The show has everything you'd expect from bake off - Paul nit picking, Prue being generally delightful, comedic hosts and some baking as well. While Zach & Ellie aren't quite Noel Fielding &(insert one of his many co-hosts) they are both just as funny and lighten things up for the stressed out bakers. The bakes are slightly different from the UK version but still interesting and challenging. The bakers share a somewhat similar skill level to the UK but it seems like the UK might have a few more refined home bakers. The season seems shorter than I'm used to seeing for UK seasons but I have a hunch this was more or less a pilot season. I hope Roku(or any network really) keeps this series going.
4 Reviews
Fantastic. Hope that viewers can find it on Roku.
mamiemccall1 October 2023
I love The Great British Baking show and so I was shocked to discover (4 months after the air date!) that there was an America version with Prue and Paul! I only happen to discover American Baking Show accidentally when Googling this week about Netflix's new, 2023 episodes of the British series!
I'm delighted by the quality, story, cast, and especially love Elie Kemper. Her co-host is super cute but if I could make one change, it would be pair her with someone high-energy to bring out her comedy like Jonathan Van Ness. I've seen her do improv here in LA with other more edgy comics and she's insanely funny as a contrast to them. How next level would someone like JVN and Ellie be?
Re: Roku : I worry that if the show does not make it, it will be because of distribution/ platform problems as very few people have Roku devices or even know that Roku has picked up this series. I could not get my Roku app to get the show to play on any of my Apple devices (I guess because I don't own a Roku) so I watched it at my mom's friend's house (yeah you got to be a real, dedicated fan to put in that kind of effort). I work in digital marketing for one of the competing studios and can say for sure that this is bad news for the shows viewership numbers. If Roku wants real data on who is actually watching the show, they should make it easier for us all to watch it and do some heavier marketing to get the word out.
I'm delighted by the quality, story, cast, and especially love Elie Kemper. Her co-host is super cute but if I could make one change, it would be pair her with someone high-energy to bring out her comedy like Jonathan Van Ness. I've seen her do improv here in LA with other more edgy comics and she's insanely funny as a contrast to them. How next level would someone like JVN and Ellie be?
Re: Roku : I worry that if the show does not make it, it will be because of distribution/ platform problems as very few people have Roku devices or even know that Roku has picked up this series. I could not get my Roku app to get the show to play on any of my Apple devices (I guess because I don't own a Roku) so I watched it at my mom's friend's house (yeah you got to be a real, dedicated fan to put in that kind of effort). I work in digital marketing for one of the competing studios and can say for sure that this is bad news for the shows viewership numbers. If Roku wants real data on who is actually watching the show, they should make it easier for us all to watch it and do some heavier marketing to get the word out.
Side hosts kill the show...
MartinMassa17 September 2023
Love Paul and Pruth. Both were just themselves and shine as always. Never thought they could find someone worse than Matt, but he is a super funny and intelligent individual compared to Ellie and Zack.
The episodes, contestants, and recipes were pretty good and pretty typical of what I'd expect of Americans on a baking show. They are on par with how the various recipes and Showstoppers turn out on The Great British Baking Show. The contestants were a good mix of annoying and funny and good.
Nice not having to translate ingredients and recipes from British English to American.... cookies v biscuits. :)
The episodes, contestants, and recipes were pretty good and pretty typical of what I'd expect of Americans on a baking show. They are on par with how the various recipes and Showstoppers turn out on The Great British Baking Show. The contestants were a good mix of annoying and funny and good.
Nice not having to translate ingredients and recipes from British English to American.... cookies v biscuits. :)
As Fluffy And Sweet As Its Bakers' Treats -- Replicates The British Show's Format Without Feeling Like A Knock-Off
rannynm20 May 2024
Watching nine contestants bake in a tent in the British countryside became an international pastime with the release of the Great British Baking Show. Season 2 of The Great American Baking Show is soon to arrive, in an attempt to capture the magic of its counterpart across the pond...and it succeeds beautifully. The Great American Baking Show is as fluffy and sweet as its bakers' treats, and it replicates the British show's format without feeling like a knock-off - though it is a bit corny at times.
The premise of the Great American Baking Show is simple: nine bakers from across the US, who each have expertise in different areas of baking, are assembled and brought to a white tent in the British countryside where they're tasked with making increasingly difficult items. Each episode deals with one type of baked goods - week one is cake week, for example - and the bakers face three challenges to test their creativity and their mastery of baking in a time crunch and without a formal recipe. Their baked goods are judged by renowned chefs Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, who winnow down the pool of bakers by eliminating one each episode and, in the end, crown one baker as the winner.
