A Guide To Emotional Healing After The Shake-Ups At The Great British Bake Off

[Primetimer]

Life after Mel, Sue, and the BBC.

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[bad things are bad]

this is a metric crapton of evil. Mel and Sue are the best, but worse will be whatever "revenue-enhancing improvements" someone will be obliged to add. Make a tribute to Benny Hill out of McVities digestive biscuits

Bollocks

[expateliz]

I think I can adjust to this (working through the stages of grief), but am VERY worried about Mary and Paul...

[DocTerv]

My feelings are those of impending doom. I fear that without the magical mixture of our four favorite host/judge ingredients, our beloved GBBO souffle will fall flat.

[swanjun]

Season 4 is on Amazon Instant Video. :)

[Yoshi]

Yeah, I don't feel great about this at all. It will make me treasure the current season even more than I would have normally.

In the US, UK seasons 4-6 (US seasons 1-3) are available through the PBS app's Passport service. You have to be a member, but at $5/month it's not a terrible deal.

I have NEVER been able to find UK season 3, and it haunts me.

I've mentioned this before, but for those looking for a bump to get them through, I would recommend the Great Australian Bake-Off, series 2. Avoid series 1: poorly-chosen judges and hosts make it leaden... which doesn't make me feel any better about the upcoming changes to GBBO. Sigh.

Edited September 14, 2016 by Athena
Removed streaming reference

[Candyfloss]

1 hour ago, Yoshi said:

Yeah, I don't feel great about this at all. It will make me treasure the current season even more than I would have normally.

In the US, UK seasons 4-6 (US seasons 1-3) are available through the PBS app's Passport service. You have to be a member, but at $5/month it's not a terrible deal.

I have NEVER been able to find UK season 3, and it haunts me.

I've mentioned this before, but for those looking for a bump to get them through, I would recommend the Great Australian Bake-Off, series 2. Avoid series 1: poorly-chosen judges and hosts make it leaden... which doesn't make me feel any better about the upcoming changes to GBBO. Sigh.

You can find all seasons via questionable means. Personally, I wouldn't have moral qualms about acquiring episodes of a 4 year old show that I'm not able to purchase access to.

Edited September 14, 2016 by Athena
Removed streaming reference

[Catri]

The move from a public broadcaster to a commercial network might make more difference than we realise. I would not like to see product placement figuring in the Bake Off, but it almost seems inevitable when there's a monetary motive.

The bookmakers are saying that Jo Brand is the most likely to replace Mel and Sue. I think that would be tragic, I've tried the "Extra Slice" and for my taste she's unwatchable. The whole thing is very sad.

[akr]

Oh yeah, I can't watch the "Extra Slice" thing either.  It would definitely be a different vibe, and not to my taste, so I hope they're wrong.

[Jodithgrace]

Argh! Why do they have to do bad things to the shows I love? 

[Kromm]

The move from a public broadcaster to a commercial network might make more difference than we realise. I would not like to see product placement figuring in the Bake Off, but it almost seems inevitable when there's a monetary motive.

The bookmakers are saying that Jo Brand is the most likely to replace Mel and Sue. I think that would be tragic, I've tried the "Extra Slice" and for my taste she's unwatchable. The whole thing is very sad.

Jo Brand is horrible. I know she has her fans, but if you're going to move from the naughty schoolgirl approach of Mel and Sue anyway, they might as well go for a bigger star, like Alan Carr, or Jimmy Carr (no relation). I've even heard French and Saunders suggested... except if Mel and Sue were getting too expensive, then certainly French and Saunders would be even moreso.

[Athena]

Reminder: Please do not discuss ways of "flying to England" or how to access previous or unaired seasons through unofficial means. Google those methods, but keep it off the discussion in these forums. Thanks.

[zxy556575]

I'm only a casual fan who watches episodes on PBS but hasn't gone to the trouble of seeking out other seasons. I was going to say I won't even bother with that now if Sue and Mel are gone but actually, it's just Sue I really like. And of course Mary with the perfectly round hair globe.

[Mabinogia]

Please not Jo Brand. I don't want to stop watching this delightful show but I just can't deal with her. Not my cup of tea that one.

[withanaich]

Noooooo! Say it ain't so! I will, of course, reserve judgment until I see the "revamped" version of GBBO, but I have a feeling we're all going to be looking back and pointing to this moment as the beginning of the end.

