MasterChef

In case you missed the season-opening episode last night, then you missed them eating shaved beaver. That's all I'm saying.

 

I watched it. And yes I saw em eat shaved beaver also

 

I've never seen the show...but. My stepdad is Mr. Outdoorsman. Fishing, hunting, trapping, all that jazz. I cannot tell you how many laughs, raised eyebrows, and side-eye glances I get from people when I say, why yes, I HAVE eaten beaver before.

 

Great great show. I don't buy into all of the Ramsey hype but this show showed me he can tone down the entertainer and make it about the food. I will have to watch it tonight!

 

To see the better side of Ramsay, you really need to watch his UK programs (F Word and Kitchen Nightmares). So much better than the stuff Fox puts out.

 

What's the difference??

 

It's been my experience that over here, Fox hardly ever shows Chef Ramsay going out among his customers or the general populace. When he's out of the kitchen, he's a really great, personable kind of guy. One hell of a family man, too. American TV seems more interested in the yelling and beating on plates/tables and making line cooks cry. On BBC, he interacts with people a lot more, and he's cooler and easier-going with the people under him.
--- merged: May 23, 2013 at 10:37 PM ---

If there was any doubt that I'd watch on Hulu this cycle, this cast it right out! Once I'm caught up on Hell's Kitchen, I'll start MasterChef.

 

The UK programmes are massively different. In the case of Kitchen Nightmares, it is less about bombast and family drama than it is about a successfull, straight talking chef actually helping struggling restaurateurs. It's more about the business and less about the drama.

The F Word is more of a food variety show with different segments. He comes off as more approachable, funny and genuine rather than the mouthy douche he can seem to be in Hell's Kitchen.

He gets closest to this persona in Masterchef US and we see no small amount of it in Ramsay's Cookalong. Kitchen Nightmares US and Hell's Kitchen US are just a caricature (he worst aspects indulged and exploded) combined with US TV style drama (i.e. characters better suited to Jerry Springer).

 

US programmers pulled the same shit with Iron Chef. Turned it into more of a sporting event. It's still fun enough, but it sure doesn't maintain the spirit of the Japanese program. In my most humble opinion, of course.

 

MasterChef Australia is the best version of the franchise. It teaches how to cook. It's not a soup opera. I mean soap opera.

 

Heh. Soup opera. Ace word play.

 

Masterchef Australia is the version of the format that made the show internationally famous. It has existed in the UK for many years but it wasn't until they made it in Australia that the industry sat up and took notice.

In fact, the US version cribbed story lines from the Australian version.

 

Do you mean things like the tear-jerking story of the girl who was anxiously looking for her parents who swore they'd be there but were lost (and it was only moments until her turn), yet they just happened to have a camera crew in the car with them as they searched for the show's location, and then miraculously showed up JUST as she was about to walk into the judging room? Those kinds of story lines?

 

I love all of them. Currently immersed in New Zealand... love the Master Classes. In fact, I'm going to try Salmon Dumplings this week.
I liked Australia, but the little short fucker annoys me... funny how they have one on NZ, too.
UK was okay, but they're just not into the same food that I like. I love NZ's travel and challenges.
I don't mind the drama. It takes me away from my own, ha ha.
I feel like I have a little better understanding of how flavors come together, too.
Top Chef All-Stars and Seattle are amongst my flavorites, too.

 

The story line I remember specifically was from season one. A young "ethnic" lady prepares a "western" dish and kind of fails. The judges, after a chat, realize that she is better a "ethnic" cooking. They give her a time limit for a do-over. She then races across town to get to her Mom's pantry for ingredients only to race back to the studio and make a dish that gets her into the competition.

This is why channels around the world buy formats that they can localize. The hard work has been done by the original version. They key is to localize that success.

 

Well, I'm pretty sure that at least Michael Douglas is relieved to know that the Cajun who served up the shaved beaver is off the show.

 

I may be strange but I sort of like the drama this year. Krissy and Natasha definitely have a love hate relationship, and what's with all the hate towards the vegetarian. She can cook, and well. Imagine cooking meat that impresses the judges without tasting it. I couldn't do it.

 

I actually know someone who will be in the next season of the US version. It certainly adds another element to the show.

 

When does new season start?

 

Not soon enough! Top Chef is keeping me occupied because it's taking place in NOLA, but Tom is not Gordon.