GBBO In The Media

[sum]

Tamal Ray on life after The Great British Bake Off and his new TV show Be Your Own Doctor

Quote

When we speak at around 4pm, Ray has only been awake for about 40 minutes. He’s spent most of the past 12 months back in his normal life. “I had to do a lot of catch up work after Bake Off,” he explains. Ray still bakes in his spare time and has managed to fit in a small side career as a newspaper columnist. There is also a cookery book in development.

Channel 4’s Be Your Own Doctor is the 30-year-old’s first proper return to television and this time there are no cakes in sight. Instead, he’s partnered up with Food Unwrapped’s Kate Quilton for a new factual TV show which sees them exploring and debunking health myths.

Quote

Ray was a finalist on the show in 2015, and his endearing nature attracted a large army of fans, but he lost out to Nadiya Hussain, who has since been a regular fixture both on our screens and in the press. “We still Whatsapp [message] all the time but everyone’s scattered around the country so we haven’t met up as a big group for ages,” he says of his fellow contestants. “I know Paul [Jagger, who became famous for his lion-shaped bread] is doing a whole line of bread sculptures for some of the food shows. He sent us some pictures of them. He’s done Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.”

Yay for Paul!

Quote

So will he still be watching when the show makes its controversial move to Channel 4? “Oh yeah, definitely. It’s going to be a big change but I’m sure Channel 4 are going to throw everything behind it.”

As said, his new show is on CH4 and made by Love Production. So it's not a surprise that he endorses the move.

Re: 'Be Your Own Doctor', The pilot is available. I found it a bit dull, unfortunately. Too many fillers with not enough informative materials.

[Mabinogia]

I'm happy for Paul. I still remember how he beamed when Paul Hollywood said that was the best bread sculpture he'd seen.

[halopub]

On 10/24/2016 at 5:48 PM, Occasional Hope said:

So they plan of getting sponsorship £££ before finalising hosts and judges?  Says a lot about priorities, doesn't it?

Since we're more than a year out from the next season, I suspect there's an accounting issue with how the broadcasting deal was structured. I would think prospective product placement brands would want more certainty on the cast.

The Telegraph is reporting that the BBC will continue to control global distribution of the UK show. The Beebs also holds format rights over all regional variants besides the US.    

Last laugh for BBC as it retains rights to sell Great British Bake Off format abroad

[tenativelyyours]

You the more this plays out, the more it makes for a great novel/movie where someone at the BBC simply played Love Productions and Channel Four hard.  Yes they lost the show.  But they also gutted it talent wise, kept the field open for creative variances that could use that talent they managed to keep, kept their finger in the till itself with foreign rights and distribution.  I mean it is almost Machiavellian with someone at the BBC one step ahead.  

Granted it is almost certainly coincidence....Right?  I mean in a world where you know you probably will face a fierce bidding war.  One in which even if you win, the costs probably will cut into the overall production ability of the company.  You have the most beloved figure getting on in years and facing retirement or the unmentionable.   You jettison the one figure that lives up to his name and I would think even with a legion of possible fans, still has a less than hardy approval rating*.  You craft yourselves as the underdog, victim and hero of it all.  You put the show you can't really afford to keep in a bad light and make it have to go even further in a commercial way to make up for the huge growth in cost; thus raising the chances it will lose whatever audience follows it as it is forced to essentially distance itself from its own origin and premise.  

I mean the best scenario is that the show stayed the same and the BBC had to put out a little more money to keep it but not such an amount that would limit other production efforts.  But pragmatically at some point they knew that was not happening long before the public did.  And the absolute best alternative seems to have fallen bit by bit into their laps. 

