M-Net on why it renewed My Kitchen Rules SA for a 2nd season in 2018: 'The decision was an easy one, one we made very early on in the series actually'.

M-Net (DStv 101) has renewed the amateur home cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules South Africa for a second season and says the decision to renew it for another go in 2018 "was an easy one".

Auditions for the second season of My Kitchen Rules SA produced by Endemol Shine SA will start in January 2018.

TVwithThinus asked M-Net why the pay-TV broadcaster decided to renew the show.

"As you know it's not a format that has been done as a local show in South Africa before or that Endemol Shine SA had done before, so it was a risk even though we knew the Australian version was on M-Net," says Kaye-Ann Williams, M-Net's head of local content.

"When we initially decided to do this format as a M-Net team, we decided that it was something that was authentically South African and that we could make it that."

"The brief was to cast people who are authentically themselves, and every couple in MKRSA were exactly that."

"The decision to renew the format was an easy one. It's a decision that we made very early on in the series actually. I think it was episode 4 or 5 that was on-air and then we made the decision," says Kaye-Ann Williams.

"It was because M-Net as a brand want our subscribers and South Africans to feel that they are being represented authentically and that's what I feel My Kitchen Rules SA affords to our viewers".

"Hopefully the second season will be on-air by winter next year."

Kaye-Ann Williams expressed thanks to the Endemol Shine Africa "dream team".

"You guys are creative, you guys are collaborative; you are an absolute dream team and I appreciate every hour that you've put into this, every minute that you've spent away from your families, all the travelling, all the time in edit, all the lovely collaboration and feedback sessions and working together and venting to each other, we absolutely adore you. I honestly feel that you got the heart of the show right".

The finale of the My Kitchen Rules South Africa first season also dazzled and surprised when several celebrity chefs showed up in the last episode as judges.

South Africa's first Michelin Star chef Jan Hendrik flew from Nice, France, with chef Margot Janse whose stint at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek that earned the restaurant 8th place in the World’s Top 50 Restaurants who also appeared.

Also making appearances were the Cape Malay cuisine chef Cass Abrahams and the Carte Blanche investigative journalist Devi Sankaree-Govender.

TVwithThinus asked executive producer Anton Burggraaf about the casting coup and what it took to get these 4 high-profile people together, diary- and logistics wise for the filming of the finale.

"M-Net and us discussed who we thought could be on the show for the finale and add value and we explored all options."

"This is a monster of a show and shouldn't be under-estimated. I've done Survivor SA, Fear Factor SA - a lot of shows. But this particular show requires an extraordinary amount of work because as you can see from the instant restaurants, people are inviting 4 other couples into their homes."

"But what you don't realise is there are 75 people running around in somebody's dining room. It's mad. It's really, really a crazy show. And then of course it changes gears in studio, where you have to rely on a whole lot more mettle actually," said Anton Burggraaf.

Co-presenter and co-judge David Higgs says "there were tears, there were emotions, there was laughter. And I think the audience felt it and that's why My Kitchen Rules SA did so well."

M-Net held a special media screening of the My Kitchen Rules SA first season finale on Sunday 10 December at the MultiChoice City headquarters in Randburg, Johannesburg where at the end of the episode the Bloemfontein couple Jamandi (31) and Machiel Bekker were announced as the winners with the top score.

Several TV producers, M-Net executives, on-air talent, stars, and media covering television, showed up to watch the 90-minute episode together, followed by a press conference afterwards in the MultiChoice City cinema venue.

MKRSA co-presenter and co-judge J'Something, Carte Blanche presenter Devi Sankaree Govender and Jan du Plessis, director of M-Net channels

Actor and model Arnu De Villiers and entrepreneur Marnus Broodryk appearing on kykNET's Winslyn

Radio presenter and Survivor South Africa: Panama winner Vanessa Marawa, MKRSA co-presenter and co-judge David Higgs and MKRSA series director Jane Kennedy

REVIEW. M-Net's My Kitchen Rules SA is a reality drama dish you've seen on TV before - but it's well worth a second helping.

The first local season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa starting on M-Net (DStv 101) this evening (Sunday) at 18:00 is from a particular type of reality drama dish menu you've ordered and eaten from on television before - but it's well worth a second helping.

On Friday M-Net gave 3 journalists, including this TV critic, an exclusive sneak-peak screening of the first episode of My Kitchen Rules South Africa with the 18 episodes of a diverse group of couples that will be plated for viewers from M-Net's TV kitchen in the coming weeks.

My Kitchen Rules South Africa most closely resembles BBC South Africa's successful Come Dine With Me South Africa, except that here its couples instead of individuals taking turns to host each other.

There's also the two judges - David Higgs and J'Something - both pulling out chairs to tuck into whatever the competitors are whipping up in their respective kitchens and adding their scores to the overall tallies.

The first episode set in Bloemfontein with the first two contestants - the "Bloem Besties" Liz and Leanne - has a slightly washed out and coppertone appearance which is probably due to the Free State winter landscape in which it was filmed.

The show makes excellent use of establishing and panoramic aerial drone shots, and of introducing the first 5 couples who will be competing. Also great is the framing the various couples as they dish about the dishes.

Some small technical mistakes will probably go unnoticed by ordinary viewers, like the plastic tubing of David Higgs' earpiece being visible (and moving to different sides from one moment to the next due to editing!).

A "countdown clock" is introduced but never really appears enough, or counts down with enough visible screen time to accentuate the drama build-up.

The lighting is remarkably good given that it's being filmed in contestants' real homes and David Higgs as the strict, more Simon Cowell-ish judge and J'Something as the more smiley face Paula Abdul-type makes for a well-balanced, good-cop/bad-cop judging duo.

