No surprises here.
via press release:
FOX GOES BACK FOR SECONDS WITH SEASON TWO
OF GORDON RAMSAY’S “MASTERCHEF”
Next All-New Episode of Summer’s No. 1 New Series Airs Tomorrow;
Thrilling First Season Finale Airs Wednesday, September 15
FOX has ordered a second season of Gordon Ramsay’s newest culinary competition series, MASTERCHEF, it was announced today by Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.
“Gordon Ramsay is an incredible talent and the biggest culinary star on television today, so we’re very happy to have Gordon and MASTERCHEF back for another season on FOX,” said Darnell. “MASTERCHEF has resonated with viewers this summer, and we look forward to seeing where Gordon takes the show in Season Two.”
“It’s amazing and refreshing to see how much passion and raw talent there is from amateur home cooks across America,” said Ramsay. “It’s extraordinary the amount of energy and excitement the show brought in Season One, and I’m thrilled to be back at FOX for a second season.”
“The amazing reception for MASTERCHEF on FOX has been hugely rewarding for all of us at Shine Group,” said MASTERCHEF executive producer and Shine Group Chairman and CEO, Elisabeth Murdoch. “As the creators of this unique global franchise, we’re thrilled to see the U.S. audience love this show as much as we do. We are looking forward to building on this early success with an even broader, bigger search in Season Two, and to seeing the brand grow as it continues to do so in Australia, the U.K., France and around the world, breaking viewing and ancillary records as it goes.”
MASTERCHEF is the No. 1 new program of the summer among Adults 18-49, outperforming the next highest-rated show by +14%.
In the next all-new episode, airing tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 8 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, the MASTERCHEF judges – Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot – force the home cooks to work for their food as they all go fishing and are allowed to use only what they caught to make a delicious meal. At the end of the episode, one more contestant will be sent home.
The following week on the season finale, airing Wednesday, Sept. 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), the remaining four home cooks go head-to-head and battle it out to become America’s first-ever MASTERCHEF. The winner will earn the title of America’s Best Home Cook, walk away with $250,000 and a cookbook-publishing deal and embark on a life-changing journey.
For those that believe they are the next MASTERCHEF please visit fox.com/masterchef.
MASTERCHEF is produced by Reveille, Shine TV and One Potato Two Potato and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Shine TV. Shine International handles distribution for the MASTERCHEF format.
For those of us into unscripted competition (reality) shows, this has been a pleasant surprise. I think the numbers have been better than FOX would have expected. This show is well produced and Ramsey isn’t his usual totally obnoxious self. The show fits in well as a summer series, and I suppose it might do well in the spring instead of Kitchen Nightmares. I can’t imagine Ramsey on four hours a week so there doesn’t seem to be much room on the schedule during the Sept – May season.
It’s decent. I guess I was expecting there to be more actual teaching involved as these people are supposed to be raw amateurs.
Though I have read that some seem to stretch the “amateur” title. For ex. Jake, the construction worker, has been running his own catering company.