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What’s the problem with MasterChef?

Matt Moran didn't need to defend MasterChef's declining ratings. It's Season Four in a multichannel landscape. Deal with it.

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I’m going to go out on a limb here….

I don’t agree that Matt Moran should have defended MasterChef‘s declining ratings.

I wasn’t there at the time he was asked a question and supposedly said he couldn’t care less about declining ratings, so I’m not fully appreciative of the context.

But I don’t believe it needs defending. I think for a show in its fourth season in a multichannel landscape it’s doing just fine, thanks.

On Sunday it pulled 1.33m viewers and on Wednesday it had 1.11m. What’s wrong with that? It also did good business in the demos and the sponsors are getting plenty of exposure. Isn’t that what the show is supposed to do?

Anybody who thinks the show should be getting 2m+ needs to get a grip.

Television has changed so much since the show debuted in 2009. How quickly many have forgotten it was a sleeper back then before it ignited a wildfire. But those kind of game-changers happen once in a blue moon. The Voice is enjoying that kind of power now, and rightly so. Don’t expect it to be sitting on 2m+ in four years’ time either.

Yes, My Kitchen Rules was averaging higher this year. Because it’s newer. Because it’s well made. Because it’s on Seven and starting from a higher base. MasterChef has to rise off that back of less promotion, less cross-promotion and lower lead-ins. Duh.

We all watch TV differently now. We are timeshifting, in Drama more than Reality admittedly, but journalists need to remember Timeshifting, and OzTAM needs to work out ways for them to contextualise the data when they are receiving it two weeks after the show went to air. It’s an ill fit.

Back to MasterChef…. I haven’t watched every episode but from what I have seen it’s a big improvement on last year. There are more Mystery Boxes. There are more Invention Tests. There is a better connect between contestants and the food they are making. From what I have observed anecdotally, readers have acknowledged this too, and I believe it is translating to numbers as well.

I question whether defending the show, as an article did today, actually purports a misconception. If you have to defend declining ratings, you’re also reinforcing declining ratings.

Next year the show will have to change again. Maybe not so many episodes. Maybe even time to recast the judges. But the basic premise of people with ambitions and rising to fulfil that can be re-told many times over by creative people who are passionate storytellers -provided the show is well cast.

I’m happy to be served up again, and so far I haven’t had my fill.

Quit the blame game and pass me a plate.

35 Responses

  1. It’s the same old annoying Judges that are otherwise killing the show.Ten when they Seinfeld amongst other things which are now on Digital TV must be kicking themself now for getting rid of their proven Sitcoms for something worse.

  2. MC: You can’t see how they cook. What is that show about? In my opinion, the only good part is when they show the contestants how to cook properly. The rest is just a bit of nothing here and there and a bit of drama music. However, everything in the show is amazing and perfect, they always say. Another interesting aspect: If the whole viewer rate for a day is round about the same, what to chose to watch as a viewer if there is really nothing to chose? You chose that what you are used to watch. I know, addicction to TV is … David, spot on. The fish is flying high, could there be an empty paddle with no boat somewhere? I hope that’s not a tall poppy with a name…

  3. There are a couple of things at play here. Ch10 have virtually no other shows doing really well, the perception of their schedule is that it is unstable. Way too many recent programming goofs has led to lack of viewer confidence.

    Cooking show fatigue, MKR again has got the jump on MC and the finale of that turned into a huge farce. Both shows lead into the ads with the fake tension, followed by an immediate recap after the ads. It just gets a little tiresome to watch and feels repetitive and drawn out.

    These type of shows have a lifespan, they do require rejuvenation at some stage and then they come to an end. MC still has some legs in the current environment, but for how long …who knows, cos the pace of change is increasing

  4. I’m really enjoying Masterchef this season. They are all having so much fun. The contestants are an interesting bunch who are supporting each other. An incident recently where one contestant sledged another has not been overdramatised. That judging for elimination this week was so fair- it was a draw & both boys were able to stay.
    We armchair chefs will continue to disagree with the challenges and marvel at the ability of the contestants to build a masterpiece in a seemingly short amount of time. I’m glad they have returned to form. Yes the judges are ham actors too, but hey so what.
    It’s clear that the producers have taken notice of the feedback and responded. I really hope they are satisfied with the improved ratings as they are deserved.

  5. It is a Reality show, did you watch the elimation challenge Rd 3 on Thurs, when they had to cook, the people who need they hadn’t cooked it right did not put their hand up hoping the others who did think they had cooked it hadn’t, it worked, it is all about survival, then the producers did not get the right people in the final two elimation, and I said to my husband Before they cook, bet you both of them stay in, guess what agian…they did, may now be the most contrived show in Aussie TV, why can’t we have the British Masterchef version…

  7. I thought this article was about Masterchef ratings not a David bashing exercise. One of the reasons I read this website is because of the articles and comments about the shows, and the general lack of attacking people. Keep up the great work David !

