The Big Family Cooking Showdown Season 2

The Big Family Cooking Showdown (TV Series 2017–2018) Poster

4 /10

Slow paced, high tension

The big family cooking showdown can't seem to decide what kind of a show it wants to be. Even a big change up between season 1 and 2 didn't do much to save it. The show is too slow, there needs to be a better elimination system, there could be half as many shows and accomplish the same thing. I found the second season family's to be quite rude with each other which I didn't care for. And the time limits need to be lengthened, most of the family's didn't produce complete dishes and they didn't look very appetizing.

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1 /10

So bad and fake

This program is very sad. Bad cooking, annoying contestants and fake critics. Is there anybody who enjoys this program apart from the contestants' families? Please don't do a second series.

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3 /10

Season 1 a bit of a let down

Warning: Spoilers

Not as entertaining as the Great British Baking Show because the contestants have too much to do and there are a lot of contestants so the race is on in every challenge. The judges and the "hosts" are good, and I was surprised to see Nadiya from GBBS there, though she did a great job. I was very disappointed in the winners of Season 1 because everything they cooked was in the style of their ethnic background. The other families demonstrated real skills with a much wider range of food styles and, even if some dishes fell a little short, IMO they deserved extra credit for reaching beyond tried & true recipes they grew up with and have probably cooked a hundred times. This takes the contest aspect out of it completely. Duh. I think to level the playing field, there should be quite a few challenges that are more specific, like make your best Italian lasagna, or Mexican chili, or American Barbeque, or Greek chicken, or Peking duck. I don't think the point of this show should be perfection, but rather who can consistently execute really good family food because they have an educated, adventurous palate and kitchen skills.

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7 /10

Different season 1 and season 2 but have their own shtick

Warning: Spoilers

S1 is more of a home-y, slow, calm (but with tension) vibe. It feels like an actual family showdown while S2 is the opposite, as it's more... mechanical? Less love for sure. More competition than anything.

I'm in favor more of S2 judges. I find their commentary actually helpful. They'd give out actual tips and advice on some even on how to better improve.. in S1 the judges as much as I do like them too.. 90% of what they said boils down to "This is delicious" "I am disappointed". All of them do describe some of the dishes, you know the generic lines of texture but S2 judges delivers them with more than just "this is crispy" which I really like.

As for the set-up, I find S2 have a more difficult set-up compared to S1, I like them either way but it does make it for a spicier viewing.

Somethings I can say I disliked is how S1 winner was chosen... I felt like they just won because of "spices". Their competitors showcased actual innovation and different knowledge in other cuisines but the winner just stuck to what they grew up with... which isn't wrong per se since this is a family cooking show but it rubs me the wrong way because it seems like another cuisine that has a lot of flavor but isn't "spiced up" will never win even though it is also good as itself because it's too simple. Then we got a somewhat repetition in S2 winner.. if there had been an S3 I'm pretty sure it'll just be the same cuisine winning again.

And also how S2 was edited... they repeated each family's "quirks" that it got annoying way too fast, I had to skip all the background stuff because there was nothing new for me to get to know the families.

Overall giving it a 7. It's a good cooking show to watch even if both seasons are vastly different.

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6 /10

Contestants' lack of skill or smarts is biggest problem

I liked the show format of Season 1 better than Season 2, but I liked the two hosts/judges better in Season 2 than the 2 hosts/2 judges in Season 1.

My biggest problem with this show is just the frequent stupidity of the contestants -- or their lack of skills. I'm sick of seeing contestants who decide to completely disregard the recipe when they are cooking something they have never made before, only to completely screw it up. (D'uh, what did you expect? That you, who had never made something before, could improve on the tried & true recipe that the judges gave you?!)

Also, sometimes the contestants would make something they had never made before in the part of the competition that they were supposed to have practiced ahead of time! Why come on the show if you can't even practice your dish before being on national television?

I am not a great cook or a great baker but I do all right. I have seen a lot of really basic mistakes that even I know better than to make, so why are some of these people on a national cooking competition?!!

(Note: I am a big fan of The Great British Baking Show, which has a great format, but also has a lot of really talented bakers. If this show was trying to create another winner like the GBBS, they really failed!)

