The Great British Baking Show On PBS

[iggysaurus]

Is there any official word on when UK S4 (the one currently airing on US PBS) will be on Netflix? I have the PBS app on Roku and Apple TV but they only have episodes starting around #5 and the earlier ones have dropped off. :( I know I could find them on Youtube but I prefer to watch in HD. 

[RedHackle]

Wow, this forum took me a bit to figure out as well.  I've been watching this show here in the US since it debuted on PBS last season and am head over heels in love with it.  As others have noted, I especially love the way it's filmed and cut to downplay the personal drama.  I hate how American competition shows play that up to the point that you feel dirty just watching them. 

 

I also love the enormous talent of the contestants, the tough-but-fair credibility of the judges and I really love the clowning around between Mel and Sue, who I think are hilarious. Paul and Mary frequently crack me up as well.  Just love love love this show.  I'm blown away by what these bakers accomplish week after week.  Great show! 

[sum]

I don't live in the states, still wonder if PBS are going to air the special episode from series 5, aka 'Class of 2013'.

Official description of the episode: We catch up with last year's bakers, who have come a long way since their time in the tent.This programme looks back at the golden moments - and recurring nightmares - of the bakers dozen from last year, as they revisit their time in the tent and share their memories as the Class of 2013.

[SlackerInc]

I just watched S1E1, and enjoyed it, as a longtime fan of the similarly formatted "Project Runway". I am curious about a couple things though.

1. What's up with the ratio of judges to hosts/mentors? I think PR's makes more sense: one mentor, two regular judges, one host who is also a judge, plus a different guest judge each episode.

2. Do they edit out the part where the judges spit out the food after tasting it, and then chew on some kind of palate cleanser? (Also, I would need milk!)

[MissLulu]

Just joined up and really love this show! So excited for the Holiday edition which starts tomorrow (Monday) night! I so ♥ Mary Berry!

 

To answer the first question from Shakerinc I don't think the two female host are really meant to be mentors. Just comedy relief and morale boosters. I think they do a fantastic job, really love the pair, known as Mel & Sue in the UK. 

Edited November 29, 2015 by MissLulu

[Dobian]

I loved season 5 on PBS, I'll have to check Netflix now.  Look forward to season 6.

[cherrypj]

Is this the show in question? Starts July 1st.

[Athena]

35 minutes ago, cherrypj said:

Is this the show in question? Starts July 1st.

Yes, as confirmed by media reports from NY TImes:

Quote

PBS, which aired two previous seasons of the show, will broadcast Britain’s Season 6 in the United States and call it Season 3. Additional seasons of the series will premiere on PBS over the next two years.

Great news for North American viewers as PBS seems to have secured rights for the near future.

As before, I will pin the episode topics for the PBS S3/ BBC S6 episodes each week.

[needschocolate]

Some help please - I am trying to figure out which season is which - Is this correct?

PBS GBBS Season 1 = GBBO Season 4

PBS GBBS Season 2 = GBBO Season 5

PBS GBBS Season 3 = GBBO Season 6

[Athena]

20 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

Some help please - I am trying to figure out which season is which - Is this correct?

PBS GBBS Season 1 = GBBO Season 4

PBS GBBS Season 2 = GBBO Season 5

PBS GBBS Season 3 = GBBO Season 6

The first two are reversed:

Season 1 of PBS's Baking Show is BBC Series 5 (2014).

Season 2 of PBS's Baking Show is BBC Series 4 (2013).

Season 3 of PBS's Baking Show is BBC Series 6 (2015).

[GaT]

I wonder if we're ever going to get GBBO seasons 1-3 in the US? I want it all!

[Quilt Fairy]

Well, it's about fucking time!  I've been waiting for this season to air on PBS since the fall.

ETA: Why the hell are they premiering this on a Friday night at 9pm (Central)?  I'm assuming that Sunday night is going to be taken up with 4th of July specials, but in that case why not just wait until the following Sunday? It's not as if they haven't already kept us waiting for the better part of a year.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Quilt Fairy

[ABay]

Is your PBS station actually showing it Friday? Mine isn't. Or if it is, it's on one of its substations that no one with satellite or cable gets. Or possibly at 3 am on the main station. I don't understand this at all. GBBO got big numbers for PBS last time, why won't CPTV run it when and where people can watch it? CPTV...I've never experienced such a fucked up PBS station in my life. If I want to watch anything that isn't a Sunday night staple*, I have to watch on the PBS website because even if the thing is scheduled, chances are something entirely different will actually air.

