Masterchef UK - The Professionals

Meauldsegosha

Masterchef:The Professionals returns to BBC on Tuesday 4 Nov.

keps

Looking forward to it already!

'The Professionals' is far and away my favourite of three(adult) Masterchef shows on BBC

keps

The only reservation I have is that Marcus Wareing is replacing Michel Roux jnr.

I have never warmed to Wareing (in fact he engenders the opposite feeling) - so it remains to be seen how I react to him on this show.

Bagheera

keps wrote: »

The only reservation I have is that Marcus Wareing is replacing Michel Roux jnr.

I have never warmed to Wareing (in fact he engenders the opposite feeling) - so it remains to be seen how I react to him on this show.

Why is Michel Roux Jr. not on it this year? He's my main reason for watching it. Does that mean no Monica either then?

keps

Michel was basically 'fired' by the BBC as he refused to remove his name from endorsing a brand of potatoes

see here

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/11/michel-roux-leaving-bbc-masterchef-potato


Monica has been retained by the show

stargazer 68

Started a separate thread! Starts 4th November on BBC. Marcus Waring has replaced Michel Roux Jr but Monica is still on.

Not too sure about Marcus Waring - have seen him on a few of these programmes and he doesn't seem to have a lot of patience but will see!

ibarelycare

Oh that's a pity, I love Michel. He's a really encouraging mentor and I think there's something really warm about him. Marcus Wareing always seems so grumpy!

Poochie05

I noticed he did try a more friendly version of Marcus Wareing when he was on the most recent run of the normal Masterchef this year, so maybe he was giving Marcus Wareing 1.5 a trial run!

Go Harvey Go

keps wrote: »

Michel was basically 'fired' by the BBC as he refused to remove his name from endorsing a brand of potatoes

see here

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/11/michel-roux-leaving-bbc-masterchef-potato

[PROBABLY-IRRELEVANT]

Bit like when Carol Vorderman was fired from Tomorrow's World for making this Ariel advert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urtUPcVyLT0

[/PROBABLY-IRRELEVANT]

Meauldsegosha

Starts at 8pm on BBC2 on Tuesday.

Merkin

keps wrote: »

Michel was basically 'fired' by the BBC as he refused to remove his name from endorsing a brand of potatoes

see here

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/11/michel-roux-leaving-bbc-masterchef-potato


Monica has been retained by the show

What an awful pity! He is such a lovely man and so encouraging and kind to the participants.

I actually really like Marcus Waring but his addition to the show will turn the programme into a different beast entirely. I hope they don't go down the route of humiliating the participants because that's never been what the show is about.

ebbsy

Marcus will be sorting out the men from the boys - whoever wins it will have to earn it.

HeidiHeidi

Not five minutes in and we've had "journey" twice already :mad:

Thargor

They all look and sound the same! Need to get culling...

Poochie05

Are there always 3 judges in The Professionals?
Think Marcus is really trying hard to be nicer!

BTW Dovies went to all the trouble of opening a thread but it's very lonely in there!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057313806

HeidiHeidi

Oooh, first dressing down for the second fella! Thought he was going to cry :eek:

HeidiHeidi

That's an awful pile of choux pastry and sugar.... makes me feel slightly queasy :eek:

HeidiHeidi

Gawd, would they ever cheer up! They're all so dour looking.

That rattling fella has me rattling just watching him.

keps

Yes, Marcus is wearing his happy:) face for the show- under orders I'd say!

Good start to the series although it was a pity to have 5 men ( and all of them pretty dull on the personality stakes).

God, there really is a gender bias in the chef world it seems

Meauldsegosha

Poochie05 wrote: »

Are there always 3 judges in The Professionals?
Think Marcus is really trying hard to be nicer!

BTW Dovies went to all the trouble of opening a thread but it's very lonely in there!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057313806

Just catching up now. Previously Monica and Greg would judge the first round and skills test then Michel would join them.

Marcus seems ok so far.

Croquembouche for their skills test. :eek:

Meauldsegosha

I love the faces Monica pulls.

keps

Those nettles growing at the back of the garden are in real trouble:p

ebbsy

I thought Marcus was very good last night, insightful but still scathing when a mistake was made.

A good standard has been set already, one or two from last night will be there at the business end I think.

keps

How some of those chefs survive in the real world as professionals is amazing!

HeidiHeidi

keps wrote: »

How some of those chefs survive in the real world as professionals is amazing!

I'm only playing catch-up now, but have to agree!

Shame the girlie went straight home. At least tonight's lot don't seem quite so terrified and devoid of personality.

Wasn't the slightest bit impressed with Marcus' pineapple cake - I'd be looking for a refund if I got served that!

keps

Agree - can you imagine Michel serving up that load of rubbish- looked totally off-putting

-and he was so proud of it just because he cooked its 'genesis' as a kid!

HeidiHeidi

Jogi (sp?) was a disaster, start to finish.

I'm wondering if the girl (Samantha?) would have made a better fist of it overall.

Bet she knew how to make pasta!

keps

The first dish is your own creation- your 'signature' dish- devised and cooked by a 'professional'.

You can choose what you want to cook and you obviously can practice it.

And yet tonight a few were rubbish.

