I never watch baking shows… I made an exception for this one, because it’s Harry Potter movie-themed! Presented by Oliver and James Phelps (aka the Weasley twins) and including some original sets from the films, this is a light-hearted, wholesome watch which doesn’t take itself too seriously. Bakers, chefs, chocolatiers, etc, are paired up and challenged to create incredible edible showpieces which have ‘magical’ elements. Each episode, they are judged by chefs Carla and Jozef, plus an occasional guest – Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright, Warwick Davis – and one pair eliminated. The prize is a trophy and inclusion in a recipe book. What I liked about the show, other than the amazing talent of the bakers, was that the adults were so into the magical world of Harry Potter.
A few things about the show were not so good. The first episode, when the teams had staggered arrivals, was chaotic and the way that they were eliminated at different times rather than judged all together did not make sense. The presenters looked a bit lost, mainly hanging around not getting in the way of the frenetic baking going on. The producers tried too hard to create drama where there wasn’t any. Yet I watched the later episodes with a smile on my face. It’s something you can relax in front of at the end of a brain-frazzling day. Although the tone was generally charming, it was not funny and there were very few mishaps to chuckle at, the contestants being professionals. What I now want to see is an equivalent show for very amateur bakers as I think it would be amusing.
Image from series page on Prime Video.
My girlfriend and I had fun going through this series! I was curious about who the special guests would be with each episode too haha
Yes it was fun! Although it felt like an anti-climax when they were waiting for another celebrity to walk through the green mist and it turned out to be 2 eliminated contestants, LOL.