MasterChef Canada

MasterChef Canada is a Canadian competitive cooking reality show, part of the "MasterChef" franchise, open to amateur home cooks. It premiered on CTV on January 20, 2014, and has aired its sixth season. The show stars three judges: Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung. The show is produced by Endemol Shine International and Proper Television.
MasterChef Canada airs Tuesday nights on CTV and the Cooking Channel in the United States. The current season airs starting in September of each year in the U.S. It airs also in Sweden, Italy and Spain.
On August 8, 2018, CTV renewed MasterChef Canada for another season, announcing that audition casting for the all new sixth season was greenlit. Filming began in October 2018 and concluded in January 2019. Season 6 premiered on CTV on April 8, 2019, and ended on June 10.
The series was renewed for a seventh season, which is a Back to Win season. It aired its premiere on February 14, 2021 and its finale on May 16, 2021.
Plot.
Amateur chefs compete in a series of challenges to become the best amateur home cook in Canada through challenges issued by judges Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung. The rest of the format is very similar to the U.S. version starring Gordon Ramsay.
Each season begins with around 20 applicants invited to the kitchen. To secure a place in the competition, they are tasked with creating their signature audition dish in a certain amount of time. Judging based on the food plating, flavours, technique, and sophistication, the judges will decide whether or not the applicants and their signature dishes are worthy of receiving a coveted white apron (a spot in the competition). In the first three seasons the traditional audition format (like the U.S. version) requires the applicants to earn an affirmative "yes" (thumbs up) from at least two out of the three judges to advance. Since season 4, changes to the audition format have been made. Applicants who fail to produce a passable dish are rejected and sent home. Some other rejected applicants are given a second chance to compete for the white apron.
After the Restaurant Takeover challenge, the next mystery box challenge is a family-reunion themed episode where the final 5 remaining contestants are visited by their family members. This particular mystery box tasks the contestants with making a stunningly elevated, home-style family-inspired dish while their family members look on from the balcony, followed by the elimination test. In later seasons the family members assisted the contestants.
In the Top 3 semifinals, the final three remaining semifinalists face the last mystery box/immunity challenge of the season for a shot at immunity. The semifinalist who wins this immunity challenge will automatically advance to the finals and secure a place in the grand finale, safe from elimination, while the remaining two semifinalists go head-to-head and compete against each other in the final replication Pressure Test of the season to earn to last spot in the grand finale. Other times, the semifinalist who wins this first challenge does not automatically advance to the finals/grand finale and must also participate in the last Elimination Test (which they have an advantage over in terms of getting to choose a key ingredient to work with for themselves while giving different key ingredients to the other two semifinalists).
Once the competition is reduced to the final two remaining competitors left standing, the two or three finalists will compete against each other in a three-hour, three-course dinner cook-off in a ring-like arena while their family members (joined by previously eliminated contestants), spectate and cheer them on. The finalists join the judges in the private dining room for the judging and tasting of their dishes at the end of each course. All three courses of the meal are judged and an overall winner is crowned after the two finalists switch places with the judges and stand on their podium. The winner of each season wins a $100,000 cash prize money, the "MasterChef Canada" trophy, and the title of "MasterChef Canada". Some seasons have also added other prizes. In the first three seasons, the finalists had separate time for each item. Since the Season 4 finale, the finalists must continuously cook non-stop for three whole hours, making sure that each course is ready for serving at the end of each hour and then join the judges in the private dining room once time is up to hear the judges feedback.
Judges and hosts.
MasterChef U.S. judge Joe Bastianich guest starred in the Season 1 semi-finals (Episode: "Not-Your-Average-Joe") which aired on April 21, 2014. Additionally, MasterChef U.S. judge Graham Elliot guest starred in an episode of Season 2 (Episode: "Good Things in Small Packages").
Seasons.
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Episodes.
Below is a full list of MasterChef Canada episodes per season.
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