by Thinus Ferreira
The South African public broadcaster has picked up yet another international format competition show through Primedia Studios with SABC3 that will air 260 episodes of Ready Steady Cook South Africa on SABC3 with presenter Moshe Ndiki.
Ready Steady Cook, a format held by Banijay that's been running for years on the BBC, will be produced by Rose and Oaks Media, also responsible for The Masked Singer SA which has already been renewed for a second season on SABC3.
Besides The Masked Singer SA, Primedia Studios already does a regular and celebrity version of Deal or No Deal SA for SABC1 and SABC2, with the upcoming 5th season of MasterChef SA which will be on SACB3 from September.
There is an ad and sponsorship revenue-sharing deal between Primedia Studios and the SABC for the acquisition and schedule placement of these shows that Primedia Studios does the legwork for and production companies then film for the public broadcaster
In Ready Steady Cook, two teams - a Red Tomato and a Green Pepper - compete in a Red Kitchen and a Green Kitchen, together with a South African chef on each side and paired with enthusiastic home cooks, as they are challenged creatively with a mystery bag of ingredients in a 20-minute cook-off.
Ready Steady Cook will start on SABC3 on 18 March at 19:00 and feature well-known chefs like Wandile Mabaso, Neo Nontso, Fehmida Osman-Latib, Kamini Pather, Kelly Njokweni, Liziwe Matloha, Lorna Maseko, Lufuno Sinthumule, Mmule Setati and Nthi Ramaboa.
Like Deal or No Deal SA and The Masked Singer SA, Ready Steady Cook will saturate the schedule of the other two SABC channels with weekday repeats on SABC1 at 15:30 and weekday repeats on SABC2 at 17:30, with a Saturday omnibus at 08:00.
"Our new local version of Ready
Steady Cook is like a paella or a 'potjie' of everything that makes for
good television," says Anele Mdoda, co-owner of Rose and Oaks Media.
"While the
dramatic battle between Team Red Tomato and Team Green Pepper is packed with
suspense, it's also sprinkled with star power and non-stop fun. Simultaneously,
the show addresses a nagging question many viewers grapple with every day: What's for dinner tonight?"
She says the production is "thrilled to have Moshe as the
on-screen coordinator of all the magic and madness cooked up by the two
competing teams on Ready Steady Cook South Africa".
"From
his call centre
days creating content that made the entire country laugh from their bellies to
his food trucks that spoke directly to our bellies, Moshe is the perfect
balance of sugar, salt, flavour and heat - funny enough, everything you need to
make a stellar dish."
In the show the chefs will be tasked to create three dishes with the food items brought along
by their Team Red Tomato or Team Green Pepper partner within 20 minutes. Once
the time has run out, the studio audience votes to determine the episode's
winning team.
What makes Ready Steady Cook South Africa more entertaining is that the two home cooks are somehow related.
They're either
family members, friends, or business partners from the same profession or even
share a hobby. During the cook-off, the audience learns more about their
lives through their interaction with Moshe and the chefs.
Ready Steady Cook South Africa is now looking for contestants who can send a WhatsApp to the producers on 068 675 2542.