Edited September 15, 2016 by withanaich

[tenativelyyours]

Obviously since i begged for a separate thread for An Extra Slice, I love Jo Brand and that show.  But she is not the one to succeed either Mel or Sue.  I do think it takes two since it allows as many of the contestants to get a go over of their brief before they get too far in and allows a narrative to develop as things progress without having to over produce it like so many other shows.  And i just don't think Jo is the right type of comic to work.  Though compared to what I have seen mentioned and even recommended, I'd take her hands down if those are the only choices. 

Its going to be a little Macbeth if Mary does announce officially she is not making the move as so many rumors are flying around saying.  I know I don't like Hollywood and it has nothing to do with his name.  But he does strike me as the most commercial of the bunch in a lot of ways.  So what happens when Love Productions and C4 see three of the big money drains as it were, go?  Do they wave a much bigger cheque at Hollywood since the new cast can be bought cheap as is usually the case with new production values even in an existing show?  And tempting him successfully to make the move is suddenly a lot more affordable.  Does he take it?  

Because the weird thing is everyone dropping out but one is really good finance wise for the show.  It lets them pretend to being the same show since they have one of the judges (and let's face it, the younger of the two by some years), they cut a huge amount of cost in salaries.  Having one of the originals stick around also means more regular viewers will make the move as well.  Even just in a love to hate it kind of watching or just curiosity to see the train wreck. 

Plus no matter how greedy and obtuse Love Productions is in letting this go a bit pear shaped to say the least,  surely they have to be aware that losing the entire cast means maybe having to dig deeper to hire people big enough to be a draw for fans of the show despite the animus aroused with the original four not making the move on top of those simply upset to see it leave the BBC.  Leave it for a lot more money which means the show needs to make a lot more money for C4.  Add in the possible temptation of having to bring in a couple of bigger personalities who will command a higher pay and it really makes this all even more worrisome for me.  They are going to have to really make it financially worthwhile as soon as possible.  And not just in the usual greedy corporate kind of way big business plays.  They need to get as much money back in from it as they can.  Which also means the temptation of making as big a splash as possible.  Which can mean all kinds of horrors thought to be a viewers grabbing device. 

I was joking in another thread but boy was I glad to find out that the three yutzes that left/got shoved from Top Gear all have another job already because that would be the exact horror that I fear.  Someone like the Clarkson, May or Hammond.  Or worse.  Some two of the three. 

[spaceghostess]

Yet another potential travesty to add to the annals of fixing things that ain't broke. I can't imagine GBBO without Mel and Sue. My kids will be so disappointed--we all loved the show just as it was.

[Kromm]

On 9/14/2016 at 10:32 PM, lordonia said:

I'm only a casual fan who watches episodes on PBS but hasn't gone to the trouble of seeking out other seasons. I was going to say I won't even bother with that now if Sue and Mel are gone but actually, it's just Sue I really like. And of course Mary with the perfectly round hair globe.

[Occasional Hope]

So Paul is staying.

Who will replace Mary>  Jamie Oliver has expressed an interest, but I don't think we want two men.

Lorraine Pascale, maybe?

[xqueenfrostine]

I wasn't heartbroken by Mel and Sue leaving (I do love them, particularly Sue, but they weren't the most important part of GBBO to me), but I'm really taking the news that Mary Berry's leaving too pretty hard.  I can't imagine GBBO being even close to the same show with only Paul Hollywood remaining.  I'll still give the next season a chance, but my heart won't be in it.  

[ichbin]

I don't think that the loss of Mel, Sue, and Mary are really important as long as they are replaced by a host or hosts who have some charm and a competent judge who also has an established background in baking. 

I find Mel and Sue to be annoying but I enjoyed watching the shows despite them.  Mary appears to be a knowledgeable and capable baker but I don't think she added anything particularly noteworthy beyond that.  

I think the show will do fine after the change to Channel 4 as long as they continue to produce it in a similar fashion and continue to cast contestants based on skills and not the potential to stir up drama.  Making the baking the star of the show is what makes it work in my opinion.

[Athena]

10 hours ago, ArmoPrincess said:

So bummed - BBC sold this show, and Mary Barry and Mel and Sue have quit in protest. Am worried it will turn into The Real Housewives of British Baking and be lost ?

I have moved your post to a more appropriate thread. To clarify, BBC did not sell the show. They never owned it completely. They offered the show's Love Productions double the standard rate of any other of their shows to try and keep it at the BBC. The producers chose to sell the show off for more money to Channel 4.

[sum]

"Anna Kendrick Are Gutted About Bake Off - The Graham Norton Show"
I certainly didn't expected such an intense reaction from an American guest!

Edited October 2, 2016 by sum