MasterChef USA

MasterChef USA was an American competitive cooking show that aired on PBS from 2000 to 2001.[1] The series was hosted by Gary Rhodes.[1] The series format was based directly on BBC's MasterChef, which used Rhodes as host during 2001. The show had two seasons.[2]

This article is about the PBS television show. For the unrelated Fox television show, see MasterChef (American TV series). For the franchise, see MasterChef.
MasterChef USA
MasterChef USA Logo
Presented byGary Rhodes
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producerElizabeth Brock
Running time30-60 minutes per episode
Release
Original networkPBS
Picture format4:3
Original release1 April 2000 (2000-04-01) –
30 June 2001 (2001-06-30)
Chronology
Followed byMasterChef (US TV series)
External links
Website

The first season premiered on April 1, 2000 with a total of 13 half-hour-long episodes and 1 hour-long special.[3] 27 contestants arose from the auditions held in each region, in which office manager Nancy Vaziri of Homewood, Illinois won the title of MasterChef 2000.[4]

The second season started on April 7, 2001 with a total of 13 half-hour-long episodes as well as 1 hour-long special.[3] Similarly, 27 contestants advanced; wherein business owner Geoffrey Hill of Evanston, Illinois was proclaimed as MasterChef 2001.[5]

Production

Due to the success of the British Broadcasting Corporation cooking show MasterChef, PBS acquired rights to screen and West 175 make an American version of MasterChef.[1]

When it came to finding a chef to present the show, executive producer Elizabeth Brock initially wanted British cook Gary Rhodes for the job. "He is so alive on camera," points out Brock. "And he also has the unique ability to combine true expertise on cooking with his gift of communicating in an entertaining style."[6]

Summary

During the first 9 weeks, twenty-seven cooks from different regions faced-off in a challenge involving their best original two-course menu which must cost less than $60.00 and cook them in only two and a half hours. Nine contestants will be picked to move on to the next round where they will battle against another set of cooks from another region. From there, three will be picked to compete in the finale, where one of them will grab the coveted title for the next MasterChef.[2]

Season 1

The first season saw 27 cooks battling for a spot in the semi-final round. A set of three cooks competed in the Southwestern, Southeastern, and Northwestern regions while six cooks competed in a two-part challenge in the Midwestern, Western, and Northeastern divisions.[1] On May 27, 2000, the complete setlist of 27 cooks were revealed.[1] In the end, medical practice office manager Nancy Vaziri of Homewood, Illinois was proclaimed MasterChef 2000, winning herself a trip to CuisinArt Resort and Spa, a $1000 Williams Sonoma gift certificate, a subscription to the International Association of Culinary Professionals and a short-term editorial for Bon Appétit.[1][4]