 

*I'm wondering what with the vitriol or scorn of some former tentmates, the careful say nothing of others whose silence might speak louder than words, the timing of it all that suggested to me that Hollywood was waiting and perhaps hoping Mary would make the move as well all makes me wonder if he wasn't a huge factor in the move in the first place.  He wanted more money two years ago that had rumblings of someone getting big in the designer jeans.  I wonder if he wasn't on the side of Love Productions from the start and was more than willing to push for the move to so much more money and commercialism that will let him get sponsorship deals of his own to a greater degree (he is pushing for U.S. exposure and his last visit seems to have included the same people who make the likes of cookware lines for Rachel Ray and some other Foodnetwork personalities if the little pictures that float up on their website indicated when the filmed his appearance on that bake show)

[mlp]

I just saw a commercial for a 2012 episode of Masterclass to be shown tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon on my local PBS channel.  Has that always been available in the U.S. and I was unaware of it or is that something new?  Either way, I have happily set my DVR.

[tenativelyyours]

So Mary is getting a six episode show on BBC that has her visiting ome Great Houses and looking at them from a culinary point of view.  And it sounds like she will cook something each episode based on the theme of each episode.  Now word when it starts or how that plays into any revamped BBC baking competition show with her, Mel and Sue though six episodes means they can film it easily to have it come out in the late summer. 

Also I read that there are two episodes yet to air that are part of the BBC.  It sounds like they are going to be the usual one fun and done type holiday specials.  Originally it confused me because they talked about the holiday episodes but also referred to CH4 doing a Comic Relief type series that they could do before the mandate disallowing them to air a regular bake off show for a full year.  But recent articles seem to indicate that the BBC has these two episodes and all four will be involved.  Some hints are that it will perhaps be a single all star approach for the set of episodes.  So going back it seems we have an episode (one article seemed to consider it a double episode, another that it was going to be two separate episodes airing two nights back to back) or two left with Mel, Sue, Mary and Paul and then this time next year there will be a charity series of single episode competitions on CH4 and a regular rebooted Bake Off on Ch4 in early 2018.  I think.  None of the articles that aren't lifted directly from another source all seem vague and a bit muddled.

[Kromm]

The Great Christmas Bake Off is coming: Feast your eyes on these pictures from the must-see episodes

Airs Christmas Day (Part I) and Boxing Day (Part II) in the UK, for a last hurrah on the BBC.

[mlp]

Will there be any way to see this in the States?

[RealityCheck]

This article contains some details about the challenges in the upcoming Christmas specials.

First -

Quote

The two new shows will replace previous years’ Bake Off Masterclasses, which saw Paul and Mary demonstrating how to make festive recipes.

About the challenges -

Quote

 

Each of the specials sees the bakers face three festive challenges.

They will start with the signature challenge, and in the first episode Paul and Mary want them to bake some highly decorative Christmas bakes that require intricate icing. In the second episode the judges require a savoury signature to get the Christmas party started.

Next comes the technical challenge. In the first special, Mary's recipe will result in a stunning bake decorated with chocolate snowflakes and in the second, Paul will be hoping the bakers create his bread creation to perfection.

Finally there is the showstopper challenge.  Bakers must produce a suitably stunning and festive masterpiece with a Christmas theme.

 

[halopub]

The BBC posted a little thank you montage to Bake Off.

[mlp]

Quote

The BBC posted a little thank you montage to Bake Off.

Aw.  That actually brought tears to my eyes.  Thank you for posting it.

[ceebee]

I loved the two Christmas episodes and wept at the montage. Going to miss this show so much.  

[Writing Wrongs]

ugh. I wanna see this.

[mlp]

I wonder if the BBC has thought of making a DVD set with all the seasons of the show on it.  I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

[rose711]

To be positive, maybe Channel 4 will do a great job. Maybe they will have resources to produce a better show? Maybe they will avoid things like not having enough freezers.

I don't blame anyone for trying to make more money off the most watched show in the UK.  If the same company is producing it, maybe they will keep the same atmosphere? I think they deserve a chance anyway. A celebrity version for charity sounds like a decent start if the celebrities are good bakers.

[Athena]

11 minutes ago, rose711 said:

A celebrity version for charity sounds like a decent start if the celebrities are good bakers.