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10 /10

Loved this show. Bring it back!!!!

I just happened upon this cooking show and I loved it! I REALLY enjoyed the hosts Tommy Banks and Angelica Bell. It was a different type of show and I loved It! Low key, supportive hosts, and interesting families with their ideas.

I'm so disappointed it was cancelled. PLEASE bring it back with these specific hosts.

Great new concept for a cooking show!

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8 /10

Cooking showdown during pandemic lockdown

I loved watching this UK series here in the States. And, like some of the negative reviews for the 2nd season...well...I understand some of the criticisms. However, I'm so glad that there were 2 seasons! Watching people interact and create and being together as (partial) families just really helped me get through my own extreme isolation many nights. I wish there were more seasons of this show. Cooking shows aren't my typical genre, but I've started to fall in love with them over the past couple of years...and now especially during this very stressful time. I'm explaining all of this, because, at the end of the day...there are worse things than a "so so" 2nd season. Yes, I preferred season 1. But, I very gladly kept going thru season 2. Keep an open mind, stay safe, and have fun watching families stress out over their gravies and sides, etc.!

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2 /10

Why are they on this show? Why should I care about the host?

This is just my first impression of the show. I've just started the season and I am so confused. What is the purpose of this? What are these people aiming to achieve! Who are these hosts?

I feel like I am missing a major chunk of the reason for me to stay invested. So, here is the problem that I've identified. The show is not well formatted for a latger audience.

I've watched a ton of these cooking reality shows and the purpose and the goal of the show is very clear. There is almost always an introduction to the judges, introduction the prize. This show lacks all of this. Which makes me wonder, why the hell are they competing and if these judges actually know what they are talking about.

Big blunder! Definitely did not translate well for a Netflix audience. I don't care enough to research about this, since the show definitely expects the audience to do the hard work.

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5 /10

Something to watch while you're in the kitchen

Don't get me wrong, it's an OK show to have in the background while you're carrying on with chores. It's engaging when families tell their stories, but utterly boredom when you hear the "taste experts" speaking. Often times they just tell you what it should be without actually giving any hints how to make it happen. And, please, groom Rosemary as it's not the look for the camera. Hosts seem like have no other purpose there but to narrate, distract the participants, and fullfil the show minutes with some awkward dialogues; neither of the ladies contributes to the culinary "atmosphere" (oh, look, Herbs family are a bit nervous! What d'you have in your fridge? What's your favorite take away? And so on), not clear why we need to have 2 hosts to begin with. When watching the show I was hoping to hear some valuable pieces of advice about cooking and baking, but alas. The creators did well trying to choose families of different backgrounds and ethnicities, yet sometimes it felt like East is competiting with England (I don't recall there were Irish or Scotland or Welsh families) and there's nothing in between.

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4 /10

Downhill...

I'm three episodes into the second season and I think I'm going to pass on the rest. I enjoyed watching the home cooks in the first season however these current ones seem to be in it more for a laugh then bringing real talent to the table. A let down!

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10 /10

Loved the Second Season

I watched the second season first and absolutely loved it. If you're looking for a fast paced, fun, creative cooking competition, this is the show for you. Thoroughly enjoyed watching various families vie for the first place win. Although I didn't agree with the outcome, it was fascinating watching the families cook up exotic and delicious looking food, many of which I was seeing for the first time.

The first season was unwatchable for me and I stopped after the first 20 minutes.

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4 /10

Second season not as good as the first

Liked the first season, but second season judge continued to put one family through though they did not do as well as other families. Definitely think Tom should go. He was not voting for what the families cooked but who he wanted to win.

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3 /10

Loved Season 1, Hated Season 2.

Whoever is responsible for changing the hosts/judges, should be fired together with Tommy Banks and Angellica Bell. This second season was a great let down. If there is a third season, revert back to almost everything in Season 1, especially Nadiya Hussain.

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4 /10

Bring back the first season format and hosts

I just finished watching the first season which I really liked. I started the 2nd season to find the entire format changed including hosts and location. It was so bad I couldn't finish watching the 2nd episode, the new hosts have no chemistry, the new location is horrible and the contestants (as far as I saw) were pretty corny plus the food didn't even look that great. The first season was SO MUCH BETTER!!

