Good, honest, homely.......TV programme (Come Dine With Me)

Member Name: cerys82

Product:	Come Dine With Me
Date:	05/06/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fantastic entertainment

Disadvantages: xmas version isn't great

I first came across CDWM as many people I know did, whilst channel surfing as a student. After catching it a couple of times in a row - I was hooked!
The premise of the original series was simple, five strangers (some more strange than others) take in turns over five evenings to cook a meal at their houses and then they all score each other. The highest scorer/s win £1000.
It is shown in four other formats also;

1) In an hour long format showing four people cooking over four nights
2) An extended version of the hour long format shown over four episodes
3) A Christmas special which takes place over one evening and each guest has to do a course at their different homes and they all travel between them
4) A version with celebrities

Each show/series of shows takes place in a different location/city.
I think it is more than fair to say that each week is completely different form the next and this is all down to the personalities involved rather than the food. Some weeks the relationships between the group deteriorate into slanging matches and others, less often mind you, become "love-ins" and it appears good friendships are being fostered.

The weeks where they consist of half hour shows are the best ones, I feel because you get to know the people better and get more of a sneaky look around their homes if that is your guilty pleasure!
It has created some truly memorable moments - the WAG who passed off 'Selfridges' ravioli as her own home-made creation, the woman who offended her host so badly that she had to sit in another room to eat her dessert. There are also some quite moving moments; I am thinking in particular of the man who was a confirmed carnivore until a fellow contestant who was vegan made him seriously consider his stance, and then his emotional announcement to the group.

And now, at last, onto the food (well it does sometimes take a back seat on the show in comparison to the drama!) It certainly comes in all shapes and sizes from the sublime to the ridiculous - breakfast curry anybody? The food is very often a reflection on the varying backgrounds and experiences of the contestants which is one of the most interesting things about the programme. All the recipes featured are also available on the Channel 4 website.

But perhaps the piece de resistance of the whole show is the voiceover by Dave Lamb. It completely undercuts any of the contestants' pretensions and even adds to the tension when the cooking is going badly. In my opinion, this show can only go on as long as he is involved. I do wonder if contestants may get angry when they watch the show back and hear what he has said about them! There has apparently been an internet campaign for him to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest such is his dry sense of humour and sheer cutting comments.

The celebrity version can be a very interesting insight into the flappable nature of some famous people who fall apart in the kitchen. It is also very interesting to see what happens when too many egos get involved - Ulrika Jonsson, I'm talking about you!

All this said, I do not feel that the Christmas version works particularly well. It is all too rushed and you just don't develop the same interest in people when you are only seeing them prepare one course

I am thrilled that this now seems to be one of Channel 4's flagship shows - long may it continue.

Summary: one of the best programmes on TV at the moment