The Great Pottery Throw Down - General Discussion

[TVbitch]

Keith and Rich are becoming quite the comedy duo. I bet Rich is going to get a ton of letters after episode three! 

Glad to see Rose getting a bigger role this season. 

[Aulty]

7 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Keith and Rich are becoming quite the comedy duo. I bet Rich is going to get a ton of letters after episode three!

I was thinking, during this episode, that they are like the Mel & Sue of judges. LOVE their energy and how emphatically they phrase their critiques.

[Aulty]

Between Florian pulling handles (very deliberate choice of clay colour) and Rich's sensual fondling those cups, they should look into opening a GBPT Pornhub channel.

I'm gonna go against the judges as say that I liked Anna's set because it looked like a nod to the Mournes.
Loved the girls all opting for bunches this week. Shame Nick didn't join in on the fun.

[TVbitch]

I always enjoy the Roku. Some nice sets. Glad none of the ladies went.

I love that the potters factor whether Keith cried or not into their chance of winning the week. 

[GaT]

Did they say the guest judge could make 150 of those pots a DAY??? That's insane.

[Aulty]

I am not overly keen on the judges on these types of shows being roped into the opening skits on the regular - its overdone on Bake Off - but Kieth and Rich as gnomes was HILARIOUS. Especially Rich asking Ellie at the end whether she wanted to see his pointy ears.

[TVbitch]

Noooooo! I spent the whole episode worried for Cellan, but thought he was gonna be spared somehow. He's such a nice, talented lad, but did indeed have a bad week. 

[Aulty]

I am really happy to see Jenny and AJ doing so well. The way things are going they look like a shoo-in for the finale.
Ellie did a good job with the intro again and I think I'd rather have her finish the season as host than bring in Siobhan for the last couple of episodes.

Shame Nick had to go considering next week's challenge, but the paint job on his vases as a bit drunken lighthouse. It was a bit of a subpar week if you take Jenny and AJ out of the equation, wasn't it? Lucinda, Anna and Tom's were hideous to me and I think they were all really lucky Nick cracked his bottom.

[TVbitch]

Nooooooo, first Cellan and now Nick. I'm fresh out of pottery boyfriends for the season. : ( He did have a rough week, though. I mean, they have time to think of these designs and you could not even tell what he was going for. Such a shame. 

I did enjoy that the second challenge was a decorating challenge versus a throwing challenge.

Jenny's vessels were damn near perfect. AJ is killing it, too. They will have to really go afield to not make the final. 

[Aulty]

14 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Nooooooo, first Cellan and now Nick. I'm fresh out of pottery boyfriends for the season. : (

awww, there is always Rich with his big manly hands, who buys pots for his mom and enjoys voluptuous shapes.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Aulty

[Aulty]

Awww, what a lovely set of challenges. I am glad that they went for 'realistic' animals instead of the always disastrous human form (remember those poor nude models?). Loveld the badger, otter, crocodile and lantern fish. My only issue with Jenny's was that it needed a smaller lightbulb and fitting, it just hang too low. Congratulations AJ, their 2nd challenge was cracker too.

As I've hinted at last week, I am not sure how happy I am about bringing back Siobhan for the last 3 episodes, especially if she is still on crutches.

[GaT]

15 hours ago, Aulty said:

As I've hinted at last week, I am not sure how happy I am about bringing back Siobhan for the last 3 episodes, especially if she is still on crutches.

Me either. It felt really jarring when she came back this episode, & I haven't missed her at all. I wish Ellie could stay.

[TVbitch]

I liked the octopus better than the polar bear, but I guess he didn't do the right decorative technique. If the one who did the polar bear doesn't go next, I'll be shocked.

 

[GaT]

Well, I was just like Keith this week, Christine's statue made me cry.

[Aulty]

Keith and his waterworks - that show should come with a flash flood warning.
Rich is such a well-spoken judge. He is like the Nigella of pottery. Bake Off could do with a judge like that. And his sensual fondling of Lucinda's sulpture surely got a few viewers' minds wandering somewhere that has very little to do with clay.

They were only in one shot together this week, but now I am shipping AJ and Rose. Loved Rose's outfit with the wee bow tie.

