Jump to content

MasterChef (British TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 86.128.5.222 (talk) at 21:01, 14 May 2013 (Undid revision 551254186 by 92.23.245.254 (talk) no information). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

MasterChef
MasterChef logo (2005–present)
GenreCooking
Created byFranc Roddam
Presented byOriginal series:
Loyd Grossman (Series 1 to 10)
Gary Rhodes (Series 11)
JudgesMasterChef Goes Large / MasterChef:
Gregg Wallace and John Torode
Narrated byIndia Fisher (2005–present)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seriesMasterChef:
11 (Original)
8 (Revived)
Celebrity MasterChef:
6 (aired to date)
No. of episodesMasterChef:
146 (Original Series, inc. specials)
231 (Revived Series, at the end of series 8)
Celebrity MasterChef:
133 (end of series 6)
Production
Executive producersFranc Roddam
Elisabeth Murdoch
Gilly Hall
ProducerDavid Ambler
Production locations15 Bastwick Street[1]
Islington, North London
(MasterChef HQ)
Running time30–90 minutes
Production companiesUnion Pictures[2] (1990–2000)
Union/West 175 (2001)
Shine TV (2005–present)
Original release
NetworkBBC One (1990–2000, 2009–)
BBC Two (2001, 2005–2008 and Celebrity MasterChef 2012)
Release21 February 2005 (2005-02-21) – present
(19 years, 115 days)
Related
Come Dine with Me
Great British Menu
The Great British Bake Off

MasterChef is a BBC television competitive cooking show. It initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was later revived in a different format known as MasterChef Goes Large from 2005 onwards. In 2008, the "Goes Large" part of the name was dropped, but the format remains identical. The revamped format was devised by Franc Roddam and John Silver with Karen Ross producing.

The series now appears in four versions: the main MasterChef series, MasterChef: The Professionals for working chefs, Celebrity MasterChef, and Junior MasterChef, for 9-to-12-year-olds.[3]

The format has been reproduced around the world in a large number of international versions.

Original series

In the original series, three amateur cooks took part in each episode, with nine heats leading up to three semifinals 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 were 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 celebrity. 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 1998, Grossman decided to take a one-series sabbatical. He returned to present the 1999 series, but left the programme in 2000.

Revamp

In 2001, the series underwent a makeover. It was moved from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot on BBC One to a new weeknight slot on BBC Two. The "celebrity" judge was dropped, and chef Gary Rhodes took over as presenter. This new version of the series asked contestants to cook two courses in just 90 minutes. It lasted just one series and was much criticised – notably by former host Loyd Grossman.

Revived series (new format)

In 2005, executive producers Franc Roddam and John Silver along with series producer Karen Ross radically overhauled the format, and a new series was introduced, initially under the name MasterChef Goes Large. The name returned to MasterChef in 2008.[4] In the new version, there are two permanent judges, John Torode and Gregg Wallace, though neither addresses the viewer directly; instead narrative information is conveyed in a voiceover by India Fisher. The show proved very popular and became one of BBC Two's more successful early-evening programmes, leading to an announcement by the BBC in 2009 that it would be moved back to BBC One.[5]

In the new format, each series airs five nights a week for eight weeks, consisting of six weeks of heats and quarter-finals, with six contestants emerging to compete against one another over the final two weeks to select a winner.

In each of the first six weeks, there are four heats and a quarter-final. Six contestants enter each heat, with one quarter-finalist emerging from each of the four heats, and these four quarter-finalists compete for a semi-final place, so that over the first six weeks, six semi-finalists emerge. In 2010, the judges were given more flexibility, allowing them to promote more than one contestant to the quarter-finals, or in one instance, none at all.

