Great British Baking Show!

Let me start off by saying, I am addicted to the Great British Baking Show. Plain and simple. It is light hearted, fun, and fascinating.

I personally have never been one for baking. The precision and math it requires are a bit too much for me. I’ve never been good at math. I’m almost positive whatever I set about making would turn up tasting of salt that should’ve been sugar, or burnt to a crisp. I’m not really much of a cook either. Which is why, in a weird way, I’m fascinated by cooking shows.

My interest in them started while I was working the in the office at a tennis center near my childhood home. I worked there a lot, and when the girl who restrung our client’s tennis racquets came in she would take the remote to the tv in the lobby turn on the food network. It was I’ll admit a refreshing change after hours of watching and listening to nothing but tennis. It was a welcomed relief on the hottest days of the summer.

But it wasn’t until much later that I found The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. I’d heard for weeks, seen twitter post after twitter post, that it was great, but for the longest time I never bothered with it.

Then one episode in, one episode of Mel and Sue, and I was sold. They are funny, the judges are expert, and the contestants each have fantastic personalities.

One of my favorite parts is the humor. British humor isn’t quite like American humor. Americans can be pleasant and polite when we make jokes, but the way they do it is just so NICE. No one is getting their feelings hurt. Everyone is smiling.

Mel and Sue are gone, and were replaced by Noel and Sandy. Who’s humor was a little more Americanized, but just as polite.

I think it’s in large part why I love this show so much. It’s everything an American cooking show isn’t. Americans in my experience are tense, and serious when they’re put in competition. You don’t get jokes, unless they’re harsh, and you certainly don’t get competitors volunteering to help each other!

The first time I watched one of the competitors offer to help someone who was struggling with something, I was in shock. The idea was such a strange concept for me that my jaw actually dropped.

Watching things like that give me hope for humanity, especially with the insanity that has befallen America right now.

The GBBS is on a lot in my house. Especially with the new season they’ve just started to release. Shooting during the COVID crisis has made things a little different. Noel has a new cohost, but it’s just as good.

Last but not least, I love to see what people find scandalous about the show. Like someone accidently leaving a competitors baked Alaska out of the fridge when she was moving things around. to another competitor having an affair with a judge!

This show has something for everyone, I swear!

Like I said, it’s available on Netflix, and right now they’ve got a new episode up every Friday.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