Countdown to The Great American Baking Show begins

In December we mentioned that the Great American Baking Show would be coming to your screens in 2023, and now we have an exact date: Friday, May 5. People has an exclusive trailer that we can watch (below) in anticipation of the premier. GABS (not the worst acronym, I have to admit) is filmed in the same tent as GBBO so it looks exactly the same.

There are only 9 contestants in this iteration of the show, which is streaming exclusively on Roku (and can be watched without cost). That means only 6 episodes vs. 10 in the British version, which is a disappointment to people hoping this would closely mirror the GBBO. If the program turns out to be a hit, a second season might be longer. Let’s hope the team can return to the show’s roots instead of repeating blunders of the past couple of seasons (e.g. Mexican week).

As to the quality of the contestants, Paul Hollywood said “I’ve done a couple of American baking competitions and I think this is by far and away the best group.” I am not convinced that is a compliment, but I will reserve judgment until after I watch the show. Alongside Paul and Prue, Ellie Kemper and Zach Cherry will be hosting the show.