MasterChef Australia

I have just been introduced to MC Australia, after watching several seasons of MC US. Wow, what a difference...

It's so refreshing to watch MC where contestants are supportive of each other. I was sick and tired of every 'team challenge" in the US version because you simply knew that no matter how strong the team was something was going to go wrong because of someone's stupid and obviously staged mistake. I am not saying that the OZ version is 100% genuine, but it certainly has that feel to it.

I love the level of encouragement that comes from the judges and how inspired I am to turn on the stove after every episode. Contestants themselves are amazing and diverse and so are their dishes. it's so easy to root for everyone.

Such an enjoyable show to watch! Well done!

Masterchef AU used to be a joy to watch for 10 years , i was looking forward to it every year, then came 2020 and the new judges.

While it was a smart move to make their first Run an All-Star run , it couldn't overcome the shortcomings of the new judges for me. And while i warmed to Melissa somewhat during the all star seasons, Andy and Jock seemed so fake and disingenuous throughout , they shouldn't ever have been cast as a replacement.

With the start of a new "normal" (new Contestants) season in 2021 now and the ratings dropping like never before, it seems a lot of people saw it the same way and just watched last seasons for the Contestants they already knew and liked.

Sadly this went from a 10 star show to a 3 star show for me with the swapping of the judges and the bad replacements they choose.

Masterchef is a reality TV show. It is named after a British TV cookery competition.

The cast is made up of cooking enthusiasts who take part in a series of cooking challenges and face eliminations.

At the end of the season, one person is awarded the main prize.

The bulk of the show is devoted to the cast talking to camera about how they felt during the challenges and also to the hosts talking about what they thought of the performances in the challenges. In many of the episodes the hosts taste the food and give feedback or a score. Many parts of the cooking processes are also shown.

This show became a huge "watercooler" hit within Australia because of a universal interest in food and because, with the minimal swearing and absence of violence or nudity, this was perfect family viewing. Another appealing aspect was the decision to portray the contestants as co-operative rather than cut-throat as in previous reality TV.

The watchability of this show lies in the casting of appealing people; the fact that they seem to be decent makes you care what happens to them and want to return to them. The continual recaps and repetitions of footage in this show mean that it is highly watchable at the busy time of evening that it is shown.

MasterChef Australia is cool as ice. The judges aren't a sorry bunch of tyrannical, boorish, acerbic and foul-mouthed yahoos but a suave, openhearted and almost selfless as they unreservedly share their own experiences, imparting their veteran knowledge to the amateur contestants and most importantly, ready to give show much of their precious time to these cooks. 76 episodes may have been an ordeal if the show were the slightly supercilious Top Chef or the vulgar Hell's Kitchen.

To watch MasterChef Australia is to relieve oneself from tension, stress or flaring temper. The show manages to inject a sense of satiation amongst its participants, irrespective of their fate on the show. Gary, George and Matt are probably some of the kindest and most endearing personalities in all the reality shows I have seen. There is not hint of chicanery in them like in other shows where judges often dramatize or feign certain reactions in order to generate appeal.

The contestants are a kracker-jack of genuine people who treat their co-contestants as friends and not like competitors or animals (Watch Hell's Kitchen). Here we see adults, who may be zany but also are hold a level of maturity and discretion that is scarcely seen anywhere nowadays.

The format is quite simple but there the dozens of second-chances given and the scintillating cookery skills of the judges showcased during the show really winnowed the contestants and made them better cooks. MasterChef US, on the other hand, is turgid, cynical and chiched.

The dishes are diverse, impactive and authentic. The magnificent amalgam of cultures is very respectfully blended. Indian, French, Spanish, etc dishes are all given their share of respect on the show.

MasterChef Australia is simply a lip-smackingly entertaining program that follows the motto: "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

I've watched Masterchef US, UK, NZ and Canada and the Australian version is by far the best. If you're a Masterchef fan I strongly recommend giving it a watch.

What makes it better? It's more of a full blown journey through the competition with five episodes a week taking you step-by-step through the process.

The challenges are also more exciting and original with my favorite set of judges providing the guidance and entertainment along the way.

In addition, the master classes, usually done at the end of the week, are very educational and certainly spotlight the expertise of the judges and guest judges. There's also "Heston Week", usually, where Heston Blumenthal joins the cast for the week and comes up with all sorts of cool insights and challenges.

I came by Masterchef just recently, after watching all of the Masterchef US and Canada seasons, and now it's ruined me. I can hardly watch US and Canada now because they pale in comparison. They are just one episode a week and that episode is so plastic and pretty much the same week after week. Gordon Ramsay is a hero of mine but he needs to take some lessons from Australia and perhaps add some episodes and some spontaneity.

I'm currently watching season 8 and it's finals week, which is an exciting week for fans, but also an indicator that it's almost over and that I'll have to wait a long time for season 9 to start. It's been a long and very entertaining season and I'll surely miss the daily fix.