Clever one-liners in My Kitchen Rules SA ranging from "Sandton kugels in Bloem","the rocket is great" and "literally us on a plate" makes the show a delight - as does the unexpected and emotional - reaction from several of the contestants.

Get ready for tears and drama with one contestant literally starting to shake in her boots.

Several of the contestants gossip in whispers as they talk about each other - you can still hear fine, but they will hopefully loosen up and speak louder as the series progresses.

Like Come Dine With Me SA the contestants all get an amount of money and have to come up with their own menus.

In My Kitchen Rules SA they however have to come up with a name for their "pop-up restaurant" as well and decorate accordingly.

For the next five weeks the first 5 pairs of contestants have to create their instant restaurants in their homes where their food is scored by their rival contestants as well as the two judges.

At the end of this round M-Net viewers will say goodbye to the pair with the lowest overall score.

After that viewers will meet more pairs who will go through the same process and from there the action moves over the the My Kitchen Rules SA headquarters in Johannesburg where several challenges will determine which home cooks will continue to whip up more delights.

The winning pair wins a big prize that gets announced in the first episode of My Kitchen Rules SA.

My Kitchen Rules SA on M-Net is not to hot and not too cold but just right as an entertaining Sunday evening bowl of new local reality TV porridge.

Meet the first 5 teams of My Kitchen Rules South Africa: Water polo players, book club friends, Bloem besties and a Cradock mom and daughter team.

The first batch of contestants for the first season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa have been revealed and they include water polo players, besties from Bloem, book club friends and a mom and daughter team from Cradock.

The food reality competition show produced by Endemol Shine Africa will start on M-Net (DStv 101) from Sunday 13 August at 18:00 in which several teams of two each, will be battling it out in their kitchens to come up with the best meals.

The knives are out and the kitchens are about to heat up in the latest TV culinary showdown, with J'Something and David Higgs as the judges who will be critiquing every dish served up.

"This competition is about team work for me," says David Higgs, owner of Marble restaurant.

"When one team member is down, it's up to the other one to pick up the pieces and vice versa - that is essentially what a kitchen is all about. And obviously these contestants need to be able to put good plates of food together - consistently. It's going to be fun to watch."

Musician J'Something says he's looking for "South Africans who take home cooking and give it a big helping of finesse - people who are passionate about food and people that can simply put love on a plate".

My Kitchen Rules South Africa will have 18 episodes and there will be 5 teams of 2 people each in the first round of Instant Restaurants. Later there will be 5 more teams of 2 in the second round - exactly like the Australian version.

In the competition each team has a turn to host the judges and the other teams in their group at their own homes which they turn into "Instant Restaurants" - serving up a 3-course meal against the clock.

At the end of each Instant Restaurant evening, the other teams and the judges score each dish out of 10 and at the end of the 5 Instant Restaurants, the team with the lowest score goes home.

What this means is that once My Kitchen Rules SA has gone through all 10 (both groups of 5 pairs), 8 teams will progress to the next round of the competition which will take place in the “Kitchen Headquarters”.

Here couples will compete against each other in various challenges until there are only 2 teams left to battle it out in the finale of the series.

Here's the first 5 My Kitchen Rules SA teams:

Mr & Mrs Bruce (43)  and Claudia (33) (Midrand)
"I am extremely competitive," says Bruce, a multiple world champion in martial arts. He says his mom had a large influence on his passion for cooking "and her Asian roots have also played a big part in our style as a team".

Claudia saw Bruce at a Kung Fu function and "fell instantly in love" with him. "Now we are married with two beautiful boys". She says she's "addicted to trying out new recipes all the time".

Book Club Besties Kelly (46) & Claire (43) (Kyalami)
These two who have been friends for 10 years met at a book club that was organised by a mutual friend.

"Both Kelly and I are competitive," says Claire. "I learnt from an early age that first is everything, second is nothing!"

Mother & daughter Lani (51) & Louzel (26) (Cradock)
"She sometimes let out a swear word or two. But I am her mother and I can tell her not to do that!" says Eastern Cape mom Lani of her daughter Louzel who lives in Cape Town with her husband.

"I think the fact that I'm cooking with my mom is not only an advantage, but a massive privilege," says Louzel.

"We have the same basic understanding and respect for food and our different abilities compliment that. The fact that we're from a small farming community has also created opportunities for us to think outside of the box when it comes to cooking."

Water polo buddies Rein (33) & Rowan (35) (Krugersdorp)
"Rein and I have known each other since high school, where we met playing water polo," says Rowan. "After a 7-year stint when Rein was galivanting around Holland, we met up again and been greatest of mates ever since."

"We're both very competitive since we've been playing competitive sport all our lives. We plan to take that straight into the kitchen and this competition."

Rein says during his 7 years in Holland "I had the privilege of experiencing some amazing chefs. I was exposed to a lot of great restaurants and food when I was there and it ignited my passion for food."

Bloem Besties Liz (37) & Leanne (32) (Bloemfontein)
"Leanne and myself have known each other for just over two years now, but it was a friendship at first sight," says Liz.

"Finally I found someone who shares my fussiness about food, someone who thinks in food language, someone who plans her week around food ... I met my match!"

Liz says she's "a serious competitor" and very hard on herself. "I love Leanne's craziness and her strong will. What's right is right and wrong is wrong. With Leanne everything is very clear, there are no grey areas."

Leanne says she's a very emotional person. "I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so everyone always knows exactly what I am feeling and where they stand with me."

She says she "loves Liz's determination and her ability to create magic from nothing. She will do anything for me as a friend and will carry me when I need help."