would dip and gradually build again.”

Also in the Sydney Morning Herald Poh Ling Yeow tells Adam and Callum their lives are about to change. ”I am living evidence of how much your life can change,” said Poh, who was last year’s runner-up to Julie Goodwin. ”Don’t underestimate what will happen in the next 12 months … everything will change.”

Amanda Dunn in the Sydney Morning Herald looks at the ingredients that make the show work: “And therein lies the key to MasterChef’s phenomenal pull with Australian audiences. At once accessible and aspirational, it combines two television genres that have long enjoyed warm support in this country – the cooking show and the reality show – and yet is more than both.”

Elsewhere in the same paper Matt Preston is asked how season three could ever improve on season two: ”Bring in three Italian grandmothers and have them judge a gnocchi-making challenge because to make perfect gnocchi is just as hard as doing a croquembouche,” he said.

But James Kirby in the same paper rains on the parade: “As for the immediate success of Ten’s show and its anticipated millions of viewers tonight, it would be nice to think it is a breakthrough in television. But it’s not. It may well be the richest show in Australian TV history by virtue of the number of product placements packed into its family-friendly format. But a single program does not a television station make.”

Richard Clune in the Sunday Tele quotes both finalists int he lead up to tonight: “I don’t think Adam or I are sleeping particularly well. The closer we get to Sunday, the more nervous I’m getting,” Hann, 20, said. “It will be a relief in many ways to have it over and know the result.”

Matt Moran writing for news.com.au says “Tonight’s challenges? Oh, my God, they are really, really hard. I mean, I did the dish for last year’s final and it was pretty hard and had lots of elements, but this is harder. What we are looking for when we judge is creativity, technique, presentation, taste, basically everything. Everything has to be perfect.”

Anooska Tucker Evans in The Courier Mail talks about the security for today’s filming of the announcement. “It will employ an extensive list of security measures for all guests, including former contestants and celebrity chefs. All mobile phones will be confiscated for the day, and participants will remain in lockdown until the show has gone to air. “I won’t be tweeting, I won’t be texting, and apparently there’s an emergency phone number if my children get sick,” said guest Donna Hay.

At The Age Mic Looby jokes that every other show is turning to food. “As of next week, every show on telly will be a cooking show. As they say in the business – if you can’t beat them, just put them in a baking dish and bung them in the oven on high. They also say that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, because you’re blocking our view of the sponsor’s logo.”

Even Eddie McGuire weighs into the discussion in his Sunday Herald Sun column: “Simple really. Get people with great talent who know their stuff without having to be male models, a brilliant production team led by Melbourne boys Mark and Carl Fennessy, add a decent budget and some Channel 10 belief, cast everyday Australians with fire in their eyes and mix until the cream rises.” Not quite Eddie…. Mark and Carl Fennessy left FremantleMedia Australia last year.

Yesterday Holly Byrnes in the Daily Tele said: “But the shock exit of fan favourite Marion unleashed more debate than any dish, with threats of a fan boycott never realised as the ratings continued their consistent climb skyward (the final dinner at Governor-General Quentin Bryce’s residence drew 2.51 million people). Now down to two, with one episode to go, the only numbers left to crunch will be the final audience figures (likely to reach that 4-million mark) and all the moolah made by the marketing machine that is MasterChef.” She also profiled both finalists here.

Sportsbet odds put Adam Liaw at $1.65 and Callum Hann at $2.20.