MASTERCHEF WITH HOUSES

The Renovators (Masterchef with houses) is the new reality based offering thrown up by Channel 10, and I think it’s going to become my new favourite show.

Already, I’m finding it incredibly entertaining, but possibly not in a way that the producers of the show intended.

It’s programmed to pick up where Masterchef leaves off this Sunday; filling the void left by the departure of this much loved show *rolls eyes*.  However, unlike Masterchef, it’s not bagging the ratings expected of it.

Apparently, its whopping $30 million budget is not pulling in the viewer’s yet, and that could be because The Block is still banging away on Channel 9, or people just haven’t’ given it a chance yet.

Either way, it’s an interesting show.

Sure, it’s using the same successful formula that Masterchef has; a diverse variety of contestants, a ‘Top 24’, an elimination process; ridiculous, OTT challenges, screamingly obvious retrospective commentary, and annoying, over-bubbly girls that talk like they’ve drunk one to many V’s.  The only thing that is missing, surprisingly, is Dani.

There are the token gays, mums, battlers, talented sleepers, spunky chicks, hot boys and ordinary ‘blokes’.  The key difference between this show and its Masterchef contemporary is that this show allows professionals in.  Some of the contenders are builders, interior designers, tradesmen, property developers and so on. 

At least this may guarantee that we’re not going to see too much crap from people that have no fucken idea what they’re doing.  Like Dani.

Any of course, let’s not forget the judges; who most of us have never heard of, but understand them to be ‘experts’ in their fields.  Apparently.  Channel 10 employed them, so they must be.

Hopefully, they won’t be as attention-seeking as the contestants, some of which are already showing their ‘look at me!’ tendencies.  Like Dani.

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen the top 26 whittle down to 24 (why, I don’t know), so that teams of four can be split and work upon six piece-of-crap houses, some of which, should be seriously bulldozed.  Initial challenges saw six very different individuals (one of which I’ve labelled Andre The Giant – watch, and you’ll know why) obtain the keys to these houses, of which they are in charge of the renovations.

Teams leaders sorted.  Teams sorted.  Challenges begin.

Last night, we saw the first real elimination challenge, where the teams had to make a coffee table to fit into the design of a room, created by some award winning designer named Greg, that no one had heard of, but showed immense respect to. 

Unlike Masterchef, where the contestants are pretty learned up on their famous chefs and stuff, I can’t see this being the case in The Renovators.  No one in this competition strikes me as intelligent enough to study the works of famous architects and designers from around the world.  Seriously. 

Let me just say, the winner of last night’s challenge was clear; literally.  The coffee tables that were made, and actually stayed together, all looked hideous.  The one that won the challenge was a clear Perspex one, and I’m pretty sure it was chosen simply because you actually couldn’t see it in the room.  Seriously.  You couldn’t see it.

I’m tipping that this was a smart move on Greg’s part, because this room and feature table were going into a design spread in Inside Out Magazine (which I have never heard of, and I’m tipping you may be right there with me on that one), and no doubt, these hideous objects would detract from Greg’s brilliance.  So, it became a matter of damage control, and the invisible table was the winner.  Clearly.

Then Greg had to announce the team that presented the worst table, and said ‘it was incredibly difficult.’  Of course it was!  All of the tables were shit!  Which one was the worst would be like choosing between Dani & Ellie on Masterchef.  Impossible!

In saying that, Masterchef with Houses may provide to be more and more entertaining, as over a period of time, we will see these relatively normal people create something fantastic from a potential bulldozer job.  Sure this may not compare to an Adriano Zumbo Gingerbread house, but it’s right up there.

In saying that, I find it as inspirational as Masterchef.  MC got me into the kitchen cooking and loving food, and The Renovators makes me want to rip out the side of my house and install a full wall of concertina glass doors that look out onto my patio/entertaining area, all the while trying to figure out what the ‘hero of my room’ is.

This series could be expensive for me.

So, get into The Renovators whilst it’s good, because by the time season 3 rolls around, it will be as crap as Masterchef has become. 

Peace out.