Why ‘The Great British Bake Off’ in the UK is Known as ‘The Great British Baking Show’ in the US

The rather forthright but utterly sincere Captain Disillusion explains why The Great British Bake Off series from the UK is known as The Great British Baking Show in the US. This odd difference in nomenclature has to do with a patent that the parent company of Pillsbury holds for the term “Bake-Off”.

With this patent in place, no one can use the term for profit. With the show currently airing in both the UK and the US, a number of steps have been taken to prevent the violations of said patent.

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 very simple when ABC aired The Great American Baking Show as there were no accommodations necessary – but it was canceled after three seasons due to some “staffing issues”.

Captain Disillusion then conducted a visual effects experiment to show how the winning cake stand is altered for US audiences through CGI.

Captain Disillusion investigates a case of trademark-based VFX shenanigans.