‘The Great British Baking Show: Holidays’ Highlights Where the Main Series Might Be Going Wrong

I had a chilling thought while watching the New Year’s-themed installment of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays on Netflix this week: I kind of like this silly, one-off version of the long-running feel-good British hit more than I’ve enjoyed the original series in quite some time. Sure, the tent was full of four of the most charming and telegenic bakers — Antony Amourdoux, Lottie Bedlow, Manon Lagrève, and Chigs Parmar — but the stakes were delightfully low, the bakes were universally great, and I felt, for the first time in a long time, in safe, secure hands watching GBBS. The flagship version of The Great British Baking Show has fallen into a rhythm of serving up horrific technicals, traumatic eliminations, and ham-fisted double entendres. This single episode of festive Bake Off, however, not only reunited me with my faves, but also let them have fun in the tent. Even the most disastrous bake of the episode was saved by its flavors! All in all, it was just fun.

I have to ask: is it just me, or is it possible that The Great British Baking Show: Holidays is a superior show to the original Great British Baking Show?

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays — or The Great Christmas/Festive Bake Off as it’s known in the UK where Love Productions can call the show “Bake Off” without the Pillsbury company suing them — first aired on the BBC in 2016. The tradition immediately carried over to the show’s new British home, Channel 4, and now runs about a year after its original broadcast in the States on Netflix. Most years follow a similar format. There are two special episodes, one Christmas-themed and one New Year’s. Each episode pits four fan favorite bakers from years past against each other or, in special cases, Channel 4 celebs compete in the tent for Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. One baker wins, but no one is eliminated. Booze flows, fake snow adorns the grounds, and everyone is happy. Most of all, me.

I’ve opined in the past that The Great British Baking Show is due for an “All-Stars Season. There’s something I find really comforting about seeing fan faves return to The Great British Baking Show tent. It’s not just that I, a fan, already have fond memories of them, but they have some idea of what they’re doing. I mean that both as bakers and “Bake Off” personalities. Many of the bakers who return for the Holiday specials have forged careers for themselves after the show as foodie influencers. They’ve written cookbooks, embarked on social media partnerships, and only improved their culinary skills since surviving Paul and Prue. More importantly, they understand the unique task of being on camera. There’s a confidence to their bakes and an ease to their on-camera quips that Bake Off newbies simply don’t have.

Of course, part of that ease is thanks to the fact that there are literally zero stakes in The Great British Baking Show: Holidays. Sure, if you impress Paul and Prue, you can go home with the grand prize: the coveted cake stand. But no one gets eliminated. No one goes home. No one even comes back. It’s a single weekend away baking on TV for giggles. The only pressure is the self-imposed type, like when Manon attempted to atone for her octopus pastry with a stellar Wellington.

I’m not sure that The Great British Baking Show needs to radically change tack to be more like its Holiday editions. (Although, yes, I will keep banging that “All-Star Season” drum! Jürgen told me to my face he’s down!) What I’m simply saying is that the stress that consumes me watching The Great British Baking Show isn’t there with the Holiday shows. I’m not dreading Paul and Prue’s tetchy criticisms or bracing for a favorite to be eliminated. I’m also not watching panic attacks derail a baker on camera. The vibes are relaxing, fun, and cozy…the way The Great British Baking Show felt in its heyday.

I don’t know what the future holds for The Great British Baking Show franchise, but I do know that I officially look forward to the Holiday installments more than I do to a new season. That could just be me, or it could be indicative of a larger issue the flagship series has.