Tag Archives: Julia Chan

Great Canadian Baking Show

The search for Canada’s best amateur bakers begins as CBC announces the return of The Great Canadian Baking Show

From a media release:

Bakers, fire up your ovens! CBC today announced that hit culinary competition THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW will return for a third season (8×60) as the public broadcaster kicks off a nationwide search for Canada’s best amateur bakers. Interested home bakers can apply online now at cbc.ca/greatcanadianbakingshow for the chance to participate in the upcoming season. Based on the hit British format and produced by Proper Television, Season 3 will begin production in Toronto this summer and will air on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service in the fall. Amateur bakers can apply online now until Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 11 p.m. ET.

Canadians had a big appetite for Season 2 of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, which was CBC’s most-watched factual entertainment series during the 2017/18 broadcast season and reached 1.4 million viewers in Canada each week*. Fifty-eight-year-old software engineering consultant Andrei Godoroja from Vancouver, B.C. won the Season 2 Great Canadian Baking Show title and trophy, following a tight competition with finalists Megan Stasiewich of Leduc, Alberta, and Sachin Seth of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Baking fans can catch up on the first two seasons of the series on CBC Gem.

Based on the beloved British format, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW brings together 10 amateur bakers from across the country to compete in a series of themed culinary challenges that celebrate their diverse backgrounds, families and communities. Competitors on the homegrown series have the opportunity to go up against Canada’s best bakers, while also competing against themselves as they strive to achieve their personal best. Each episode features three rounds including the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake and the Show Stopper. After the bakes are tasted and critiqued, the judges decide who will become the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home, with the final three bakers competing for the Great Canadian Baking Show title.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is produced by Proper Television in association with CBC and Love Productions.

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Featured, Little Dog

Preview: Little Dog gets back into the ring for Season 2

Life for Tommy “Little Dog” Ross isn’t getting any easier. In fact, it’s looking a lot tougher for him in Season 2. And, honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. That makes it all the more rewarding when he punches his way—literally or figuratively—out of a bad situation.

Returning for Season 2 this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. on CBC, Little Dog picks up moments after the Season 1 finale. Tommy “Little Dog” Ross (Joel Thomas Hynes) was on the run after winning his rematch with Rico “Havoc” St. George (Dwain Murphy). Why? Because that went against Tucker’s (Mary Walsh) wishes. The win also messed up Lowly’s (Stephen Oates) bet against his own brother. The result? Sylvia (Ger Ryan) lost her house.

When we catch up with Tommy, he’s in a bad way. Battered and bruised physically from the showdown with Rico and hurting emotionally thanks to his family turning against him, Tommy pedals into the night and seeks shelter in an old shack. Freezing and frustrated, he lashes out at a bird fluttering overhead and kills it. Shaken, Tommy adopts the now empty bird nest and its egg contents as his own. Finally, this is something he can control and care for and not even a bad canned spam will stop Tommy from mothering the eggs.

Show creator, executive producer Hynes and showrunner, executive producer Sherry White have created something truly special in Little Dog in general and Tommy more specifically. Hynes brings an incredible amount of hurt, longing and vulnerability to Tommy. It’s truly special. Amid the maelstrom of life in the Ross clan, he’s the sensitive centre, a guy who wants to be loved and cared for but gets dumped on at every turn. It doesn’t appear as though things will be getting any easier for Tommy. By the end of Thursday’s return, Tommy is introduced to the child he had with Pamela (Julia Chan), opening a new door for Tommy to stumble through: fatherhood.

I can’t wait to see how he handles that.

Little Dog airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Great Canadian Baking Show

CBC announces a new batch of bakers for The Great Canadian Baking Show Season 2

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From a media release:

CBC today announced the 10 amateur bakers who will compete on the second season of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW, premiering Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC, the CBC TV streaming app and cbc.ca/watch. Over the course of eight episodes, this diverse group of dedicated bakers from across the country will bring their whisking skills to a series of culinary-themed challenges, each contestant aiming to be the last baker standing. Based on the beloved British format, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW Season 2 is hosted by actor and writer Daniel Levy and actor Julia Chan, with acclaimed pastry chefs Bruno Feldeisen and Rochelle Adonis also returning as the series judges.

