Great British Bake Off

The joy of food programmes

The Great British Bake Off 2018 winner Rahul Mandal (Credit: Channel 4)

With 87 days’ worth of cookery shows airing during the past year on UK terrestrial television – made up of 410 unique titles – the RTS event “Why we love… food” was appositely named.

Revealing the facts to an audience hungry for knowledge about the genre, Pritesh Mody, founder of artisan food producer World of Zing, chaired the late-May event on the day it emerged that Jamie Oliver’s UK restaurant chain had gone into administration.

Why We Love…Food

Tanya Shaw, Melissa Hemsley, Pritesh Mody, Nisha Katona, Sarah Lazenby (Credit: Phil Lewis/RTS)

Speaking at RTS event Why We Love…Food Channel 4 head of features and formats Sarah Lazenby said she had a meeting on Tuesday about the children’s version of the hit series, Great British Bake Off, which has followed its parent to the commercial broadcaster.

When asked how Channel 4 would make Junior Bake Off its own, Lazenby said “We’re really excited that’s coming to us. Obviously we’re not a children’s broadcaster…16-34 year olds is our target but…there’s a format that’s there but there’s also a Channel 4 tone.”

Top TV picks: Christmas Day

Call the Midwife

BBC One, 7.45pm

The much-loved period drama Call the Midwife is back for another well-stuffed Christmas special.

Writer Heidi Thomas provides Christmas cheer, as the sisters at Nonnatus House look after four orphans and a new born baby, and are treated to a baby ballet show.

Torvill & Dean

ITV, 9.15pm

William Ivory’s biographical drama charts the winning careers of young and gifted ice skaters (and future Dancing on Ice judges) Jayne Torvill (Poppy Lee Friar) and Christopher Dean (Will Tudor).

Making Shows Great Again | Full video

Watch what happened at our latest event, where TV bosses discussed whether bringing back old TV formats shows that we're running out of ideas, or if some shows are just worth giving a make over for new audiences.

Journalist Caroline Frost was joined by a panel of TV experts to discuss just that.

Joining Caroline on the panel were:
Sean Doyle, Channel 5, Commissioning Editor, Blind Date
Camilla Lewis, CEO, Curve Media
Richard McKerrow, Love Productions, Executive Producer, The Great British Bake Off
Ella Umansky, Head of Format Support, ITV Studios

Should there be more TV revivals?

From left: Sean Doyle, Ella Umansky, Caroline Frost, Camilla Lewis and Richard McKerrow (Credit: RTS/Paul Hampartsoumian)
These are robust TV formats, which, over many years, bring audiences to broadcasters and profits to production companies. But they are the exception, not the rule in television.
 
At an RTS early evening event in early June, a panel of top TV execs discussed what gives formats legs.
 
The central London event took place a day after the triumphant return of ITV2’s Love Island, which attracted a peak audience of 3.4 million. The series opener averaged 2.95 million viewers, more than double last year’s first episode.
 

Channel 4 releases new GBBO trailer

The advert shows a range of singing baked goods coming together in a dazzling display of cakes, breads and tarts.

Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding will present the new series, alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

The eighth series of the cookery show will appear on Channel 4, after Love Productions signed a deal with the broadcaster last year.

The Bake Off debate boils over

Jay Hunt speaks to reporters after the RTS London Conference Session (Credit: Paul Hampartsoumian)

James Purnell: ‘From a PSB perspective, we now see a real chasm between the way we are going to be regulated. 

‘The Charter agreement is a set of incredibly detailed guidance to Ofcom – children’s programmes, history, religion, current affairs, 100-plus quotas. 

‘We wouldn’t wish that on Channel 4, but, looking at what has happened with Bake Off, there is a huge difference between the way we are regulated, and… now there is a question about whether that is right. 

‘Channel 4’s lighter touch should be looked at.’ 

Final names complete Strictly line-up

Rutherford has just returned from the Rio Olympics where he won a bronze medal in the long jump final. He announced his taking part in the celebrity dance contest on BBC's The One Show alongside actors Lesley Joseph and Tameka Empson.

Joseph is most remembered for her role in the 1990's hit sitcom Birds of a Feather, where she played promiscuous neighbour Dorien, while Empson rose to prominence in her hidden camera comedy 3 Non-Blondes in 2003. She currently stars on EastEnders as the bubbly but vicious Kim Fox.

This weeks’ top TV: 22 – 28 August

One of Us will explore morality, human nature, and family secrets (Credit: BBC)

Monday

Sarah Beeny’s Four Rooms

More 4, 9pm


Sarah Beeny (Credit: Channel 4)

RTS award-winning Four Rooms is back with a new host, Sarah Beeny. A cross between Antiques Roadshow and Dragons' Den, the programme sees members of the public try and sell their prized items to stone-faced dealers for a good price.