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Revision as of 11:02, 29 April 2011

MasterChef Australia
Directed byJo Siddiqui
Presented bySarah Wilson (2009)
Gary Mehigan
George Calombaris
JudgesGary Mehigan
George Calombaris
Matt Preston
Donna Hay (Guest Judge)
Narrated byNick McKay
Theme music composerKaty Perry
Opening themeHot n Cold
Country of originAustralien
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes157
Production
ProducerTim Thatcher
Production locationSydney
Running time30-90 minutes per episode
Original release
NetworkNetwork Ten
Release27 April 2009 –
present

MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British version of MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as the show's main judges.[1] The first season was presented by journalist Sarah Wilson; her role was dropped in subsequent seasons.[2]

The first episode aired on 27 April 2009, and the season one finale was broadcast on 19 July 2009.[3][4] The first winner of MasterChef Australia was Julie Goodwin, a 38 year old I.T. office manager.[4]

Season 2 of MasterChef Australia premiered on 19 April 2010.[5] The second season aired through the week at 7.30pm, half an hour later than the original timeslot of 7pm enjoyed by the show in Season 1. A celebrity spin-off, Celebrity MasterChef Australia, began airing from 30 September 2009.[6] Another spin-off, Junior MasterChef Australia, began airing on 12 September 2010.[7] The winner of the 2010 series of MasterChef was Adam Liaw, who won by a seven-point margin over his opponent Callum Hann.[8]

Season 3 and a second series of the spin off Junior MasterChef Australia of MasterChef Australia was confirmed by Network Ten. Ten revealed that the three judges will be joined by chef Matt Moran for season 3.[9][10]

Format

MasterChef Australia features a different format to that of the original British MasterChef and MasterChef Goes Large formats. Initial rounds consist of a large number of hopeful contestants from across Australia individually "auditioning" by presenting a food dish before the three judges in order to gain one of 50 semi-final places. Contestants must be at least 18 years or over at time of audition, and their main source of income cannot come from preparing and cooking fresh food in a professional environment (such as in restaurants, hotels or canteens).[11]

The semi-finalists then compete in several challenges which test their food knowledge and preparation skills. In Season 1, the top 50 competed until 20 were left, with the final 20 progressing to the main stage of the show. In Season 2, 24 contestants progressed. The contestants will then be whittled down through a number of individual and team-based cooking challenges and weekly elimination rounds until a winning MasterChef is crowned. The winner plays for a prize that includes chef training from leading professional chefs, the chance to have their own cookbook published, and A$100,000 in cash.

Episodes

Masterchef Australia is widely watched worldwide, especially in Mexico and Australia. MasterChef Australia airs six nights a week from Sunday to Friday. Each night features a different episode format, however some episodes modify the format slightly. The typical episode formats are as follows:

Sunday is the Challenge night. It features two challenges. The first is the Mystery Box challenge, where each contestant is given the same box of ingredients and are to create a dish using only those ingredients. The judges move around observing and questioning during the challenge, and when it is completed, choose a selection of dishes that interest them the most. These dishes are then tasted, and a winner chosen.

Immediately after the Mystery Box challenge is the Invention Test. A theme is given to the contestants, and they are to invent a dish relevant to this theme. The winner of the Mystery Box challenge is taken into the pantry and given a choice of three feature ingredients. Whichever ingredient is chosen is the main ingredient all contestants will cook with. Once the dishes are cooked, they are all presented to the judges for tasting. The top three are selected by the judges, from which a winner is chosen. After this the bottom three are revealed, who will face off in an elimination challenge the next night.

Monday episodes feature the Pressure Test. The bottom three from the previous night's Invention challenge are given a recipe for a particular dish they are to emulate in an allocated time. Once completed they are taken in to the judges to be tasted, before all three contestants are seated in front of the judges for critiquing. The judges then eliminate the contestant out of the three that performed least adequately in the test.

Tuesday episodes feature the Celebrity Chef Challenge, where the winner of the Invention Test on Sunday night competes against a celebrity chef in a cook off. The invited chef gives the recipe for his or her signature dish to the contestant, which the contestant is to emulate. The contestant gets a head start to complete the dish before the celebrity chef starts cooking, and after the allotted time for both is finished, the dishes are presented to the judges who are for tasting and scoring out of ten. The judges are not aware which dish was made by which person, however. If the contestant's dish's score is higher than that of the celebrity chef's dish, they are crowned the winner of the challenge. In the first season they are given a free pass to the finals week of the competition and can go home. In season 2 they receive a pin that allows them save themselves from one future elimination.

