And How Was It For You?

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The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 last night

The Great British Bake Off made its debut on Channel 4 last night.

Undercooked, overdone or just right?

Frilly Keane writes:

I suspect a lot of the moanie minnies and professional grumps are very quiet this morning. Season 8 Round 1 was very hard to criticise. And Hollywood was pure Hollywood so even the BBC loyalists and Channel 4 boycotters can now go camp somewhere else.

To give you a local example of those just looking to find fault with Channel 4’s ambition, here’s what the Irish Independent had to say about their opening Trailer 4 weeks ago. Judge it for yourselves, is it creepy?

FFS, if there is ever an example of the Indo following a preference or displaying a deliberate partiality needed – take that link with ya.

For Aoife Kelly the writer lemme say this – The Bake Off format is all about the Bakes and the Bakers, not the presenters and Judges. It is the viewers that generate the win or fail, good or bad outcomes for the Presenters and Judges.

BTW that’s why the Irish Bake Off hasn’t managed to trap its own market, unlike the Irish GoggleBox which is a pure winner.

If I had one moan about last night, it’s that we didn’t get to see enough of the bakers engaging with Sandi & Noel, but that was an issue with the previous hosts too. It’s the format.

As the Bakers go home those remaining get more space for themselves and their Bakes.
Actually, I’ll be more explicit about this. The C4 format is identical to the BBC one, even the Opening Titles.

A few Frilly observations to put out there with ye;

The ads didn’t interfere too much with the show. In fact we laughed when the final ad break came at the Star Baker/ who’s going home moment. They also provided the opportunity to raid the bikkie tin and treat jars, or in my case give out when I discovered the Jaffa Cakes were gone and not miss any part of the show.

They also allocated (well in this house anyway) the time for all the couch commentary to be done with before it came back on.

I suspect Prue will be nicer and sweeter to the Bakers than Mary Berry, who let’s be honest could get school-teacher cross when a baker didn’t take her advice from a previous bake.

Anyone remember the Season 1 final and her lifting Ruth (The Pink Whisk) out’ve it about the size of her scones? Christ she nearly clattered her, and it cost Ruth Clemens the win (Incidentally she remains one of my favourite bakers.)

Noel Fielding was an inspired casting, as I knew he would be, but until last night I never noticed how elegantly poised he is. While I’m a sucker for the tall and lean, and I’ll give ye a heads up again of possible wanton prejudice; wasn’t he lovely tho.

I now wish they had moved to Channel 4 last year so I could see how Noel would have got on with Selasi; I’d say it would have had the makings of a spin off.

No disputes or doubts about last nights Star Baker, likewise with the lad going home.
Although yer man make a right mickie of it, I kinda like the idea of a Crumb Cake with Rhubarb (instead of my usual coffee and a bitta cardamom.) I’ll let ye know if I progress it.

Anyway; in the words of Columbo, one last thing;

It will be the Year of the Scouse, definitely. But which one?

Yesterday: Stairway To Oven

Pic: Channel 4

Update:

In fairness.

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42 thoughts on “And How Was It For You?

  1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

    I enjoyed it, but taped it and FFd through the ads.
    I agree: Prue was a very kind judge. Sandi and Noel barely figured, really.

    LEMON KHERD lady (was it Flo?) for the win. Though yer man’s sanger cake was stupendous.

    1. Frilly Keane

      yeah that was Flo

      watch the other Scouser tho AndyPonty

      Kate

      Patisserie week will separate them I think

  2. Guy Bague

    Who cares? They’re waking up to a hard bisxuit of their own making. We’ve an obesity crisis in this country so this is just thowing more fat on the fire and feeding the blames.

    Whole thing is half baked.

    1. Frilly Keane

      Ah give over
      if people gorged on home made more often
      that obesity crisis might take care of itself

  3. Guy Bague

    Top Dublin Cakes:

    1. Gur(rier) Cake
    2. Eccles (Street) Cake
    3. Fig (Roll) Cake
    4. Muffin (Top) Cake
    5. Marlay Park(In) Cake
    6. Red (Cow) Velvet Cake
    7. (Bewleys) Tea Cake
    8. Barm (Bally)brack Cake
    9. Shrewsbury (Road) Cake
    10. (Black)Rock Cake

    All made with Self-Easter Rising flour.

  4. Murtles

    I enjoyed it and didn’t see much changes to the format. Took me all of 5 minutes to get used to the new presenters. Still able to slather at the wondering creations safe in the knowledge that I’d burn water if I tried to replicate the same. Damn tasty looking sandwich cake…..you had me a peanut butter frosting.

    1. Frilly Keane

      ‘course it matters
      its Cake

      and its Paul Hollywood ffs

      and 6.5 million average viewers last night
      so ya know

      ITS CAKE
      So Eat It
      ya grumpy boo boo ya

      1. scottser

        i am reminded of that ad, where the young wan goes ‘i’ve better things to be doing than filling that silly wagon up with cake’.

  5. rotide

    I can’t stand the GBBO. I find it boring and uninteresting in the extreme. I do accept that I’m in the minority though and lots of people enjoy it.

    What I find Ironic is that we’ve now had 2 articles gushing praise and discussing the minutiae about a popular TV show set in and featuring solely british people (was it for this etc) whereas we get at least one article a week telling us how dreadfully awful popular Irish programmes are.

      1. rotide

        I think Can’t Cook Won’t Cook would be the cooking show I’d watch based purely on my approval of its name. But I find all food based shows equally dull.

        1. Frilly Keane

          But sur there’s no pleasing you anyway

          What’s your favourite afters
          Lemon Meringue
          Jelly n’Ice cream
          Black Forest
          Sour Grapes

          1. sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq

            Stop trying to appear ‘clever’ Janet.

            – Everybody knows Pot Noodles are a ‘main-course’ product.
            Eaten dry they’re a bit like a snack, but they’re never an afters.

            Respect your food categories.

    1. Frilly Keane

      oh I’m a divil for the Chester meself Goose
      but it has to be Cork Chester

      I always feel I’m only making do with the local stuff

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