I made the mistake of putting on Nailed It (now streaming on Netflix) in the hopes of being able to read with some background noise, but it was a giant fail. Instead, I wound up watching all six episodes in one sitting, with tears streaming down my face. It’s seriously the most fun and entertaining show I’ve ever watched. Period.
As a fan of cooking shows, I often have a sweet spot for dessert challenges (hurr). RIP to the cancelled Top Chef: Just Desserts competition. Nailed It takes popular Pinterest-style baking challenges and puts three very mediocre bakers to the test. These are not professionals.
The first challenge is called Baker’s Choice, where the bakers must recreate the same “base” but with different decorative components. In the first episode, the Baker’s Choice challenge featured cake pops. The second episode had donuts. The winner of this challenge gets a golden sequined hat to wear and a baking related prize. But the loser of the first challenge gets something too: extra help in the next round. The loser’s extra help could be in the form of distracting their other opponents or freezing time and forcing their opponents to stop working for three minutes. And all of the contestants get a panic button to hit when shit hits the fan and they need some help from one of the judges. The second and final round is often a complex, decorative cake, like Rapunzel’s tower or a bust of Donald Trump.
At the end of each round, the judges both compare the looks and taste of the contestants’ creations to the original goal (pirate themed donuts, a wedding cake with flowers, etc). The winner of the episode gets a cool ten thousand dollars.
Those are the basics and while it’s enjoyable to see baking fails, that’s not really why the show is so great to watch. It’s the cast.
The host of Nailed It is comedian Nicole Byer and she’s hilarious. I’ve loved her work on MTV’s Girl Code and the short-lived sketch show Party Over Here. She just exudes warmth and you can tell she’s having a fucking blast, and how is possible that she has chemistry with everyone? Her co-host and fellow judge is French pastry chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres. The way Torres and Byer play off one another is fantastic. There’s a scene where Jacques is explaining how to clean an airbrushing gun with vodka and he begins spraying the vodka in Byer’s mouth.
A woman after my own heart.
Each episode also has a guest judge. The first episode features the adorable cake master Sylvia Weinstock. She’s this teeny older woman with humongous glasses who is known for her gorgeous wedding cakes. While the contestants are baking, she sneaks off to the pantry to steal some licorice and a great quality pan.
The contestants don’t take themselves too seriously. They aren’t the best bakers and they know it. But despite the judges critiques, which are never malicious or harsh or rude, they give as good as they get. Cracking jokes and snapping back is routine and there’s at least one moment where a contestant breaks down in laughter.
I love reality TV, but most of the time, reality television shows focus on toxic relationships between friends, family, or romantic partners. Competition-style shows often have an element of drama or scandal. With Nailed It, nice to see everyone having a great time while totally fucking up. It’s like the Great British Bake Off, but with people who are terrible at baking.
My biggest complaint is that there are only six episodes, though I am hopeful there will be a second season; I’ve seen so many people talking about this show on Twitter.
My suggestion: cozy up on the couch or in bed with some cocoa or a glass of wine and come back in six hours. You won’t regret it.
I’m sold!
Sometimes it’s hard to tell what a show is actually about from the (ever shifting, ever adapting) Netflix thumbnails, but this one sounds well worth the drop-everything-for-awhile watchability and good cheer.
YES, Nailed It! I put this on for a Sunday afternoon after an all-night college reunion and it even managed to cheer up my hungover friends. We all actually did watch it sprawled on a bed in our PJs nursing cups of tea, which I second as a way of watching this show.
Also, maybe it’s that I don’t watch them, but I don’t think we Brits really go in for quite the same frenzied cooking shows as you guys. (I still remember the shocking experience of watching US Masterchef compared to the laid back British one where I actually periodically forget it’s a competition and not just an excuse for people to cook nice things for the hosts). And then Nailed It is like a lovely parody of that, where it’s still SO energetic but in a cheery way.
Oh, I adore Nailed It! My sons and I watched all episodes while killing ourselves laughing, and my boys show episodes to every friend who comes around. I sincerely hope they make more of it, because I could use more of this kind of whole-hearted laughter in my life.
This sounds delightful and will definitely check it out. Thanks.
This looks fun. It has been awhile since I’ve watched a cooking show, but do not have Netflix. I have fallen down the k drama rabbit hole and already have subscriptions to two apps, so don’t think I’m going to add Netflix.
Huh, I didn’t get past the first five minutes. Maybe I’ll have another look sometime, but I was definitely not into it…
I loved Nailed It! I’d been looking for another fun cooking show after finishing The Great British Bake Off and The Big Family Cooking Showdown on Netflix, and Nailed It was the perfect replacement (even though it’s so so short). I don’t usually laugh hard during shows, but I was howling during this one. I totally hope there’s more to come!
It’s been renewed for a second season, so there will be more eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
I don’t really think that all the contestants are terrible bakers (Some definitely are!)–and in fact, the baking is a minimal part of the challenge. There are cake mixes available. They get recipes. They don’t have to be good bakers–just minimally competent. It’s mostly a decorating challenge.
And I love that, because while I consider myself a really good baker, I’m a *terrible* decorator. Anything more than frosting a sheet cake, and I fail horribly. (I tend to make the frosting and then hand it over to someone else to decorate.) So I can definitely see myself in this challenge.
I watched this show late at night while staying with my toddler when he was in the hospital over the weekend, and it was the best medicine for this tired and stressed out mommy!
