It’s the food, stupid…
Masterchef has received yet another media roasting as critics pinpoint the problems with the current series.
- Published by David Knox
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Gary, George, Matt -you can keep the Dalai Lama. We’d really rather have a good old fashioned Mystery Box.
Today Masterchef has received yet another media roasting -there have been plenty this season- as critics continue to pinpoint the problems with the current series.
Greg Hassall at the Sydney Morning Herald speaks up with some wise words on where the show needs to improve when it shifts from FremantleMedia Australia to Shine Australia.
Here are two excerpts:
Be consistent.
There have been complaints about the casting of this season – and the finalists are a pretty dull bunch – but compared with other reality shows, the initial 24 contestants were refreshingly diverse. The criticism that is harder to defend is that the judges unfairly favour certain contestants and those who remain are not the most deserving.
It’s the food, stupid.
People watch to see talented people cook – not cry about their mums and fly around the world. Invention tests and mystery box challenges are the heart of this show and should be there every Sunday.
The good news is any negativity stems from the fact that we are all engaged with this show. The audience cares about preserving the format.
Two weeks ago TV Tonight reported on plans to shake up the next season following growing dissent.
You can read more about ideas on swaggering judges, contrived stunts, product placement, immunity challenges, cliffhanger commercial breaks, and blind tastings here.
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26 Responses
@steveany, yeah, it is still rating, but not as well as what it was rating at this same stage in the series last year. People continue to watch it and commentate on it because the show demands such an enormous time investment/emotional investment from viewers. Six nights a week for three months is a big ask from its viewers and they are well within their rights to feel peeved and annoyed about the way the show has panned out this series. I stopped watching it after NY week and now only watch it sporadically, certainly not six times per week.
Yes Masterchef still rates well, but is a far cry from the 2 million plus the last few weeks were getting last year.
Is it just me or are all the finalists as bland as their cooking?
What seems to irritate people now is exactly what the difference is between the original Bristish series and the Australian ‘tweeks’. Caring, un-patronising judges, as opposed to career-boosting egostical bores; cooking ability, as opposed to whathaveIgivenuptobehereinthispressurecookinghellholewhilelivinginaharboursdemansionwithother’ithinkI’magoodcook’s? – all a bit sad really. Beside all that – Allana to win.
It really is that simple isn’t it. This season has been terrible.
Casting was terrible, there’s been no stand outs this year and the standard of cooking has been underwhelming. Dani and Ellie is the top 5??? And the food Poh, and Marion were cooking were amazing, there’s been no wow dish this year, just a lot of salmon.
The challenges have been terrible. Mystery Box and Invention test were the highlights. where are they?? And the Immunity challenge has been nothing short of disgraceful.
It’s no longer about the food, and now instead the contestants sob story. Just cook. There was times where contestants weren’t seen or heard in episdoes cos instead of showing everyone’s dish it was just a few talking the whole time.
And the Dalai Lama was the jump the shark moment for me. I have barely watched since or paid any attention even if i did have it on. Just completely given up this year, so it’s gonna have to certainly win me back next year.
i love how the judges have all stated how much they love pork. So now we see a pork dish pretty much every night
If the show is as flawed as all you experts say (and I respect the opinions of some of you a great deal) why the smeg is it still rating so well? I don’t watch it (I like the UK version and no other) but I’m amazed that such a complained-about show continues to pull such large numbers – including most of the negative commenters here, evidently.
Life’s too short to watch shows that annoy you, surely?
I’m disappointed about the focus on emotions and the skills of cooking are left behind. The english version is far better.
I haven’t watched MC for about six weeks now, i’m not even interested in the updates here about the show. Totally ruined this year
Well it just goes to show that FreemantleMedia is on the way out.
Even on their official website they still boast about shows, many of which have been cancelled due to poor ratings and tired concepts i.e Aus Idol, SYTYCD, Temptation, Newstopia. Double Take… the list goes on with with MasterChef about to be added next year with Shine Australia taking it back. They’re lucky they still have AGT
@franz chong
What are you on about? Matt P is the most popular judge..
