Hi Crisgal, interesting question... I have a degree in Hotel Management and studied restaurant protocol in detail ! you and your father are absolutely right, i'm afraid masterchef got it wrong ! aside from etiquette, there is a practical reason for following the serve left/take from right in that if all the waiters follow that pattern the workflow to and from the kitchen follows a strict pattern which should help to avoid collisions and give the diners a sense of good, smooth running organisation within the restaurant !
I have worked in very small establish where the seating/tables arrangements were very intimate, shall we say, meaning that the rules could be slightly flexible, so it really does depend on the situation. I completely agree with you, however, that a head waiter worth his salt would quite rightly blow a gasket if the staff did not follow the correct manner of service. Masterchef, in a massive studio/restaurant really have no excuse for such mistakes. You should write to them......they may offer you free dinner, or a bottle of bolly at the very least !!