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.