There have already been more than one celebrity version for charity on the BBC. PBS does not get these, the Red Nose/celebrity special versions of GBBO will not be something new for Channel 4.

[rose711]

I spent some time reading a number of articles about this entire business. It's actually quite complicated. Here are some relevant points:

1. Love Productions is actually 70% owned by Sky, whose parent company is owned by Rupert Murdoch. So this isn't a decision made solely by a couple of greedy individually developers of the show. They didn't even control the decision being at most 30% holders of the company. That said, the Love Productions deal with Skye is paid over time and they will get more of a payout for this show if it does even ok over the next 3years.

2. Two of the principal developers of the show have close relationships with Channel 4 having worked with them on other shows. They work much better with them than the incredibly bureaucratic BBC. 

3. The BBC operates under a complex governmental restriction that prevents them for locking up shows the same way a commercial company can negotiate. I don't understand it all, but fairly recent political changes removed the BBC ability to keep shows; some say this political change was initiated by Murdoch and other commercial channels to allow them a chance to grab BBC shows.

4. Netflix didn't bid on the show because they didn't think they had a chance to get it from the BBC. ITV didn't bid because the talent wasn't guaranteed. Netflix regrets not moving faster to snag the show.

5. There is a sense of a power move by Murdoch to take the show from the BBC for reasons other than just making money. That may be why they weren't as concerned the talent wasn't locked up. They may not care about the show being good; they care about showing they have the muscle to get the highest rated show.

6. The decisions of Mel and Sue and Mary to stay with BBC is based on long term relations that will give them otherBBC shows and longevity that Channel 4 could never offer. It seems that the BBC will keep the same people employed over decades. Moving with the show was a bigger risk than staying with BBC. It's not clear that Paul had the same history and relationship with BBC.

7. While BBC gets an amount from international license of the format, it's a comparatively small fee and Love Productions gets by far the greater amount.

8. Mary's potential show on the cooking in the great houses of England seems like a typical BBC piece that could have been made in 1970. Not sure how successful it will be. 

9. The fantastic editing and packaged storytelling of the show should not change because the editor isn't changing - though I could be wrong. There is a complex bible of the show that deals with all the minute details that make it work, that shouldn't change much

So at the end of the day, there are much more complicated forces driving the decisions that were made here. The BBC government controlled mandates hampered it in negotiations with a group ultimately controlled by Rupert Murdoch - who had plenty of money to take a show away from BBC - he can have the most popular show on tv. 

There are more ideas here but I'm tired. Just wanted to put this show in the larger perspective of the fight for control of British programming.

[Athena]

8 hours ago, rose711 said:

It's not clear that Paul had the same history and relationship with BBC.

I'll add some things for more information.

Paul does not have the same history with the BBC. He only became famous because of GBBO. Mel, Sue, and Mary all had established careers before GBBO. While they were not as popular before the show as they are now, many people knew of them and for Mary, it was more generational. No surprise Hollywood would stay and go with the show because it made him who he is.

Mel and Sue have worked for Channel 4 and other UK commercial networks and they know from personal experience how moving channels can affect the show's quality. It can change how creative forces control the show. Secondly, Mel and Sue have stressed that they felt BBC nurtured the show. The BBC does have issues, but something it has done very well on is developed its talent and allowing shows and people to grow in a way commercial networks do not. They also treat their actual talent very well and give them a lot of creative control. However, this may be at the loss of some commercial ventures. I think this is harder on chefs than for comedians, actors, and writers. However both Nigella and Mary have been with the BBC and aren't suffering financially.

8 hours ago, rose711 said:

Mary's potential show on the cooking in the great houses of England seems like a typical BBC piece that could have been made in 1970. Not sure how successful it will be.

Mary Berry is a national treasure. People will watch her shows and given her long career and age, she can do whatever she wants and people won't begrudge her. Between GBBO shows, she has made many other cookery shows for them. This does not change her own pattern of making shows for the BBC since the 1970s.

