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BBC Faces Viewer Disappointment after Losing ‘The Great British Bake Off’ to Channel 4 | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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London-British broadcasting channel BBC faces a wave of viewer contempt after one of its hit reality TV shows, “The Great British Bake Off”, was sold to Britain’s Channel 4.

BBC had launched the cook off series in 2010, after which was met with great success becoming a nationwide hit and winning many world-class awards. The cast to the reality hit show were made into international stars.

Channel 4 announced the move in a statement on Monday that said it had signed a deal with the show’s producers, Love Productions, and will begin broadcasting the show in 2017.

Both companies emphasized that Britons would still be able to watch the show without cost, but they will now have to contend with commercials. The BBC is publicly funded and does not have commercials, nor does the show’s American home, PBS, where it is shown under the name “The Great British Baking Show.” It is also available in the United States on Netflix. BBC justified the £25 million shift saying that financial resources are limited.

“The Great British Bake Off” follows a group of amateur bakers as they execute increasingly complex recipes and is noteworthy among reality shows because its contestants are uniformly pleasant and likable. It is devoid of both the interpersonal drama and the cash prize that are the hallmarks of American reality TV. There are no screaming fights, just spongecake.

What is more is that Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc will be stepping down as hosts of “The Great British Bake Off” when it moves to Channel 4. The two have presented the show since it launched in 2010, alongside judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

Despite the excuse of lacking funding, a wide controversy arose on whether BBC actually struggles to sustain the success of its hit shows—“Top Gear”, a fast-paced and stunt-filled internationally popular motor testing show, had its ratings drop after BBC’s board decided on switching up the shows front, Jeremy Clarkson with Chris Evans. To many viewers, Clarkson and his team was the “show” itself and not simply the cast.