Britain's Got Masterchefs

[Sean of the Shed]

That was a bit of an abomination last night. The new format just didn't do it for me. Doing the main part in a seperate kitchen then wheeling it through to John and Gregg to judge it Cowell style, well there were ingredients in there that just didn't belong in there and left the whole thing lacking any real flavour. It only redeemed itself when they had the cook-off at the end, old style.
Also Gregg hasn't quite mastered the tense pauses yet: look at contestant, pull a face, look at John, pull a face, look back at contestant, pull different face before telling them the decision that we've already worked out, i.e. they are going into the cook-off.
Hopefully when the next audition is out the way we can get down to business. Has nobody at the Beeb heard the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."?

[Hofzinser]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

I missed this last night but have it recorded to watch when I get home later.

From what I hear, it sounds like they've adopted the format of Australian Masterchef, which I reckon is a far superior show to the British one (in its old format).

One thing that irritated me about the old format was the way that so much of what the contestants did seemed pointless. In the heats, for instance, they'd go and have a session working in a professional kitchen but how well they did there was absolutely irrelevant to whether they went through to the next round or not as it was all judged on the final cook off in the Masterchef kitchen. It was just filler basically.

And in finals week, it was similar - you'd have four shows of them cooking in an army canteen or at a banquet, but with no discernible affect on the outcome of the competition. At the end of the week they'd all go and cook a three course meal and the winner was based on that - the rest was yet more filler.

In Australian Masterchef, they might have challenges of a similar nature, but at the end the two weakest performers would have to compete in an elimination challenge to stay in the competition. Every part of the show had a discernible point towards determining the overall winner, and it was a much more compelling show as a result.

It remains to be seen how closely the UK will follow the Australian format but once the X Factor style auditions are out the way I'm sure we'll see a much improved show.

[Sean of the Shed]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

I've only ever seen a couple of episodes of Australian MC. It reminded me of the Apprentice, in that, like you say, the two groups are set a task and are judged on that particular task, and it does work as a format. Sadly, the other thing it had in common with the apprentice was that many of the contestants were self-opinionated and smug and got on my b-cups.

[Tony C]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

I found myself in the unusual position, here, of reading the two initial, sharply contrasting posts and agreeing with them both.

I didn't take to the new format at all - was it outlined to viewers at the beginning? I was still watching the Arsenal game - yet I do concede that the previous format included lots of filler which didn't influence the final result.

Maybe I need to watch a few more episodes before I make up my mind either way.

[Ray de Galles]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

It's quite a few years too late to realise they've totally fucked up 'Masterchef'

[Sean of the Shed]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

It was only a matter of time before someone came on here claiming how much better Masterchef was when Loyd Grossman did it, like some cloudy-minded senile old duffer telling us how much better it was during the war. It wasn't and it wasn't. End of.
Three simple-minded middle-class muppets making dinner for Loyd and a couple of his pontificating pals. Give it a rest.

[Ray de Galles]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

Hmmmm, I always find any argument including the phrase "End of." a winning one.

It used to be a programme about food and cooking which was well presented, it's become the usual talent show shit about "pressure", someone's "journey", SHOUTING CATCHPHRASES REALLY LOUDLY and now I hear they have added an 'X Factor' style starter of deliberately humiliating deluded people to it. Lovely, isn't progress fabulous?

The original revamp was called 'Masterchef Goes Large', I think that cack-handed attempt at "edgy" styling says it all.

[Sean of the Shed]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

Harry Truscott wrote:

Hmmmm, I always find any argument including the phrase "End of." a winning one.

So why have you even bothered replying?
Seriously though, the Grossman show was hardly challenging, just 3 people cooking their favourite food for Loyd to cogitate, masticate and regurgitate before deciding which he likes best. If it was called Masterdinnerpartyhost then it would have been a fairer assessment.
I don't like the new audition format, but it's nowhere near the appalling behaviour of X-factor/BGT with Cowell mocking the delusional and mentally subnormal for cheap entertainment. I reckon the BBC have been looking for extra oomph to put in the package to target a new audience or for export abroad, maybe, but it's a bit of a turn off for regular viewers.

[Hofzinser]

Britain's Got Masterchefs

I hear they have added an 'X Factor' style starter of deliberately humiliating deluded people to it

This isn't the case at all. Contestants are "auditioned" in an X Factor style to get into the final 20, but all that happens is that they cook some food and then John and Greg tell them whether or not they like it - exactly as has always been done. There's no extra element of humiliation in there, and the potential for disaster or embarrassment is if anything reduced as the contestants get to cook whatever they like instead of having to turn up and come up with something on the spot, like in past series.

I can totally take on board the criticisms of the opening X Factor-style stuff in this series - but if, as seems likely, it will follow the Australian template from hereon in, it's going to be a much better and more interesting series - more interesting than the "Masterchef Goes Large" format, and certainly more interesting than the "poshos cooking dinner for Loyd" format.

I hope people don't get immediately turned off by the opening episodes, and stick with it while it gets into its stride as I really think it could be good.