jillybeane16's Profile

I like the setup of this British reality show, it's better the intentionally-misleading-just-for-ratings setup that most American reality shows follow. Also, this reality show is filmed on the weekend, so contestants can still work or go to school. They have foreknowledge about two of the baking challenges so they can practice during the week and prepare any templates. With that disclaimer out of the way, this is a great show to watch if you bake, want to learn to bake (I'm in this category), or desserts and breads fascinate you. The hosts are funny, the judges are hard to read, and most of the contestants are genuine, non-fame-seeking individuals. This is not a show that you have to start with Season 1 and move forward, the format is simple: Round 1=Signature Bakes; Round 2=Technical Challenge; Round 3=Showstopper Challenge; Round 4=1 Contestant Eliminated based on how well they did across all three challenges. As a result of this easily understood format, it’s okay that PBS started with Season 5. But, here’s a piece of advice as someone who has watched Seasons 3-5: the episode before the winner is announced is a recap of the previous season and discusses what those home bakers are up to a year later. This is only a problem if you plan on watching the other seasons (which I highly recommend) and don't want any spoilers. What I do is skip that episode and save it until I watch the season featuring those contestants. Lastly, the episodes after the winner is announced are where Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry (real names of the judges) show how the contestants should've baked the challenges to be successful.