Contestant State Region Occupation Status
Nancy Vaziri IL Midwestern Medical Practice Office Manager Winner 24 June
Lynne Champion CA Western Bed and Breakfast Owner Runner-up 24 June
Stephen Both DE Northeastern Painting Contractor Eliminated 24 June
Gary Wall TX Southwestern Television director Eliminated 17 June
Jennifer Spencer GA Southeastern Insurance Underwriter Eliminated 17 June
Bob Hafey IL Midwestern Manufacturing Manager Eliminated 10 June
Lani Meltzer CA Western Surgical Assistant Eliminated 10 June
Dana Maxey NY Northeastern Investment Banker Eliminated 3 June
Scott Stevenson OR Northwestern Realtor Eliminated 3 June
Lew Sherwood NY Northeastern Advertising Executive Eliminated 27 May
Pietro Fragale NY Northeastern Hospital Administrator Eliminated 27 May
Erminia Mack IL Midwestern Homemaker Eliminated 20 May
Dhont Martial IL Midwestern Surgeon Eliminated 20 May
James Morgan AZ Western Information Designer Eliminated 13 May
Michelle Fish AZ Western Scuba Diver Eliminated 13 May
Kirk Cochran GA Southeastern Firefighter Eliminated 6 May
Nikki Norman FL Southeastern Community and civic volunteer Eliminated 6 May
Frances Maxwell WA Northwestern Student Eliminated 29 April
Melanie Hartley WA Northwestern Nurse Eliminated 29 April
Richard Russell VA Northeastern U.S. House of Representative Deputy Chief of Staff in Science Eliminated 22 April
Shanti Jain NJ Northeastern Homemaker Eliminated 22 April
Renee Evers NV Western Musician Eliminated 15 April
Richard Kronick AZ Western Graphic designer Eliminated 15 April
Peter Flores IL Midwestern Paralegal Eliminated 8 April
Susan Achinapura IL Midwestern Homemaker Eliminated 8 April
Kay Dalton TX Southwestern Mom Eliminated 1 April
Richard Winters TX Southwestern Rancher Eliminated 1 April
Ep# / Show-Ep# Original Airdate Episode Title / Event Ref.
Regional Cook-offs
1/1.1 1 April 2000 Series Premiere: Regional Cook-off 1.1 - 27 amateur chefs from different parts of the country competed in 9 first-round challenges which will minimize the field to 9. In the first cook-off, Skitch Henderson and David Rosengarten judged the cooking of Southwestern cooks Gary, Kay, and Richard W. in a two-course menu challenge. Gary was announced through to the semi-finals, while Kay and Rick are eliminated. [3]
2/1.2 8 April 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.2 - Midwestern chefs Nancy, Peter, and Susan are judged by George Wallace and Michel Nischan. Nancy was proclaimed the winner, sending Peter and Susan packing. [7]
3/1.3 15 April 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.3 - Guest judges Robin Leach and Lidia Bastianich criticized Western cooks Lynne, Renee, and Richard K. Lynne won by a clean slate, defeating Renee and Richie. [8]
4/1.4 22 April 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.4 - Northeast chefs Richard R., Shanti, and Stephen vied in a cookoff watched by Madhur Jaffrey and Carolyn O'Neil. Stephen triumphed, sending Richard and Shanti home. [9]
5/1.5 29 April 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.5 - Northwestern amateurs Frances, Melanie, and Scott competed in a cookoff for Thierry Rautureau and Claudia Cohen. In the end, Scott went forward while Frances and Melanie walked. [10]
6/1.6 6 May 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.6 - Southeastern contestants Jennifer, Kirk, and Nikki battled in a challenge judged by Nathalie Dupree and Colman Andrews. Jennifer advanced whereas Kirk and Nikki stayed. [11]
7/1.7 13 May 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.7 - The second set of Western amateurs (Lani, Michelle, and Morgan) competed to satisfy judges Molly O'Neill and Vincent Schiavelli. Ultimately, Lani saved herself from elimination with Michelle and Morgan. [12]
8/1.8 20 May 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.8 - Midwestern chefs Bob, Erminia, and Jack fought against each other to win judges George Wallace and Stephan Pyles. The challenge witnessed Erminia and Jack lacking skills compared to Bob, eliminating them. [13]
9/1.9 27 May 2000 Regional Cook-off 1.9 - The last group of cooks from the Northeast (Dana, Lew, and Pietro) were judged by Jacques Torres and Jock Soto. Dana gained the last spot in the semi-finals while Lew and Pietro departed the competition. [14]
Semi-Finals
10/1.10 3 June 2000 Semi-Finals 1.1 - Dana, Lynne, and Scott met in a semi-final round with judges Sissy Biggers and Kit Skarstrom. Lynne was the obvious winner, while Dana and Scott lost. [15]
11/1.11 10 June 2000 Semi-Finals 1.2 - A semi-final round cookoff features Bob, Lani, and Nancy cooking for Sheila Lukins and Claudia Cohen. After a long decision, Nancy was deemed safe. On the other hand, Bob and Lani left the competition. [16]
12/1.12 17 June 2000 Semi-Finals 1.3 - The last semi-final round saw Gary, Jennifer, and Stephen battling for Joan Nathan and Tanya Wenman Steel. Stephen proved stronger, eliminating Gary and Jennifer. [17]
Finale
Special 1 22 June 2000 MasterChef USA Special 1 - The special featured a preview of the final-round cook-off. The episode also included interviews with the contestants and season highlights. [18]
Finale 1 24 June 2000 Grand Finale 1 - The finale saw Lynne, Nancy, and Stephen cooking for Jacques Pepin and Robin Mattson in a three-course meal challenge. Nancy's menu which consisted of Mushroom Pâté in Filo Pastry Baskets atop Field of Greens, Morgh Pollo (Seasoned Pilaf of Roasted Chicken), and Fruit Tart Cheesecake was deemed more impressive, defeating Lynne and Stephen for the title of MasterChef 2000. [4][19]

