I enjoyed Top Chef: Just Desserts. I didn't expect I would, but I was more caught up each week. There was some truely talented people on that show. And I think Top Chef is very careful to protect their reputation and make sure they had a top level of talent.

@cownsj I love Top Chef! they are very careful to protect their rep and make sure they get GOOD talent.

Darn...I missed it. I am going to have to make sure I tune in next week.

After reading all this, shouldn't we change the name of the thread to

"Next Great Baker? Not Really"?

I just got off the phone with a cake friend of mine, who said his sister was one of the judges. I said it before when Leigh was named a judge on Ultimate Cake Off - front of the house people have no business judging cakes.

Nothing personal, I'm sure they are very nice people. But before they judge other people's work, they should be seen busting their butts with a spatula in one hand and a piping bag in the other.

And as far as this show being a knock-off of Top Chef - in my opinion,
all other cooking/baking competition shows are, in one way or another, cheap imitations or otherwise not nearly as good as the TC shows. The FN ones really suck, now that Chef Gerhard is off the floor. Why put an MC on there that doesn't know their butt from their elbow about cake/pastry? Good looks don't always make a person interesting.

Theresa [/b]

I watched it out of curiosity also but didn't like it at all. I fell asleep watching it. Don't know if I will continue to watch it. I would rather watch Cupcake wars any day.

I anxiously waited for the premiere, but was very disappointed. I agree with the comments here too. Dana...what was he thinking. His first dessert was a banana split....it's a baking challenge after all! Mary was extremely rude during the judging. I don't think she understands the concept of constructive criticism.

Buddy was definitely out of his element. He was trying way too hard to be a "Keegan" type host. The show's format was very close to Top Chef Just Desserts, which was a much better program.

Top Chef Desserts gave 1 1/2 hours to make a wedding cake and most of them had really nice ones and some didn't, so to have 9 hours, (3 hours at night and 6 the next day) some of them could have done better. IMO I don't know - it just seemed to be a crude version.

I was soooo disapointed with the show! I was really looking forward to it too. I found most of the cakes to be horrible! I definately think some of the show is staged. How can it not be? The burnt cakes? Trying to ice/stack a cake right out of the oven. If it has the same producers as Cake Boss I guess we might even expect the whole show to be fake. Now I could see anyone liking the prize money, but what cake decorator, even if you don't have your own bakery would want to work for buddy? Would he pay you an hourly wage and then take credit for all your hard work. I could see if you won, and lived close to his shop, and didn't already have a job, working for him for a year, learning some skills, getting on tv and then leaving to start up your own bakery/business with your new fame.

I'm sad I missed fabulous cakes, it was on too late and i needed sleep. I really should have went to bed before great baker.

And I just have to say.....whats with Greggy? Greggy? what os he five? ok had to get that off my chest.....lol
seriously, he did not stick that cake in the freezer and chill it he just put frosting on a warm cake...then cried.....boohoo....
puuuuulease.................and the chick almost burned the joint down lol......and the guy with the yellow ...what the heck was it???? he should have left....no saving him.....the girls chicken beat that all over.....but really the girl with the dog on the cake and the haunted house one were good....the rest........terrible.....even I could do better........stupid show hahaha

what a weird show, none of the cakes last night looked up to professional standards to be on tv except greggy's & the dog one was passable- and they all own bakeries? really?
I wonder if the general viewing audience sees these cakes as we see them- disasters!- or do they think they're good? I just can't wrap my brain around this show...

Has anyone checked cakewrecks yet, to see if anyone posted one of those cakes there?

Theresa

I checked facebook and the comments were not flattering there either.

I'm wondering if they told brian to make a bad cake because there is nothing bad on his website. They are absolutely amazing!

http://www.crazycakes.com/gallery.html

yeah, something is not quite right here. I'm sure something must be faked but can't quite figure it out. I honestly think they told these bakers to make something shoddy

I tuned in late, so I missed the first half of the show. I too, found this show hard to watch. Does Mary bake cakes? I felt that she was rude and I didn't like the way Buddy talked to the woman who was eliminated. Then, when they put her in the back of the "NOT" truck- that was it for me.

I have a sense of humor and enjoy playful banter between contestants but this was juvenile, mean- spirited behavior and I don't feel that it's worth watching.

IMO-It's easy for these reality show celebrities to talk down to people and humiliate them. It takes skill and a true passion to inspire others. I know, it doesn't make good TV.

I don't watch many of the cake shows anymore. I would love to see a show that featured techniques and instruction. These shows seem to emphasize drama or go off on tangent story lines. Disappointing.

Here's what is bothering me -

It was supposed to be an amateur competition. I'm reading in this thread that, instead, the contestants are professionals.

Can you imagine what critiques like the ones I'm reading about here are going to do to their business?

I can see it in my mind's eye - some bride-to-be is watching the show, listening to what the judges have to say about the cake done by the same person she hired to do her wedding cake, and screaming over the phone to her mother -

"Oh, Shi_! I ordered my wedding cake there!"

Their businesses will plummet like last year's stock market.

For those who also missed it, here are the next airing times for the first episode (abstracted from the TLC website):

Dec 09, 6:00 pm

Dec 10, 7:00 pm

Dec 11, 2:00 am

Dec 12, 1:00 pm

Dec 13, 8:00 pm

Theresa

Kayte, I totally agree about Mary & also that truck send-off.. so cheesy!

Mary is rude. No question there. She has no tact or finess. These cakes were pathetic, with the exception of a couple. Fabulous cakes is fabulous, I loved that!!!!

I just couldn't believe how horrible it was. Buddy and the family are down right rude, and the truck send off...really? No way would I even allow that.

As for the cakes...VERY bad and in that amount of time, I was shocked with some of the cakes I have seen on the contestants website.

One thing I thought of after I watched a bit was that this kind of show is what makes people think they can do it and better than professionals. Sheesh.

I liked the show. Somebody shoot me.