What To Expect From The Great American Baking Show, Per Zach Cherry - Exclusive
If you've been a fan of "The Great British Bake Off" for years, then you know the drill. The United Kingdom's best amateur bakers come together in a giant, white tent set on a beautiful estate. In that tent, the show puts the bakers to a series of baking challenges over the course of several, themed weeks. Bakers show off their skills in bread baking, patisserie, and more. While there's drama, it's all fairly low-key, and stalwart fans often reference the show's friendly, comforting vibes when explaining why they love the show so much. However, did you know that there's an Americanized version of the show? Don't worry; it's not been Americanized to the point that it's more "Iron Chef" than "GBBO."
The show, dubbed "The Great American Baking Show" has appeared intermittently on various platforms for about the last decade. It recently received new life on The Roku Channel with two new hosts, Zach Cherry and Ellie Kemper. We recently spoke to Cherry in an exclusive Mashed interview to learn more about the show and what viewers can expect. In short, he said to get ready for more or less the same things you love about "GBBO," just with "a few more Americans."
Paul, Prue, and the big giant tent
Zach Cherry drew from his experience hosting the most recent season of the show, which debuted on The Roku Channel over the summer as well as hosting the show's most recent celebrity holiday special. Cherry feels that "The Great American Baking Show" does a great job of capturing the "GBBO" spirit. This is possible in part due to the show's judges and its setting.
Cherry said, "I think our show really does try to capture the same vibe, and Paul [Hollywood] and Prue [Leith], the same judges, are there. They bring a lot of experience and familiarity to people who are fans of the British series. Then, they just brought a bunch of Americans over into the same tent and let us do our American version of that thing." He confirms that, "Yes, we film just outside of London and it's the very same 'Great British Tent,' I guess you could call it. I don't know if there's an official name for the tent, but yes, same tent." Want to judge the show for yourself? The new "Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday" special will give you a bite-sized sample of the show, with a little holiday magic on the side.
"The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday" is available to stream for free on The Roku Channel beginning Nov. 10, 2023.