To be fair, Christine was very close to the bottom a few times, and we've had her down as a candidate for the chop last week. But that sculpture, even without the story, was pretty good. Well done.

[TVbitch]

No, not Jenny! I'm sure it broke Keith's heart to do that, but her piece was really the only one with a technical flaw. I did think Christine would be going this week, but she really made something special. Can't this show have a non-elimination week if they are going to do something that personal!!

[oldCJ]

This week was definitely the time for a non-elimination week if ever there should have been one. When it comes down to it though, Jenny made a small award sculpture without much feeling behind it and, unfortunately, even that she made poorly.

Seeing Siobhan with Ellie was jarring, but this week it felt like she was never missing. Her rapport with the potters is great. 

[GaT]

OK Americans, fess up, how long did it take you to figure out what a ur-rye-nal was? LOL

[Aulty]

Is it gonna be bidets next year, isn't it?

Granted, I am not their target audience, but I've never seen unconventionally shaped urinals like that. Even the good ones seemed a nightmare to clean.

Having a Wedgewood crew on the show must've been a real treat for the potters, really aspirational. Jasper ware doesn't do it for me and I remember that on shows like Antiques Roadtrip or Bargain Hunt the experts often try to steer clear of it because nobody wants to buy them at auction (at least the standard stuff). The modern Japanese design was quite good.

[Corgi-ears]

What man wouldn't want to wave his dick in the direction of a bunch of pincers?

[TVbitch]

The semi-final was kind of underwhelming for me. Not a fan of the ur-eye-nals (and yes, at first I thought that was maybe some kind of pot or figurine I didn't know about, cuz I never watch the previews!) Anyway, most of them had issues and only AJ's looked polished. And personally, I would feel a bit weird peeing on a puppet show, but that's just me. 

  

[oldCJ]

18 hours ago, Aulty said:

Is it gonna be bidets next year, isn't it?

Granted, I am not their target audience, but I've never seen unconventionally shaped urinals like that. Even the good ones seemed a nightmare to clean.

There’s a famous artwork that is a urinal that’s a pair of giant red lips. 😬

Edited March 1, 2022 by oldCJ
Because I have a terrible memory and thought it was real, not art

[GaT]

No surprise she seemed like the winner since the beginning, but they all did great work. Glad to see there will be another season.

Random, but Christine has seriously awesome hair.

[Aulty]

Well done AJ. They were the fronrunner for quite a while and delivered in the final. What more can you ask for.
That was quite the cuddle Rich gave Ellie there at the end 😉

[TVbitch]

AJ deserved it. Wonderful season, but do wish the winner wasn't so easy to spot so early. Takes the suspense out of it. Nice to see so many of them with pottery jobs or studios in the recap! 

[buymywings]

On 2/27/2022 at 9:33 PM, GaT said:

OK Americans, fess up, how long did it take you to figure out what a ur-rye-nal was? LOL

I chuckled a bit at that. :)

[BryroseA]

I’m rationing the episodes out one per night so I have longer to savor them, so I just got to the Raku episode, and WOW. I feel like that was some of the prettiest raku we’ve seen yet on this shown. Some really beautiful colors coming through. I can’t believe Christine didn’t win - those cherry blossoms were gorgeous, soft, and milky. So fluid. 
 

I feel like the judges are really sleeping on AJ so far - they’ve consistently had some of the best work imo. Their week 1 kids dish set was amazing and just got passed over. I understand the critique about the leaf painting on the raku being too “stiff”, but wow those blues, greens, and turquoise. 😍 I’m hoping this means we’ll be seeing them deep into the competition. (I’m deliberately avoiding reading the comments in this thread until I’m done with the series, to avoid spoilers…)

[ishcabibble]

I thought this season was great overall, but it seemed a bit heavy on the hand building. It seemed that they saved most of the throwing for the second challenges. 

They also didn’t really include many techniques that the potters might not be as familiar with, such as slip casting, that I feel like they had in past seasons. 
 

But I’ll definitely continue to watch!

[chaifan]

Fabulous season!   My only criticism is that I think they should have had Ellie stick around after Siobhan returned.  Would it have killed them to have two hosts for the last few episodes?  no, no it wouldn't have.