  8. Well said David totally agree.

    MC is still a powerhouse – just as you said. Just not the powerhouse it once was.

    Hello Rafters, Border, Dancing, CSI, Housewives, Lost, My Gen – all former monster hits – not merely hits.

    MC is still the #4 show on TV in demos where it counts. Behind Voice, Block & Revenge. And it is by far and away Ten’s #1 show on Any measure,

    And – critics pretty much agree the show is smart, warm, entertaining and a real pleasure to watch.

    The old big 3 networks are all down as new digital networks grow. And Ten as a network is not doing well. To expect MC to keep season 2 momentum nowadays is unrealistic.

  9. Very well said, David. I think it’s been a terrific season. I watch it but refuse to go near The Voice or those other (lack of) talent shows. Yet there’s many loons out there who pray at the church of talentless shows who won’t go near MC.

  10. I used to be a Gary fan. But that was back when he was actually nice (remember those days?). He’s still nice occasionally but he’s become much more smarmy, critical and patronising – particularly when contestants make mistakes.

  11. I don’t get how you can’t like the biggest loser format david, it’s a great positive show that teaches not just the people on the show but also the people at home how to exercise the right way, what’s in our food we eat so we can make better decisions and so on and we need something like that esp since we are an obese nation:)

  12. IMO, Masterchef 1 was so good because the focus was on the food. A mystery box, an invention test, everyday items turned into something great.

    Where it fell down was the focus on crazy challenges, immunity pins and, for some reason I’ll never know, the need to constantly try and create drama before every ad break.

    The other night I recall someone was making ice cream and they forgot to add syrup to the ice cream mixture. We were coming up to an ad break and the comments were all “this could cost me the challenge”, “i could be sent home on the back of this”. Then they came back from the ad break and what did she do? She mixed them together and got on with it. They don’t have to try and create false drama every single time.

    If they are looking to mix up the judging panel, I think my preference would be for Matt Moran to go. He can be a little patronising and talk down to people and it’s a bit of a turn off. He also likes to end most sentences with “Yeah?” which grinds after a while.

    Otherwise maybe replace George. He does tend to overact and for some reason can’t stand still when he’s talking, bouncing around all the time. Gary and Matt are very likeable (Gary especially) so I’d like them to stay.

    This year is definitely an improvement but the focus should return to the food, not on sob story backgrounds. Just IMO.

  14. T: I haven’t mentioned Shine here at all, but if you look back through the blog you will see where I criticised extra platform ads in the middle of the show, I’m on the record as saying I’m not into Biggest Loser format, there’s criticism of Renovators, and written next to nothing on WAG Nation. I’m enjoying MC and The Voice, but if you think that’s a hanging offence there’s not much I can say to change your mind. I am happy for people to disagree but it’s best done by telling us what your problem with the show is not your problem with me. There are over 20,000 posts on this site with my full name on them, not taking shots from behind anonymity.

  15. We were avid fans of Masterchef for the previous 3 seasons but not this year. Reason. . . time of start. When it was on at 7.30pm as it was, we were there. Not now that it starts at 7.00pm, as we watch the news on ABC and seeing its half over on news finish, cant be bothered switching over to Masterchef, rather looking for something that’s about to start.

  18. TV Tonight’s loss of impact: Who wants to read old facts and how amazing the production company is (they must have you on their pay list) who pays your holidays David. The Voice is still catastrophically produced and MasterChef is a non content trailer show. Is it a coincidence that you write only about The Voice and MasterChef (same production company) or…

  19. Quite simple, the block has stolen around 3-400,000 people from masterchef from 7pm daily, but i would expect mc to rise once block finishes cause mc still has a long long way t o go yet and esp since they didnt end up eliminating anyone last night so add another week to the comp

  20. I blame the voice for low ratings. I mean before the voice aired, most shows were well above 1.5 mil. But even since it aired, past shows that were known for large audiences failed.

    AGT and MC are the notable ones. The most obvious one is Revenge. I remember how it used to rate 1.8mil.

  21. I agree with the original article, it’s not saying the ratings are bad, just rapidly declining, which is very true. The Block is down about 100k most nights, to me that is a reasonable decline that can be attributed to todays ratings issues. But with MC some episodes are down 700k year on year, way to much to be attributed to just increased time shifting and leadins, and it does need defending. I don’t expect it to get 2mil per night, but this rapid drop is not normal either. AGT is the same. If MC drops further next year it will be in axe worthy numbers which will be a huge concern to ten who structure their whole schedule around it.

  24. Well said David master chef has been better this year the only thing I don’t like about this year is the extra taste during the add break it is a shame that junior masterchef tanked last year I really enjoyed it actually I probably enjoyed it more than the adult version

  25. Contestants…challenges…over acting by the judges, they’ve learnt from last year. Selecting the type of contestants they think we want to see, ie: a aussie bumkin, typical young ditzy girl and sob stories a plenty.

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