I don’t have a problem with the judges assisting them cook. After all, they are amateurs and are there to learn, so a little mentoring from the professionals is fine. However, what I don’t like, and it may well be an editing problem more than anything else, is the perception that some contestants appeared to be favoured and spoonfed much more than others. Regular viewers of the show would be aware of who I’m talking about. It simply looks bad as it is perceived as favouritism and this season, viewers have really noticed it.
I agree that Dani should have been punted weeks ago. She is a weak and unconfident cook when compared to a number of the others and probably should have been eliminated before Top Ten. She is the weakest cook left in the comp and I expect her to go early this week. Kate for the win.
This season has been underwhelming. As soon as I realised there were no mystery box/invention test each sunday, I knew the producers has become lazy. Next season they better fix it.
Matt Preston is the problem people.How many of us have switched elsewhere to any of the MC opposition shows because of him.
Kyle Sandilands was right cooking shows are for old people who don’t know how to change the channel
I must defend the chefs her, I personally believe they don’t hog the spotlight , they half make the show, and as for any assistance during cooking, they are amateurs after all and we are all here to look and learn, why not?
I’ve found the lack of a level playing field the most frustrating part of this Year’s series. Definitely bring back the Mystery Box and Invention Tests for more consistent challenges.
Michael for the win! Sure, it’s not been as great as season 2 but I’ve still enjoyed it.
The Major problem with this years series is all the great cooks were booted early leaving us with pretty mediocre finalists. Dani should have been gone months ago, Alana and Kate can cook but i can’t stand Michael. I also feel that Dani and Michael have been favoured quite considerably by the judges. Hayden and Ellie were the others. This isn’t Masterchef. Sorry it isn’t. Too much help.
Go and watch the UK Masterchef of old and you will realise how good they are compared to us. Sure its a more dullish format don’t get me wrong but there is one massive difference: They can cook!
I cant stand the judges helping them cook!! let them cook without help
Great article, sums up well what has gone so wrong this season. I stopped watching it nightly after New York week, I only watch it a couple of times a week now. I still think the show has several seasons left in it, but it really needs its format shaken up something chronic.
Without any doubt, the mystery box and invention tests are the heart of the show and it needs to get back to revolving around those two particular challenges. We’ve seen far too little of them this season. The judges really need to tone the bombast down. Sure, the three of them must think they’ve won the lottery with this particular TV gig, but smugness is never endearing. The cutaways to contestant narration can be reduced to virtually zilch, they add little to the show and wouldn’t be missed. The crying jags and emoting from contestants has to go. Blatant spoonfeeding of favourites needs to stop. Immunity pin needs to be rejigged. The time frames for the challenges need to be more realistic. Contestant casting needs to be a lot more inspired. It needs a lot of work in the off season, that’s for sure.
They lost me as a viewer around halfway this year, if they go back to basics i might watch again.
I think it’s good they go overseas to some of the ‘food capitals’, but the whole ‘lock down’ thing was stupid. The worst thing that can happen to reality tv is irrelevance, and we’re far from that in the case of masterchef. Shine have done a good job reinventing the biggest loser, so I’m sure they can get this back to it’s former glory as well!
good article! The journo is just saying what we are all thinking. I think in 2 months he will be writing the same article about The Renovators (if its still on air or has not been shunted to 11 on a sunday arvo)
It should done in the same format as UK Masterchef, watch it when it comes on on Lifestyle, it craps all over the Aussie version , no tantrums, sulks, so good
Having said all that, having famous people’s reactions to different cooking can be entertaining, it seems sometimes they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t, where’s the fine line???
I agree, use the KISS theory, it’s what attracted me to the English version on Channel 7 weekday afternoons in the first place and what made me love our version.
I don’t think the finalists are boring this year, is just seems they are quieter because they are actually there to concentrate on food careers and not hamming it up to get publicity, well, most of them, with Dani who knows…
Go Michael to win.