The Great American Baking Show Season 2 is, by leaps and bounds, superior to the most recent seasons of its British counterpart (and its first season, which had a tough run). That doesn't mean it doesn't have issues, but it's almost at the level of the first few seasons of the Great British Baking Show. The bakers are judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, both of whom lean into the characters they've carved out for themselves in the British version. Paul is the exacting master baker whose handshakes seem to be worth more than the lottery (and whose striking good looks are a source of near-constant discussion among the ladies). And Prue is the endearing British dame, providing periodic, measured compliments and pearl-clutching comments about calories. The show's hosts, comedian Zach Cherry and actress Ellie Kemper, have, essentially, one job: pull silly, cheesy stunts, motivate the bakers and mug for the camera while mournfully calling out time checks. In the first few episodes, they seem a bit awkward together, with some of their jokes working and others falling flat, but they soon find their beat. I did miss seeing Noel Fielding in the tent, but I will say that Cherry and Kemper's chats with the bakers are fun and help the show move along. The contestants are a sweet, supremely talented, but somewhat unremarkable batch, likely due to the editing which, as in last season, doesn't allow viewers to understand the bakers' back-stories very well. There are other rough moments in the editing of this show, like some jerky cutaways, shaky footage of bakers running from place to place and clearly artificial, over-the-top reactions to the technical bake judging. Also to be noted, the items on this list were present in the first season of the American show too, so perhaps it's an artistic choice. The actual content of the show is pleasant , though. The British version of the show has seen its challenges grow more and more wild over time, and the Great American Baking Show follows suit. I also think it was a smart move to make the show more "American" so that both viewers and bakers would have an easier time relating to the show. And, my final note - I love how wholesome the energy in the tent is throughout the show. Even in the midst of heated competition, the bakers smile and encourage each other. It appears that the most kind cross-section of America got its own TV show, which is nice to see in this age of discord and infighting.
The Great American Baking Show promotes healthy competition, exploration, creativity and the enjoyment of simple joys in life like food.
Great American Baking Show: Season 2 gets 5 out of 5 stars and I recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. It will be available on The Roku Channel beginning May 24, 2024. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!
The premise of the Great American Baking Show is simple: nine bakers from across the US, who each have expertise in different areas of baking, are assembled and brought to a white tent in the British countryside where they're tasked with making increasingly difficult items. Each episode deals with one type of baked goods - week one is cake week, for example - and the bakers face three challenges to test their creativity and their mastery of baking in a time crunch and without a formal recipe. Their baked goods are judged by renowned chefs Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, who winnow down the pool of bakers by eliminating one each episode and, in the end, crown one baker as the winner.
The Great American Baking Show Season 2 is, by leaps and bounds, superior to the most recent seasons of its British counterpart (and its first season, which had a tough run). That doesn't mean it doesn't have issues, but it's almost at the level of the first few seasons of the Great British Baking Show. The bakers are judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, both of whom lean into the characters they've carved out for themselves in the British version. Paul is the exacting master baker whose handshakes seem to be worth more than the lottery (and whose striking good looks are a source of near-constant discussion among the ladies). And Prue is the endearing British dame, providing periodic, measured compliments and pearl-clutching comments about calories. The show's hosts, comedian Zach Cherry and actress Ellie Kemper, have, essentially, one job: pull silly, cheesy stunts, motivate the bakers and mug for the camera while mournfully calling out time checks. In the first few episodes, they seem a bit awkward together, with some of their jokes working and others falling flat, but they soon find their beat. I did miss seeing Noel Fielding in the tent, but I will say that Cherry and Kemper's chats with the bakers are fun and help the show move along. The contestants are a sweet, supremely talented, but somewhat unremarkable batch, likely due to the editing which, as in last season, doesn't allow viewers to understand the bakers' back-stories very well. There are other rough moments in the editing of this show, like some jerky cutaways, shaky footage of bakers running from place to place and clearly artificial, over-the-top reactions to the technical bake judging. Also to be noted, the items on this list were present in the first season of the American show too, so perhaps it's an artistic choice. The actual content of the show is pleasant , though. The British version of the show has seen its challenges grow more and more wild over time, and the Great American Baking Show follows suit. I also think it was a smart move to make the show more "American" so that both viewers and bakers would have an easier time relating to the show. And, my final note - I love how wholesome the energy in the tent is throughout the show. Even in the midst of heated competition, the bakers smile and encourage each other. It appears that the most kind cross-section of America got its own TV show, which is nice to see in this age of discord and infighting.
The Great American Baking Show promotes healthy competition, exploration, creativity and the enjoyment of simple joys in life like food.
Great American Baking Show: Season 2 gets 5 out of 5 stars and I recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. It will be available on The Roku Channel beginning May 24, 2024. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
