The Twelve Reviews of Christmas...Day Two: "Extreme Christmas Trees"

It's Christmas...

To the Extreme!

The Story:

In 2011, The Learning Channel created a special showcasing some of the biggest, most elaborate Christmas trees around the globe.

They showcase the largest indoor tree in a private residence at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.

There's the 35 foot tall lobster trap tree in Maine.

An upside down 3 story tree inside of a 2 story house in England.

A 10 foot charity cake tree.

And many, many more!

No history of trees or anything noteworthy about Christmas.

It's simply straight up, one extreme tree after another.

It's available to stream instantly on Netflix if you are so inclined.  Apparently it should also be airing on TLC on the 21st of December if you'd like to go that route.

Some segments, and trees, are better than others.  That said, there is not a lot of time spent on any particular segment, so they'll all zip by fast enough to not bore you.

Hopefully.

:)

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  No reason to purchase it.  I might stream it again in a few years on Netflix, or watch it again on TLC.  I don't think it will go into annual rotation though.

Sometimes You Can Go A Little Too Far..."Extreme Cheapskates"

What would you do to save a buck?

The Story:

The Learning Channel (TLC) brings us tales of people who do anything...and everything... to save a buck.

If you're watching it to find some frugal tips to help out your budget...

This is not that show!

Seriously?

I watched over half of the first episode, getting irritated and disinterested in equal amounts by the second.

The first guy sets the tone...

Asking people at restaurants for their leftovers to take home and eat?

Giving anniversary presents out of the garbage can?

No. No. No.

While I won't say it gets "worse" from there, it certainly doesn't get any better.

The thing I also found most amusingly annoying...

::voiceover::

The average monthly savings of $6... annual savings of $100...

:: voiceover::

Really people?!

Just bite the bullet, and pay the price.

It's a small price to pay to restore your spot in the human race.


Now streaming instantly on Netflix if you'd care to indulge.

Unless you're too cheap to have Netflix!

;)

Final Grade: D

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No. No. Not going to happen!

Who Doesn't Like Cake? "Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker"

It's Go Time!   

The Story:

With the success of Cake Boss, TLC brings back Buddy Valastro and his team to host a reality competition to discover "The Next Great Baker".  A dozen bakers vie for the prize, as week by week another contestant is sent packing.  To the winner comes cash, prizes and a chance to work side by side learning from the man at Carlo's Baker.

Pretty good show.

It's not nearly as good as Cake Boss, but thankfully there is enough of Buddy and the Familia to go around to make the episodes lively.

For the most part, the challenges are pretty good and while sometimes the consequences are devastating to the contestants, Buddy is trying to make a point:

In the baking business, bad things happen.

You've got to be resilient and overcome those challenges if you want to be a success.

I couldn't be happier with the winner from Season 1, who deserved the win.

As for Season 2...

I've yet to find the contestant I'm most rooting for, and it's about halfway done.

The contestants are all much less likable than Season One, and the challenges seem much harder, and meaner.

I'm not sure if it was Buddy or TLC that wanted to spice things up this go round, but it just seems to have a rougher edge to it.

Plus, I can't believe how Buddy has not eliminated one contestant that deserved to go but got stays of execution on more than one occasion.  He's slipping I guess.

: )

This batch of contestants is also much whinier than the first season.

And this just in, the winner has been revealed... and Buddy got it wrong.

Tsk tsk.

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade:  B ~ Season One // B-/C+ ~ Season Two

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Again, if they stream it, I will watch.  No need to purchase. ;)

Delicious Weekend Part Two: "Cake Boss"

Who doesn't like cake?

The Story:

Welcome to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken New Jersey.  It's a bakery that is owned and run by Buddy Valastro, and his family, either by blood or by virtue of being employed there.  Aside from being a bakery that sells goodies by the tons, Buddy has developed a knack for being the go-to-guy for making big, elaborate cakes for events.

This is their story.

The Learning Channel brought Buddy to fame in 2009.

Naturally, I didn't catch onto the craze until last year when I stumbled upon Cake Boss streaming on Netflix.

Of course, this show is a perfect one for binge watching.

You'd think it would get old watching the crew make cakes, but 6 seasons (and counting) and I'm not there yet.

Balanced out throughout the episodes are the lives of his family, all of whom work in the bakery, and as Buddy is the only son and has 3 sisters, you can imagine that the ladies make his life miserable, just be virtue of being his sisters.

Thankfully, many of their husbands work at the bakery, so  Buddy's got some sympathetic ears in Joey and Mauro to help him keep the ladies at bay.

Many reality stars get under my skin as annoying fakes, but so far, at least to me, Buddy and his family seem genuine.  There hasn't been much that has changed, personality-wise, since the beginning of the show until now.  If anything, the crew has grown closer together.

The biggest change was Buddy's expansion of the bakery,  and it's been interesting to see him move to a larger space to provide their wares on a larger scale, but refusing to lose the personal touch.

That's the American dream, or at least that's how I see it, and it's always sweet to see how Buddy is doing this, all the while hoping his Pops would approve.

And yes, as you watch the show, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get just as aggravated with some of the characters as Buddy does.

But you keep watching, because you care.

You're now part of Buddy's family, at least in your own small way.

All seasons ready to stream, and with most running at 21 minutes, you can fly through these fairly easily.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: As long as they're streaming, I don't have to purchase. : )  Thanks Netflix!