Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

  Have you ever wanted to bake or cook something, but didn’t possess the skills to actually make it? By watching The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, you can experience baking without actually having to bake. The only problem is that you can’t eat what is baked. 

  The Great British Baking Show, also known as The Great British Bake Off in the UK, is a program where a dozen home bakers compete every week over different baking items like cake and bread. 

  I love the show because the cast is diverse, not just in race, but also in job, age, religion and background. Everyone on the show has an accent that can’t be heard anywhere near Seminole. 

  The show has two hosts, currently Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding, who are hilarious and provide comic release during a competitive show. The contestants mostly bake foods that are uncommon in America, so I get to learn about different food cultures while watching. Watching the show also gives me peace of mind because the food made isn’t just thrown away at the end. Instead, it is given to the crew members to take home.

  In contrast to American competition shows, the bakers are nicer to each other. It is not uncommon for them to congratulate or console each other after being judged. If someone is struggling to finish and someone else has time, that person will go help the other. When constants in this show are interviewed, they don’t talk about wanting to win or beating everyone. Instead they worry about each other and themselves. 

  Another difference is that the names of food in the UK are different from the names here. For example, cake is called “sponge”, cookies are “biscuits”, and baking soda is called “bicarb”. 

  Great Britain is on the metric system, so when I hear “I’ll just pop it in the oven for 10 minutes at 170 degrees,” I’m confused because almost nothing can cook at that temperature in the American world.

  If you are looking for the next great show to watch, I highly recommend The Great British Baking Show. It has fun people, an aesthetic color palette and is a nice change of pace from American competitive shows.