The greatness of The Great British Baking Show Franchise: Sweetness and Diversity

Proof that wholesome and nice still has a place on TV.

The best thing about The Great British Baking Show (and its franchises around the world) is that it isn’t catty. There’s no angry judge yelling at some crying contestant. There aren’t any mean contestants waiting to claw their way to the top. In fact, what makes this show a standout from all other baking competition shows is exactly its absence of drama.

On top of just being the nicest foodie competition on television, there is a healthy dose of diversity that doesn’t feel forced or tokened. Everyone on the show feels genuine and relatable. Everyone is so likable. The politics of the day does not leak into that big white tent. It’s a breath of fresh air in today’s environment of catty shallowness.

I am currently watching The Great Canadian Baking Show, and just like its predecessor, The Great British Baking Show, it too follows the same formula of niceness, diversity, and likable cast. In both the British version and this Canadian version, the diversity represented feels natural. It doesn’t feel like there are token contestants.

Season after season, we see an even smattering of different types of people. Not too many white folks, not too many young, not too many old, gay, straight, POC, etc. It’s as though the kids on Sesame Street grew up and applied for a baking show. People aren’t cast because of the drama they would bring. If anything, contestants are chosen because they aren’t dramatic. The show is just nice.

The pastoral setting, the cute little critters in the opening credits, it all makes for perfect escapism into a world where most of us wish we lived. I certainly wouldn’t mind tea time outside the big tent.

Even though I am a cis-hetero woman, I am also so incredibly tickled by the representation of Asian LGBTQ contestants on the show (and Asians in general, really). I love how many average Joe guys are on the show proudly showcasing their love for baking. The show is subtly fearless in how it doesn’t make a big showcase of these contestants who go against stereotypes. It just allows people to be people. Contestants aren’t overly produced. I love that.

It’s a show that doesn’t require me to analyze race or injustice or pettiness. It’s a show where contestants seem genuine and supportive of each other. On this show, I’ve seen strong Black men show their finesse and artistic expression with buttercream. I’ve seen gay Asian men who are simply rays of sunshine who aren’t pushed by producers to be overly flamboyant. I’ve seen geeky, awkward men and women who would normally be pushed to the outskirts of society be front and center and celebrated. It’s just beautiful and every episode makes me feel good and makes me smile.

Sure, sometimes there are a few faux pas like the “Japanese Week” episode where the bakes were not really Japanese, but I’m willing to overlook it for the joy of the show. I think producers will learn from the social media comments and will hopefully not repeat the mistake.

One of the great things about the shows though is the fact that contestants really get to infuse and show off their cultural influences and flavors. It takes traditional bakes and embraces international twists that make each challenge unique to that contestant. And that’s great because that is how the world really is. We’re a mishmash of all the roads that have led us to here.

I was recently accused of being “colonized” for loving this show, but I will have to disagree. As the world becomes smaller and smaller with the modernization of everything, this is the kind of world I’d like to live in, where people get to be who they are without explanation or having to fit into some media stereotype; where even as they are competing, they show humanity, kindness, and care for those around them. It’s a show based around love. Love of baking. Love of diversity. Love of kindness. Love of your fellow human.

So bravo for this little slice of niceness. I wish there were more. Maybe then we can start turning away from the drama-filled, bougie consumerism, toxic division of our current society and turn back to embracing each other and our humanity.

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