Heats

The heats follow a three-round format:

  • The Invention Test: the contestants must invent a dish from scratch in 50 minutes (40 minutes up until 2009). The contestants can choose from any of a selection of ingredients provided on the day. This forms the first round of the programmes and reduces the contestants from six to three cooks.
  • The Pressure Test: Working a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
  • The Final Test: Cooking a two course meal, with the contestants designing their own menus and choosing their own ingredients, in one hour.
Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace at MasterChef Live, London, 2009

Quarter-Finals

The quarter-finals follow a different structure with different challenges. Up until 2010, the format was:

  • The Ingredients Test: where the contestants are asked to identify a selection of ingredients or produce.
  • The Passion Test: in which each contestant has one minute to convince the judges of their overwhelming passion for food. Following these two rounds, one contestant is knocked out without having cooked that day.
  • Finally the remaining three quarter-finalists each produce a three course meal in one hour and twenty minutes.

In 2010, the quarter-final format was changed to:

  • The Choice Test: where the contestants are given 15 minutes to cook their choice of either a pre-selected fish recipe or a meat recipe with the judges looking on. At least one contestant is eliminated after this test.
  • This is followed by the remaining quarter-finalists producing a two course meal in an hour.

Comeback Week

The sixth week is called "Comeback Week" and features contestants from the previous series of MasterChef who did not advance past the heats or quarter-finals. The format is different for this week:

  • The Skill Test: where the contestants have 25 minutes to cook one of two pre-selected recipes. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.
  • The Palate Test: where John Torode cooks a complex dish and asks the contestants one by one to eat the dish and list as many ingredients in the dish as possible. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.
  • The Pressure Test: where the remaining contestants work a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
  • The remaining contestants then have 60 minutes to cook a two course meal. One contestant is selected to advance to a quarter-final.
  • The comeback quarter-finalists then cook head-to-head in a larger version of the invention test, cooking one dish in an hour. One contestant is selected to advance to the semi-finals.

MasterChef Live

MasterChef Live is an extension of the television programme. The event runs annually in November and is held over three days since 2009; it is hosted at London Olympia, co-located with the annual Wine Show.[6]

Highlights of the event include live cookery demonstrations in the Chefs’ Theatre, celebrity chefs, former contestants, critics, and MasterChef style cook-offs.

Celebrity MasterChef

Celebrity MasterChef was devised as a celebrity version of MasterChef Goes Large, screened on BBC One until 2011. Originally a total of 24 celebrities took part in each series, with three contestants per episode following the full MasterChef Goes Large test.[7] In 2011, the show was moved to a daily daytime slot with 30 episodes screened over 6 weeks and featuring only 16 celebrities. In 2012, the show moved to BBC Two due to low ratings and returned to an evening slot.

Contestants

In 2006, rugby player Matt Dawson beat Arabella Weir, Charlie Dimmock, David Grant, Fred MacAulay, Graeme Le Saux, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Helen Lederer, Ian McCaskill, Jilly Goolden, Kristian Digby, Lady Isabella Hervey, Linda Barker, Marie Helvin, Paul Young, Richard Arnold, Roger Black, Rowland Rivron, Sarah Cawood, Sheila Ferguson, Simon Grant, Sue Perkins, Tony Hadley and Toyah Willcox

In 2007, Nadia Sawalha beat Midge Ure, Craig Revel Horwood, Jeremy Edwards, Chris Bisson, Martin Hancock, Sunetra Sarker, Gemma Atkinson, Sherrie Hewson, Pauline Quirke, Rani Price, Chris Hollins, Matthew Wright, Angela Rippon, Sue Cook, Lorne Spicer, Emma Forbes, Jeff Green, Darren Bennett, Sally Gunnell, Mark Foster, Matt James, Robbie Earle and Phil Tufnell.

In 2008, Liz McClarnon beat Linda Robson, Louis Emerick, Debra Stephenson, Chris Parker[disambiguation needed], Joe McGann, Steven Pinder, Mark Moraghan, Vicki Michelle, Sean Wilson, Clare Grogan, Hywel Simons, DJ Spoony, Claire Richards, Denise Lewis, Noel Whelan, Andi Peters, Andrew Castle, Michael Buerk, Kaye Adams, Julia Bradbury, Josie D'Arby and Ninia Benjamin.