*Does not apply to Call the Midwife which sometimes ran at 7 and sometimes not.

[justmehere]

4 hours ago, ABay said:

Is your PBS station actually showing it Friday? Mine isn't. Or if it is, it's on one of its substations that no one with satellite or cable gets. Or possibly at 3 am on the main station. I don't understand this at all. GBBO got big numbers for PBS last time, why won't CPTV run it when and where people can watch it? CPTV...I've never experienced such a fucked up PBS station in my life. If I want to watch anything that isn't a Sunday night staple*, I have to watch on the PBS website because even if the thing is scheduled, chances are something entirely different will actually air.

*Does not apply to Call the Midwife which sometimes ran at 7 and sometimes not.

I'm in the same boat. I just called my PBS station because I couldn't find it anywhere in the schedule, and they're not airing the season until autumn!!!! I commented that I saw it in the schedule for another city in my state and was told that each station programs individually, making their own purchase and scheduling decisions. It's an idiotic move, in my opinion. Way to screw up viewing numbers! I understand the variance of a couple of days or a week (that has happened before), but possibly 3 months?? Not a happy viewer here.

[AllAboutMBTV]

It's airing this Friday night at 9:00 on KQED in the San Francisco area. I'm very happy that it's back, and my DVR will catch it no matter the night, but I like it better on Sundays. No idea if it will move back to Sundays after the Fourth.

[yeswedo]

The Boston and NH stations are airing it Friday at 9pm and Sunday at 7pm. 

[theatremouse]

The super weird thing, at least where I am, is that the PBS site has you confirm your local affiliate first before loading the page. So it knows which local PBS is mine. And it then says on the show page that it resumes July 1at 9pm . But if I go into my cable guide for then, it's not listed, which makes me think it's as y'all said above, up to each one and maybe it won't be on here for a while. So...what's the point of confirming the local affiliate? Just for their own marketing/reference? Because it sure seemed like it was asking to confirm that whatever it was going to display actually applied...and yet it doesn't.

[Quilt Fairy]

11 hours ago, justmehere said:

I'm in the same boat. I just called my PBS station because I couldn't find it anywhere in the schedule, and they're not airing the season until autumn!!!! I commented that I saw it in the schedule for another city in my state and was told that each station programs individually, making their own purchase and scheduling decisions. It's an idiotic move, in my opinion. Way to screw up viewing numbers! I understand the variance of a couple of days or a week (that has happened before), but possibly 3 months?? Not a happy viewer here.

Do they even comprehend that it is, you know, a competition where people get eliminated each week and it might be more appropriate to air it the same time as the rest of the country? I figured that last year when they aired a second season so soon after the first they appreciated the hit they had on their hands. And they had 3 additional previous seasons to show us in addition to the season that was then current in the UK. Idiots.

FYI, in the Chicago area it will be shown on WTTW on Friday, July 1 at 9 pm with a repeat the following Sunday at 1pm.

ETA: I'm in the sad boat of knowing the winner this season. Quite a few of the episodes are on Youtube so I was working my way through episodes 1, 2 and 3 when I suddenly couldn't find 4. 4 and I think 5 were missing and then it picked up again at episode 6. This made no sense to me so I started Googling around trying to find ep 4 and ta da! instead came up with a link that had the winner in the title.

Edited June 28, 2016 by Quilt Fairy

[justmehere]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Do they even comprehend that it is, you know, a competition where people get eliminated each week and it might be more appropriate to air it the same time as the rest of the country? I figured that last year when they aired a second season so soon after the first they appreciated the hit they had on their hands. And they had 3 additional previous seasons to show us in addition to the season that was then current in the UK. Idiots.

FYI, in the Chicago area it will be shown on WTTW on Friday, July 1 at 9 pm with a repeat the following Sunday at 1pm.

ETA: I'm in the sad boat of knowing the winner this season. Quite a few of the episodes are on Youtube so I was working my way through episodes 1, 2 and 3 when I suddenly couldn't find 4. 4 and I think 5 were missing and then it picked up again at episode 6. This made no sense to me so I started Googling around trying to find ep 4 and ta da! instead came up with a link that had the winner in the title.

Yeah - such an extreme delay makes no sense whatsoever. I was so surprised that I didn't say anything beyond that it was disappointing, but I don't know if something like logic would get them to change their schedule. It first aired almost a year ago in the UK, so maybe they figure it doesn't matter!

