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TGABS in the Media


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With only 4 parts, I wonder how many contestants that allows, and what schedule of eliminations.

 

That short time-frame (thus added pressure) really does change up the basic Bake-Off formula a bit. Then again, I believe they've done Celeb specials in the UK that used some kind of abbreviated schedule, so maybe that's the precedent. 

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Why is ABC airing the show at 10PM? This show should be airing in an 8PM time slot since it is kid-friendly, not X-rated.

 

I didn't think there was anything that would make me look forward to Mondays but this show will, at least for December.

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With only 4 parts, I wonder how many contestants that allows, and what schedule of eliminations.

I just saw an ad for it and there are six contestants. 

So 5 for Week 2, 4 for Week 3 and 2 for the fourth week?  Or will they not eliminate anyone during the first round so they can have a final 3 during the last week?

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Reviews from different sides of the Atlantic Ocean differ on the show.

 

Left Side (of the Atlantic): 

AV Club: Baking Show’s charm survives the Holiday trip to ABC

STLToday: TV review: ABC's 'Holiday Baking Show' is delicious

 

Right Side (of the Atlantic):

Daily Mail: Mary Berry flops in the US as The Great Holiday Baking Show is dubbed a 'poor knock-off' of GBBO... while others slam her use of the word 'awesome'

The Guardian: The Great Holiday Baking Show: US tries and fails to copy UK super smash

 

Here is the Guardian reviewers main reason for believing it's a failure. Honestly, the comment reeks of snobbery.

But as the shot pans out, the American amateur bakers do something their British counterparts would never do: they cheer.

That expression of performed enthusiasm was exactly when I knew we were doomed.

The reviewer DOES rightfully crucify the show for reusing lines like the Soggy Bottom one though.

Edited by Kromm
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Unlike the Guardian, something I REALLY like about this show is that everyone is being nice. (And  that they typically aren't is the reason I don't watch most cooking shows on network TV.)

 

The Daily Mail seems to be saying Mary went to the US; but this is clearly filmed in the UK location; we don't have those awesome ovens here! 

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Well again, I read some element of snobbery in the UK reviews. They don't WANT a US version to be any good. Which is odd only in this case because if they really wanted to they could hang it having at least a little value on Mary being involved.

 

Really a less slanted opinion to me seems like it would be a bit more in the middle. That it's an echo of the UK show, sure, but not the disaster it could have been. And really it's all academic anyway. Even with falling standards accompanying falling ratings, and the show likely being cheap to produce (or maybe not if they have to pay for all those flights and hotel rooms), I think it would have to be doing a lot better than this first week's numbers suggest for us to ever see it again after this winter.

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(edited)

I can't believe it but according to this article (dated February 17, 2016), Love production held a casting call for a second season for BOTH a summer "Great American Baking Show" and holiday "Great Holiday Baking Show" to air on ABC.  The casting call closed May 20.  I hope they do a better job of casting.

Both shows will be filmed in England and judged by Mary Berry.

This begs the questions: will Paul judge and Mel & Sue host the summer version? If not Mel & Sue, please find someone other than the forgettable pair who hosted season 1 of the Holiday show.

Edited by RealityCheck
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I'm surprised too. Let's hope they figured out how to get the charm into the American versions, because it was really lacking in the previous attempts.

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Not sure I'm in for another round if Nia Vardalos and her husband are still the hosts as indicated in the article above.  I love Mary Berry, and Johnny Iuzzini wasn't a bad substitute for Paul Hollywood.  I just found Nia & Ian disengaged, charmless and unfunny.  I think Jeff Foxworthy did a better job when the US first hopped on the GBBO train. 

I did watch the 4 eps of Holiday Baking and I tried to be open minded about the contestants.  But they were lacking the talent and skills of the GB bakers.  I couldn't root for any of the US folks. Yet I find myself in tears when any one of the British contestants has to go home because I truly enjoy and like and admire all of them!

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Interesting that they're renaming it "The Great American Baking Show", but why are they keeping the same hosts? Nia Vardalos & Ian Gomez are completely without personality. Since Mary Berry is still attached, I'm guessing that means it's being shot in England again. If so, I really hope they figure out how to get much better contestants because the ones from season one were pathetic.

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On 11/9/2016 at 6:53 PM, GaT said:

Interesting that they're renaming it "The Great American Baking Show", but why are they keeping the same hosts? Nia Vardalos & Ian Gomez are completely without personality. Since Mary Berry is still attached, I'm guessing that means it's being shot in England again. If so, I really hope they figure out how to get much better contestants because the ones from season one were pathetic.

