In the UK, everyone knows the series, The Great British Bake Off. However, in the US, it goes by a slightly different name: The Great British Baking Show.
It sounds a little off, but the difference in titles has never really been explained. At least, not until now.
Captain Disillusion filled us in on the oddity and surprisingly, it has to do with patent laws! Apparently, the parent company, Pillsbury, owns the pants on the term “Bake-Off.”
Given that they own the patent, no one else can use the term to make a profit. With the show airing in both the UK and the US, there have been steps taken in order to prevent a violation of the patent.
As explained, “The title had to be modified. And modified it was, in the graphics packages…In the editing…And even by having the hosts perform an alternate take of each episode’s opening sketch. …the name on the trophy… That part did have to change, too. In an amazing feat of visual due diligence, the show title etched on the glass cake stand presented to the winner in the final of each series is meticulously replaced in the early episodes for the US audiences.”
It was quite a simple change to make, and once made, ABC began airing The Great American Baking Show. Unfortunately, the show got canceled after three seasons because of “staffing issues.”
What do you think about the patent laws? Did you know that is why there was a difference in titles? Did you ever watch the American version of the show? Let us know!