There is a rumor that the three of the BBC remainers will create a competitive show, but there are no confirmed and actual details at present.

[rose711]

4 minutes ago, Athena said:

I'll add some things for more information.

Paul does not have the same history with the BBC. He only became famous because of GBBO. Mel, Sue, and Mary all had established careers before GBBO. While they were not as popular before the show as they are now, many people knew of them and for Mary, it was more generational. No surprise Hollywood would stay and go with the show because it made him who he is.

Mel and Sue have worked for Channel 4 and other UK commercial networks and they know from personal experience how moving channels can affect the show's quality. It can change how creative forces control the show. Secondly, Mel and Sue have stressed that they felt BBC nurtured the show. The BBC does have issues, but something it has done very well on is developed its talent and allowing shows and people to grow in a way commercial networks do not. They also treat their actual talent very well and give them a lot of creative control. However, this may be at the loss of some commercial ventures. I think this is harder on chefs than for comedians, actors, and writers. However both Nigella and Mary have been with the BBC and aren't suffering financially.

Mary Berry is a national treasure. People will watch her shows and given her long career and age, she can do whatever she wants and people won't begrudge her. Between GBBO shows, she has made many other cookery shows for them. This does not change her own pattern of making shows for the BBC since the 1970s.

There is a rumor that the three of the BBC remainers will create a competitive show, but there are no confirmed and actual details at present.

Thanks for the information. If Mary gets 10 million people to watch a show that I've seen described, then she truly was the only thing that made bake off a soaring success.

[Athena]

31 minutes ago, rose711 said:

Thanks for the information. If Mary gets 10 million people to watch a show that I've seen described, then she truly was the only thing that made bake off a soaring success.

Mary's own shows won't get those numbers. GBBO is a very special programme which is why the news had so much controversy. Reality shows (and to a certain extent Sports) are the ones that dominate UK. For the BBC to get GBBO like numbers again, it will have to produce a similar type of show.

In related news, here UK's The 30 Most Watched Programmes of 2016. GBBO had all main 10 eps in the top 11. It was only broken by Planet Earth, another BBC programme.

Quote

The BBC is set to secure a decisive victory in the TV ratings battle this year, having broadcast 31 of the top 40 programmes so far in 2016.

The rest of the list was filled with Britain's Got Talent, I'm a Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing (competitive reality shows), sports, and Planet Earth. 

Losing GBBO is a ratings blow to the BBC for sure, but it still has competitive and good programmes.

[Rinaldo]

2 hours ago, Athena said:

There is a rumor that the three of the BBC remainers will create a competitive show, but there are no confirmed and actual details at present.

And even in the context of rumors, I wonder how much substance there is to that idea: from anything I've heard, "there's a rumor" might mean just that someone speculated in an article somewhere, or someone expressed a wish in an online forum.

[rose711]

This isn't a media link but applications for the next season of the show are open on the Love Productions website. 

https://love.take-part.co.uk/gbbo/

Applications close January 22 and there is a countdown timer on the website.

Edited January 14, 2017 by rose711

[humbleopinion]

Update on GBBO

Three chefs have since been photographed reportedly leaving try-outs with Hollywood: Michel Roux, Rachel Allen and Frances Atkins.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-great-british-bake-off-channel-4-line-up-mary-berry-replacement-a7551971.html

[Spunkygal]

Michel Roux? Yes, please!

[sum]

The Great British Bake Off will return to television screens this year, after the BBC waived a legal clause preventing Channel 4 from showing it until 2018.
From the same article, Speaking on the red carpet ahead of the National TV Awards on Wednesday night in London, Mary Berry said: "I'm delighted to stay with the BBC and I've got all sorts of exciting projects I'm looking forward to doing." The TV judge added she would have a new series out in February which would be on "every day".

