I used to love this show. For the newbies who aren't familiar with it, it's supposed to be about potentially talented home cooks who compete in their own kitchens (to start with) to impress other teams from each state (Northern Territory and Tasmania usually don't get a look in) which is an irony as Tasmania is famous for it's pristine land and produce. The big prize at the seeminglyI used to love this show. For the newbies who aren't familiar with it, it's supposed to be about potentially talented home cooks who compete in their own kitchens (to start with) to impress other teams from each state (Northern Territory and Tasmania usually don't get a look in) which is an irony as Tasmania is famous for it's pristine land and produce. The big prize at the seemingly endless end is $AU250K. Anyhoo, the teams have to cook a three course meal and be critiqued and scored out of 10 for the whole menu by the the other teams and scored out 10 for each course by the judges (best of 100). Usually the two bottom teams face off and one is eleminated. Both judges are in/famous - Manu Feildel, a French chef who's been about for a long time in Australia, famous for several failed restaurants, starring in Ready Steady Cook, Boy's Weekend, My France (yawn) and for his perplexing accent, it seems to get heavier with every season although he's been here for years and hardly had an accent in his Ready, Steady Cook days. (Paleo) Pete Evans a polarising "celebrity" for his unshakeable faith in the Paleo diet and disturbing views on sun screen, fluoridation, grains and legumes, the DAA ( Dietitians Association of Australia), calcium and his questionable advice to gullible devotees of his Facebook page. He's not a dietitian, nutritionist, scientist or doctor. He doesn't have a degree in anything except pizza making, cheffing and heavily promoting his Paleo Way website (with fees of course) and fleecing gullible people of their money. Back to the concept of the show. In seasons past we were treated to having a Captain Cook (look) into the contestant's (or friend's/family's) homes and watch them decorate their dining rooms into a theme restaurant, the cook in their own kitchens. Some are fun, some are elegant, some are clever, some are none of those. Now they erect large marquees in their yards, which isn't a bad thing (camera's etc). It used to be about cooking, now it's more about personalities or lack of them. After the 3 home restaurant rounds with 3 different teams they are expected to do some ridiculously stupid challenges, things a professional chef who prided himself in his "craft" would never attempt to do. Eventually after many, many thrill filled episodes, they finally get to the pointy end of the very long series to cook for the failed teams and some other judges (well known and not). Colin Fassnidge who with his fabulous Irish accent can be completely charming and disarming but often not, is the judge of the third lot with his new offsider Darren Robertson, whom no one has heard of. Colin has a restaurant in Sydney called 4Fourteen, possibly something to do with driving carriages with 4 horses, you know, the Four-In-Hand competitions that Phil The Greek was pretty good at. After the restaurant episodes are over you might start to lose interest. Who cares about cooking food van lunches at the zoo or a beach or an agricultural show or out of a semi trailer (really big truck) or a warehouse in Footscray. It's no longer about the original concept - My Kitchen Rules. It seems to be diving into the worst of reality TV - nasty people, snide, obnoxious prigs, braggarts and dismissive snots that we can't wait to see fail when it's their turn. All for ratings of course. And the "clever" editing to make it seem some disastrous event - like (hopefully) a meat cleaver between the eyes that doesn't happen. Voice over man who sounds like a terrible, young DJ trying really hard to sound like Wolfman Jack. The judges critiquing before the team have eaten so when it's their turn to critique, they're clueless and floundering, so they parrot the judges. Curry paste in a jar? How dare you cheat? We, the judges, will give them a right royal bollocking in front of everyone, who probably wouldn't have known anyway, so their scores can reflect their seriousness of their sin. Even though they probably wouldn't have known. Because we told them so. The show is a great idea, but seriously flawed and tired. It needs a new format, new producers and new judges. If it was more about cooking and untapped talent and less about personalities, it could still be a really good show. Manu lays on the accent, whinges about the lack of soss (sauce), it's getting tiresome and we're at the stage of viewers begging the channel to put up subtitles. It's not charming anymore, it's annoying. It might depend on whether Colin got a bit the night before, on his mood and the new cheffy judge has a hint of a pommy accent. Rachel Koo last year was a spectacular failure. In the MKR HQ there's some ageing blonde that needs a back brace or something to keep her sitting up straight so her face in hair isn't in Guy's food. Karen Martini's great, so is Guy Grossi, who is really fair in his critiquing. I'm a bit over it but it can be good viewing when there's nothing else on, which is most nights on FreeTV.… Expand
My Kitchen Rules (2017)Your Score0 out of 10User Score
