MasterChef Junior

It's rare to be able to say, unconditionally, that a TV reality show is inspirational, and that everyone will be better for watching. But that's the case with MasterChef Junior.

Beyond anything else, the main reason to tune into MasterChef Junior is to watch talented people do amazing things, regardless of age.

There is a current of delight that runs through the show different from other reality contestants, where the grown-ups may feel they have their lives on the line; there is disappointment here, but little bitterness.

MasterChef Jr. is the most delightful, cathartic reality competition on TV because it lets you see contestants taking unsullied pleasure in what they can do.

The best competition show on television stars 11-year-olds.... Like the Scripps National Spelling Bee, MasterChef Junior is a celebration of talent, precocity, merit, obsession, and, above all, losing.

The result is a family-friend mixture of competition series suspense and a genuine desire to see the kids succeed. Though there are a few eye roll-worthy moments from some ("I believe I have a very sophisticated palette," one boy says), others are delightfully able to keep up with Ramsay's quips.

The show’s assemblage of pint-sized personalities demonstrates enough natural charm to sustain a season and potentially give both Fox and Ramsay another reliable reality franchise.