Harry Potter is the magical gift that keeps on giving, be it fiction or otherwise. According to Variety, Warner Bros. is releasing a reality cooking show under the profitable banner. Titled Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, the new series will premiere just in time for the holidays. Christmas celebrations are a tradition in the Harry Potter books and films, making this a marriage that just makes sense. After airing on the Food Network, the show will be available to stream on the Warner Bros. affiliated platform, Max. The show promises to raise the envelope in the official synopsis.
“The competition kicks off with a super-sized episode in which nine teams of pastry chefs and cake artists are tasked to craft massive, spellbinding edible showpieces inspired by moments and themes from the Harry Potter saga.” Wizards of Baking will follow the format of shows of its kind by having contestants’ concoctions judged by panelists and experts in the field.
Harry Potter fans will likely be most interested in the return of Oliver and James Phelps to the stage as hosts of the show. The twins gained worldwide fame for portraying tricksters Fred and George Weasley in all eight films of the Harry Potter franchise. The resurgence of the actors will salve the wound of Fred dying egregiously in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. Some fans will never recover from that slight even a decade after the fact. Instead, they can watch a delightful new series prepared to satisfy the tastebuds.
‘Wizards of Baking’ Will Be a Fun-Filled ‘Harry Potter’ Fest
The Phelps twins will not be the only Harry Potter actors on deck. Wizards of Baking also invites a collection of Phelps’ costars as guest panelists. Warwick Davis, Bonnie Wright, and Evanna Lynch are all slated to appear in the new series, making this a reunion of sorts. Since her tenure in Harry Potter as the twins’ younger sister, Ginny Weasley, Wright has focused her attention on directing. For her part, Lynch has released a memoir about her life and times. All will be entertaining fodder under the umbrella of industry professionals.
Food Network hallmark Carla Hall will lead the judges along with Jozef Youssef. Hall is notable on the network for her baking, following her contribution to Top Chef. If there is someone qualified to wrangle these wizards into baking experts, it’s her. Opposed to other baking series, Wizards of Baking sticks to its Harry Potter inspiration by awarding the Wizards of Baking Cup and the potential to contribute to a Harry Potter cookbook. For all nostalgic fans, this reality show is a slam dunk – or a decent Quaffle throw. Viewers can catch the premiere of the show on the Food Network on November 14 at 8 pm EST before it hits streaming on Max.
Watch on Max