Changes In “Great British Baking Show”
Dana Schwartz breaks down the new episodes on Netflix: ‘BBC’s Great British Bake-Off is no more. The show (known as The Great British Baking Show on this side of the Atlantic) has moved to the private station Channel 4 in England and with the transfer, there’s been a major, heartbreaking exit of talent. Gone are Mel and Sue with their innuendo and perfect blazers, and Mary Berry with her high standards and predilection for bakers who use slightly too much alcohol. With the exception of Paul Hollywood (the only of the original GBBO fab four to stick with the program), the once comfortingly familiar tent is now filled with strangers — new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and new judge Prue Leith.
It’s a Twilight Zone version of Baking Show where the tent is the same, and the catchphrases are identical, but the people saying them are unfamiliar. It’s a strange juxtaposition, especially when Paul always came across (at least to me) as the least likable member of the original group. The type of guy who wears too much hair gel and seems like he drives a red sports car (and that was before I saw the photo of him dressed as a Nazi for a costume party in 2003, for which he’s recently apologized).