Each week, the bakers will compete in three challenges – the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake, and the Show Stopper – during which they will rely on their personal interests, styles and cultural backgrounds to make their delicious dishes stand out to the judges. After the bakes are tested and critiqued, the judges will decide who will be the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home. In the final episode, the remaining three bakers will vie for the title of Canada’s best amateur baker. This season’s bakers are:

· Tim Chauvin, 38, a hardware store manager from Brockville, ON

· Mengling Chen, 30, a market research account manager from Toronto, ON

· Timothy Fu, 19, an undergrad student from Edmonton, AB

· Andrei Godoroja, 58, a software engineering consultant from Vancouver, BC

· Sadiya Hashmi, 38, a homeschooling mom with an MBA from Edmonton, AB

· Wendy McIsaac, 54, a senior policy analyst from Cornwall, PEI

· Sachin Seth, 43, a dentist and dentist professor from Halifax, NS

· Megan Stasiewich, 30, a hair stylist from Leduc, AB

· Devon Stolz, 27, a gravestone carver and substitute teacher from Regina, SK

· Ann Marie Whitten, 49, an operations manager from Pickering, ON

Twenty-four-year-old graphic designer Sabrina Degni of Montreal, QC, the youngest baker in the first season, took the inaugural Canadian title after competing against semi-finalists Linda Longson of High River, AB and Vandana Jain of Regina, SK. Fans can relive her Season 1 journey anytime at cbc.ca/watch.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is produced by Proper Television in association with CBC and Love Productions. The executive producers are Lesia Capone and Cathie James, and the series producer is Marike Emery.

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Great Canadian Baking Show

CBC announces Season 2 of The Great Canadian Baking Show; plus audition details

From a media release:

Cake, battle and roll! CBC today announced that hit culinary competition THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW will return for season 2 (8×60) as the public broadcaster kicks off a country-wide search for Canada’s best amateur bakers. Starting today, home bakers can apply online at cbc.ca/life/greatcanadianbakingshow for the chance to participate in the upcoming season. Based on the hit British format and produced by Proper Television, season 2 begins production in Toronto in summer 2018 and will air on CBC in the fall. Interested amateur bakers can apply online now until Sunday, March 18, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW premiered in November 2016 and was the most-watched unscripted series debut on CBC in the past five years, with the series reaching 1.4 million viewers in Canada each week.* Twenty-four-year-old graphic designer Sabrina Degni of Montreal, QC, the youngest baker in the first season, took the inaugural Canadian title after competing against semi-finalists Linda Longson of High River, AB and Vandana Jain of Regina, SK.

Hosted by Daniel Levy and Julia Chan and judged by acclaimed pastry chefs Bruno Feldeisen and Rochelle Adonis, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW invites bakers to showcase their talents and diverse stories on a national stage as they compete in the kitchen. Competitors on the homegrown series have the opportunity to go up against Canada’s best bakers, while also competing against themselves as they strive to achieve their personal best.

Based on the beloved British format, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW brings together 10 amateur bakers from across the country to compete in a series of themed culinary challenges. Each episode features three rounds including the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake and the Show Stopper. After the bakes are tasted and critiqued, the judges decide who will become the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home. The final three bakers compete for the Great Canadian Baking Show title.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is produced by Proper Television in association with CBC and Love Productions. The format is owned by Love Productions and distributed by Sky Vision.  In addition to the original British series, American, Australian, French and Irish versions of the format have also been produced.

 

 

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Featured, Great Canadian Baking Show

The Great Canadian Baking Show is unapologetically entertaining

The real world can be a pretty nasty place sometimes. I don’t know about you, but I find myself looking for an escape from the bad that seems to clog up the news and news feeds on social media. I’ve found the perfect respite from all that on Wednesday nights thanks to The Great Canadian Baking Show on CBC.

I love food—baking and ooey, gooey desserts in particular—so The Great Canadian Baking Show ticks those boxes immediately. But the series is so much more than just that. Based on the UK hit of the same name, the CBC’s remake—courtesy of Proper Television—is a sugary sweet, entertaining confection that just makes me happy. A lot of that comes from co-hosts Daniel Levy and Julia Chan. The pair, who are friends, scored themselves the gig of a lifetime with The Great Canadian Baking Show. The opportunity to meet Canadians from across the country, sample their baked goods and hang out for a couple of months? Where do I sign up? You can’t fake the enjoyment the pair derive from making cheesy quips in an attempt to get the other to roll their eyes. This Wednesday’s Bread Week episode gives Chan the chance to shine. And the fact Levy isn’t afraid to taste more than a morsel of gluten-y goodness establishes him as a bona fide bread expert in my eyes.

Judges Rochelle Adonis and Bruno Feldeisen don’t glower at the contestants like Demon Chef Alvin Leung on MasterChef Canada does. Nor should they. This is not that series. The Great Canadian Baking Show is definitely more relaxed, swapping stainless steel and hard edges for pastels and real wood in a pastoral setting. There is a playful, dainty soundtrack accompanying the proceedings, lending a calming air. Yes, folks are being eliminated—it is a competition after all—but even that is done gently and with a “keep your chin up” attitude.

The Great Canadian Baking Show may not be your cup of tea—see what I did there?—but I find it to be a calming oasis amid the noisy negativity we’re besieged with.

The Great Canadian Baking Show airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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