There are a lot of reality TV shows that are rife with drama, but The Great British Bakeoff was never one of them, unless you count Baked Alaska not setting or someone dropping a cake on the floor. However, in recent months, the show has gone through a lot of shake-ups, thanks to the drama moving from the BBC to Channel 4. Mary Berry left the series, but on the bright side, now we know what the veteran baker and TV host will be doing next. Reports this week indicate she's signed on for new series Mary Berry's Secrets From Britain's Great Houses.
You know you've made it when your name is in the actual title of the show. Mary Berry's Secrets From Britain's Great Houses will star the former Great British Bake Off host. The upcoming show sounds a bit like a cross between The Great British Bake Off and Downton Abbey--well, at least its setting. The first part will feature Mary Berry touring great estates and showing us the insides and outs of the kitchens, the gardens and the other beautiful historical rooms. The other part will feature Mary Berry's strong skillset at baking. According to the BBC, after taking a look at "the culinary histories" of these great homes, Mary Berry will be creating recipes that complement her experiences.
Each episode will be a half-hour program and six episodes of Mary Berry's Secrets From Britain's Great Houses have been ordered so far. The move comes a few days after Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc also landed big post-Great British Bake Off gigs. The two comediennes and hosts are taking on Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief, also for the BBC. At one point recently, Mary Berry also said that she would like to team up with Mel & Sue again, and since they are all still with the BBC, we expect that could happen at some point.
The Great British Bake Off has been one of the most popular shows on the BBC for quite some time. However, this year, the show's contract came up, and the production company realized they could make more money if they took the show elsewhere. British network Channel 4 made a big bid for the show and ended up landing it. However, not everyone involved with The Great British Bake Off was happy about the change. Mel and Sue and Mary Berry all opted to quit the reality competition series and stay with the BBC. Other judge Paul Hollywood had no such qualms and will be sticking with the Channel 4 series moving forward.
Only time will tell if if the new version of The Great British Bake Off will continue to crush in the absence of two hosts and a popular judge. Certainly Mary Berry's witticisms and criticisms will be missed. So will Mel and Sue's famous and very weird delivery of "ready, set bake." At least our favorite TV personalities will be on the small screen in some capacity. So far, the BBC has not announced a premiere date for Mary Berry's Secrets From Britain's Great Houses but we'll let you know as soon as the network has it all figured out. In the meantime, you can see what is already set to premiere in 2017 with our midseason premiere schedule.