Wednesday features an Off Site Challenge. The contestants are split into teams of equal numbers and are given a task, a shopping budget and a set amount of time to complete the challenge. Tasks have included presenting a three course meal to a celebrity guest, running a restaurant for an evening or catering an event such as a birthday party or wedding. Once completed and judged the teams are given the results, with members of the losing team facing an elimination the next night. The team of contestants that is safe from elimination receives a reward instead (for example lunch at a top restaurant).

Thursday is another Elimination. The two worst performing contestants from the losing team in the team challenge compete against each other in a head to head challenge to determine who will be eliminated. The loser of the challenge is then eliminated. On some occasions, all members of the losing team will be selected to compete as individuals in the elimination challenge. In the first season, a different elimination process was used. The contestants from the losing team were to choose a contestant that they each feel did not perform to their best and may have cost them the challenge. After choosing their nomination the team is called in together to announce their nominations, with the contestant with the most nomination being eliminated from the competition. If the previous challenge was an individual challenge, the bottom two contestants competed in a head to head taste test where one contestant at a time named one ingredient of a particular dish or sauce, and the first person to name an incorrect ingredient is eliminated.

Friday is the MasterClass. Here, judges George and Gary run a masterclass for the remaining contestants, which usually call back to some of the challenges from the previous week. For example, they may revisit the Mystery Box challenge and demonstrate some other dishes that could have been made or redo one of the contestants' dishes to give tips on how it could have been improved.

Season synopsis

MasterChef Australia 2009

Main article: MasterChef Australia (season 1)

The first season of MasterChef Australia was broadcast between 27 April 2009 and 19 July 2009. Applications for contestants closed on 8 January 2009, with subsequent auditions held in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Over 7000 people auditioned for the show.

The Top 50 portion of the series was filmed at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney. From the Top 20 onwards, filming was moved to a studio on Doody Street in Alexandria, Sydney.[12][13] The season one finale was filmed on 2 July 2009, two and a half weeks before its actual television broadcast.[14]

The winner was I.T. office manager Julie Goodwin.

MasterChef Australia 2010

Main article: MasterChef Australia (season 2)

The second season of MasterChef Australia premiered on 19 April 2010, with the initial call for contestants held in mid-2009.

Other changes to Season 2 include not showing the initial auditions, with the series beginning instead with the Top 50 which were filmed at a Redfern Train Works building in Sydney, and having a Top 24 instead of a Top 20.[15] Also, unlike Season 1, the last 45 minutes of the finale were broadcast live.

The winner was 31 year old lawyer; Adam Liaw.

MasterChef Australia 2011

Main article: MasterChef Australia (season 3)

Season 3 of MasterChef Australia was confirmed by Network Ten. Ten revealed that all three of the judges (including new judge Matt Moran) have signed-on for season 3,[9] in response to media reports that the Seven Network was trying to sign at least one of the judges, or possibly all three of them. Season 3 will begin airing 1 May, 2011.

Celebrity Seasons

Celebrity MasterChef Australia 2009

Main article: Celebrity MasterChef Australia

Celebrity MasterChef Australia, a spin-off featuring celebrities as contestants began production in early September 2009, and aired for ten weeks starting from 30 September 2009.[6] The celebrity version, which features a heats and semi-finals format similar to MasterChef Goes Large, is based around weekly episodes.[6][16]

Presenter Sarah Wilson did not return to present the show. Ten states that she was dropped because "the appropriate role for Sarah was not achievable without dramatically changing the format".,[2] but Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston returned as judges.[17] It was won by Olympic swimmer Eamon Sullivan, who took home $50,000 for charity Swim Survive Stay Alive.

In February 2010, executive producer Mark Fennessy stated that he doubted the spin-off will return for a second season.[18]

Junior Seasons

Junior MasterChef Australia 2010

Main article: Junior MasterChef Australia (season 1)

Production of a junior version of the show was initially suggested in October 2009.[7] The first series of the show, featuring 8 to 12 year old contestants, was filmed after the second series of MasterChef Australia. Junior MasterChef Australia is produced by Shine Australia.[19]

The series final was won by 12-year-old Isabella from Queensland.[20]

Junior MasterChef Australia 2011

Main article: Junior MasterChef Australia (season 2)

Channel 10 confirmed the second season of the spin-off in their 2011 line-up.