Amazing

youcancallmeal

I miss Michel Roux's personality and presence on screen but I think Marcus is doing a good job. He looked a bit stiff and unsure at first but I reckon he'll grow into the role.

rodge68

I just looked at last nights show and have to agree that Marcus' desert was terrible, my 12 year old niece would do better and about a million calories !! Bet it tasted nice though.
The standard was so bad last night..no surprise them 2 boys are gone..
Marcus on the happy pills (so far)....

HeidiHeidi

Just starting to watch tonight's show now - holy ****, that's some invention test :eek::eek:

HeidiHeidi

Aaaargh! Everything is a "little" this and a "little" that. Grrrrrr!

Sort of thing that once you hear it you can't hear anything else.

Just thought some of the rest of you should suffer with me

HeidiHeidi

Okaaaayyy.....

So the first critic says "Don't experiment on me".

The second critic says "I want to see some of that throw-out-the-rule-book feeling and open-mindedness here today".

How can these poor feckers win :eek:

HeidiHeidi

"Relaaaxxxxx"

"Enjoy this bit"

Yeah right, with that pair breathing down your neck and three critics waiting in the room outside to tear you to shreds.

How this guy hasn't had a heart attack yet I don't know.

keps

Strangely enough the one thing that is working is the dynamic between Marcus and Monica:eek:

He gave her a caviar and champagne sideways look tonight

Mr E

I like Marcus, but I kind of miss Michel.

"Tonight I'm going to make a blah de blah blah blah, avec le blah de blah jus, et frites".

keps

Fro m the Guardian



http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/nov/05/masterchef-the-professionals-review-gloomy-boring

HeidiHeidi

keps wrote: »

Fro m the Guardian



http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/nov/05/masterchef-the-professionals-review-gloomy-boring

Well if I had the slightest talent for writing, I could have written that.

Every single word of it.

I'm very disappointed in this series, and if there isn't a bit of personality about next week's lot, I don't think I'll be around for the final.

P. Breathnach

Three main problems with this year's programme
1. The format needs to be changed to keep things fresh and interesting. For example, the critics' table seems like a bit of same-old, same-old. And substituting Marcus Wareing for Michel Roux doesn't count as an improvement: Michel seems to be a genuinely nice person, whereas one has the impression that Marcus is trying to act nice.
2. The contestants so far seem not to be televisual, or the editing is unkind to them.
3. There is insufficient attention paid to the cookery and the food (but it's been like that for a while).

Mr E

Ah you're all a shower of miserable sods. :pac:

It's good TV! (but I have lower standards than most, it has to be said)

Slicemeister

Ever since that court case last year I've completely gone off Greg Wallace. Marcus is getting better as the show goes on imo. He just needs to label his dishes better, maybe give Michel Roux a ring....

keps

Slicemeister wrote: »

Ever since that court case last year I've completely gone off Greg Wallace. Marcus is getting better as the show goes on imo. He just needs to label his dishes better, maybe give Michel Roux a ring....

What court case was that?

Slicemeister

Apologies just went looking for it there. His business went bust with half a million in debt. No court case that I can see yet.

HeidiHeidi

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Three main problems with this year's programme
1. The format needs to be changed to keep things fresh and interesting. For example, the critics' table seems like a bit of same-old, same-old. And substituting Marcus Wareing for Michel Roux doesn't count as an improvement: Michel seems to be a genuinely nice person, whereas one has the impression that Marcus is trying to act nice.
2. The contestants so far seem not to be televisual, or the editing is unkind to them.
3. There is insufficient attention paid to the cookery and the food (but it's been like that for a while).

Couldn't agree more.

1. Critics' table could be cut'n'pasted from season to season. When is the last time we saw a new face, never mind heard a new line from them?

2. This week's contestants were the most forgettable I can ever remember. Bar the Scottish fella, who stood out because his accent was different, I couldn't tell you a thing about any of 'em. Nor could I care less about any of them.

3. I had vowed to stop watching Irish MC because there was absolutely no footage of the cooking. It was all criticism and bitching, with a bit of fluffy filler here and there. I am really disappointed to see MCUK going the same way. And as mentioned in the Guardian critique, that tinny soundtrack timed with all the sound effects - "smash" "splash" "slice" (can't think of any better way to describe it) drives me NUTS.

ebbsy

The standard at the critics stage was very high from the first 3, and they will certainly be there at the end.

Only the very best will reach the final.

Snoopy1

I think Marcus is a good judge, if anything I find monica more harsh.

stargazer 68

Snoopy1 wrote: »

I think Marcus is a good judge, if anything I find monica more harsh.

He is definitely better as a judge then he was as a 'mentor' I think. He is much more personable but I guess that could be because they aren't in his restaurant! :rolleyes:

HeidiHeidi

Oh look - another five boys tonight - quelle surprise! Is cheffing really that gender-biased

Anyway, have only got past the titles so far - good to see that at least they all look a bit diverse in terms of accent and looks, I might be able to tell them apart this time!

Just hope they can cook this week.....

HeidiHeidi

Christ, another awful skills test :eek:

God help them!

P. Breathnach

Some cooking ability this week. And a little more personality. I'm impressed with Sven.

HeidiHeidi

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Some cooking ability this week. And a little more personality. I'm impressed with Sven.

I haven't quite got to the end yet, but the drooling over Sven was slightly nauseating - I hope he kept up his standards! (I wasn't beyond a bit of drooling myself, to be fair )

Agree that tonight's standard of cooking was far above last week's.