They HAD to rename it, because it was supposed to air both Summer and Winter versions. Remember this was filmed before the whole Bake-Off fracas happened. So you've got all kinds of film of the hosts saying the phrase "The Great American Baking Show" and probably thought it would be ridiculous to dub it all back the other way.

Of course they'll now have to replace Mary for Season 3, be it Winter OR Summer. But at least we'll have Season 2 to watch with her.

It is at least remotely possible that Mary might still be bound by a separate agreement for this show from the one she was able to walk away from on GBBO. But... I doubt it. If Love Productions wasn't savvy enough to lock her down on one of their shows, I doubt they were savvy enough to do it on the other one. 

Johnny Iuzzini actually did a decent job last season, but really I'm at a loss to see how they'll balance him out going forward. My one stray idea was Martha Stewart. Not an idea I'm totally in love with, but it would seem stupid and manipulative to just drag in some other random old English lady. If you go Brit, you use Mary (except that time on the Jeff Foxworthy version where they used Paul, and he slept with his co-star). 

As for Nia Vardalos & Ian Gomez? I don't agree with the statement that they don't have personalities. It's just that they have ANNOYING ones. They aren't actually funny, it doesn't seem natural at all, and so it comes off as so lackluster. Jeff Foxworthy was actually BETTER (and he was still really bad). I'd have risked another comedian, or possibly a double act of them, but the husband/wife thing is a total fail.

Edited by Kromm
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Reports say it's a 8-episode season.

  1. Dec 1st, Cake Week (by ABC & EPG)
  2. Dec 1st, Cookie Week (by ABC & EPG)
  3. Dec 8th, Bread Week (by ABC & EPG)
  4. Dec 15th, Pies & Tarts Week (by ABC & EPG)
  5. Dec 22nd, Chocolate Week (by EPG)
  6. Dec 22nd, Custard & Meringue Week (by EPG)
  7. Dec 29th, Semi Final (?)
  8. Dec 29th, Final (?)

Guess that would be how they air them? Glad they doubled the episode number. Four is way too few to get into the show, no matter how good or bad the show's quality might be.

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On 11/18/2016 at 1:14 AM, Kromm said:

Of course they'll now have to replace Mary for Season 3, be it Winter OR Summer. But at least we'll have Season 2 to watch with her.

If they already filmed the summer with the winter, and it's likely they did considering it seems this was likely filmed in the summer, then she'd be in the next round too.

On 11/18/2016 at 1:14 AM, Kromm said:

It is at least remotely possible that Mary might still be bound by a separate agreement for this show from the one she was able to walk away from on GBBO. But... I doubt it. If Love Productions wasn't savvy enough to lock her down on one of their shows, I doubt they were savvy enough to do it on the other one. 

It'd be interesting to see her contract but unless there's some kind of weird clause in her original contract (unlikely otherwise Paul would be here too) she would had a separate contract drawn up for the American show. American contracts tend to be longer than UK contracts but she would have the power to sign for a shorter length of time.  But she might not have the issues with this version than she has with happened to the British version.

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22 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

If they already filmed the summer with the winter, and it's likely they did considering it seems this was likely filmed in the summer, then she'd be in the next round too.

It'd be interesting to see her contract but unless there's some kind of weird clause in her original contract (unlikely otherwise Paul would be here too) 

Paul not being in this is for a totally other reason. He's not in it, because he already did another version of this show, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on CBS, with Marcella Valladolid as his co-star, except that version got really shitty ratings, plus he cheated on his wife and had an affair with Marcella and got tons of bad press for the show.

I actually am a bit skeptical that they've already filmed a Summer version. The casting calls for both versions were done way back in February. While it's possible they attempted to cast for a season to air a full year and a half later, it's far more likely they were feeling out casting a show intended to air 5-6 months later, and it simply never was produced (but the Holiday version went ahead anyway). 

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15 hours ago, Maverick said:

 I don't follow the original closely.  What is the is the issue with that version?

The original version aired on BBC which is the public broadcasting channel in the UK. It's a little like PBS and a lot not since they produce more shows since it receives more public funding.  BBC licensed the show for six seasons.  When the contract was up this past summer, the production company, Love Productions, opened itself up to a bidding war over the show.  BBC increased what it was willing to offer the production company but another channel, which is largely ad supported, offered more for three more seasons.  As a result, Mel and Sue, the hosts, and Mary Berry chose to terminate their involvement in the show. Only Paul Hollywood is moving with the show.  Mel, Sue and Mary all signed on to stay with the BBC in some capacity. Mary will likely do a similar baking show but I don't think it has been determined whether or not Mel and Sue will also be involved in that or something different.

