Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking

I thoroughly enjoyed this first episode. I didn't find it chaotic at all. I understood why the teams were introduced as they were. Beautifully representative works and I loved hearing everyone stories about their love and connection to the films. So great having the "Weasley Twins" as the hosts and Carla and Jozef as the judges. I thought the humor was just right - not corny or excessive. It was also great to see how laser-focused everyone was but also how supportive they were of one another. The tickets to get onto the train were an exciting element, as well. Can't wait for the rest of this season!

Not bad, but the first episode seemed a little all over the place. I think they could have thought up a better format for the first episode, as it comes across quite disjointed.

Still, I'm hoping that as the season progresses, the strangely fragmented format will mend itself and become a bit more fluid.

I loved seeing all the Harry Potter-themed creations coming to life - some of them were really exceptional.

Oliver and James were a great choice for hosts, they slot into the vibe really well.

I'm going to stick with it as I've got a feeling that, now the introductions are out of the way, it will find its feet. We'll have to wait and see.

What a delightful watch! It was amazing to see so many Harry Potter references combined with outstanding talent. These contestants weren't just incredible bakers-they were engineers too! Most of the finished pieces featured magical moving elements, which made them even more impressive.

I loved that this wasn't your typical baking show. From the very beginning, it set itself apart, with some teams being paired at random and having to quickly learn to work together. Only the best earned a ticket to continue.

The tasting elements were so creative, and the judges' feedback always felt spot on. I was on the edge of my seat during the finale!

So so many negatives. Firstly, if you are expecting an equivalent of the GBBO, you will be sorely disappointed. This, it is not. It's way way stereotypically American (negative). The introduction of the guests, the pretending it's all true (I mean Harry Potter etc is real, but not the elements in the show...), the over the top excitement.... Ugh!

If you LOVE Harry Potter, you should love this. It's the only thing that saves it for me. But if you only like Harry Potter, i suspect this isn't for you. I laughed, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. But not for baking, not for the presentation (yes I love the Weasley twins, but not the actors as presenters), and not for the overall production. Just for the HP connection, :-)

The first episode was torture: introducing teams in a staggered, ridiculous fashion, judging based on I don't know what, special effects and "decor" painfully overdone (especially having contestants move locations to get judged, based on nothing).

I did NOT like it, but will give it one more chance and watch the second episode. I'll update this review afterwards. Right now, it's not looking good.

Have none of these producers/show runners ever seen GBBS or The Great Pottery Throwdown? Both those shows are to be emulated as they have winning formulas that engender loyalty and popularity.

But NOOOOO! Producers think we're too stupid, don't have attention spans that can focus (apparently we're all 3 year olds) and generally have no respect for anyone. The only thing that matters is the $$$ they're hoping for.

Update: I've watched 2 more episodes and I'm done. Rating can stay the same as it hasn't gotten worse, but it also hasn't gotten appreciably better.

The worst thing is the shallowness of the interactions between the hosts, judges and contestants. GBBS and The Great Pottery Throwdown have spoiled me. Too bad they can't all just relax and let their personalities come through. The Harry Potter theme is great, the food looks fine, the contestants skills are also fine, but that's not enough to hang a baking show on.

This is a FAIL for me.