Season 2

The second season, like its predecessor, witnessed 27 cooks battling for a spot in the semi-final round. A set of three cooks competed in the Southwestern, Southeastern, and Northwestern regions while six cooks competed in a two-part challenge in the Midwestern, Western, and Northeastern divisions.[1] On June 2, 2001, the complete setlist of 27 cooks were revealed.[20] In the end, small business owner Geoffrey Hill of Evanston, Illinois was announced MasterChef 2001, claiming prizes that included an all-expense-paid two-week stay at Cuisinarts Caribbean resort, Le Creuset cookware, $1000 Williams-Sonoma gift certificate and other cuisine-related prizes.[5]

Contestant State Region Occupation Status
Geoffrey HIll IL Midwestern Business Owner Winner 30 June
David Ross WA Northwestern Airline Supervisor Runner-up 30 June
Lala Cheema FL Southeastern Biology Teacher Eliminated 30 June
Josie Aaronson-Gelb CA Western Public Relations Officer Eliminated 23 June
Marion Stevens CA Western Retired Eliminated 23 June
Cindy Blakeslee VT Northeastern Non-profit Organization Director Eliminated 16 June
Kyung Chang NY Northeastern Set Designer Eliminated 16 June
Janet Moore MI Midwestern Retired Eliminated 9 June
Mary Boyd TX Southwestern Realtor Eliminated 9 June
Herman Liu NM Southwestern Management Consultant Eliminated 2 June
Kristen Ritchie OK Southwestern Company Vice President Eliminated 2 June
Baron Long CA Western Professional Sales Agent Eliminated 26 May
Martina Thurlow CA Western Attorney Eliminated 26 May
Charles Sweeney DC Northeastern Corporate Communications Manager Eliminated 19 May
Joan Churchill NH Northeastern Theatrical Designer Eliminated 19 May
Camilla Saulsbury IN Midwestern Student Eliminated 12 May
Robert Whitt IN Midwestern Real Estate Firm President Eliminated 12 May
Kimberly Davis FL Southeastern Self-employed Eliminated 5 May
Peter Hyzak FL Southeastern Sales Manager Eliminated 5 May
Gail Singer CA Western Real Estate Agent Eliminated 28 April
Heather Rizzoli CA Western Self-employed Eliminated 28 April
Laura Chavoen NY Northeastern Business Strategist Eliminated 21 April
Tirso Perez NY Northeastern Restaurateur Eliminated 21 April
Joseph King WA Northwestern Software Developer Eliminated 14 April
Kathy Urbano ID Northwestern Counselor Eliminated 14 April
Kaylan Dutta MI Midwestern Engineer Eliminated 7 April
Norita Solt IA Midwestern Retired Eliminated 7 April
Ep# / Show-Ep# Original Airdate Episode Title / Event Ref.
Regional Cook-offs
1/2.1 7 April 2001 Series Premiere: Regional Cook-off 2.1 - Midwestern cooks Geoffrey, Kaylan, and Norita prepared their best gourmet recipes against the clock to try and capture the regional title. With judges Bobby Collins and Susan Feniger on the tasting table, Geoffrey won the first round while Kaylan and Norita were eliminated. [20]
2/2.2 14 April 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.2 - Northwestern contestants David, Joseph, and Kathy cooked for judges Jerry di Vecchio and Tom Douglas. David was deemed safe and through, sending Joseph and Kathy home. [20]
3/2.3 21 April 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.3 - Northeastern contestants Cindy, Laura, and Tirso prepared their best dishes to Laurin Sydney and Benjamin Ford. Cindy triumphed, leading to Laura and Tirso's departure. [20]
4/2.4 28 April 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.4 - Western chefs Gail, Heather, and Marion battled for a spot in the semi-finals. In the end, judges Jacklyn Zeman and Mark Peel announced Marion as the winner, kicking Gail and Heather out of the competition. [20]
5/2.5 5 May 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.5 - Southeastern cooks Lala, Kimberly, and Peter created their best recipes under the guidance of David Brenner and Mary Sue Milliken. Lala advanced while Kimberly and Peter walked. [20]
6/2.6 12 May 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.6 - The second set of Midwestern chefs (Camilla, Janet, and Robert) cooked under pressure. Judges Suzanne Rogers and Damian Mandola unanimously picked Janet, removing Camilla and Robert from the contest. [20]
7/2.7 19 May 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.7 - Northeastern contestants Charles, Joan, and Kyung served up their signature dishes to Tom Bergeron and Richard Kaupp. Kyung successfully granted herself a place in the next round, saying goodbye to Charles and Joan. [20]
8/2.8 26 May 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.8 - Western chefs Baron, Josie, and Martina presented their culinary skills and knowledge to Bill Nye the Science Guy and Michael Chiarello. Josie went through, whereas Baron and Martina didn't. [20]
9/2.9 2 June 2001 Regional Cook-off 2.9 - The last group of cooks from the Southwest (Herman, Kristen, and Mary) displayed their abilities to judges Suzanne Sena and Mark Miller. Mary grasps the last spot in the semi-finals, eliminating Herman and Kristen. [20]
Semi-Finals
10/2.10 9 June 2001 Semi-Finals 2.1 - Geoffrey, Janet, and Mary competed for the first place in the finale. Judges Barbara Fairchild and Piero Selvaggio were impressed by Geoffrey, sending Janet and Mary packing. <[20]
11/2.11 16 June 2001 Semi-Finals 2.2 - Cindy, Kyung, and Lala were judged by A.J. Benza and Rick Bayless. Lala prevails, defeating Cindy and Kyung. [20]
12/2.12 23 June 2001 Semi-Finals 2.3 - The last semi-final round saw David, Josie, and Marion battling for judges Donna Mills and Allyson Thurber. David became the clear winner, while Josie and Marion went home. [20]
Finale
Special 2 28 June 2001 MasterChef USA Special 2 - The special featured a preview of the final-round cook-off. The episode also included interviews with the contestants and season highlights. [20]
Finale 1 30 June 2001 Grand Finale 2 - The finale saw David, Geoffrey, and Nancy cooking for B. Smith and MasterChef 2000 Nancy Vaziri in a three-course meal challenge. Lala's menu which consisted of Shami Kabobs with Mango Chutney, Shrimp Curry with Browned Rice and Red Bell Pepper and Sautéed Squash with Ginger Slices, and Jalabees proved better than David's Dungeness Crab Mosaic with Marjoram Mayonnaise and Pear Chips, Cedar-Planked Halibut with Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Broth and Frizzled Onions, and Toasted Hazelnut Ice Cream with Huckleberry Compote and Geoffrey's Creamy Yellow Pepper Soup Cibreo, Roast King Salmon with Pesto Glaze and Nutty Bundled Green Beans, and Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut Tart, winning him the title of MasterChef 2001. [20][21]

