We miss Sue and Mel, and especially Mary, but we’re not going to quit watching. We both liked Sandy and Pru just fine. I was too sure about Noel at first, but my wife was okay with him. It won’t be the same, but it’s still miles ahead of the overblown manufactured drama of american cooking competitions.
Also, just a personal opinion, but the idea that anyone can ‘own’ a specific combination of common words seems to me to be utterly ridiculous.
I vastly preferred Mary Berry’s grandmother to Pru Leith’s schoolmarm. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen the episodes and I may be misremembering but didn’t the technical challenge go horribly for everyone whenever they used one of Pru’s recipes? Especially the stroopwafel one. I’m pretty leery of anything by Pru at this point.
I think in this season on U.S. Netflix there were at least two: Noel at the stroopwaffel factory and then Sandy at Cambridge for the history lesson in steamed puddings.
Overall, the group of contestants were some of the best ever and extremely likeable from top to bottom- even the first elimination guy was adorable in his dorkiness and living with his dad. Noel and Sandy are definitely more tightly bonding with the contestants as they both got emotional with the later boots.
With regard to Paul and the handshake (x3), I have always taken the handshake to mean that this is the best thing in the topic that Paul has tasted/seen previously. And I think that three handshakes was due to the subject matter. I’m sure that when he saw the topic he was “WTF? who thinks that this would be a good topic?” and all three of those blew his mind compared to anything he had tasted before. I don’t think they diluted the idea but rather encourage the contestants to keep experimenting and going further each year.
I can’t think of any off hand but the flavor combinations were crazy this year and Pru and Paul were surprised that they liked them- I think chilis got added a couple of times as well as the _____ bean.
Great show and this was probably my favorite series.
Tonka bean. Might be difficult to get hold of in the States.
Seems to be available on ETSY.
Not sure if it’s anywhere else, but it popped up quick on a google search.
That doesn’t mean it’s not illegal.
I’m fortunate to live in the Detroit area, and I’m watching it on the Windsor, Canada CBC station.
I do miss Mel and Mary and Sue, but it’s basically the same show, without that middle challenge where Paul or Mary gave vague directions and a set of ingredients. I forget what that segment was called. Now it’s just the technical challenge and then a signature bake. Two bakes instead of 3. I like it, because we see more of the actual process of these creations.
The Great Canadian Baking Show starts September 19th on CBC. I’m looking forward to that one!
That must be Canadian editing. The UK original still has 3 bakes - signature, technical and showstopper.
I binged Season 8 last weekend. Sandi is kinda meh, Prue is o.k. although she stated she doesn’t like sweet things so why is she a judge. I have a mini crush on Noel. I thought he would be a goon, but he is very gentle and kind. Paula Hollywood is handing out handshakes left and right.
I liked it fine. But I liked the original cast a lot better. Mary and Paul really clicked, as he played the bad boy and Mary the indulgent granny, both very well. Mary’s warmth and kindness really shone through. Pru is much more tart and business-like. Don’t like her as well. It felt as if Mary knew as much as Paul when it came to baking. Pru definitely not so much. And Noel and Sandi can’t hold a candle to Mel and Sue. Although I did warm up to Noel a bit. Sandi’s personality doesn’t shine at all for me. She is famous in Britain for reals?
Sandi Toksvig is great. She took over for Stephen Fry on QI and she has hosted other quiz shows as well. Very smart and quick-witted.
Yeah, she’s sort of an all-purpose celeb. She’s hosted quite a few tv and radio shows, done some comedy and drama shows, is a pretty regular guest on others, as well as being a newspaper columnist, political activist and writing a couple of books. She’s not someone who takes over, but is generally good at getting other people to open up, in a lighthearted, dry sense of humour sort of way.
Sort of your friendly Danish lesbian activist next door.
Who occasionally lives on a houseboat and has a fake accent.
Have you never seen Q.I.? Go and watch Q.I.
But be warned, in her earlier years, Sandi looked a lot like Stephen Fry 
Ha Ha.
She was also great as a panelist before she was QI Master.
Well, I watched the first few episodes, and while I like the contestants, I haven’t really felt the desire to watch more.
I think Pru is okay, although I haven’t seen enough of her to know how well she bakes, or how good her recipes are.
I feel like Noel is trying to hard. He’s kind, but just sort of over-the-top. And Sandi? Really, she’s good on other shows? I suppose I can believe that, but she seems completely miscast on this one. She doesn’t even like baked goods, she doesn’t seem to “click” with any of the contestants, I just don’t get what she’s doing here. I REALLY miss Mel and Sue.
The second season with the new cast is, I think, one of the best ever. The kindness is back and Noel and Sandy are far more comfortable. And Paul is back a bit to his normal judgey self- asking very leading questions during the baking only to be shot down by Prue, but still leaving the contestants questioning.
I tend to put this on on Friday or Saturday night while (whilst) I’m doing my own baking. I think Noel is a vast improvement over what’s-her-name. He seems to really connect with the contestants and be sincerely interested in what they’re doing. And he’s actually funny. I liked Mel but the lady who’s replaced her is ok. I liked Mary better than Pru but I can deal with Pru. Paul seems to maybe have gotten over himself a little. I listen more than I watch so I can’t comment much on the contestants. With the changes, I wish they’d have taken the opportunity to get rid of “Ready, set, bake!” (with “bake” being in a really lame, exaggerated voice). Just “Ready, set, bake!” in a normal tone would be better.
Update, now that I’ve watched more.
Whoever casts the contestants is great, and I continue to love the contestants.
I’m less and less enamoured of Pru. I feel like she is trying to trip up the contestants, rather than bring out their best. She’s not horrible, but she is a net negative to the show, imo.
Paul has stepped up his game. He is doing more of the “trying to draw out the best of the bakers” role, and is warmer and more supportive than he was when he was playing off Mary. It doesn’t make up for Pru, but it helps.
The recipes have gotten more weird, though.
Noel has gotten better as he’s gotten more comfortable with the show. I no longer feel like he’s trying too hard, and I find him funny and supportive of the contestants. He’s not as funny as Mel and Sue were at their best, but I really enjoy him.
I still don’t care for Sandi. She’s not a negative, I just feel like she doesn’t add anything. The little skits between her and Noel are meh, and she doesn’t seem to bond with any of the bakers. I watched some old episodes, and wow, Mel and Sue were just so perfect. 
I still enjoy it, and it’s a nice show to wind down at the end of a day of quarantine. I especially like the views of the grounds and the weather and the animals. It makes me feel almost normal. It’s not as good as it used to be, but it’s still worth watching.