12 hours ago, Kromm said:

Paul not being in this is for a totally other reason. He's not in it, because he already did another version of this show, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on CBS, with Marcella Valladolid as his co-star, except that version got really shitty ratings, plus he cheated on his wife and had an affair with Marcella and got tons of bad press for the show.

Oh I remember.  I watched that.  Although it was so long ago, I do wonder whether or not that affair mattered.  Still, unless she has some kind of weird contract that included her having to host spinoffs, there is likely a separate contract for this version.

Thanks for the casting notice. It does seem like they were aiming for this past summer. I could see the benefits of filming two shows in a row cost-wise.

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On 12/2/2016 at 4:13 AM, sum said:

Reports say it's a 8-episode season.

  1. Dec 1st, Cake Week (by ABC & EPG)
  2. Dec 1st, Cookie Week (by ABC & EPG)
  3. Dec 8th, Bread Week (by ABC & EPG)
  4. Dec 15th, Pies & Tarts Week (by ABC & EPG)
  5. Dec 22nd, Chocolate Week (by ABC & EPG)
  6. Dec 22nd, Custard & Meringue Week (by ABC & EPG)
  7. Jan 12th, TBA (by EPG)
  8. Jan 19th (?), Final (?)

Underlined: Updated info. (Source: ABCEPG)

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Different ethnic and cultural groups have their own traditions, of course, but I think in a generic sense, American holiday (i.e. Christmas) baking is limited to fruitcake and gingerbread, with shaped and/or decorated sugar cookies thrown in. But so what? TGABS gives the bakers an outline, and the bakers fill in the gaps with their ethnic/cultural details. 

Also, it's the show's fault if there's a lack of diversity. Blame the producers for no imagination if they can't see past gingerbread and fruitcake.

I had to laugh at the writer's claim that the British version doesn't showcase only traditional baking. Tennis cake and meat pies, anyone?

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6 hours ago, dleighg said:

 

in the NY Times today, 

Is American Baking Really Limited to Fruitcake and Gingerbread?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/21/arts/television/the-great-american-baking-show-british-bakeoff.html

 

I think the author was impressed with his/her own writing style and totally missed the point.  It was a holiday baking show, not a show to represent all the kinds of foods baked in the US.  The contestants had plenty of leeway within the themes.

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On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 1:17 PM, mlp said:

in the NY Times today, 

Is American Baking Really Limited to Fruitcake and Gingerbread?

The food section of the NYT totally lost all credibility when they wrote one of their specialties of all 50 states articles and landed Minnesota with something called a "grape salad" which nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in Minnesota has ever heard of. 

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I can't find the older article that said so, but I think originally the schedule had the 7th+8th episodes running in a two hour block on the same night. However, the schedule has changed a few times since then, and as of right now, only one will air on Jan 5 and the finale a week later. So says this.

Edited by theatremouse
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Quote

Nice interview with Martha Collison (season 5) about her new cookbook. Lots of good behind-the-scenes info.

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

This is in the wrong thread - should be in GBBO - but I thank you for sharing it.  I'm watching Martha's season on public television right now and I've been wondering what became of her after the show.  I think she's a darling girl so I'm very happy to know that she's doing well and still baking.

Does anyone know anything abut Flora?

Edited by mlp
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I knew this show was coming back because of a Facebook post.  I was hoping Mary would stick around but I guess the fallout from the GBBO spilled over to the US version.  Who is going to be the "nice" one?

I like Ian and Nia but I'm okay with the switch, even though I don't know them very well.

Hate that it'll be holiday themed.  I think it was much better once they let go of that aspect of the show.

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On 9/12/2017 at 2:59 PM, RealityCheck said:

They're bringing in Paaul????? I assume that they're doing that to maintain a link with GBBO, but it's not the same. I also don't understand why Spice Adams is on this show, he's a former football player, & I see nothing in his background that involves food, or even hosting a show. Why him?

Don't like the holiday theme either. 

They made changes, but not improvements.

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I'm looking forward to this but I wish it wasn't conflicting with Top Chef.

I like Johnny Iuzzini but he always looks unclean.  I hope he washed his greasy hair before appearing next to Paul Hollywood who always looks pristine.

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4 hours ago, GaT said:

Only 3 episodes? That's barely enough to remember the contestants names.

3 episodes, but maybe each is 2 hours long (at least the premiere is), so that would really like 6 episodes

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So not a fan of what this is looking to be like. The ads for it are not getting me excited for it at all like past ones. I'm not into Steph Curry's wife being on her at all. Sorry can't stand that family. With no Mary its just eh. I don't care for Paul or Johnny. Even the little of the food shown didn't look very good and looked sloppy in the ad. So yea I think I might be out at this point. 

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