Great British Bake Off starts Tuesday 13th September

[5foot5]

I couldn't see an existing thread on this, apologies if there is and I missed it.

Anyway, as it says in the thread title. New series starts tonight.

Yay!

i agree
we dont need drama, made up or not

Where can I watch Australian Bake Off? It's not showing up on my All 4 (Sky Q)
Or is it an online thingy where I could sneakily watch it in work?

I'm watching it on our smart TV on the channel 4 catch up app.

Here's the blog post for those interested.

bakingastherapy.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/bake-off-confidential-bittersweet-adventures-in-a-tv-show/

I wish they'd go right back to basics for the next series. I would like to see

more useful/practical insights from Prue and Paul
more time spent with the bakers, baking
cakes I'd want to make at home
recipes from other cultures, or forgotten British classics, all explained

I would like to see less of
Paul stalking around the tent as if he's already in pantomime
the unhelpful 'oh, is it meant to do that?' ho ho moments from the judges
all those cut away glares/grimaces that are suppose to create 'tension' but just waste time
that frantic 'one minute to goooooo!' montage of chaos which is so obviously stitched together.

It's got to the point where DH and I chorus 'well, it's not going to look like that!' whenever the over-ambitious illustration of the nine-tier matcha and mango suspended pinata custard bombe appears on the screen.

Thanks Cross

Agree with everything you said.

(Except for the 9-tier custard bombe which would obviously be a culinary TRIUMPH! 😂)

Absolutely this.

I really miss some of the deeper dives into cakes that used to be features in earlier series.

Plus, it's perfectly OK (imo) to ask this series bakers to bake something you ask bakers to bake in earlier series: especially for the signature and showstoppers where they bring their own creativity anyway.

Give them anough time to go a good job and STOP showing us a baker with a half baked cake at the '1 minute to go' mark only for it to be fully finished ready for judging.

The show doesn't need drama, it just needs more bloody baking.

Found it, thanks knitting

I actually disagree. I think we do need some drama and that derives from the bakers personalities and the tension about what can be achieved in the time. There are plenty of cookery shows that aren't competitions and some of them are quite dull. I thought the Paul and Mary masterclasses- which were very informative - were pretty boring.

My friends in Australia think their bake off is a very pale imitation of ours. I do enjoy it and it is notably a kinder and more positive version than the British version - but they've sadly just sacked the judges and presenters for the next season, presumably because they aren't getting the viewing figures.

I do agree the UK version is quite manipulative and get v cross when PH criticises the bakers for flaws that are totally a consequence of the challenge or time limits - like the time no-one could make brownies and of course the stacked tres leches.

The thing I have to remind myself is that it is a TV show first and a competition second. I read a description of the casting once that said they looked for baking skills, personality and diversity, but not necessarily in that order. I suspect that's true, and that's why the basically competent but not amazing bakers like Carol, Rebs and Kevin get on as well as the more experienced ones.

I still love it though, with all its flaws and manipulation.

they've sadly just sacked the judges and presenters for the next season, presumably because they aren't getting the viewing figures.

THEY'VE DONE WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

<weeps>

I read a description of the casting once that said they looked for baking skills, personality and diversity, but not necessarily in that order. I suspect that's true, and that's why the basically competent but not amazing bakers like Carol, Rebs and Kevin get on as well as the more experienced ones.

A few series ago there was a young good looking male contestant whose baking was awful! It looked like he'd never baked a cake in his life before! I'm sure he wasn't chosen for his baking talent. We speculated that maybe he wanted to get his face on TV before applying for love island or similar!

I know! I love them both. I heard they tried to keep Maggie and sack the other three this year but she wouldn't do it without the others. Now they've sacked her too. Really sad.

Not sure if the Australian Daily Mail is linked to the UK one, if so, sorry, only link I could find.

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11158723/Foxtel-announces-new-judges-Great-Australian-Bake-Off.html

@BishyBarnyBee - we should let the public vote on the GBB winner then if it’s about personality etc plus some baking skill.

Paul and Prue can determine technical/taste merit and give a score and the public then gets the final vote a la strictly.

mumbrella.com.au/great-australian-bake-off-commences-filming-with-all-new-cast-755507

Non Mail link.

I would have loved to see Series 1 of GABO with Dan Leppard and Kerry Vincent. Both awesome bakers.

The fact that Maggie wouldn't stay without the others tells me everything I need to know. They were a team; they cared for each other; they worked well together. They had integrity.

This new lot might be lovely people but I'm afraid I resent them already. And none of then have Maggie's unique style - she always looked amazing! This lot just look ordinary. Smart enough, but ordinary.

I am upset. 😢

Nooooo, Australians, what are you doing? Look what happened to the lovely comforting My Kitchen Rules when they decided to X Factor it, and up the viciousness, it was awful and people turned away in droves. Get Maggie and Co. back!

@Maggiethecat - we should let the public vote on the GBB winner then if it’s about personality etc plus some baking skill.

Paul and Prue can determine technical/taste merit and give a score and the public then gets the final vote a la strictly."

But...it's not Strictly! It's Bake Off. And it actually hasn't changed very much since they upped the stakes a few years in. Yes, the first few series were gentler. Yes, Paul has turned into a bit of a caricature of himself. Yes, it's not a fair competition and you definitely aren't looking at the best 12 bakers who applied. But...it is what it is, and we can all have our opinions on how to improve it but they will continue to do whatever they think will get ratings. I suspect they even quite like a "Mexican Week is a travesty" debate as it all generates Bake Off publicity.

I hate when folk ficher with things when there is no need to fiddle about.

I got promised lovely comforting ausBakeOff - I don’t want to watch a new shiny version. Sake.

how can we taste the bakes to chose though

It gets worse. Rachel Khoo! She was a judge on the Great British Menu for a whole series recently and she was awful. No warmth or personality at all and almost ruined the whole thing for me. That's very upsetting news.

I like Darren Purchase, he'll probably be great.
I do think they're dumb to drop Maggie though.

Tempted to sack it after this series, too much style over substance with 'out there' themes; camera lingering on Paul's cold blue eyed stare; handshake cliche...yawn.
I nearly threw something at my TV when they dressed up for Halloween.
Why can't producers run with the idea that just baking is interesting without all this extra nonsense!

I've already dropped it - 3 weeks ago. I'd just had enough. I only come on here for the craic.

Was there a straw that broke the camel's back for you Emotional?
Going back to the editing...it's always a clear blue sky on the outside shots....as if.