Reception

Ratings

The one hour series premiere of MasterChef Australia attracted an average of 1.42 million viewers, making it the most watched show in its timeslot.[21] Ratings steadily grew throughout the first season, with the show dominating Australian ratings as it entered finals week, averaging around or above 2 million viewers an episode, and on daily rankings placing ahead of other high rating shows such as the Seven Network's Packed to the Rafters and Nine's Rugby League State of Origin broadcast.[22][23] Its success is despite initial belief from critics that the series would be a dud based on the performance of previous prime time cooking shows, as well as general cynicism against a new reality show format.[24][25]

The first season finale of MasterChef Australia attracted an average of 3,745,000 viewers, and peaked at 4.11 million viewers. This figure was for the last half hour of the show, titled MasterChef Australia: The Winner Announced, while the first 90 minutes of the finale averaged 3,313,000 viewers. The figure also eclipsed the show's previous high, set on the last elimination episode, of 2.36 million viewers and also surpassed the previous high for a non-sporting event (Australian Idol's 2004 finale, which averaged in 3.35 million) since OzTAM ratings started in 2001. It is currently the 4th highest rating television program in Australia since 2001, behind the 2005 Australian Open final between Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin, and the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. Ten's share for the night was 41.3%, almost 20% ahead of its nearest rival.[26] The first season finale was the most watched television program of 2009.[27]

The highly anticipated second season premiere of the show attracted 1.69 million viewers, peaking at 2.11 million nationwide.[28] In general, the second season rated higher on average compared to the first season, with weekday episodes seeing a 35% increase in viewers by the midpoint of the season.[29] The last half hour of the second season final attracted 3,962,000 viewers and 3,542,000 during the rest of the final out rating the season 1 final to become the 3rd highest rating show of all time.

Despite success in the ratings, the series initially received mixed reviews from some viewers, with fans of the original British version describing the Australian show to be incomparable to that version in terms of quality, structure, judgement and skill of the contestants.[30] Other commentators have also criticised the show for using a competition format similar to other reality shows such as Australian Idol, The Biggest Loser and Project Runway Australia that focuses more on the elimination of contestants than the food and cooking itself.[31][32] Ten's programming chief David Mott admitted that using the new format was "a huge risk",[24] while FremantleMedia's Paul Franklin has asserted that "for a commercial audience we needed to pump it up and make it bigger, a little over the top, with more drama and storytelling and a sense of theatre".[14]

In counterpoint, the show has been described as "an antidote for cynicism" and a reflection of multicultural Australia,[25] while the show's success has been attributed to audiences "uncomfortable with the win-at-all-cost mould of reality shows of old" and a shift in values in the face of the recent financial crisis.[33]

Cooking schools have reported an increase in enrolments due to the success of the series,[34] while kitchenware retailers and upmarket restaurants have also seen increased trade. Supermarkets and specialty food retailers have reported increased demand from the public for the more unusual ingredients, such as quail, custard apple and squab, after being featured on the program.[35] The success of the show led Ten to explore possible spin-offs such as the celebrity and junior versions, as well as one featuring professional chefs as contestants.[6] The success of the show has also led competing networks to commission their own competitive cooking programs, such as Seven's My Kitchen Rules and Nine's The Great Aussie Cook-Off after the first series,[36] with reports that both networks are planning more copycat shows to air in late 2010 and early 2011.

MasterChef Australia won the award for Most Popular Reality Program at the 2010 Logie Awards. In addition, Matt Preston won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent for his work on the program.[37]

Allegations of vote rigging

Significant numbers of viewers have raised allegations that the voting on the season one finale of MasterChef was fraudulent after Julie Goodwin won the crown. After the airing of the finale talkback radio became inundated with calls, both for and against the verdict, and the finale also became a top trending topic on social networking site Twitter, where many users said they felt "deflated" and "ripped off" by the final episode of the hit show.[38][39] Similar allegations were raised when contestants were eliminated throughout the season.[40]

Judge Matt Preston has denied that eliminations were rigged or the result of a popularity contest,[40] and asserted that Julie had won the title because she was the better cook on the night.[38] Goodwin herself has also asserted that her victory was not the result of rigging, insisting that the professional integrity of the three judges would be damaged if it were.[41]

International syndications

Land Network Dubbed or Subtitled? Current Broadcaster?
 Arab League Fox Dubbed Yes
 Belgien Eén Subtitled Yes
 Kanada Casa Dubbed Yes
 Finnland Nelonen Subtitled Yes
 Indien Star World India No
 Irland RTE One Yes
 Israel Channel 2 Subtitled Yes
 Neuseeland TV ONE Yes
 Norwegen TV3 Subtitled Yes
 Portugal SIC Mulher Subtitled Yes
 Südafrika BBC Lifestyle Yes
 Schweden TV3 Subtitled Yes
 Schweden TV8 Subtitled Yes
 The Netherlands NET5 Subtitled Yes
 Vereinigtes Königreich Good Food Yes
 Vereinigtes Königreich Watch Yes

Official MasterChef Cookbook Volume 1

The Official MasterChef Cookbook Volume 1 was published by Random House Australia in December 2009. It contains recipes from the Top Twenty contestants. These include Chris's controversial roast pig head and his creamy 'beeramisu' – alongside Lucas's Singapore chilli mud crab. There are also behind-the-scenes stories, culinary tips and tricks as well as recipes for Adriano Zumbo's pressure-test desserts – the croquembouche, the pannacotta, and the mousse cake.

