The Ten Network has unveiled a 2013 program slate, including five new Australian dramas, which it hopes will lay the bedrock for a ratings recovery.

Ten has also signed internationally-renowned chef Marco-Pierre White to host Masterchef: The Professionals, a spin-off to its hit cooking franchise.

Logie darling Lisa McCune will star in Ten's Reef Doctors. Credit:Penny Stephens

The embattled network unveiled the new slate at a breakfast attended by media buyers in Sydney. Their backing, and the advertising spend of their clients, is critical to Ten's recovery.

Ten CEO James Warburton said 2012 had been a difficult year for Ten. "We know we've not been good enough," he said.