MONEY RAISED FOR AUSTRALIAN CHARITIES ONLY THING SAVING THE MASTERCHEF ALLSTARS CONCEPT

Masterchef is an australian TV success story on a huge scale. Since beginning in 2009 on Channel 10 the pressure cooker TV cooking contest, which is contested over a 2 month period with around 20 contestants all vying to be crowned THE MASTERCHEF of the year, has become one of the biggest ratings successes on australian television, and an advertisers dream if they can afford over 50 grand for a 30 second commercial. Masterchef fetches more advertising revenue on a per second basis than any of the nightly news bulletins on every channel, and is consistently Channel 10`s most popular program when it is on our screens. The 2012 Masterchef was crowned just over a week ago, Andy beat a lot more fancied contestants, including a muslim woman named Armina whose lack of panache sadly ended up derailing her performance in the Masterchef kitchen, as well as half a dozen others (too many to name). The 2012 Masterchef series is the first one i watched in any capacity since the 2009 debut, the show, which is hosted by the playful food critic MATT PRESTON, the antagonistic GEORGE CALOMBARIS and the shitstirring but compassionate restaurateur GARY MEHIGAN, has now been supplemented by the addition of the MASTERCHEF ALL STARS franchise, which features the top 4 contestants from each of the three series between 2009 and 2011. The overall purpose of MASTERCHEF ALLSTARS is commendable - the stars of the show are cooking to win money for a nominated charity of their choosing. I just get the feeling after watching a few episodes of the program that despite the best efforts of MEHIGAN, CALOMBARIS and PRESTON to inject some panache and exuberance into the ranks of the MASTERCHEF ALLSTARS line-up, that human nature has taken hold and there just isn't that energy present in the Masterchef kitchen as in the regular series. In particular, the four contestants from 2009 - Julie Goodwin, Justine Schofield, Chris and Poh (pictured) all look like they really dont particularly want to be there. Obviously Channel 10 waved a big enough cheque at them to convince all of them to be involved in MASTERCHEF ALLSTARS. The four contestants from the 2010 and 2011 series have a bit more spring in their step and aren't quite as disinterested as team 2009, but their apathy is still palpable. However, despite the worldweariness mood on the MASTERCHEF ALLSTARS set, there have still been flashes of culinary brilliance on the part of all 12 contestants taking part. The show is as flat as a tack but the money it will raise for needy charities across Australia might just make it a worthwhile venture afterall.