Sorry about the spoiler. It's hard to avoid if you look at all. That does take some of the fun out of it.

[AllAboutMBTV]

I was spoiled, too, as to this season's winner. Curse you, BBC News app. I was reading a story there on Mary Berry, which was posted well after this season finished airing in the UK, and it still mentioned the winner -- and showed a photo of said winner with Mary. Argh. Still going to watch, of course, with an eye to how they edit the winner's progression.

[Grommet]

I managed to find all the Season 6 eps on You Tube (some with filtering and screen shrinkage - but I watched anyway!) and I'm still going to watch it all again on PBS, assuming I can figure out when it's airing on my local station. I would pay a ridiculous amount of money to have a complete set of DVDs but they are not available in whatever DVD format we have on this side of the pond. Have I mentioned that I love this show?

[Athena]

1 hour ago, AllAboutMBTV said:

I was spoiled, too, as to this season's winner. Curse you, BBC News app. I was reading a story there on Mary Berry, which was posted well after this season finished airing in the UK, and it still mentioned the winner -- and showed a photo of said winner with Mary. Argh. Still going to watch, of course, with an eye to how they edit the winner's progression.

A couple of years ago, I think it would have been easier to avoid knowing who won the competition. The show has always been popular, but it has now reached a level of where over 20% of the population of GB watched the finale. That is a big number for a TV show in the UK and in this age where people don't even watch live TV as much anymore. The winners and the finalists are all getting more buzz and opportunities even though many still do a day job. I also think the 2015 winner was particularly relateable and well liked.

All that is to say: American viewers, please be very careful about searching for GBBO. You'll find spoilers about S6. Once S7 begins airing later in the summer, there will be lots of UK media articles about the show. After that finale, it'll be easy to find out the winner even if you don't look for it.

As a reminder, please do not mention how you are seeing the show unless you are watching it by official means such as PBS or BBC web players. We do not allow posts on Flying to England including Youtube. Thank you.

[editorgrrl]

40 minutes ago, Athena said:

American viewers, please be very careful about searching for GBBO. You'll find spoilers about S6. 

And don't watch the "Juniors" episode of Bravo's People's Couch. I'm not bitter about being spoiled, though. I figure the rest of the world deals with this daily for USian shows.

[M. Darcy]

Quote

and they're not airing the season until autumn!!!!

At least, they should have the episode available on the PBS website so you should be able to watch it that way until your station finally airs it.

In DC, the airing of the first episode is all over the place.  MPT is showing it Friday the 1st,  WETA is showing it Sunday the 3rd and WETA UK is showing it Sat the 9th .

[OoogleEyes]

Tonight tonight tonight!

[Quilt Fairy]

Season 3 Ep1 (US) is up on the PBS website:

Great British Baking Show Season 3 Episode 1

[DHDancer]

OPB aired the show tonight (Friday July 1, at 9pm Pacific)   I hope they keep the show on Friday as Sundays are already too full of "good stuff" -- we need good stuff spread through the rest of the week (I wish Masterpiece Mystery was still on Thursdays, sigh)

First episode was good.  Nothing weird (Madeira cake, aka pound cake, and black forest gateau) but the first elimination was pretty obvious, and no complaints from me.   There seemed to be less time dedicated to the critiques so I'm wondering if yet again we're going to see edited episodes (I'm sick of this, plus my local station doesn't broadcast in widescreen format yet so I see everything chopped off at the edges)

Edited July 2, 2016 by DHDancer

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, DHDancer said:

There seemed to be less time dedicated to the critiques

Don't forget they had 36 to do over the course of the show. And I think they did show everyone's, although everyone didn't necessarily get the same amount of air time.

[stillshimpy]

Yeah, I'm not spoiled as to who won.  I currently have no idea where we're supposed to be talking about the show though, so that's my major malfunction at the moment.  

Also, just an FYI for anyone experiencing the woes of scheduling:  I'm watching it through the PBS app that's available to add to your streaming device.  In my case, the Fire TV but Roku, etc. has them also.  If your affiliate has it on the schedule, it should be available through the app.  

Now I just have to figure out where to talk about the show.  

[Athena]

21 minutes ago, stillshimpy said:

I currently have no idea where we're supposed to be talking about the show though, so that's my major malfunction at the moment. 

The episodes should be discussed in the episode threads such as the first one S06x01: Cake.

