At a time when television is flooded with top-quality shows like Game of Thrones, Top of the Lake, and the soon to return Mad Men, why is Aussie amateur cooking show My Kitchen Rules a ratings phenomenon? And, even more worryingly, why do I find myself fretting and swearing along with the wannabe cooks as they whip up outrageously ambitious dishes to serve the judges and their often callous and critical fellow competitors?
Don't get me wrong, I still watch Game of Thrones, and have Top of The Lake recorded, but MKR has become the week's appointment viewing.
Even though I admit it is essentially mindless and formulaic reality TV, nothing beats MKR for action and drama. And as this sort of show goes, it doesn't get much better, and the ratings reflect that with more than half a million Kiwis on average tuning in every episode. That beats - in some cases quite easily - any of the rival shows it is up against in the 7.30pm time slot. It was the main reason TV3 decided to move The Blue Rose to a later time in February, following the impact MKR had on Monday night ratings when it premiered.
It really is nerve-wracking stuff to watch, with MKR's makers managing to take you along for the ride with clever editing and great pace. But more than that, the cast of characters range from loud, proud and hilarious Italian housewives Angela and Melina to kooky and neurotic "domestic goddesses" Jenna and Joanna.
The casting is so good you can't help but think the bitchy and quite awful pair of Ashlee and Sophia - whose catch phrases include "sick" and "babes" - are planted in the series to provoke hatred and rile the other contestants.