Last week, Mary Berry won Best TV Judge at the National Television Awards. 
http://streamable.com/rmr72 
Probably because I have no clue about the significance of this awards for Brits though, I didn't expect such an animated reaction from her. I saw the picture somewhere else and didn't give a second look thinking it was photoshoped. Not surprisingly it's gone viral and here's her comment (“I was shocked, did I really look like that?”) about it. Still don't know what it is but just happy to see a jubilant Mary. :D

[halopub]

On 1/29/2017 at 6:49 PM, humbleopinion said:

Three chefs have since been photographed reportedly leaving try-outs with Hollywood: Michel Roux, Rachel Allen and Frances Atkins.

I love Michel but I wouldn't want to see him with Paul. Too bad we can't just have an entirely new duo with Michel and someone else. It'd be worth paying whatever pay or play clause Paul might have in his contract.

[humbleopinion]

Definitely the co host will be Paul's choice since he is the only one left over(pun intended) from the wildly popular crew that got blown up by $$.

GBBO will just be a shell of its old self.

But I will still watch...

[Quilt Fairy]

Presumably the chef would replace Mary.  I liked Michel Roux in the few Masterchef episodes we saw on this side of the pond. Any rumors as to who will replace Mel and Sue?

[Athena]

8 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I liked Michel Roux in the few Masterchef episodes we saw on this side of the pond. A

I believe you are thinking of Michel Roux Jr. who was the host of Masterchef: The Professionals. Michel Roux is his uncle and an acclaimed pastry chef. Both Michels are fantastic on camera and really encouraging as mentors. I'd be very happy if Michel Roux were on GBBO; it would get me excited for the new series. However, I do think the dynamic would be very different and not sure it would go through with Paul. Rachel Allen and Frances Atkins bore me.

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, Athena said:

I believe you are thinking of Michel Roux Jr. who was the host of Masterchef: The Professionals

Yes, I was.  Thanks for the correction. 

[sum]

Mary is back with a new series 'Mary Berry Everyday' (6 episodes), started on last Monday.

And press release about the GBBO replacement, 'The Big Family Cooking Showdown'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/big-family-cooking-showdown

Quote

BBC Two has today announced that Nadiya Hussain and Zoe Ball will front a brand new series The Big Family Cooking Showdown. Renowned chefs Giorgio Locatelli and Rosemary Shrager will judge and crown the nation’s best family of cooks.

First announced last year, The Big Family Cooking Showdown is a major new competitive food show that meets a variety of families from across Britain. The 16 families will welcome Nadiya, Zoe, Giorgio and Rosemary into their own kitchens to whip up dishes using their favourite family recipes.

Over the 12x60 minute series judges Giorgio and Rosemary will set challenges in both the studio kitchen and home kitchens up and down the country, whittling down the teams of cooks through a series of challenges.

Edited March 3, 2017 by sum

[OnceSane]

Nadiya!!!  Yay!

[SirOsisOfLiver]

Hmm. "Yay!" was not the reaction I had. I read about the new show and all I could think was that they're trying too hard, and I don't feel very interested in watching this new show. Amateur cooks cooking in their own kitchens - it's been done. To death.

[OnceSane]

I'll take Nadiya any way I can get her.  She made Junior Bake Off bearable for me.

[Athena]

Channel 4 has revealed the new hosts/judge. Food writer Prue Leith, comedian Sandi Toksvig and actor Noel Fielding will join Paul Hollywood.

Prue is a judge on Great British Menu, a BBC food competition show for pros. I am underwhelmed by this choice; Prue is a fine albeit boring choice. Toksvig is about the same. I really like Noel Fielding and his sense of humor will be different than Sue & Mel's. It should be interesting how he plays with the other three.

[ABay]

Vince Noir! I might give a chance, then, if it ever shows up over here.

[Occasional Hope]

Hmm.  Prue Leith is clearly the safe, Mary Berry-lite choice.  Sandi Toksvig is in the Mel&Sue mildly irritating but bearable camp.

I'm not familiar with Noel Fielding but he looks as if he will annoy me and be a self-regarding type who wants to be the centre of attention.  I hope I'm wrong.

