Bake Off off
The Great British Bake Off (or Bake Off as it is commonly known) is a national treasure. Every week on a Wednesday night the nation sits down and watches a group of amateur bakers creating weird and wonderful baked goods in an attempt to stay in the competition and become overall baking champion at the end of the series. The timing is perfect, just when people are sitting down to a cuppa and a slice of cake at 8pm. Not only that, the show has been on the BBC since it has begun and it seems so British to have that pairing.
This week the nation was rocked by the news that the show had been sold to Channel 4 because the production company, Love Productions, was asking too much money for it. The show is enormously popular with around 15 million viewers watching last year's final and an average of 10 million per episode this series. The popularity is also down to the presenters, comedians Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry (national treasure in her own right). Some thought that Mel and Sue might go to C4 as they have worked there before but they both stressed that they see the show as a BBC thing and have stood down as presenters for future series. It is still to be shown if Paul and Mary will also stand down. Part of the charm is the interaction between Mel and Sue with Paul and Mary though so it will not be the same. Also there will be ad breaks on C4.
Early rumours suggest that Jamie Oliver and Jo Brand might be the next presenters. Jo Brand already presents the 'extra slice' programme at the end of the week talking to the bakers knocked out of the show. These are just early rumours though.
The show is so popular because of the innuendo, the baked goods and the fact that there is a certain nostalgia for middle England. It takes us back to our childhoods where we would go to the village summer fete and the best cake would be judged (the whole thing is done in a giant tent). The format has sold around the world but they try to jazz it up by dunking losing contestants in a lake or having 'hot' presenters and judges. Our original version is so simple and so precious and one can't help thinking that something will be lost by the move to C4.
I have nothing against C4. I think C4 has the best news programme and I think they do edgy things with television that make you question aspects of life. I think that C4 is great with its coverage of the Paralympics and it has produced some of the best comedy over the years (anything involving Chris Morris, Father Ted, Green Wing, The Inbetweeners, Friday Night Dinner). It doesn't feel like the home of GBBO though. That belongs somewhere with more history and the BBC just feels right.
GBBO is one of those shows that when you feel like crap it makes the world right again and we really needed it this year. With Trump being too popular for comfort, loads of celeb deaths, terror attacks and general crappiness, 2016 was shaping up to be a totally shit year. GBBO gives you one hour a week to escape from all that. What will we do now?
This week the nation was rocked by the news that the show had been sold to Channel 4 because the production company, Love Productions, was asking too much money for it. The show is enormously popular with around 15 million viewers watching last year's final and an average of 10 million per episode this series. The popularity is also down to the presenters, comedians Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry (national treasure in her own right). Some thought that Mel and Sue might go to C4 as they have worked there before but they both stressed that they see the show as a BBC thing and have stood down as presenters for future series. It is still to be shown if Paul and Mary will also stand down. Part of the charm is the interaction between Mel and Sue with Paul and Mary though so it will not be the same. Also there will be ad breaks on C4.
Early rumours suggest that Jamie Oliver and Jo Brand might be the next presenters. Jo Brand already presents the 'extra slice' programme at the end of the week talking to the bakers knocked out of the show. These are just early rumours though.
The show is so popular because of the innuendo, the baked goods and the fact that there is a certain nostalgia for middle England. It takes us back to our childhoods where we would go to the village summer fete and the best cake would be judged (the whole thing is done in a giant tent). The format has sold around the world but they try to jazz it up by dunking losing contestants in a lake or having 'hot' presenters and judges. Our original version is so simple and so precious and one can't help thinking that something will be lost by the move to C4.
I have nothing against C4. I think C4 has the best news programme and I think they do edgy things with television that make you question aspects of life. I think that C4 is great with its coverage of the Paralympics and it has produced some of the best comedy over the years (anything involving Chris Morris, Father Ted, Green Wing, The Inbetweeners, Friday Night Dinner). It doesn't feel like the home of GBBO though. That belongs somewhere with more history and the BBC just feels right.
GBBO is one of those shows that when you feel like crap it makes the world right again and we really needed it this year. With Trump being too popular for comfort, loads of celeb deaths, terror attacks and general crappiness, 2016 was shaping up to be a totally shit year. GBBO gives you one hour a week to escape from all that. What will we do now?
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