'The Great
Bakeoff' was the original show in this format, starting in 2010. The show was also aired in North America, retitled with the words Baking Show replacing Bakeoff due to trademark issues. It has since been aired in over 200 countries, with more than 20 countries picking up rights to develop a local version - commonly using the original title with a suitable altered demonym.
Other European countries quickly adopted the successful format, with
the first to air their version 'De Meester Bakker' ('The Master Baker') on 4 April
, followed quickly by Denmark,
, Poland, and France. In the United States, a single season titled 'American Baking Competition' was broadcast in 2013; a renovated 'Great American Baking Competition' began a more successful run in 2015. 'The Great
Bakeoff', the first southern-hemisphere adaptation, first appeared in 2013; there was a one-season gap before the second series, and the ninth season started in July
.
The format of the show generally follows that of the original, but some versions have added their own twist. A season starts with a designated number of
(a number chosen so that one can be eliminated each week of the planned run, with the final
competing in the Grand Final), (usually
) judges who are expert bakers and one or two
, who provide some comic touches and also offer support to contestants when things go wrong.
Each week usually involves three tasks: a
which the bakers can use to demonstrate their skills with their own recipes; a
in which they must follow instructions (which are often incomplete) to all create the same product, which is judged blind; and a
, in which they create something spectacular within the parameters of the week. It is common for each week to have a focus, such as
, bread, or desserts. This means that the successful baker must have a wide set of skills - often including an ability to work with
. Each week one baker is crowned Star Baker, as the one whose three dishes overall were the best; the weakest baker is eliminated.