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7 /10

Quite enjoyable

Warning: Spoilers

If you're a fan of home cooking you're probably gonna love this, it's really nice seeing all these families cook together and creating all types of creative dishes. The downside for me is that they didn't care to edit the eating noises out when the judges are tasting the food (which I normally wouldn't complain about but it makes a lot of noise in this series) And the fact that they favoured a family that kept cooking the same type of dish over and over again, whilst others who actually came out of their comfort zone didn't get credit for doing so.

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6 /10

10 stars for season 1

Season one of this show is fantastic and really easy to get into. Great family dynamics and humor, the hosts are friendly and keep things moving, and it's really about the joy of families cooking together; just what everyone needs in this climate. In season 2 the whole dynamic changed. The hosts seem to mostly be there to make fun of the contestants behind their backs and it's much more geared towards, "drama". There's plenty of American cooking shows for that. I go to the British ones for a more relaxing, wholesome experience. I was really looking forward to season 2, but sadly don't think I'll make it through the first three episodes. Definitely worth watching for the first season though.

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7 /10

First season great, second session poor

The first season was charming with great hosts and judges, and had a lovely atmosphere. Second season with a change of hosts, judges, location and format lost all the charm of the first. 9/10 for first season, 5/10 for the second.

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4 /10

Semi-repulsive

I started watching The Big Family Cooking Showdown because Nadiya Hussain is one of the hosts. However, I have given up on it because: (1) the sound engineering is so amateur that it is sometimes impossible to hear the cast; (2) the camera operators are obsessed with making viewers watch the judges masticate, and the sound engineers emphasize every obnoxious sound; and (3) the format is vague and I got tired of watching families cook curries every episode The season one judges are billed as experts in their fields, yet their comments are not enlightening. Georgio spends more time fussing with his hair than he does contributing to the activities, and Rosemary gushes insincerely and endlessly. Nadiya deserves better. She is an admirable self-made woman.

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2 /10

Season 2 is a total disappointment

I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of this show. The presenters and judges were excellent and the structure of the show was exciting and different. I loved that one of the challenges took the families and judges to their own homes. The new season has a totally different format and it might as well now be "Chopped: Family Edition". I've only watched two episodes of the new season and I may not bother to finish the series.

I give the first season a solid 8 and the new season a 1. Netflix, you screwed this one up big time.

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3 /10

Safe and sound

It was very clear that the category's listed are not what was actually judged on. Contestants who pushed the envelope and their creativity were judged much harsher than those who made uninspired dishes. Also many of the contestants never cooked anything outside of their cultural niche. More so displaying they could cook what they have their entire lives rather than displaying their ability and versatility as cooks. Also in the first season Rosemary the lesser qualified of the two judges often seemed aloof and tried to dominate that aspect with her opinions. Overall this show is suitable as something to have on in the background, but it's pitfalls are to numerous to warrant it anything more than that.

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10 /10

Love the show

The show is amazing!!! The only disappointment is that one person (contestant) that doesn't really work well with their group (family). My belief is everyone should be able to share ideas without being chastised or treated like a underling.

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1 /10

Was a good show, now they've changed the format...

Warning: Spoilers

Sadly, Netflix has apparently decided that all of their cooking shows will follow one format. There will be two challenges the first day, and a third on the second day. There will be a mystery basket of ingredients at least once. There will be a technical challenge of some sort at least once.

It worked with baking, it worked with Master Chef, but it falls flat on this one. They needed, desperately, to stick with the original judges, commentators, and format. I was so looking forward to a second season of this one, but now that it's here, I wish they'd never released it.

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9 /10

Season 1 good Season 2 even better

Really enjoyed the first season and improved on a good thing with the second. The chefs and hosts for both seasons are good and all the families are easy to cheer for.

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6 /10

Loved the first season

Loved the first season but the second season was a big letdown. The whole atmosphere of the first one was quite enjoyable and comforting.

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1 /10

Home cooking should be eclectic

Warning: Spoilers

I feel the judges pushed through Ethnic cooking and favored one family over the others, very bias. The White's cake was awesome and they did not go to finals. Season One was more authentic.

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