FTA-TV Masterchef Australia

[GuruJane]

Apparently it is all scripted. Like Wrestling.

I gather each show is wrapped about 3 weeks before on air date. For yr info, every six day group of episodes is probably treated as what they call a "block". A week (maybe not even that long) would be allowed for editing. Another week for last minute polishes. The final stage is Network approval for lock off. I expect lock-off would happen at the last possible moment. It's a fantastic rolling operation and very heady for the crew doing it.

As production rolls on, what would happen from moi's experience is regular brainstorming sessions between producers and expert talent (in this case the judges) about how the "drama" of the series is progressing and the relative strengths of the "characters" - how the talent is progressing vis a viz their audience ratings and their cooking skills.

There is always a natural tension between "experts" and TV producers/network heavies, because the latter are always pushing the "drama" and "characters Q" boundaries and the experts need to maintain their credibility. Particularly so in this series, I would think.

In reality shows, the network has much more leeway to make changes of direction or creative decisions in a far shorter time frame than they can in drama, where episodes are locked off about 2 to 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE.

They would also have rolling daily audience research and "Qs" to tell them how the audience has responded to previous nights episodes.

In my view, they have managed this tension and pulled the whole thing off brilliantly. Up to this date. I came into the show only about four weeks ago, was immediately hooked, and it was only last night that I could see the results were possibly being cooked, so to speak, for the last week. And even then it was the century egg being in the pantry that was the tip-off.

Well, who cares? Its great TV. And all the "amateur cook talent" real life characters were awesome to me (being no cook!).

But I kinda feel it would have been better and certainly would have maintained more credibility if they'd made the final week an audience vote. I woulda felt better if it had been a popular vote, for sure. But can't take Sunday night seriously now.

 

[asanque]

Is there a photo of all of Chris's together? I think the two sets of dishes were pretty even in presentation. Julie's tasted better. Add in a more sale-able cookbook and she kept herself in the game by a slim margin. End of story.


Asanque as I recall that was far from 5 seconds before. It was a minute or two. At the last moment she was placing the lamb slices. The two look identical to me. The judges loved the rare lamb.

Colour me unimpressed by what appears to be lamb (with no sauce), vegies and potatoes. And a slice of cake.

The chicken at least looks vaguely interesting.

Edit: Not that I found Chris's dishes particularly inspiring.
However, it at least had some technical difficulty.
I'm sure someone has photos.

Meanwhile Julie should never have made it past Passionfruit Puddle Pie and has been uninspiring all week.

Further Edit: Chris's dishes
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/4272/70050439.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7586/86241585.jpg

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1402/26749785.jpg

 

[Bunnie]

One question here for all the budding armchair food experts, (who now know about plating up and presentation after watching masterchef). When you eat out (I presume all you experts eat out regularly) what would you prefer: a dish that lacks some imagination in presentation but is easy on the taste buds OR a dish that has been artistically assembled but tastes bluddy awful?

For me, taste wins over presentation. Quite happy to pay for a meal if it tastes good. Not exactly forthcoming with the cash if it is badly cooked.

FWIW a public vote would only pick the most popular personality on the night, not the tastiest meal. (Unless you all have taste-o-vision). Wouldn't work.

 

[wce_all_da_way]

One question here for all the budding armchair food experts, (who now know about plating up and presentation after watching masterchef). When you eat out (I presume all you experts eat out regularly) what would you prefer: a dish that lacks some imagination in presentation but is easy on the taste buds OR a dish that has been artistically assembled but tastes bluddy awful?

For me, taste wins over presentation. Quite happy to pay for a meal if it tastes good. Not exactly forthcoming with the cash if it is badly cooked.

FWIW a public vote would only pick the most popular personality on the night, not the tastiest meal. (Unless you all have taste-o-vision). Wouldn't work.

Didn't the judges say that Julie's first dish wasn't cooked properly?

 

[Flawed Genius]

Alright, so I'm re-watching last night's episode, as we've got it on the Foxtel IQ, and the general consensus among the loungeroom is that there is absolutely no way that Julie's lamb can go from the raw, "5-seconds-before-plating" version to the plated version in the given time, no matter how heavily edited that time frame is. Obviously we're not experts, but whatever.

