Nine’s Hotplate ‘shelved after format row’

Australian commercial network Nine has reportedly agreed to stop broadcasting its cooking competition series The Hotplate.

This comes after the format became the centre of a dispute with Seven Network, which claimed the show was strikingly similar to its popular show My Kitchen Rules.

The Australian Financial Review reported Nine has agreed to stop broadcasting new seasons of The Hotplate and to not to rebroadcast to distribute the first season following a mutually-agreed settlement in a local Federal Court.

Seven launched a legal case against Seven over the format in August last year. Both sides have agreed to pay their own costs relating to the case.

The Hotplate sees suburban restaurants cooking against each other, while the MKR format follows amateur pairs who cook for rival couples.

Endemol Shine Australia produces The Hotplate, while Seven Productions is behind MKR.

Central to Seven’s case was an allegation producers had obtained the MKR format bible in order to ensure its show was sufficiently different.