Which baking show can really be considered the “greatest”?

Both shows call themselves great, but “The Great British baking show lives up to its name far better than “The Great American Baking Show”

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THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW

Typically when one thinks of reality television, they think of the conflict and yelling that encapsulates shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians or Master Chef. However, the British take on reality TV proves itself far superior, especially in the realm of baking shows. In the Great British baking show, a must watch for everyone, participants are able to create a show that is about more than just baking, but also community and equality.

Showstopper bakes in the season five finale.

The Great British Baking Show (also known as the Great British Bake Off in Britain) showcases 13 amateur bakers in each season, each varying in ethnicity, age, profession, class, and accent. The director’s choice of relatable contestants allows viewers to imagine themselves in the show’s baking tent, and when a new season of the show is released, the show has even been said to increase baking supplies sales. Although self-taught, each contestant displays their knowledge and baking skill through different tasks that challenge both the baker’s technical skill as well as their creativity. These challenges increase in difficulty as the show goes on. However, the bakers always remain polite and supportive of one another.

The Great British Baking Show does away with the villainous contestants who are only set out to win for money or fame, but still manages to create a suspenseful environment by having bakers face more technical competitors such as rigid time constraints, the prospect of a soggy bottom, as well as many other possibilities of things that could go wrong in the baking process.  

Another spectacular addition to the show is the comedic hosts and well-versed judges. When times look rough for the bakers, hosts and comedians Mel and Sue never fail to encourage them and cheer them up with jokes like, “OK bakers, just two minutes until we release the man-gorilla that is Paul Hollywood,” as well as contributing to the cheerful mood in the baking tent. Judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are well educated in the world of baking with numerous cookbooks published and, for Mary, over sixty years of baking under her belt. Mary and Paul always give fair constructive criticism, however, sometimes what they criticize can be a bit predictable. If Paul, usually the harder judge of the two, gives an especially harsh criticism, Mary is always quick to even it out by commenting on the good texture or flavor of the desert in her soothing 83-year-old voice, easing viewers and contestants breath.

Judges Mary and Paul with hosts Mel and Sue

Set in Britain’s Harptree Court with constant b-roll of rolling green hills, sheep, and rain, the show portrays quintessential British life. The iconic soundtrack also manages to add suspense and tension to the baking tent while also emulating a very comforting and happy feeling.

Overall, The Great British Baking Show certainly may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but its participants have successfully created a relaxing alternative to the typical stressful and chaotic American baking show

 

THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW

Has your friend ever asked you if they can copy your homework and you let them but you told them they had to change the answers a little bit? Well that’s what seems to have happened when American directors Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez decided to remake the iconic Great British Baking Show. If you are looking to watch a quality show about European sweets, The Great American Baking Show is not for you. The show is basically the under-baked version of the Great British Baking Show, except without the British accents. With the same setting, music, competition format, and even contestants with similar attitudes towards baking, you would think that the Great American Baking Show would be just as good as its predecessor. This, however, is a completely inaccurate statement.  

A “Showstopper” made by Ainslie Forsum

Although all the contestants are pleasant and seem to want to make friends with each other, unlike a majority of the The Great British Baking Show bakers, many of the Great American Baking Show contestants lack in baking skill, good technique, and creativity. Some are even incapable of finishing the harder challenges. Also, most of the time it is clearly visible who will go home and who will stay in the show, 

Gingerbread bake by Eddie Downs

which removes most of the suspense from the show. This is not made up for in drama, like with most baking shows, creating a very dry seasons. In the Great British Baking Show, the bakers all seem to be on the same level, and they continually produce good bakes, so in most cases you never know who will be going home.

One change that the directors of the Great American Baking Show made was that they themed the show after the holiday seasons. I never thought I would be tired of the holiday decor and recipes, but after watching four seasons of the show, I am thoroughly over Christmas for a while. At first the festivity is a nice addition to the mood and tone of the show, but after a while it gets extremely repetitive. The reason we like the holidays is because the season is so special and only comes up once a year! To cap that off, the directors did not put a lot of thought into showcasing diverse traditions and holiday celebrations as they only represent typical American decorations like Christmas trees and bake things like gingerbread houses. This disappointing lack of diversity in content also contributes to the monotony that is The Great American Baking Show.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Johnny Iuzzini with co-host Anthony Adams

As an added punch in the gut to Great British Baking Show fans, none of the hosts in all of The Great American Baking Show seasons can live up to Mel and Sue. The celebrity hosts that were hired, like Anthony Adams and Emma Bunton, aren’t naturally comedic, and don’t have the easy funny charm that the Great British Baking Show hosts do. Their jokes are scripted and delivered unnaturally which makes them sound cringey and does not seem to calm down the contestants at all. In the Great American Baking Show, the dynamic duo that is Mary and Paul is split up, making for a very uneven feeling judgement of the bakes. For every season of the show, either Mary or Paul judges with another American judge such as Sherry Yard. However, these judges’ styles conflict with both Mary and Paul making them less than perfect pairs.

The Great American Baking Show is a pathetic attempt at a remake of The Great British Baking Show. This just goes to show how impossible it is to remake a masterpiece like the Great British Baking Show.