[halopub]

Well, as seen on QI and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Noel does know how to share attention and play well with others. But his sense of humor is probably not for everyone. He actually voices the out there, space-cadet thoughts we all have. And also the ones we would never have, even on mind-altering substances. 

I adore Sandi and enjoy her as QI host. Mel never bothered me, but I had issues with Sue the last couple seasons.

[Aulty]

Noel Fielding may be a bit out there, but I'm ok with that. love Sandy on QI but, to me, she is the odd one out in the Bake Off line up. Personally I would have flown in Mel Buttle or Claire Hooper to present the show with Noel. (I quite liked the presenters on the Aussie version of the show).

[wonderwoman]

Marth Collison (season 5) has a new cookbook coming out. Lots of good behind-the-scenes info.

http://www.avclub.com/article/great-british-bake-s-martha-collison-polite-shows--254110

[Mabinogia]

I adore Martha. She's just so darling. I liked how she answered the question about the new version of the show. Very polite and sweet.

[ceebee]

19 hours ago, wonderwoman said:

Marth Collison (season 5) has a new cookbook coming out. Lots of good behind-the-scenes info.

http://www.avclub.com/article/great-british-bake-s-martha-collison-polite-shows--254110

Thanks for posting - a nice interview.  Glad lovely Martha is doing well!

[RealityCheck]

First Look At Channel 4's Great British Bake Off

Quote

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are judging this year's series while Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding will be fronting the new look show.

[tvchick]

The Washington Post had another article on Martha Collison this week, timed for the beginning of the next GBBO season:

WaPo article on Martha

[Athena]

Great British Bake Off: Channel 4 says the show will be more 'modern' (BBC News)

Quote

Channel 4's Jay Hunt said: "This is Bake Off but with an extraordinary, high calibre of contributors and it's got a slight Channel 4 feel to it.

"We've got a new tone to it, it's got a new comic riff to it. I think that feels modern and future facing.

"I think it's a show that people will love with a Channel 4 spin."

End of the soggy bottom? Channel 4's Great British Bake Off to have 'new modern tone' (The Telegraph)

Quote

A source confirmed that the first episode of the new series contains none of the "soggy bottom" jokes that Bake Off has been long-associated with...

"With Noel, it's a slightly more surreal take. So far, episode one, there's no reference to soggy bottoms but it's got a freshness and it feels modern in terms of their comic take on it... It's got a slightly more surreal twist," the source said.

[dleighg]

what I loved about the show was it's kind of throwback, sweet, feel. I hope that doesn't get lost.

[Kohola3]

41 minutes ago, Athena said:

...it feels modern...

You mean like the current American challenges where everybody boasts about their greatness and trash talks the other contestants?  No thanks.

[Mabinogia]

that is...disappointing. One of the things I love most about GBBO is it's warm, comfy nostalgia vibe. I don't want it modernized. I love the soggy bottom jokes, especially Mary's adorable delight at them. I love the cheesy puns. I love Mel and Sue's terrible accents and shouting out BAAAAKE (I hated it at first, but now it's like an old friend, like that grandfather who whistles and normally you hate whistling, but when Gramps does it, it's somehow okay). It is everything I picture the quintessential, old school English country village to be.

I can understand their decision, trying to keep it more in line with modern viewing habits, but I am sad that this sweet show will never again be the same show. I feel like not only did they kick out my beloved Gran and two favorite Aunts, but now they are redecorating the family home, tearing down some walls to make it open concept but leaving the original fireplace so they can say they didn't change the whole house.

[dubbel zout]

They have to distinguish this new version from the BBC one, but calling it "modern" seems dumb to me. It's still a baking show, so unless they're suddenly using molecular gastronomy or insisting that the meringue be made with aquafaba, I'm rolling my eyes. 

[Kohola3]

I just hope "modern" doesn't mean moving it into some high tech indoor kitchen loaded with all kinds of fancy machines that no one could possibly afford.