Netflix has done a lot of work to build a lineup of original programs over the past couple of years. Those programs have included original dramas and comedies, as well as kids programs, stand-up specials and much, much more. Some of these have been pick-ups of already-popular shows, as well. While Netflix has done well with these pick-ups, there's at least one series that Netflix's Ted Sarandos really wishes the streaming service had been able to nab. It would have meant new episodes of a British classic would have gone to Netflix. The answer? The Great British Bake Off. Here's what Ted Sarandos had to say:
I wish we'd had a shot at Bake Off. It moved very quickly, and we didn't. The show's very, very popular on Netflix, all over the place, so we would've definitely been interested.
If you've been keeping tabs on The Great British Bake Off, otherwise known as the The Great British Baking Show when it airs on PBS, you may know that the series has been in flux for quite some time. We learned a few months back that the production company that owns The Great British Bake Off was hoping to strike a deal that would earn them more money. Unfortunately the BBC, which formerly owned the rights to air the show, couldn't afford the new price. Thus, the series struck a new deal with Channel 4, losing hosts Sue and Mel and judge Mary Berry in the process.
The show moving channels was a big mess at the time and is still being talked about, especially in the UK. I have no idea what the reaction would have been if the show had moved from traditional television to a streaming platform like Netflix. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ted Sarandos revealed that he would have made a play for it had it been an option, but it seems as if the series moving to streaming was never considered.
The Great British Bake Off has been extremely popular and will likely continue to be popular in the future. However, it will certainly look different when the new amalgamation hits the airwaves on Channel 4. While Paul Hollywood is staying, the show is getting a new host and likely at least one other judge.
Netflix may have missed out on The Great British Bake Off, but the streaming service has been able to nab other shows, including the revitalized version of Gilmore Girls and the sequel to Full House, Fuller House. There's more coming down the pipeline in the future, and I wouldn't be shocked if that included a baking competition at some point. We'll keep you posted either way. In the meantime, check out what is heading to Netflix this December with our premiere calendar.
