"Bake Off" is back to prime, saucy form

I suspected that "The Great British Bake Off" was finally back to prime saucy form when a series of events led judge Prue Leith to have to diplomatically invite a contestant to describe their creation by saying, "So, Nicky, tell us about your beaver" as the tent erupted into tittering laughter. My suspicions were confirmed when, just a few minutes later, the delightful new host Allison Hammond cooly remarked that while Nicky's creation may have looked amazing, unfortunately "no one likes a dry beaver." 

This recap contains major spoilers for Series 14, Episode 1 of "The Great British Baking Show" now streaming on Netflix.

It's been a rocky few seasons for the series that was once known as, essentially, televised comfort food, a reputation that was well-earned because it was so distinct from so much contemporary food competition programming; while "Food Network"  chefs were being asked to wander around kitchens blindfolded or whip up a multi-course meal with no utensils, over on "Bake Off" — stylized on Netflix for American viewers as "The Great British Baking Show" —things were always a little different. 

The pace was a little slower. Contestants had the opportunity to practice their bakes beforehand and came in relatively prepared. More importantly, however, was the tone of the show. No one was screaming or back-biting or calling someone an "idiot sandwich."