In 2009, Jayne Middlemiss beat Colin Murray, Wendi Peters, Simon Shepherd, Janet Ellis, Deena Payne, Iwan Thomas, Rav Wilding, Pete Waterman, Stephen K. Amos, Gemma Bissix, Shirley Robertson, Ian Bleasdale, Paul Martin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Brian Moore[disambiguation needed], Saira Khan, Rosie Boycott, Michael Obiora, Joel Ross, Shobna Gulati, Dennis Taylor, Sian Lloyd[disambiguation needed], Jan Leeming and Joe Swift.

There was also a week of Comeback contestants featuring Joe McGann, Marie Helvin, Linda Barker, Claire Richards, Rowland Rivron, Ninia Benjamin, Steven Pinder, Wendi Peters, Helen Lederer, Tony Hadley, Martin Hancock and Jeff Green.

In 2010, Lisa Faulkner beat Neil Stuke, Richard Farleigh, Nihal Arthanayake, Alex Fletcher, Tessa Sanderson, Jenny Powell, Colin Jackson, Tricia Penrose, Martin Roberts, Christine Hamilton, Chris Walker[disambiguation needed], Dick Strawbridge, Danielle Lloyd, Marcus Patric, Dean Macey, Mark Chapman[disambiguation needed], Jennie Bond, Mark Little and Kym Mazelle.

In 2011, former rugby player, Phil Vickery[8] beat Kirsty Wark, Nick Pickard, Darren Campbell, Linda Lusardi, Michelle Mone, Ruth Goodman, Aggie MacKenzie, Ricky Groves, Margi Clarke, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan, Shobu Kapoor, Sharon Maughan, Tim Lovejoy and Danny Goffey.[9]

In 2012, actress Emma Kennedy[10] beat Danny Mills, Michael Underwood, Zöe Salmon, Gareth Gates, Cheryl Baker, Laila Rouass, George Layton, Diarmuid Gavin, Richard McCourt, Rebecca Romero, Jamie Theakston, Jenny Eclair, Javine Hylton, Steve Parry and Anne Charleston.[11]

MasterChef: The Professionals

MasterChef
GenreCooking
Written byFranc Roddam
JudgesGregg Wallace and Michel Roux, Jr.
Narrated byIndia Fisher (2008–10)
Sean Pertwee (2011–present)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5 (aired to date)
No. of episodes116 (inc. 2 specials to date)
Production
Executive producersFranc Roddam
Elisabeth Murdoch
Carla-Maria Lawson
Running time30 or 60 minutes
Production companyShine TV
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release25 August 2008 (2008-08-25) – present
Related
MasterChef

MasterChef: The Professionals, a version for professional chefs, was introduced in 2008. Gregg Wallace and India Fisher reprise their roles as co-judge and voiceover. Judge John Torode is replaced by Michel Roux, Jr., a two-Michelin-star chef, assisted, from 2009, by his sous-chef Monica Galetti.

Derek Johnstone won the first series on 19 September 2008, and went on to take a job with Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche restaurant in London.

The second series began on 14 September 2009 at 8:30 pm on BBC2 and was won by Steve Groves on 22 October 2009.[12] On 6 June 2010 the series was awarded a BAFTA in the Features category, fending off competition from The Choir, James May's Toy Stories and Heston's Feasts.

The third series began on Monday 20 September 2010, the eventual winner being 30-year old Claire Lara from Liverpool.[13] She was pregnant at the time.[14]

The fourth series began on 7 November 2011, with India Fisher's voiceover replaced with Sean Pertwee. The series concluded on 15 December 2011, with finalists Steve Barringer[15] and Claire Hutchings[16] being beaten by winner Ash Mair.[17][18][19] Mair, 34, who comes from Tasmania, cooked a final three-course menu comprising a starter of roasted monkfish tail with lentils and Basque piperade; roast rump of lamb with braised lamb neck potato croquette; and a dessert of Spanish bread and butter pudding with vanilla parfait.

