In March 2020, when everything shut down I found myself with an abundance of free time. As a solution to our joint boredom, my dad and I decided to start watching a random cooking show. This show was “The Great British Baking Show” on Netflix. Within a couple of days we were finished with the first season and quickly made our way through the remaining eight. We were absolutely transfixed.
“The Great British Baking Show” has a balance of consistency and variation. Each episode has the same structure: The Signature Bake, The Technical Challenge, and The Showstopper. Although the intricacies of the challenges were different every episode, the premise was the same. At the time, it felt like the show was my rock. In a world where it seemed like everything we knew was changing, having a show with light-hearted consistency was comforting.
Aside from providing consistency, the show is also surprisingly funny. Each season has ten episodes, in which one contestant is eliminated and one is crowned the Star Baker. As the season progresses, you start to get to know the characters and their unique quirks. Not to mention the judges are hilarious. Working together, Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and their two hosts, Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas, create a humorous and entertaining environment.
What makes “The Great British Baking Show” stand out against other cooking shows is that it is part of a show “chain,” all of which is accessible on Netflix. Aside from the flagship show, “The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings” is a spinoff that includes a season of the show with the old judges and the very first contestants. It’s almost like a prequel to “The Great British Baking Show” we all know and love. Even more exciting is the “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays,” which has three seasons filled with Christmas food, cheer, and decor. On this spin-off, previous contestants come back exclusively for holiday bakes. It’s the perfect show to watch during the holiday season while waiting for your Christmas cookies to come out of the oven.
As the name suggests, this show is set in the U.K., more specifically in Newbury. In addition to the fun accents (and I know we all love British Accents…) being set internationally gives the dishes in the show an element of diversity. All of the challenges involve traditional baking techniques, ingredients, and final products. Oftentimes, the contestants will also incorporate dishes from their own cultures, leaving you with a multicultural education of baking that many of the traditional American cooking shows (such as “Chopped,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Master Chef”) are not always able to offer.
So this Thanksgiving, when you’re looking for shows to get you into a cooking mood, “The Great British Baking Show” is a surefire way to be satisfied. Whether you’re sucked into binge watching it for the comedy, international bakes, or just use the show as a means of grounding yourself at the end of the day, I have no doubt that you will become addicted.