If We Controlled Your Remote… 12/1/16

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Jenny’s Choice

topchef2016smallIt took me a good handful of seasons to start watching Top Chef, but I haven’t missed any episode since, which means I’m excited that it’s back tonight for the start of season 14! This season starts off in Charleston, South Carolina, where eight new chefs join eight returning chefs to compete for the grand prize of $125,000 and the title of Top Chef. This season’s new chefs come from all over, from Portland, Oregon, to Florida and New York City. The returning chefs feature some big names, especially if you’re a fan of this show: Sam Talbot from Season 2; Casey Thompson from Season 3 & Season 8: All-Stars; Amanda Baumgarten from Season 7; Brooke Williamson, Sheldon Simeon, & John Tesar from Season 10; Shirley Chung from Season 11; & Katsuji Tanabe from Season 12.

My personal pick? I love Brooke, Shirley, & Katsuji, so…we’ll see how the newbies stack up against them! Also, I’m happy that Graham Elliot (former judge on MasterChef and competitor on Top Chef Masters) is joining Tom, Gail, and Padma, as well as all the great guest judges, Richard Blais, Michael Voltaggio, Hugh Acheson, & more.

On tonight’s episode, “Something Old, Something New,” the new chefs enter the kitchen first to cook as many dishes as possible in one hour using a whole chicken; the veterans square off to re-imagine shrimp and grits.

To see which chef gets taken out first, tune in to Bravo at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/DVRing The Big Bang Theory, Rosewood, The Great Indoors, Chopped, The Great American Baking Show, & Beat Bobby Flay.
 
Jump with us to see else we think you should watch.
 

Kyle’s Choice

grtambakingshow2016smallTonight, ten new amateur bakers from across the country head to the kitchen under the tent to compete to become The Great American Baking Show’s second Baking Champion. The series follows the same format of the UK’s The Great British Bake Off. In each episode, the bakers compete in three rounds. In the Signature Challenge, the chefs cook up one of their favorite tried-and-true recipes from home. The Technical Challenge is a blind taste test, where the cooks are given limited supplies and instructions and must bake a dish that puts their technical skills to the test. And for the Showstopper Challenge, the bakers are expected to produce a professional-looking masterpiece. At the end of the three rounds, the judges – pastry chefs Johnny Iuzzini and Mary Berry – send one of the bakers home. Hosts (& husband & wife) Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez and the judges talk with the contestants (and do a lot of taste-testing) throughout each episode as the bakers work on their dishes.

I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed this show until I sat down to watch the first half of tonight’s premiere. It’s great to see the creative dishes these amateur bakers come up with, and the interplay between the hosts, judges and contestants is always so much fun. I also enjoy how the series jumps right into the competition while also slowly metering out the backstories of the contestants, so we get to see them in action first and then learn a bit more about their home and work lives. All of these desserts looks so good. This is not a show you want to watch on an empty stomach!

On tonight’s 2-hour second season premiere, “Cake Week; Cookie Week,” the bakers must make bundt cakes inspired by winter flavors, recreate Mary Berry’s apple-almond cake, and construct multi-tiered holiday cakes. Then, the chefs make bar cookies, bake biscotti, and build 3-D iced-cookie scenes.

Let the bakers tempt your sweet tooth tonight on ABC at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Big Bang Theory, The Great Indoors, Life in Pieces, Pitch, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Top Chef.

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One Response to If We Controlled Your Remote… 12/1/16

  1. […] Tonight, ten new amateur bakers from across the country head to the kitchen under the tent to compete to become The Great American Baking Show’s second Baking Champion. The series follows the same format of the UK’s The Great British Bake Off. In each episode, the bakers compete in three rounds. In the Signature Challenge, the chefs cook up one of their favorite tried-and-true recipes from home. The Technical Challenge is a blind taste test, where the cooks are given limited supplies and instructions and must bake a dish that puts their technical skills to the test. And for the Showstopper Challenge, the bakers are expected to produce a professional-looking masterpiece. At the end of the three rounds, the judges—pastry chefs Johnny Iuzzini and Mary Berry—send one of the bakers home. Husband & wife hosts Ian Gomez and Nia Vardalos, and the judges talk with the contestants (and do a lot of taste-testing) throughout each episode as the bakers work on their dishes… […]