f1av0r posted:

I recently watched Masterchef season 4, and it felt like it wasn't focused on cooking as much as it was on drama. I also didn't really feel like as a viewer I could really judge how good the cooks were.

I'm now watching Masterchef Season 2 Australia and this is a great show. It gives me the same warm feeling that Parks and Rec's did, because the show is very positive and encouraging. The contests are concerned about their peers and generally are nice people. The challenges focus on cooking and testing technical skills like cleaning fish, separating egg whites, and cutting things evenly. The cooks also get a recipe so they know how to prepare the dish. So the drama, isn't so focused on "Chef has no idea how to make noodles and is using the wrong ingredients." I highly recommend it