AJ really deserved the win.  They had amazing creations all through the season.  I'll admit to liking Christine's totem, overall, a bit more than AJ's.  I loved the middle piece with the 2 people (her sons?) in the two rings.  But AJ's was technically the better one.  I loved the little pottery chimney at the top.  And I loved the trophy/crown!  What have they given the winner in prior seasons? I really don't remember. 

I loved Anna messing with Siobhan during the final, refusing to say that she wanted to win, instead saying "I'm in the final, I'm already a winner", and Siobhan being all, noooo, we need drama!!!  That was probably the funniest moment of the season for me.

 

[ahpny]

On 2/21/2022 at 11:15 AM, Aulty said:

But that sculpture, even without the story, was pretty good. Well done.

Though I think AJ winning was the right choice, the piece that stood out for me for this season was Christine's self-capturing sculpture. As soon as I saw her preparatory drawing, I thought if she can create something that retained even half of the spirit of her drawing, no one would be able to touch it. And her sculpture exceeded her drawing. If any piece should move someone to tears of appreciation and wonder, this was it. It was beautiful and elegant and, if that weren't enough, projected a strong and poignant message with a singular grace and pride.

[xander874]

I would love to just hang out and have a pint with Christine and Anna. I love their energy.

I imagine it would be hard to edit a season where it was so painfully obvious who the winner was from practically the beginning. But, they did a good job and there was still plenty of drama.

I don't really understand why Ellie didn't stay the whole season. It seemed odd and a bit jarring to make that switch. I would rather Siobhan just come back as a cameo a couple of times. I actually enjoyed Ellie a lot (probably has to do with her Ted Lasso role too).

[heckkitty]

On 5/6/2022 at 6:42 PM, ahpny said:

Though I think AJ winning was the right choice, the piece that stood out for me for this season was Christine's self-capturing sculpture. As soon as I saw her preparatory drawing, I thought if she can create something that retained even half of the spirit of her drawing, no one would be able to touch it. And her sculpture exceeded her drawing. If any piece should move someone to tears of appreciation and wonder, this was it. It was beautiful and elegant and, if that weren't enough, projected a strong and poignant message with a singular grace and pride.

Yeah that piece was amazing.  People were crying before Keith ever even got in the room (I was too).

[Darian]

I'm only partway through the season, but happily spoiled myself, as I tend to do. This show is such a delight it takes nothing from it for me to know who wins. I'm up to the episode that makes me want to stroll the neighborhood to see if anyone has a garden gnome for me to kick over (I didn't think Cellan was going to win, but his, though I wouldn't camp at gunpoint, his camping clock is the one piece that I looked up on my phone to show my spouse) . Always loved this show but it only got better when Rich got bumped up to judge (he adds so much now that he gets to give input and show his skills) and Rose came onboard. Missing Siobhan, but Ellie is wonderful with the contestants. To me, she strikes the right tone with them. Funny, but not distracting or hammy. Another wonderful season with a lovely group of people. 

 

[Harry24]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:38 PM, TVbitch said:

Jenny's vessels were damn near perfect. 

IMO they were the most beautiful items ever made on this show.

On 2/7/2022 at 1:37 PM, Aulty said:

awww, there is always Rich with his big manly hands, who buys pots for his mom and enjoys voluptuous shapes.

Don't forget his beautiful skin.

[GaT]

Looks like they're going to be filming again soon, but not everyone is happy about it

Gladstone Pottery Museum to close on 'additional days' for Great Pottery Throw Down filming

Quote

In February councillors controversially approved budget proposals to close Gladstone between November and March to allow income-generating filming and events to take place at the venue. Thousands of people opposed the decision, saying it would damage Stoke-on-Trent's tourism and reputation as the ceramics capital of Britain.

[Aulty]

The crossover I didn't know I needed: Sewing Bee's Esme Young and Pottery Throwdown's Keith Brymer will appear together on an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip!!

I don't have a date for their episode yet, but Celebrity Antiques Road Trip series 11 begins on Sunday 23 October at 6:50pm on BBC Two and iPlayer. Theirs should be the 11th-ish episode.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Aulty

[Aulty]

Episode 11 (S11E11) featuring Keith and Esme will air on Tuesday 13 Dec at 8 on BBC Two.

