Catch up TV reviews: Bake Off: The Professionals, Britain’s Unsung Heroes
David Farnor | On 31, May 2020
What’s available on-demand on Freeview? Keep up-to-date with our weekly catch-up TV column, including reviews of shows on ITV Hub, new releases on All 4 and a guide to My5.
(For BBC TV reviews and round-ups, see our weekly Best of BBC iPlayer column. Or for reviews of the shows on All 4’s Walter Presents, click here.)
Bake Off: The Professionals (All 4)
Formerly known as Bake Off: Creme de la Creme, this spin-off series brings together professional pastry chefs to compete in a kitchen rather than a tent, each one aiming to top the others’ culinary creations. While that takes the national treasure that is Bake Off away from its more relatable roots, it’s an approach that guarantees a high rate of impressive morsels – without skimping on the drama and high stakes. Each season has been getting steadily tastier, partly because Liam (GBBO quarter-finalist from 2017) is a likeable, warm presence as co-presenter, and partly because comedian Tom Allen has warmed to his frontman role with an increasingly confident stride. He’s sarcastic, sophisticated and silly in equal measure, throwing in the odd naughty joke or self-deprecating remark without stealing the whole show. It’s a treat to see them both back together again, their chemistry now risen to the point where this spin-off rivals the main Bake Off – and, with miniature tarts and a pineapple upside-down cake on the cards, this new season promises to be particularly mouth-watering.
Available until: 27th August 2020 (Episode 1)
Britain’s Unsung Heroes (All 4)
This week saw the official end to the Thursday night claps for the NHS, over fears that it might become too political. So it’s fitting that it’s also the week that Channel 4 should air a new documentary highlighting the heroes helping the country to keep going away from the medical frontline. These range from bin workers and shopkeepers to a delivery driver who ferries coronavirus tests and equipment across the country. It’s an inspiring, feel-good watch, not least because it doesn’t shy away from the difficulties these people are experiencing, including a father who now sleeps in his garden shed to avoid potentially infecting his daughter who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy. The series is sponsored by TSB, but, unlike Channel 4’s recent documentary sponsored by Vodafone, this feels as essential as the workers being profiled – a reminder, when the urge to swarm to the beach arises, that there are people risking their lives so that everyone else can maintain some sense of normal civilisation.
Available until: 27th June 2020