Series 5 was initially broadcast on 5 November 2012, with the final on 13 December 2012. Sean Pertwee continued to provide the voiceover. The title was jointly awarded (for the first time in the MasterChef history)[20] to Anton Piotrowski, Head Chef of The Treby Arms, Plymouth and freelance event caterer Keri Moss of South London. The third finalist was Oli Boon.

Junior MasterChef

Main article: Junior MasterChef

Junior MasterChef originally ran from 1994 to 1999 for under-16s. It was revived in 2010 with an age range of nine to twelve. A second series of the revived format ran in 2012.

Winners

MasterChef (original series)

Year Winner
1990 Joan Bunting
1991 Sue Lawrence
1992 Vanessa Binns
1993 Derek Johns
1994 Gerry Goldwyre
1995 Marion Macfarlane
1996 Neil Haidar
1997 Julie Friend
1999 Lloyd Burgess
2000 Marjorie Lang
2001 Rosa Baden-Powell

Note: The original MasterChef series did not air in 1998.

MasterChef Goes Large (new format)

Year Winner
2005 Thomasina Miers
2006 Peter Bayless
2007 Steven Wallis

MasterChef (new format)

Year Winner
2008 James Nathan
2009 Mat Follas[21]
2010 Dhruv Baker
2011 Tim Anderson
2012 Shelina Permalloo
2013 Natalie Coleman

Celebrity MasterChef

Year Winner
2006 Matt Dawson
2007 Nadia Sawalha
2008 Liz McClarnon
2009 Jayne Middlemiss
2010 Lisa Faulkner
2011 Phil Vickery
2012 Emma Kennedy

MasterChef: The Professionals

Year Winner(s)
2008 Derek Johnstone
2009 Steve Groves
2010 Claire Lara
2011 Ash Mair
2012 Keri Moss and Anton Piotrowski*

Note: * For the first time in MasterChef history, joint winners were announced

Charity specials

Year Show Winner
2008 Children in Need Junior MasterChef Poun Muenkum
2010 Sport Relief does MasterChef Alan Hansen
2011 Comic Relief does MasterChef Miranda Hart
2013 Comic Relief does MasterChef Jack Whitehall

Other notable contestants

  • 1993: Ross Burden
  • 1999: Joel Wright
  • 2008: Jonny Stevenson
  • 2008: Emily Ludolf
  • 2009: Lewis Bebbington
  • 2009: Marianne Lumb

UK transmission guide

For international adaptations, see MasterChef.

Original series

MasterChef

Presented by Loyd Grossman:

Series Start date End date
1 2 July 1990 24 September 1990
2 21 April 1991 14 July 1991
3 26 April 1992 19 July 1992
4 11 April 1993 4 July 1993
5 10 April 1994 3 July 1994
6 16 April 1995 9 July 1995
7 7 April 1996 30 June 1996
8 27 April 1997 3 August 1997
9 3 January 1999 28 March 1999
10 12 March 2000 4 June 2000

Masterchef (revamp)

Presented by Gary Rhodes:

Series Start date End date Number of editions
11 3 April 2001 3 July 2001 13

Specials

  • Happy 10th Birthday MasterChef: TX 18 June 2000
  • Tales from the MasterChef Kitchen: Series 1, 10 editions from 2 July 2000 – 3 September 2000
  • Celebrity Special: TX 27 August 2000

Revived series

MasterChef Goes Large (MasterChef from series 4)

Series Start date End date Number of editions
1 21 February 2005 1 April 2005 29
2 23 January 2006 17 April 2006 45
3 22 January 2007 15 March 2007 40
4 7 January 2008 28 February 2008 32
5 5 January 2009 26 February 2009
6 18 February 2010 7 April 2010 23
7
(Revamp) 		16 February 2011 27 April 2011 15
(inc. audition shows)
8 17 January 2012 15 March 2012 15
9 12 March 2013[22] 2 May 2013 23

