EXCLUSIVE: CBS is bringing the Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic back to television with the help of Drew Barrymore.
Barrymore will host this year’s competition, which will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on November 23, marking the first time the program has been televised on a broadcast network since 2014, Deadline has confirmed. Set to air at 8 p.m. ET/PT, not only is the American tradition back on the airwaves, it is getting a spot in primetime.
The news was also revealed by Barrymore at the top of her titular talk show on Thursday morning. Watch the announcement above.
The special is being produced by is produced by Studio Large Eyes, Pantheon Media Group and Juma Entertainment in association with General Mills.
The Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic has been around since 1949, originally called the “Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest.” Over the years, it’s brought together talented contestants from across the country for five rounds of baking challenges that put their technical skills and imagination to the test. The group of home bakers will be challenged to put their signature twist on everything from cookies to Thanksgiving pies.
For more than five decades, CBS aired the special on daytime television before it transitioned periodically across cable and digital platforms. It has not had a consistent home since CBS had it from 1949 to 2002. Barrymore also joins a long list of television personalities to lend their hosting chops to the competition. Past hosts have included Bob Barker, Alex Trebek, Phylicia Rashad, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey.
This year, Christina Tosi and Dook Chase will serve as the celebrity chef judges to evaluate the competitors’ creations. The top baker from each round will earn a coveted spot in the ultimate “Best in Bake” finale, where finalists will be tasked with crafting edible wreaths. Whoever is crowned the champ will take home a $25,000 cash prize and a Kitchen Aid equipment package.
“Bringing the Pillsbury Bake-Off back to primetime television after more than 20 years is an exciting way to celebrate the creativity and joy home bakers have shared with us for generations,” Maria Carolina Comings, vice president and business unit director for Pillsbury at General Mills, said in a statement to Deadline. “We’re thrilled to kick off the holiday baking season on such a large stage and inspire both longtime fans and a new generation of viewers.”
Executive producers for this year’s Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic include Scott Weintrob for Studio Large Eyes, Jennifer O’Connell, Ariel Brozell, Eden Sutley and Martha Chaput for Pantheon, Robert Horowitz for Juma Entertainment and Brielle Cohen is showrunner. Lisa Balzo, Kenzie Caron and Eleanor Harkness serve as executive producers for General Mills.