I find lots of things funny but rarely do I actually laugh so hard I’m in tears. I actually expected a lot more making fun of the contestants, but the warmth and genuine goodwill of the hosts and contestants made it so much better than that. My favorite contestant was a woman I’ll call “Paula Deen lite” who threw some real shade back at the judges.
Oh, that sounds perfect. Thank you!
Minor Claim to Fame- Sal from Episode 3 is one of my Dad’s friends. My kids get to meet him this summer and are super excited.
@Kara: After I edited this entry we watched a few this weekend – my whole family thought the show was such fun, and we loved Sal! That’s hilarious!
@Emily C: I hope your toddler is doing much better!
We started watching this over the weekend. It was hysterical! My other half loved it, since as he says, no one was ripping anyone down. So glad a second season is happening.
Oh, I had totally forgotten this was coming to Netflix! Thank you for the reminder and so glad to hear it’s good.
My nieces LOVED this. I turned it on for them mostly because I was getting sick of endless variations of animated princesses/mermaids/rock musician space alien magic users (yes really) which is their preferred genre. We ended up watching the whole series between other activities one day. Aside from the excellent attitude on the part of the contestants and judges, they liked it because even as beginning bakers they were able to see where things were going wrong.
In a similar vein, I recommend “Worst Cooks in America” which I think has some episodes on Hulu right now. The judges there (they work with a group of people over multiple episodes) tend more toward stern but affectionate coaches, but the contestants have a good attitude toward each other and the judges take genuine pleasure in their progress.
I’m with @Christine, this show did nothing for me, which came as a surprise. I don’t mind that the contestants don’t know anything, but (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) it all felt like such a waste of time. I will gladly re-watch GBBO, including the Master Classes. Maybe I’ll have to try again with Nailed It.
Six episodes sounds like a reasonable investment to make in harmless entertainment. I’ll try to get through Nailed It before I cancel Netflix at the end of the month. 🙂 It will make a nice break from gardening shows for DH!
We just started watching this over the weekend and loved it. It’s amazing how a show that’s focused on people failing to achieve the goal is so sweet, funny, and supportive. It’s delightful.
I LOVED this show. Sylvia Weinstock is my spirit animal.
I thought I would love this….but I did not. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood.
I came to the show much the same way! Just happened to be on the last leg of scanning the offerings on Netflix when I said “why not”! Nicole, the host is an absolute hoot! She is up on it in every situation with something funny to say. Jacques Torre, I was surprised was such a sweet and funny guy…and he has lots and lot of chocolate….zwing! I love that everyone knows they are going to fail but do it for the fun and chance of winning $10,000 for being good enough!
My 8 year old discovered Nailed It while browsing on Netflix one afternoon. I heard her hysterically laughing then entire time. She forced all of us to watch the show which resulted in the entire family laughing hysterically. I told my sister to watch it and she did. She called me while laughing to let me know how funny the show was. I hope there will be a season 2 as well!
I love this show. So much fun! Nicole Byer is such a hoot. I really liked the episode where the guest judge has a family emergency and has to go pick up his kids from school in the middle of the competition. He leaves and Nicole and Jacques are just like…well, I hope he gets back in time to judge things. And he does make it back. With coffees for his fellow judges.
I was like some of the others I watched the first episode and really did not feel it/get it. But my friends were raving about it and I was having a horrid time so I put it on while I could collapse on the sofa while my Toddler played and I ended up loving it. So maybe it was the mood or Episode 2 onwards is better?
@Christine @Darlynne. Give it one more episode! The guest judge was the star of episode 1 and I hated the rest of the episode.. they must have leashed up Nicole Byers for the first episode and she was able to be herself afterwards. In my head this whole season was filmed over 1 week and as the season goes on the judges get progressively nuttier and off the wall and I LOVE IT! I love how Jacques is a pro but is never stuffy, perfect combo with sassy Nicole.
My daughter came over and was hanging out and ‘didn’t have time for a movie’. So I put on episode 1 for us. Four hours later we were still laughing and had to stop. She was so mad I finished the last 2 without her. The try out video is out now for season 2.
What I most love about this show is that it managed to embrace its stupid and tacky without ever being mean. The judges critique shocked me every time by being respectful and useful.
Also, the button to help whoever went last on the first round. Not punishment, help.
But yes, it is for a particular mood. Like all realities.
(I blame Netflix for introducing m to Cheapest Weddings, Secret Shopper, Skin Wars, and oh so many others)
Thank you for blessing my life after a terrible day- I am on the third episode with a glass of wine, & this Monday night is getting LIT! #LouisanaGranny
@SBSarah- thank you! He’s doing great now, just needed some tlc (and O2) due to an an upper respiratory infection.
@Maite- You ‘nailed it’ (forgive me) that it embraces the tacky, silly and stupid without being mean or demeaning. And I love Skin Wars and Secret Shopper too!
@Emily C: I loved her cake post-mortem: “I think [redacted]’s princess is ugly as mine! If they were the only two in a beauty contest, I don’t think either one of ’em would win.”
@Laura: “In my head this whole season was filmed over 1 week and as the season goes on the judges get progressively nuttier and off the wall”
I think Nicole broke the fourth wall regarding that at the end of episode 2. As the credits started to roll, she said “Thank you for joining us on Nailed It! Tune in to the next episode, which is happening in a few seconds! Oh— I gotta change my clothes!”
Sounds charming! I’m saving this for a lazy summer holiday! I’ve just recently finished A chocolate thief by Laura Florand and a real French chocolatier sounds very-very-very interesting!
This show is hilarious. I watched the whole season on a day. Loved how much fun everyone seemed to have while on the show.