Why You Need to Know About the British Show That Has the Internet in Shambles

It's a bake-off, indeed.

By Seija Rankin Sep 23, 2016 7:17 PMTags
Great British Bake-OffCourtesy BBC

There's been a rumbling in the television world. It's a rift, a fissure, a freaking huge moment.

It's such a large rumbling, in fact, that it's starting to take over the Internet. You can't log onto Twitter without hearing about it, and it's been dominating Google for days, if not weeks, now. And it all has to do with a bunch of Brits who love to bake.

Yes, we speak of The Great British Bake-Off. Suppress your sarcasm and stifle your chuckles—this may sound like a trivial show meant for old ladies in aprons who just switched over from The Price Is Right, but we assure you it is no such thing. And you're going to want to know why it's in the news, because the topic is undoubtedly going to come up during social endeavors this weekend. You don't want to sound uninformed at your next dinner party, do you?

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First, we'll give you a little bit of history on what exactly this program is. (Or should we say, programme?) This is basically Top Chef for desserts: It's a baking competition in which amateur contestants compete to be chosen as the best baker. Each week the aspiring pastry chefs compete in different challenges, like making a Swedish princess torte or recreating gelatin from the Victorian era. The judges, well, judge them, and decide who should be eliminated.

It's sounds simple, but GBBO as its affectionately called, was a sensation. It premiered on BBC Two, and was quickly moved to BBC One after becoming the former's most popular program/programme. It's spawned spin-offs and imposters and was eventually shown in the U.S. thanks to PBS and Netflix. It's also been credited for reinvigorating enthusiasm for baking in the United Kingdom, whatever that means. 

But a show can't stay on top forever, and now things are crumbling down like a dry cheesecake. It all started when Bake Off's producers got greedy. You see, success changes people. And it seems that being one of the most popular shows on BBC wasn't enough; the creators of the show were tired of basic cable money. They wanted major network money. 

Rival network Channel 4 decided to take advantage of the series' skyrocketing popularity and offer up a pretty penny to be its new television home. They tempted GBBO with a whopping $99 million (over three years), according to reports, and the show took the bait. They dropped the BBC just as fast as you can flip a Bundt cake. And rest assured that did not sit well with the show's loyal fan base.

And you know who else it didn't sit well with? The stars of The Great British Bake Off. Whoops. 

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You see, three of the judges (Mel GiedroycSue Perkins and Mary Berry) are women of principle. They're not going to just compromise their integrity to chase a few pounds. Berry, who we should mention is an 80-something cookbook writer with the sass of someone half her age, issued quite a disquieting statement to explain why she would not be abandoning the BBC the way the show is. 

"My decision to stay with the BBC is out of loyalty to them, as they have nurtured me, and the show, that was a unique and brilliant format from day one," she said. "I am just sad for the audience who may not be ready for change, I hope they understand my decision."

Burn. 

And the drama gets crazier. One member of the show's original foursome has decided to forgo his principles (if he had them; it's not like we know him personally) and follow the pounds. Or, should we say, the dough. Sorry, these baking puns are just too easy. But Paul Hollywood (name just a coincidence), who is a bit of a nemesis on the program/programme, will be making the trek to Channel 4. We can feel the tension from here; we could cut it with a butter knife.

Now we all just have to sit back, watch, and wait for the drama to roll out. BBC is said to be developing a show for the three hosts to decided to keep their loyalty, and the show's longtime fans are not taking kindly to this new imposter that will soon be seen on Channel 4. 

Get out your popcorn ladies and gentleman, because it's going to be a great ride.