Come Dine With Me Is Back And Very Funny

Before the deluge of new American shows begins next week why not spend some time with a few home grown entries?
Like Come Dine With Me which returns for its third season on W Monday night at 7:30.
I've been watching and enjoying the first five episodes which constitute a sort of arc as five people who don't know each other are introduced and then must prepare a dinner plus visit with the four others in a sort of cook off.
Look, I don't regard this really as a food show although eating is part of the festivities.
Rather it's a chance to get to know five very diverse personalities, see what makes them tick.
In this case some of the participants are wonderfully comical --nobody thankfully is a bore.
And the more episodes that I watched the more I thought it resembles another show (one that just debuted) titled Four Houses Canada.
It turns out both were made by Proper Television proving that when a successful concept is working a little fine tuning into another format is quite all right by me.
On the first night we meet up with the dazzling brilliant (and single) Tim at his high rise as he carefully --oh so carefully--prepares the first feast.
How methodical is he? He notes every moment on his fridge door chart and is meticulous to a fault.
The start off is shrimp tapas which he dazzlingly serves with dry ice to make a superb statement.
But it turns out he hasn't given his guests enough wine --they dwink and dwink as they even go through his closet to find out how methodical he really is.
The others also start measuring each other up. There's playful Colleen --one of the others says her broad laugh could become annoying but I think she's frantically funny.
Also present: 26-year-old retired tap dancer Danielle drinks so much she lets her cooking mat catch on fire --but hey she's good hearted and her seafood lasagna seems to tickle the palates of all concerned.
But --horrors --she doesn't have cloth napkins --what an etiquette breach.
Evening two ends with Danielle tapping up a storm --wonder how her high rise neighbors feel about that noise.
Then comes my favorite episode hosted by the raucous Colleen. The 51-year-old sun goddess has joie de vivre in buckets. She insists guests don togas as she hosts a Greek-themed night.
And the way she mucks up her lemon cake is quite hilarious.
Meticulous housewife Sandra then gets her innings and she seems a very strong contender from the get go.  And in the fifth and final episode of the first arc it's Bay Streeter Fraser.
The food seems mostly OK but the talk is quite something. The digs at each other are ripe --each one wants to win, of course.
I won't give too much away except to state Come Dine With Me really is a comedy outing first with the food rather incidental.
I know I'll keep watching, you should, too. Made by Proper Television (headed by Guy Sullivan) it's one reality outing worth catching.
COME DINE WITH ME PREMIERES ON W MOND. SEPT. 10 AT 7:30 P.M.
MY RATING: ***.