After the ad-break, whilst Julie maniacally tried to plate up through a waterfall of her own tears, she's sobbing and trying to tumble meat onto the plate, and a judge is going "Just get it on the plate, Julie. Just get it on the plate."

The vulnerable mother wins again.

Also, Bunnie - I'd go taste over presentation every time.

 

[crownie]

Colour me unimpressed by what appears to be lamb (with no sauce), vegies and potatoes. And a slice of cake.

The chicken at least looks vaguely interesting.

Edit: Not that I found Chris's dishes particularly inspiring.
However, it at least had some technical difficulty.
I'm sure someone has photos.

Meanwhile Julie should never have made it past Passionfruit Puddle Pie and has been uninspiring all week.
Further Edit: Chris's dishes
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/4272/70050439.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7586/86241585.jpg

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1402/26749785.jpg

thats it.

i think most people accept last nights decision but its the 2 earlier eliminations inparticular the one with Julia that made me thought they are doing anything they can to get Julie to the final. what pissed me off about last night was the misleading criteria of the challenge and the total bias from Donna Hay to Julie.

 

[crownie]

One question here for all the budding armchair food experts, (who now know about plating up and presentation after watching masterchef). When you eat out (I presume all you experts eat out regularly) what would you prefer: a dish that lacks some imagination in presentation but is easy on the taste buds OR a dish that has been artistically assembled but tastes bluddy awful?

For me, taste wins over presentation. Quite happy to pay for a meal if it tastes good. Not exactly forthcoming with the cash if it is badly cooked.

FWIW a public vote would only pick the most popular personality on the night, not the tastiest meal. (Unless you all have taste-o-vision). Wouldn't work.

i think everyone prefers taste over presentation when eating out, i also like my meal to come out of time as well.

 

[asanque]

One question here for all the budding armchair food experts, (who now know about plating up and presentation after watching masterchef). When you eat out (I presume all you experts eat out regularly) what would you prefer: a dish that lacks some imagination in presentation but is easy on the taste buds OR a dish that has been artistically assembled but tastes bluddy awful?

For me, taste wins over presentation. Quite happy to pay for a meal if it tastes good. Not exactly forthcoming with the cash if it is badly cooked.

FWIW a public vote would only pick the most popular personality on the night, not the tastiest meal. (Unless you all have taste-o-vision). Wouldn't work.

The show relies on the credibility of the judges.
From all appearances last night based on the judging criteria, that credibility is now shot.

Julie's dish could have tasted amazing and Chris's could have tasted awful but it did not look that way. In any event, the food was supposed to have been judged on appearance (until unilaterally changed by Donna Hay).

Besides, neither taste, nor appearance nor uncooked food stopped Julie all week and she was clearly the worst chef for the finals week.

Which is why everyone is saying the show is rigged.

 

[Kerrby]

Julies:

Chris:

I know which I'd prefer.

 

[Macca19]

Visually Chris' is much more superior. Whether the taste is there, who knows.

So the judges complained that Chris' dishes were too brown? What the **** are Julies then?

 

[Dagless]

Visually Chris' is much more superior. Whether the taste is there, who knows.

So the judges complained that Chris' dishes were too brown? What the **** are Julies then?

Rustic...

 

[SunKing]

Homey..

Julie has been ordinary for ages and how she beat Chris without it being rigged is a mystery.

MC has a serious credibility issue.

 

[DonsRule]

Is there a photo of all of Chris's together? I think the two sets of dishes were pretty even in presentation. Julie's tasted better. Add in a more sale-able cookbook and she kept herself in the game by a slim margin. End of story.


Asanque as I recall that was far from 5 seconds before. It was a minute or two. At the last moment she was placing the lamb slices. The two look identical to me. The judges loved the rare lamb.

I don't think Chris's beef cheeks looked great, infact, they looked rather bad, the other 2 looked pretty good, and had some contrast in colors.

Checking the reply, Julie uncut the string with 30 seconds to go, then had to finish her dessert, plate it.

timers on 0:50, when Gary announced 10 seconds remaining, 1:00, still on Julies cutting board, still curring it, George yelling at her to get it on a plate, Gary stringing out the last 10 seconds, at around 1:10, and beyond julies still fiddling with her plates.