Specials

  • What The Winners Did Next – Special on winners from Series 2 of Masterchef Goes Large; aired 22 January 2007

Note: Series 7 of MasterChef featured 'talent show-type' audition shows (similar to The X Factor) in which hopeful chefs cooked in front of the judges to secure a place in the competition. More than 20,000 people applied to audition for the show.[23]

Celebrity MasterChef

Series Start date End date Number of editions
1 11 September 2006 29 September 2006 15
2 28 May 2007 15 June 2007
3 2 July 2008 25 July 2008 12
4 10 June 2009 10 July 2009 15
5 21 July 2010 20 August 2010
6
(Revamp) 		12 September 2011 22 October 2011 30 (daily shows)
13 (catch-up shows)
7 13 August 2012 21 September 2012 30

Note: Series 6 of Celebrity MasterChef was aired weekdays on BBC One at 2:15 pm.[24] Catch-up shows were also aired on Fridays at 20:30 (30 minutes long) and on Saturdays at various times (60 minutes long).

MasterChef: The Professionals

Series Start date End date Number of editions
1 25 August 2008 19 September 2008 20
2 14 September 2009 22 October 2009 29
3 27 September 2010 2 November 2010 17
Special 8 November 2010 (Michel's Classics) 2
4 7 November 2011 15 December 2011 24
5 5 November 2012 13 December 2012
  • MasterChef: The Professionals Uncovered – A look at the highs and lows of the past five series of MasterChef: The Professionals; aired 27 February 2013

See also

References

  1. ^ "Google Maps". Maps.google.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  2. ^ Ellis, Walter (30 July 2000). "Has 'Masterchef' had its frites?". The Independent. London.
  3. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/08_august/24/junior.shtml
  4. ^ "Two Programmes – MasterChef – Previous episodes". BBC. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Press Office – MasterChef rustles up move to BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  6. ^ http://www.mastercheflive.com/
  7. ^ "Food – TV and radio – Celebrity MasterChef biographies". BBC. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  8. ^ "Celebrity MasterChef dishes up 2011 winner". BBC. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  9. ^ "Celebrity MasterChef – BBC One". Plank PR. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Celebrity MasterChef names winner". BBC. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Celebrity Masterchef switch: Show set to move back to evening slot on BBC2". Mirror. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  12. ^ Thomas, Liz (23 October 2009). "Masterchef: I almost quit cooking after my father's death, says winner Steve Groves". Daily Mail. London.
  13. ^ "Claire Lara crowned winner of MasterChef: The Professionals". Daily Mail. London. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  14. ^ "Pregnant Merseyside chef Claire Lara through to final of Masterchef: The Professionals – Wirral News". wirralnews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Steve Barringer's recipes" on the BBC Food Website
  16. ^ "Claire Hutchings's recipes" on the BBC Food Website
  17. ^ "Ash Mair's recipes" on the BBC Food Website
  18. ^ "Professional MasterChef winner is crowned". BBC News. 16 December 2011.
  19. ^ Chris Harvey, "MasterChef: the Professionals, BBC One, who will win it?", The Telegraph, 15 December 2011
  20. ^ Paul Martinovic (13 December 2012). "'MasterChef' finishes in a draw for the first time in history". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 December 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ "Mat wins MasterChef 2009 title". Metro.co.uk. 26 February 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  22. ^ "'MasterChef' return date confirmed for next month". Digital Spy. 28 February 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ BBC (18 February 2011). "MasterChef revamp 'has turned cooking show into The X Factor'". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  24. ^ Heritage, Stuart (13 September 2011). "MasterChef goes daytime | Television & radio | guardian.co.uk". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 October 2011.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MasterChef_(British_TV_series)&oldid=555112745"