As the world spins on the axis of political tension and uncertainty, a quaint tent in the English countryside prepares to reopen its flaps to a familiar cast of characters — Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond. And honestly, there’s never been a better time for the return of “The Great British Bake Off” to Netflix.
The new season of the show, which the streamer has dubbed “Collection 12,” will debut on Netflix on Sept. 27, three days after the series airs in the United Kingdom. It promises to not just be a celebration of British classics and good bakes — in the season preview, Leith classifies one cake as “the most interesting [she’s] ever eaten” — but also a safe harbor for viewers seeing solace amidst the tumultuous landscape of an election season underscored by mounting partisan tensions.
Of course I want to stay informed, but sometimes after a long day of absorbing the minutiae of the Mark Robinson controversy, which is evolving at a truly breakneck speed, or back-to-back clips of JD Vance lying about immigrants eating pets, sometimes you just want to decompress in a world where “tragedy” means jam that won’t thicken or a pie with a soggy bottom.
While familiarity can sometimes breed contempt, in this case, it breeds cheerful reassurance.
After all, the series has demonstrated its ability to soothe in times of strife before. During the pandemic, viewership surged as audiences turned to the tent for a sense of normalcy and joy while couch-locked. Then the show’s twelfth season, filmed in a carefully orchestrated “bio-bubble” in which the contestants and crew were quarantined together, aimed to recreate the iconic charm of GBBO without the disruptions of a global health crisis. In speaking with Variety at the time, Richard McKerrow, the creative director of Love Productions, said the show’s leadership wanted to maintain the current format with as few disruptions for viewers as possible.
“We really felt that unless we could do it as ‘Bake Off’ has always been, with hugs, with the Paul Hollywood handshake, with all the closeness, the format wouldn’t be doable with the pandemic in full overdrive,” he said.
This commitment to maintaining the show’s signature warmth and intimacy allowed the contestants — and the viewers — to experience a momentary respite from the anxieties of the outside world, which is the same ethos that continues to resonate as the new season approaches. When the noise of political discord grows too loud, it’s nice to have the option to watch some contestants navigate the pressures of (notoriously finicky) chocolate and pastry instead.
Speaking of contestants, it looks like this season is bringing another round of lovable amateur bakers, whose biographies are littered with bite-sized snippets prime for short cut-away scenes, like the midwife who grew up with seven siblings and became the family’s signature birthday cake baker, or the car mechanic who hopes to inspire his daughter to follow in his baking footsteps.
Despite past controversies, (like the notorious “Mexican Week” or the regrettable remarks made by former host Matt Lucas regarding Japanese cuisine) GBBO has largely retained its essence: a light-hearted competition infused with a spirit of collaboration and support centered on these bakers. The show thrives on the idea that even in competition, there is room for kindness, a notion painfully absent in much of modern corporate and political life.
One of the ways “Bake Off” has managed to return purposely re-engage with those roots is in welcoming Alison Hammand to the hosting team. A veritable ball of sunshine, Hammond has already become pretty well-loved among viewers as she brought her own brand of warmth to the tent. As Salon’s Melanie McFarland aptly noted in her review of last season, “From the moment she's introduced to the excited, anxious bakers, Hammond's smile and bright Birmingham lilt invite them to, if not relax, at least remind them to have a good time.
“‘GBBO’ relies on the bakers' personalities to make each season rise, but if you've found yourself thinking recent seasons could use a little something, the new co-host reveals what's been missing: genuine zest,” she continued.
As the series unfolds over the coming weeks, it’s worth considering the power of comfort television. While the world outside may be fraught, “Bake Off” offers a gentle escape inside the tent, where the challenges center on flour and frosting and camaraderie and humor reign supreme.
