It is time to check that your buns are suitably firm to the touch

August 28, 2018 8:47 AM

As Autumn arrives, British supermarkets fill with Christmas foods and distant cousins in the thirteen colonies drink their pumpkin spice lattes, everyday is so wonderful. The Great British Bake Off, a show famous for baking and infamous for scandal - not forgetting the biggest controversy of 2016 - returns tonight [series 9 on Wikipedia]. While past winners watch, twelve bakers will do battle, with Manon Lagreve tipped by some to win. The first week is biscuit week; a future episode will be a vegan week (and here's a brownie recipe), plus a Danish week. In the UK, it's on Channel Four at 8pm. Turn on your ovens, MeFites... [FanFare]
posted by Wordshore (20 comments total)

I actually didn't watch much of GBBO last year because I was being rather snobbish about its move to Channel 4. However, I think we'll tune in this season because 1) Noel Fielding is irresistibly charming 2) I feel like there is a dearth of genuine feel good telly these days.

(shouldn't the banner on Fanfare be updated with the new cast?)
posted by like_neon at 8:56 AM on August 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm already feeling bad for the bakers from this year, thanks to the heat wave that was going on during the filming. I foresee a lot of things not setting/weeping/melting in the tent.
posted by damayanti at 8:59 AM on August 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

I've only seen the episodes available on US Netflix; has the tone of the show changed at all since the move to Channel 4? What I like is that it's such kind, low-drama television compared to anything produced in the US, and it would be a shame for that to have changed.

(Also, Paul Hollywood's iced fingers, at least the bun part, are outstanding. Soft, sweet buns with the most perfect resilient texture.)
posted by uncleozzy at 9:02 AM on August 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

(About the banner on Fanfare: I checked and the original-cast image is the best of the ones available from the service we're using.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:05 AM on August 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

I still miss Mel and Sue. :-(

I've only recently (within the past month or so) discovered the show and I keep coming away from each viewing thinking that I want to hug everyone involved.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:18 AM on August 28, 2018 [4 favorites]

I got Jon in the office sweepstakes. He is a blood courier. Which mean that when he's not adorably baking for his adorable Welsh family, he is literally saving lives. Does your baker do that?

I'm proud of you already, Jon—Cymru am byth!!
posted by dashdotdot dash at 9:20 AM on August 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Can’t wait and I’m making a Tarte Tatin to celebrate.
posted by shibori at 9:38 AM on August 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

I like Kim-Joy, she looks so sweet! (also i want that sweater so badly.)
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:56 AM on August 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

The only episode I've seen was a wedding cake competition which seems like a fine thing but it seemed too much like crazed rush against time in an area that's not the contestants specialty and rather than the goal being the most sublime cake it was more can unusual ingredients and ad hoc design impress. I mean why not add a mud obstacle course between the pantry and the oven?
posted by sammyo at 9:56 AM on August 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

has the tone of the show changed at all since the move to Channel 4?
I noticed more people crying early in last year's season, so I guess Noel and Sandi hadn't got the hang of the swearing.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 10:19 AM on August 28, 2018 [3 favorites]

There's a very informative season trailer! (sorry if I missed this among(st) the OP links)

Edit: no wait, this is last year's! Still hasn't gone off, though.
posted by trig at 10:20 AM on August 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Netflix has sewn up the American rights to the show, adding a couple of past seasons (sorry, series) it didn't already have and getting the rights to show this new series sometime later this year. (I originally misunderstood the announcement and thought they were going to show the new ones contemporaneously with Channel 4, but alas not.)
posted by briank at 10:27 AM on August 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

IT HAS BEGUN and unsurprisingly is top trending, so if you don't want spoilers from this point on you might want to, let's be realistic about this, ignore the entire Internet and media until you watch it.
posted by Wordshore at 12:10 PM on August 28, 2018

Well, that was intense; not doing spoilers as it's only just finished. One of the categories may slightly confuse people in most countries (including the USA) as it features a classic British chocolate-biscuit from my childhood that's sold in (checks) not many countries. Sandi, for example, had never eaten one. Some excellent biscuits in this show, and I may have fallen lightly in love with Briony. Not surprised at who won, and I strongly suspect this years winner will be one of three of the women. A little surprised at who went home this week. Next week is cake week!!!
posted by Wordshore at 1:18 PM on August 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

sammyo - I'm surprised that was your reaction because I really enjoy GBBO precisely because it isn't gimmicky and absurd, unlike most baking competitions. Sometimes rounds go better than others, but generally it is a competition where people are able to show off something approaching their best possible results.
posted by lownote at 2:23 PM on August 28, 2018 [3 favorites]

Is it worth putting up a FanFare discussion post yet?
posted by Major Clanger at 6:28 AM on August 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yeah, there's one contestant this year that I wonder about - she has a leg up in practice it seems, but I wonder if she's going to get tripped up in the particulars of British baking familiarity.

And yeah, I'm sorta surprised after the temperature-related issues of years past that they aren't dumping AC into the tent. I want to see how they bake, not how they deal with chocolate that won't set because it's 35 in the tent.

Fanfare, yes please.
posted by Kyol at 7:03 AM on August 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

Fanfare post for S9E1 now up.
posted by Major Clanger at 7:18 AM on August 29, 2018

Will there be adequate food supplies?
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 9:21 AM on August 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

That's next year. Baking from tins.
posted by Kyol at 2:45 PM on August 30, 2018