 

[Kahuna]

Julie's dishes looked so boring, a piece of cake on a plate (big deal), not too sure about Chris' dish, didn't appeal to me at all but I am very select in what I eat (always Chicken snitty). Julies main also looked really boring, 3 spuds great!. Have only got updates from on here as I stopped watching when the eliminated contestants came back. If Poh doesn't win they I might watch next seasons.

 

[Chief]

thats it.

i think most people accept last nights decision but its the 2 earlier eliminations inparticular the one with Julia that made me thought they are doing anything they can to get Julie to the final. what pissed me off about last night was the misleading criteria of the challenge and the total bias from Donna Hay to Julie.

Misleading criteria? They said "cover shot". They said "presentation". Multiple times. Jebus I honestly think some people were watching a different show.

On the night of the puddle pie, the judges said her main was great.

Lucas (?) turned in TWO bad dishes. 1 < 2. It sucks, but game over.

 

[Chief]

it would of been interesting if Pohs food tasted rubbish, because she clearly assumed (rightly) that it was the presentation that was going to mostly count as she made the effort to plate up 10 minutes before the end.

Poh's was ahead in taste and presentation.

Chris and Julie, maybe similar in presentation.

Julie, ahead on taste with more promise on the cake "It just needs a dollop of cream". Fair or not, all things tied they seemed to look at what would be needed to lift the dish - a small tweak or start from scratch. Julie had one good dish, one that needed a tweak and one that was average. Chris had nothing really - he completely trashed two of his meats.

It's pretty simple. It was all there in their comments.

No idea why I am getting this aspy about a cooking show...

 

[Chief]

Checking the reply, Julie uncut the string with 30 seconds to go, then had to finish her dessert, plate it.

Etc.

But the idea that the lamb on the cutting board was raw, and then suddenly cooked, is a bit tin-foil hat.

 

[Chief]

Visually Chris' is much more superior. Whether the taste is there, who knows.

So the judges complained that Chris' dishes were too brown? What the **** are Julies then?

* tears hair out *

Julie's tasted better, that's what. They said so. As they were tasting.

 

[crownie]

Misleading criteria? They said "cover shot". They said "presentation". Multiple times. Jebus I honestly think some people were watching a different show.

On the night of the puddle pie, the judges said her main was great.

Lucas (?) turned in TWO bad dishes. 1 < 2. It sucks, but game over.

yes, and Julie got through on taste.

if they knew taste was going to be more important then Poh wouldnt of spent the final ten minutes trying to make her dishes look really good, lucky for her they tasted good enough in the end.

 

[Chief]

I gather each show is wrapped about 3 weeks before on air date. For yr info, every six day group of episodes is probably treated as what they call a "block". A week (maybe not even that long) would be allowed for editing. Another week for last minute polishes. The final stage is Network approval for lock off. I expect lock-off would happen at the last possible moment. It's a fantastic rolling operation and very heady for the crew doing it.

...

I do not doubt that they work to create tension and drama. But in the end the cooks stand or fall on the strength of what lands in front of the judges. I didn't see anything that was really WAY out there that made it look like they rigged the results.

They seemed to simply give a tick or a cross for taste, presentation and sticking to the brief.

Usually there were a couple of stand-out disaster dishes and a couple of stand out winners. The rest was theatre.

 

[Chief]

yes, and Julie got through on taste.

With roughly equal presentation, you'd go on taste and be swayed by the pitch for the cookbook.

 

[crowsarethebest]

I just find it ridiculous that Julie is 75% finished, doesn't have to fully plate up and she gets through. I'd rather be served a finished meal in a resturaunt than a half arsed effort. If Julie's food is so good she should romp it in the final if she plates up fully. Looks like Poh has no chance.

 

[crownie]

also did anyone find tonights masterclass very cringeworthy with all that bad humour?

 

[Dagless]

also did anyone find tonights masterclass very cringeworthy with all that bad humour?

It was absolutely terrible... Julie milked it for all it was worth as well...

 

[eddiesmith]

I've now decided I want Julie to win, now that would be fun