Can't wait for the new series to start! This is my favourite Masterchef variant. And now a public service announcement. Here's the schedule for the new series.
21 episodes, BBC2.
1: Tuesday 4th Nov, 8pm-9pm, first round
2: Wednesday 5th Nov 8pm-9pm, first round
3: Thursday 6th Nov 8pm-9pm, quarter-final
That's the pattern for the first few weeks. Presumably week 6 will be semi-finals and week 7 finals.
Don't read further than this if you don't want to know what the BBC website says about the format, ie what they're going to have to do.
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OK, there are a few changes from yesteryear (not major, though, except that I doubt Marcus Wareing will be as lovely and nurturing as MRJ, sigh).
The BBC website says in each of the first rounds there will be 5 chefs. They warm up by making a signature dish for Monica and Greg (I assume). One gets chucked out after that. Remaining four face Monica's skills test (which is my favourite bit). Then Marcus Wareing sets them a test, at the end of which second chef is chucked out. It looks as if he isn't expecting them to follow a classic recipe, as MRJ did. He gives them a brilliant range of top notch ingredients, tells them they have to make a dish using e.g. quail, and then leaves them free to decide which other ingredients to use and how to cook and present it.
Quarter-final: there should be six to start with. First they have to make something brilliant from trimmings. At least one goes after that. Remaining chefs cook for the critics (another of my favourite bits).