Cooking competitions (etc) on television

[snowwhite]

Much as I enjoy watching television programmes on TV (currently just managed to catch up with the current series of Materchef - finals are this week), I do so for the fun of watching the human drama, rather than (eg) to be inspired to cook the stuff they're producing.

I think if push came to shove I'd find a lot of what they're producing all by inedible a lot of the time, and not because I'm especially picky, but I'm not a big fan of chillis (and one of the celeb rounds this series was a challenge to cook with chillis) and neither do I like Indian spices very much (my dad was allergic to cumin, so we didn't eat much Indian growing up). Plus I wouldn't normally eat either chicken or fish skins and I usually cut the fat off meat too.

It's the same but worse with the GB sewing bee (can't operate a sewing machine) - I still like getting to know the contestants and seeing some of the things they produce.

What do you watch that in threory might give you ideas about things you'd like to do yourself, but realistically is not about that at all?

[ozziegiraffe]

My reality obsession is home renovating shows, but I really prefer the ones where the rooms are attainable for normal people, not millionaires.
I generally don’t watch cooking shows, because I don’t want to look at all that food. And I won’t be watching the new Australian Masterchef because I can’t stand Gordon Ramsay.

[lillielangtry]

Oh yes, totally with The Great Pottery Throwdown, even more so than Bake Off - most people probably have made a simple cake or biscuits at some point, while the majority of people have probably never touched clay as an adult, at least. I've never made anything like that, although I do think it looks like great fun. It's just nice to watch people all so concentrated on making beautiful things. They don't stir up controversy between the contestants either, they actually support each other.

[sprite]

I don't see the point of meat without fat.
I avoid these shows because of all the human drama, to be frank. If i have to watch emotional manipulation, i want a good script.

i like the renovation and gardening ones sometimes, for ideas and to imagine living differently.

[riverhorse]

I'm with Sprite on this one, I can't stand the contrived uberdrama on stuff like Masterchef. But a "proper" cooking show like Jamie or the Hairy Bikers, yay!

I used to like watching Ready Steady Cook which I guess counts as a competition, I loved the ingenuity of what people could come up with with only a few, sometimes very random ingredients.

Renovation shows - shall I spill the beans that one of Hal's guilty secret crushes is Kevin McCloud?!

[HalcyonDaze]

Oh it isn't a secret crush at all - I am very open about my geek crushes!

[snowwhite]

I'm now watching Your Home made Perfect(or something), uses VR so participents can 'see' the competing architects' ideas for their homes... I don't share the current idealisation for open-plan living - sometimes you want to be able to keep cooking smells in the kitchen, or to be able to shut the door on the children's TV/games or use a downstairs room as an extra bedroom (not a value judgement, just a preference.

And Sewing Bee is back Enjoying Joe Lycett (as he is once more) and looking forward to seeing the stuff the contestants make.

I remember being so impressed by the way they made coats in a few hours last series - the S Am (I think?) guy's one was really striking, but they got rid of the really expert sewer (?Janet) the week before the final because I think they wanted a repeat of the previous year's story of a competent sewer discovering 3d creativity, so kept the annoying blonde one in.

[ozziegiraffe]

I love Escape to the Country, but I find the English obsession with bathtubs and going upstairs to bed a bit odd, especially when the couple are retirees with some mobility issues.

[tucano]

We live in a colder country and appreciate the comfort of a relaxing warm bath I guess. Some of us at least.