Netherlands, Finland set for Bake Off

Dutch pubcaster Max and Finnish commercial station MTV3 are the latest broadcasters to sign up for local versions of BBC format Great Bake Off.

Max has picked up the format from BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) and intends to air an eight-episode local version on Channel 1 in the Netherlands from June, produced by Blue Circle.

Max has also acquired the original British version, The Great British Bake Off, which was produced by London-based indie Love Productions and aired on BBC2. The Dutch version will be called Heel Holland Bakt (The Whole of Holland is Baking).

In Finland, MTV3 has commissioned a 10-episode series to be produced by Nordisk Film TV Finland, and has also acquired the original UK series.

BBCWW has already licensed the format to 10 territories including M6 in France, Nine Network in Australia, DR in Denmark and TV3 in Norway. US network CBS previously commissioned its own version directly from Love Productions.

The third season final of The Great British Bake Off attracted 7.2 million viewers to BBC2 last year, the highest for an original production other than Top Gear for six years. It won the ‘best reality’ and ‘factual entertainment’ prize at the Rose D’or awards last year, and a Bafta in the features category.