[GaT]

Jan 8th, 7:45, series 6 starts!

Edited December 19, 2022 by GaT

[khyber]

Apparently there was a Holiday show.

[GaT]

10 hours ago, khyber said:

Apparently there was a Holiday show.

Yes, the first one, The Great Festive Pottery Throw Down 2022, it was 4 celebrities, who I didn't know.

[Ceindreadh]

New series is starting on Sunday the 8th January.  (yay!)

[oldCJ]

I did not understand Vithu’s idea. His friend Matt is really into Thailand so he thought hey, why not throw in a Buddha head in an otherwise innocuous, could be any tropical place, birthday set. Why not use your Sri Lankan heritage as your inspiration? Some rando white guy likes Thailand? Just weird. He also kept focusing on the cake plate which didn’t even look that good. And told Keith to toss another milk jug. Not sorry to see him leave. 

Caitlin annoyed me. It feels like she is there because her father unsuccessfully applied an earlier season. Her lack of experience with anything but repetitive production on a wheel is evident. 

The French guy is endearing but I don’t see him lasting long.

I liked the top three. Personally I thought the ladybird collection was more cohesive and clean. The winner was a bit all over the place concept-wise. 

Very happy the show is back. If only Siobhan would stop making everything dirty. And they should go back to showing the potter’s own drawings of their plans rather than  the GBBO-style illustrations. 

[TVbitch]

I also thought the winner's look was too busy. I'm glad the guy with the Greek theme made a nice comeback. I don't mind Keith getting emotional, but 3-4 times in one episode becomes a bit much! 

I did not know in UK they called ladybugs ladybirds! Much more fitting as they are too cute to be called bugs! 

[Aulty]

Almost forgot this was on.
I wasn't keen on those first offerings, everything was so majolica and there were so many childish, crude or busy designs. It just isn't what I like (aka Scandi style).
With that said, the PotW did a proper job.

I agree, Keith getting the old tear ducts overworked in the first episode already.
Nice that they get Rose in on the comedy bits now, I want to see more of her.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Aulty

[Aulty]

Well, week two was very much like last week. Maybe not as childish in design but with a side of sob stories.
I really hope we're not in for a whole series of 'make a biscuit selfie' type challenges.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Aulty

[GaT]

Who is styling Siobhán? She looked horrible this episode, it looked like her eyelids were bleeding. And if she ever blew a slide whistle in my ear while I was in the middle of a pottery competition, I would have slugged her.

 

 

[Aulty]

13 hours ago, GaT said:

Who is styling Siobhán? She looked horrible this episode, it looked like her eyelids were bleeding.

In an interview Sophie Robinson mentioned that she did her own make-up for the Interior Design challenge show, and as Siobhan's make up doesn't look very professional I wouldn't be surprised if she did it herself (or maybe Keith did hers ;-). I wonder if she gets some allowance for clothes or if she has an extensive collection of boiler suits herself.

How did Fabiola survive another week? There is one every season, its melting my head.
Another challenge where there wasn't any wriggle room on design style as they asked for realistic.

Yeah, Raku week next week!

Edited January 23, 2023 by Aulty

[TVbitch]

Ugh. Fabiola has stayed two weeks in a row now over more talented potters. Kind of sad for the ousted guy and his teary eyes. I lot of them crying again this episode. Maybe that's why they are keeping cheery Fabiola.

The show must be losing a bit of magic for me as I find I am skipping over some of footage of them working with their clay and of the them painting it. I find the Sewing Bee with it's 3 creative challenges per hour more engaging.  

[GaT]

The challenges don't seem to be engaging me as much this season, & I don't know why. I wasn't impressed with the guest judge (also have no memory of her) & didn't see the point of the ruffle.

Why does Siobhán keep screaming in Derek's ear? What if he drops something because of her?

[jpgr]

Worst Raku challenge ever. They all just looked so dark. This version of the process lost the magic for me - I loved when they would use feathers and threads and all kinds of stuff that would create impressions, and the oxides would produce great colors.

I haven't seen the series with the guest judge, so didn't know who she was either. I agree the ruffle challenge was strange and didn't really produce anything interesting or fun.