Top Chef Masters with Unknown (to me) Master Chefs, a New Host in Curtis Stone with Annoying Judges like James Oseland

I liked the first 2 seasons of Top Chef Masters. On the first 2 seasons I knew a lot of the Master Chefs, had either seen them on Top Chef, or knew of them by other means.

On the first 2 seasons of Top Chef Masters I knew of many of the chefs, but had never heard of the host before. I can't remember her name now. But she was not a good host.

With the 3rd season of Top Chef Masters I have met the host before. I'd watched Take Home Chef with Curtis Stone, on TLC, many times.

I like Curtis Stone. He seems to be a very nice Aussie import. But, he seems a bit awkward, at times, being a show host.

I don't remember who the judges were on the previous 2 iterations of Top Chef Masters. I'd likely not heard of them before. I have seen one of the judges on the current Top Chef Masters. That being James Oseland.

James Oseland's weaselly mannerisms get on my nerves. The last couple weeks one of the judges has been a young protege of Oseland's who also gets on my nerves. I can't remember his name. He's the editor of an online magazine about food.

The format for Top Chef Masters has been changed from the tournament format of the previous iterations, to a format that more matches Top Chef.

The Quickfire Challenges have seemed more difficult than most Top Chef Quickfires. Last week it was make a dish with a bug in a couple minutes. This week it was you have 12 minutes to make a dish using cheese.

Even though I'd not heard of any of these Top Chef Masters before, they seem obviously to be very good chefs.

I particularly find amusing the Canadian uni-brow chef, Hugh Acheson. This week he got all bent out of shape because the chef who ended up getting the boot, Suvir Saran, gave the diners and judges a lecture about the evils of red meat, while Hugh was standing there ready to serve them something he'd cooked that included a chunk of steak.

One of the chefs reminds me, lookswise, of Jillian Harris from The Bachelorette. Her name is Naomi Pomeroy. She seems quite competent and very bossy.

Another one I like is Mary Sue Milliken. She keeps landing in the bottom, while clearly being quite competent. The strained cooking environment would wreak havoc with anyone, competent or not.

If Bravo continues to insist on putting Top Chef Masters on the screen for our viewing pleasure, please find new Judges. Or as Top Chef Masters seem to often call them, Critics.

Find new critics. But, keep Curtis Stone. I'm sure he'll grow better at the hosting job.