Is our demand for Culinary Kid Jamie Oliver really this great?
As I write, we can each week watch his latest cooking program Oliver's Twist on both ABC Television and Channel 10.
And now here are seven episodes from the ABC version of Oliver's Twist - World Cup Breakfast where he cooks breakfast as the boys gather to watch their peculiar form of football, Scarlet Division, where he cooks up vegetarian tucker for the members of his rock band, and The Bill where, as you might guess, he visits the set of the TV show to knock up some real grub for the fake cops.
Then there's Wild City, showing how to harvest food from the city streets without resorting to grubbing through dustbins, Tiger, where he cooks for his grandma and friends, Bollywood for an Indian evening and Chocolate for satisfying that special rich desire.
So far, Jamie is unstoppable. He seems to be getting more confident and more adventurous in every series. He's become something of a kitchen lair - just watch the way he chops his herbs at speeds which would have us leaving our fingers on the table. He sizzles and bakes and fries in about six pans at the same time; in short, he's amazing.
His energy and sheer bravura is irresistible. He's every bit as entertaining as Nigella, though Nigella does have some assets our Jamie lacks. The main thing with Jamie is that he convinces us that we can try his recipes, and come to no grief. In an age of greasy fast-food, he is the apostle of fun-fresh. Long may he continue to twist our palates.
If you've seen Oliver's Twist on broadcast TV, you'll know what to expect. This is sharper and clearer; the archival quality we would expect. Detail is fine and colour levels seem natural.
This is a dual-layer presentation for optimum quality and there are no obvious artefacts present.
Sound for a television series is at the high-end of the scale - although a cooking show hardly needs Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, the two-channel stereo has great natural sound and gives us maximum dialogue clarity.
I would keep this on the kitchen shelf next to Nigella - there are some great cooking tips here, and everyone should spend quality time in the kitchen! Better stop now; it's time to take the loaves out of the oven.