The book also includes recipes from top Australian and international chefs: Martin Boetz, Donovan Cooke, Pete Evans, Manu Feildel, Guy Grossi, Alex Herbert, Matt Moran and Andrew Honeysett, Ben O'Donoghue, Adrian Richardson, Frank Shek, Emmanuel Stroobant and Adriano Zumbo.[42]

Our Family Table

As the winner of MasterChef Julie Goodwin won the chance to have her own cookbook published. Her first cookbook is called Our Family Table and is published by Random House Australia, April 2010.[43]

MasterChef Magazine

MasterChef Magazine, a monthly spin-off publication adopting the series' brand, went on sale in May 2010. Following a high-profile launch, the magazine exceeded its initial sales target within a short space of time, selling 90,000 copies in three days.[44] The magazine is published by News Magazines, a subsidiary of News Limited.[45]

See also

References

  1. ^ Knox, David (11 January 2009). "Food critic becomes Masterchef host". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  2. ^ a b Knox, David (11 September 2009). "TEN drops Sarah Wilson from MasterChef 2". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  3. ^ Knox, David (15 April 2009). "Big week looms for Ten". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  4. ^ a b van Druten, Rebekah (2009-07-19). "Julie savours MasterChef victory". ABC Online. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  5. ^ Knox, David (1 April 2010). "Returning:MasterChef Australia". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d Celebrity Masterchef will begin production in September
  7. ^ a b Now it's Junior MasterChef for Channel 10
  8. ^ "Adam Liaw wins MasterChef Australia". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  9. ^ a b Ten renews MasterChef, mediaspy.org. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  10. ^ Channel 10 Confirms Masterchef 3, Junior MasterChef 2, Biggest Loser Families and the Renovators as the new main line-up for Channel 10
  11. ^ Knox, David (9 December 2008). "Auditions: Masterchef". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  12. ^ http://www.cbre.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/F2EE28C7-F1C3-4E95-B87F-8A7A5EB8EAD7/0/AspiringchefsshinethespotlightonSouthSydneyproject.pdf
  13. ^ http://www.billicorp.com.au/listing/details.aspx?listingID=11210#
  14. ^ a b MasterChef wraps
  15. ^ Knox, David (13 April 2010). "MasterChef's 2 week menu". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  16. ^ Biggest Loser trainer lined up for Celebrity MasterChef? – Yahoo!7 TV
  17. ^ Knox, David (26 July 2009). "Celebrity MasterChef chop-chops Sarah Wilson". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  18. ^ Future of Celebrity MasterChef uncertain
  19. ^ tvtonight.com.au
  20. ^ "Isabella wins Junior MasterChef Australia". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  21. ^ Knox, David (28 April 2009). "Biggest Loser tops 2m viewers". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
  22. ^ MasterChef tops 2.1m
  23. ^ Masterchef thumps State of Origin, but Nine wins Wednesday
  24. ^ a b "Masterchef gets three chefs' hats for food lovers' hit". Herald Sun. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help) [dead link]
  25. ^ a b MasterChef's appeal was its friends
  26. ^ "3.74m viewers powers MasterChef finale". tvtonight.com.au. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  27. ^ "2009: The Top 100". tvtonight.com.au. 6 December 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  28. ^ MasterChef premieres to 1.7m
  29. ^ Hit show MasterChef going through the roof
  30. ^ "First taste of Masterchef draws mixed reaction". Melbourne: The Age. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  31. ^ "If you can't stand the heat..." The Blurb. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  32. ^ "Australian Masterchef – So You Think You Can Cook?". Macabre Melbourne. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009. [dead link]
  33. ^ Channel Ten show MasterChef secret recipe
  34. ^ "Cooking schools flooded with MasterChef fans". news.com.au. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help) [dead link]
  35. ^ Olding, Rachel; Taffel, Jacqui (27 July 2010). "MasterChef fans drive specialty boom". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  36. ^ MasterChef inspires imitators
  37. ^ "2010 Logie Awards: round-up". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  38. ^ a b "Was MasterChef Australia rigged?". 20 July 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009. [dead link]
  39. ^ "Julie Beats Poh – Masterchef Australia Rigged?". 20 July 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  40. ^ a b "MasterChef judge Matt Preston denies show is rigged". news.com.au. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  41. ^ Field, Katherine (20 July 2009). "MasterChef's Julie Goodwin says show wasn't rigged". Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  42. ^ "MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA THE COOKBOOK VOLUME 1". randomhouse.com.au. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  43. ^ "Our Family Table". randomhouse.com.au. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  44. ^ "MasterChef magazine debut a sellout". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  45. ^ "MasterChef Magazine arriving next week". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
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