There is an old saying which goes, if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) isn’t broke (pardon the English) but programme makers Love Productions have today tried to fix it by carting the show off to Channel Four where it will begin the slow process of dying. This is, I’m afraid the way things go with telly programmes.
Love Productions wanted a vast increase in cash from the BBC (or you and I, as we are otherwise known) in order to produce a programme which would never have got off the ground without Auntie’s involvement and Love Productions would still be gazing into their laptops trying to come up with other ideas. They must very good, mind you, creating a success story from competitive cake-making and it is a surprise no one has ever thought of doing that before.
The story will go something like this. The show will go to Channel Four which will dramatically reduce the viewing figures. People will then say it’s changed, even it hasn’t, the ratings will go into free fall and it gets cancelled.
The BBC should not fret too much about losing this ratings winner. If Love Productions want to screw some money out of someone, let them bugger off to Channel Four with its line up of naked dating programmes, Hollyoaks and other sundry cooking shows. And anyway, surely there is a creative group at the BBC who can come up with a format for a new show that doesn’t involve cooking things?
Poor old Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. The road back to obscurity looms. Doubtless there will be plenty of WI meetings they can attend to tell people how it used to be when they were famous, but you pays your money and you takes your chance. Going to Channel Four will be the biggest mistake Love Productions will ever make, not that I give a toss.
