American Pie gets the weirdest spin-off yet - all thanks to Netflix

“That pie scene” in 1999's American Pie became a cultural touchstone, and it has resurfaced in a way you might assume is just a gag. But it's not.

Star of American pie Jason Biggs is co-hosting a Netflix baking show, the Blue Ribbon Baking Championship.

“Of course, there's the wink at the camera and the audience with me as a baking show host. And whenever I can't think of something to say, I always have a pie joke in my back pocket that brings the house down,” Biggs told USA Today.

The show landed on Netflix on August 9, and is a US-flavoured take on the Great British Bake Off formula.

It claims inspiration from annual state fairs, and their baking competitions. That's where the “blue ribbon" comes from, the insignia awarded to the winner.

There’s some very conspicuous Americana going on here. Take a look:

Biggs presents the show alongside TV chef Sandra Lee. It’s not his first job hosting a competitive TV show either, having starred in 2021's Jason Biggs' Cash at Your Door, although it looks like only two episdoes of that show were actually broadcast.

In Blue Ribbon Baking Championship, 10 star bakers compete against each other for the chance to win $100,000. Their works are judged by Bryan Ford and Bill Yosses, a previous White House pastry chef.

There are eight episodes in the first season, and you can consume the lot right now.

This isn’t the kind of show that will pick up loads of reviews from outlets, but the couple it has attracted are fairly positive.

“It’s a perfectly palatable baking competition, even though there is nothing new here,” says Reality Blurred.

There are, indeed, a whole stack of these competitive reality shows on Netflix.

The Feast of Legends came away with a similar take, calling it "a cozy, familiar take on the baking competition genre but struggles to stand out with its lack of originality and sometimes forced presentation.”

If you’re a sucker for this kind of show, it’s worth a look. Challenges in the series include desserts featuring bacon, ones inspired by textile patterns and reworking the classic chocolate chip cookie.

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