Celebrity judges

Every challenge featured a panel of two celebrity judges.[1] Personalities are listed alphabetically:

Revival
Main article: MasterChef (American TV series)

On July 27, 2010, Fox premiered the similarly titled cooking show MasterChef among its primetime programs. The show, hosted and judged by British chef Gordon Ramsay and American restaurateurs Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot, followed the new format of the BBC version.[22]

References
  1. MasterChef USA, West 175 Productions. "Who will be the first MasterChef USA?". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  2. MasterChef USA, West 175 Productions. "MasterChef USA 2001". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #1 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  4. MasterChef USA, West 175 Productions. "Profile of a MasterChef". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  5. Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo!. "Port Orange has own MasterChef". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  6. MasterChef USA, West 175 Productions. "Meet the MasterChef USA Host: Gary Rhodes". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  7. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #2 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  8. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #3 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  9. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #4 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  10. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #5 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  11. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #6 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  12. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #7 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  13. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #8 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  14. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Regional Cookoff #9 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  15. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Semi-Final Competition #1 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  16. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Semi-Final Competition #2 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  17. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Semi-Final Competition #3 - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  18. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: MasterChef USA Special - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  19. TV Guide, TV Guide, Inc. "Episode Detail: Grand Finale - Masterchef USA". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  20. MasterChef USA, West 175 Productions. "MasterChef USA Season Two". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  21. MasterChef USA, West 175 Productions. "MasterChef USA Season Two Grand Finale Recipes". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  22. Nine News, Nine Network. "America set to launch MasterChef with Ramsay". Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
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