This thread can be used as a general commentary on scheduling and other issues you may have with how PBS has brought the show to the USA.

[stillshimpy]

Thank you, Athena! 

[justmehere]

On 6/30/2016 at 0:00 PM, M. Darcy said:

At least, they should have the episode available on the PBS website so you should be able to watch it that way until your station finally airs it.

I was afraid that because my affiliate isn't airing it, somehow I wouldn't be able to watch online (or I'd have to pretend to be from a different area). But yes -- I was able to see it! Very happy! (I wrote to my local station about the scheduling but haven't heard anything back.)

[jenh526]

I love this show but it's kind of painful for me to watch it now. My mom and I used to watch the episodes and then talk about them on the phone. She passed away about a month ago after battling pancreatic cancer. I have to imagine her sitting next to me on the couch, watching along with me.

[AZChristian]

So sorry for your loss, jenh526.  But what a blessing to have those memories of watching the show and chatting with your mother about the episodes.  

[ABay]

This week's Pop Culture Happy Hour on NPR talked about the show. Skip to the second half. I was going to put this in the GBBO Media thread but it's really about the episodes on PBS now (for some. Hmph). They manage to make the PBS season/BBC series out-of-sequence airing even more confusing.

[yeswedo]

FYI, the Boston PBS station is giving us a double helping this Friday. Episode 3 (Bread) is airing at 9pm and Episode 4 (Desserts) is at 10pm. I don't know if this is true for all stations.

[Rinaldo]

It seems to be true for WHYY in Philadelphia as well.

[AZChristian]

Also in Phoenix.  YAY!!!

[AllAboutMBTV]

Ditto in San Francisco. Don't blow through the season, PBS! There's so little else on TV these days (my DVR is getting a much-needed rest) that I'm enjoying savoring the bakers.

[dubbel zout]

In NYC we're getting only one episode, Bread. But we get the show on Sunday afternoon, not on Friday night.

Edited July 12, 2016 by dubbel zout
added when show airs

[Portia]

Alabama Public Television is showing both episodes.  Thanks for the heads up, yeswedo. I would have had a conflict on my DVR if I hadn't sorted it out.

[Quilt Fairy]

WTTW in Chicago is showing both 3 and 4.

[Quilt Fairy]

Three sets of double episodes? WTF? What genius at PBS programming decided to waste this terrific show? Not that I don't appreciate them in a certain sense, but I don't think there is another single show I'm watching on PBS this summer.

[Kohola3]

I am going to have to practice restraint and DVR them so i can watch one a week.  Summer TV is so bad.

[snarktini]

5 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I am going to have to practice restraint and DVR them so i can watch one a week.  Summer TV is so bad.

I have access to the whole season online via KQED, and the only reason I have not hoovered the whole thing up already is that I want to watch in real time with my friends and getting ahead of them would be frustrating. The only way I'm successfully holding the line is by filling the space with the last two seasons. (One I've seen, one I haven't. I didn't find the show until last year.) 

Summer TV is the worst. There really isn't anything on. Netflix is my friend.

[dubbel zout]

Because it's the third season PBS is showing. If they'd started with the BBC season 1 it wouldn't be an issue, but people would wonder where the previous seasons were if they called the current one season 6.

It's not the greatest situation, but it's not completely illogical.

[JenMD]

Just a head's up for those watching on WGBH out of Boston - I just noticed my dvr has changed the schedule for tomorrow night, recording at 10 & 11pm, with a news special on at 9pm.  The WGBH website still lists Baking at 9 & 10pm.   Not entirely certain what's actually going to air when (the spare dvr listed only Ep3 on the HD channel, but had Ep 4 on the SD channel - I think it just hasn't fully updated the changes yet).  Thinks are definitely a bit wonky at the moment.

[Rinaldo]

It's a similar situation here in the Philadelphia area: The two episodes are now an hour later than the schedule said earlier in the week, according to the website, and my DVR knows about it. So check local listings, and plan accordingly.

[Jesse]

I think it's because of the special "America in Black & Blue" which is going to be on at 9 tonight. (Edit: And is clearly a late-breaking thing addressing current events.)

Edited July 15, 2016 by Jesse

[Kohola3]

Thanks to everyone for the updates. I have checked my DVR settings but at least I will know to double-check to make sure it gets saved.  On too late for me to watch!  Plus I save it for my Sunday night viewing since Downton and the Midwives are off.