MasterChef (British TV series)
Masterchef is a BBC television cookery game show. It ran initially from 1990 to 2001, and was revived in a different format as Masterchef Goes Large from 2005 onwards. The series was devised by Franc Roddam.
In the original series, three amateur cooks took part in each edition, with nine heats leading up to three semi-finals and a final, in which they competed for the title of "Masterchef". Their task was to cook a gourmet, three-course meal in under two hours. Contestants could cook whatever they liked, though there was a price limit on ingredients. "Everyday" ingredients and equipment was provided for them, in addition to which they could bring in up to five "specialist" ingredients or utensils.
The first incarnation of the series was presented by Loyd Grossman, who was joined each week by two guest judges, one a professional chef, the other a TV presenter, actor or other personality. Grossman and the guest judges discussed the menus, wandered around talking to the contestants, and finally ate and judged the food at the end. Originally, the judges' "cogitations" took place off-camera, though later on edited highlights of the discussions were added between the tasting and the announcement of the winner.
In 2001, the series underwent a makeover. It was moved from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot on BBC1 to a new weeknight slot on BBC2. The "celebrity" judge was dropped, and chef Gary Rhodes took over as presenter. This new version of the series asked contestants to cook just two courses in 90 minutes. It was much criticised (notably by former host Loyd Grossman). It lasted just one series.
In 2005, a radically overhauled version of the concept was introduced under the title Masterchef Goes Large. In the new version, there are two permanent judges, John Torode and Gregg Wallace though neither addresses the viewer directly - instead information is conveyed by a voiceover performed by India Fisher. The new series airs five nights a week for eight weeks, and incorporates various different challenges for the amateur chefs, including inventing a dish from scratch from a selection of ingredients, working a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant, and identifying ingredients. Six contestants begin each heat, with three eliminated after the first task. The daily winners go through to a weekly quarter-final. The weekly quarter-finals produce six winners who are then whittled down over the final two weeks. Although the programme has faced some criticism for perceived "dumbing down", it has proven very popular and is one of BBC Two's more successful early-evening programmes.