Masterchef Goes Large (BBC2)

Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show (ITV1)

YUM, yum". You don't hear comments like that from judges on The X Factor or Dancing On Ice. Those sounds can only mean the return of Masterchef Goes Large.

This has proved one of TV's most successful makeovers. A tired old format was given the Laurence Llewelyn Bowen treatment and turned, if not exactly into a tart's boudoir, into something to appeal to audiences used to the often-vitriolic cut and thrust of today's talent shows.

Contestants provide the food, while judges, chef John Torode and food expert Gregg Wallace, serve up the criticism.

"You're either a master or a complete chancer," Frenchwoman Anne Sophie was told. Torode doesn't mince his words, just his meat. Not that he's slow with praise, telling another amateur chef, "I like that about you - you love what you cook".

The competition is as cut-throat as Sweeney Todd's murder weapon of choice. Each day, six contestants are swiftly cut down to three in the quick elimination round after having to make a plate of food from a limited list of ingredients.

The survivors spend time in a restaurant to see if they can take the heat in the kitchen. Finally, they must prepare a two-course meal in one hour.

The results met with mixed criticism. "Not pretty food, this is hungry man food," was one comment. Another cook was thought to have played it too safe and simple. "If that guy has thousands of recipes up his sleeve, why did I get a piece of cod on crushed peas?," wondered Torode.

Stripped across the schedules five times a week, Masterchef Goes Large will give BBC2 good early evening ratings. Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond - the one who looks like an excited pixie - is attempting to plug the gap in the schedules left by Paul O'Grady, newly departed to C4.

The title, Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show, reflects the uninspired content. The first edition of the week, for instance, offered us a woman who shouts at men for a living. She's not a worker in the Soho sex industry but the UK's first female Regimental Sergeant Major Anthea Burdis. It sounded as if she applies the same regime to her home life as she told Hammond that her two-and-a-half year old child was "shaping up well".

Hammond and co-presenter Mel Giedroyc allowed themselves to be ordered around by RSM Burdis before giving her her marching orders.

The interview with Swansea man Tony Evans smacked of desperation. He was billed as having done "something extraordinary with rubber bands". The mind raced with exciting (and probably physically impossible) possibilities, so how disappointing to discover his claim to fame was making the biggest rubber band ball in the world.

After that, a consumer item to test shredders seemed positively revolutionary. Four people were given 30 seconds to shred as much paper as they could in a variety of shredding machines. Not very scientific, very useful or very interesting, for that matter.

Moscow City Ballet: Romeo & Juliet/The Nutcracker, Newcastle Theatre Royal

ARTISTIC director and founder Victor Smirnov-Golovanov blows away the cobwebs with this lavish new production of the world's favourite love story, Romeo and Juliet.

I've sometimes found Russian ballet a bit staid in its classical perfection, but there's nothing staid about this performance by the Moscow City Ballet. The grace, beauty and athleticism are there in spades but there's also humour and a youthful joy about it which came as a refreshing surprise. The costumes are gorgeous and the company's own orchestra under the direction of Igor Shavruk gives full value to Prokofiev's discordant and satisfying score. There are two intervals in a performance lasting over three hours, which turned out to be no hardship at all.

The characters are clearly defined: an enchanting Juliet cheekily teasing her Nurse, unaware of her parents' plan for her impending marriage. Romeo is the romantic, sighing over another girl to the amusement of his fun-loving friends until it becomes obvious to all that he is genuinely smitten with Juliet, daughter of the rival house of Capulet. Romeo's friend Mercutio is a joker to the last, assuring his pals that he's fine as he dies from a sword-thrust. Juliet's dangerous cousin Tybalt is darkly charismatic and determined to save his young cousin from the clutches of the house of Montague.

All were superb and richly deserved the cheers and the thunderous and protracted applause they received. Someone had brought flowers to throw onto the stage; I wish I'd thought of it.

* Runs until Saturday. Booking Office: 0870 9055060.

Sue Heath