document_title: Kensi Blye

question_text: in what episode do kensi and deeks get together

text: Kensi Blye

text: Casting[edit]

text: Kensi was originally named "Kensi Lo" and described as "a twenty-something Asian-American whose academic record in Forensics and Criminology got her recruited young by the Feds";[1] a change was necessitated when Portuguese actress Daniela Ruah was cast. Like G. Callen, Sam Hanna, Eric Beale and Nate Getz, Kensi was first introduced in the backdoor pilot "Legend" from NCIS.

text: Background[edit]

text: Personal background[edit]

text: Kensi Marie Blye was born in San Diego, California. She came from a U.S. Marine Corps family and still drives to Camp Pendleton every weekend. At some point her father was stationed at Camp Lejeune during her childhood. She is fluent in Portuguese, French, and Spanish, can lip-read and knows Morse code. In the episode "Borderline" she also stated that her father taught her how to "track, shoot, fix an engine, play poker, wire a house; basically anything you teach a son",[2] and that her father was her best friend. In that same scene she reveals that her "father didn't have any sons, just me" implying that she is an only child. She has admitted to having Chaetophobia (fear of hair), specifically fear of men's back hair.[3] She collects gel bracelets and is known to have at least seventy-two. She is also known to be a slob; her desk is frequently covered in clutter and her home is shown to be quite messy. Her untidy habits are a recurring joke throughout the series.

text: When she was fifteen years old and out seeing the movie Titanic with friends, a movie Kensi considers to be her favorite, her father was murdered. His body was so unrecognizable that he had to be identified through the use of dental records. It had been a cold case for many years, but in the episode "Blye, K Part 2" it was finally solved and Kensi was able to move on with her life at last.  It was subsequently revealed that after her father's murder, she spent almost a year living on the streets.

text: Professional background[edit]

text: Kensi joined the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in August 2003, according to her NCIS agent biography form from "Black Market" after having graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Politics and International Studies. According to the form, her first posting was the Washington DC Office, December 2006 to September 2007, then Tokyo 7th Fleet HQ from October 2007 to March 2008.  After that she was stationed at Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia from March 2008 to June 2009. She started at OSP in Los Angeles in June 2009.

text: In "The Only Easy Day", Kensi says that when she was the new girl, she had to climb through air ducts because she was the smallest, and also had to wear bikinis on assignment when needed. She's very talented with undercover work, and Callen and Sam have called her a "natural operator". She is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Japanese.

text: Storylines[edit]

text: Season 1[edit]

text: On-screen, her first partner was Agent Dom Vail. She was particularly upset when Dom went missing and she was seen afterwards washing dishes at his apartment. Kensi has been officially partnered with Marty Deeks since season two, although their first experience working together was in the season one episode "Fame".

text: Season 2[edit]

text: It is revealed in the season two episode "Disorder" that she was once engaged to a Marine named Jack, but that their relationship ended after his return from Iraq suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and his subsequent disappearance. Kensi tried to be there for him (stating that she helped with his medication, and even went to his psychiatric appointments), but all of her efforts weren't enough since Jack was too affected. It is said that he eventually left her without even telling her. She is even shown crying in the interrogation room to the suspect (proving that she obviously had a deep connection to him, and is still greatly affected by the loss). Although Deeks and Kensi have a somewhat antagonistic relationship at first, they have warmed up considerably over time, and she was visibly concerned when Deeks was shot in the episode "Personal". Kensi asks Hetty if she can stay with Deeks in the hospital rather than assist in the investigation of his shooting, as she didn't want to risk not seeing him alive again, as had happened with Vail. Deeks is also a flirter and he has demonstrated some interest in Kensi on a personal level. In the episode "The Job", while undercover, she had to flirt with a good-looking thief. Deeks showed jealousy, as noted by Callen and Sam.

text: Kensi is visibly annoyed sometimes when Deeks flirts with other women or when he attempts to use her as a wingman. During some episodes, though, Kensi appears slightly jealous when Deeks flirts with other women or when they come across someone he once had feelings for while undercover. Over time it becomes obvious that Kensi is developing feelings for Deeks, though she often hides them. Like Deeks, Kensi also has a comic book collection. In the season two episode "Plan B" Kensi earns the nickname Wikipedia for her encyclopedic knowledge. In the season two finale, Kensi resigns from NCIS along with Callen and Sam in order to follow Hetty's trail to Prague without Director Vance's authorization.[4]

text: Season 3[edit]

text: In the season three episode "Blye, K.", Kensi falls under investigation when Marines from her dead father's sniper unit end up dead in various car accidents. Kensi's father Donald Blye was part of a special operations unit named "Oscar-Sierra". She is taken into custody by Assistant Director Granger when it's revealed that she was the last person a few Marines contacted before their deaths, although her name is eventually cleared when it becomes apparent that the true killer is a former member of her father's sniper unit who faked his own death. In season four, Hetty tells Deeks that Kensi lived on the streets for about a year after her father's death. This event appears to have scarred her emotionally, although she has never gone into details as to the events that took place while on the streets. In "Blye, K., Part II", it is revealed that her mother (remarried as Julia Feldman) lives in Encino and they haven't spoken in 15 years. In the same episode, it is revealed that Kensi joined NCIS in 2006, nine years after the death of her father. She was 24 years old at the time. Granger accuses Kensi of joining NCIS to fulfill her own agenda, i.e. to investigate her father's death. Donald Blye died trying to protect an American journalist named Brad Stevens who was about to expose Peter Clairemont (chief of the Oscar-Sierra unit) who had killed a civilian while intoxicated. At the end of the episode, much to Kensi's surprise, it was revealed that her father and Granger were close associates.

text: Kensi also has an affinity for Dubstep and techno music.  Deeks mentions it early on in season three and she is found listening to it while undercover in episode 22 of season three, "Neighborhood Watch". Kensi also made a guest appearance in the Hawaii Five-0 episode "Ka Hakaka Maikaʻi" where she announced that she has Level 5 security clearance.

text: Season 4[edit]

text: In the episode "Parley", while Deeks is undercover with a woman named Monica, Kensi appears jealous of how close Monica is to him. While Kensi is preparing Monica for a meeting with an arms dealer, Monica asks whether being Deeks' partner is enough for her. Kensi seems uptight and tries to avoid answering the question. Monica then goes on to tell her that he can't be trusted; Kensi defends Deeks by saying "I trust him with everything". Later Kensi goes to talk to Deeks and he asks her if she's good. She replies by saying she's good and asks Deeks the same question. He replies by saying "I'm good if you're good". Though they both say everything is fine between them, they both seem to be lying and are obviously not fine.

text: Season 5[edit]

text: In the opening episode of season five, Kensi is both comforted and deeply affected by the fact that Deeks used her as a tether to withstand the torture he had endured.  While Deeks is recovering, Kensi states that she attempted to bring him his favorite doughnut/croissant (a.k.a. "Cronut").  She is clearly distraught by his lack of response, even to this gesture. After Nate is called to assess Deeks' mental status, it is Kensi who's finally able to give him the sleep he has thus far been unable to attain, when she goes to visit him at his house. In the episode "Recovery", it is implied that Kensi and Deeks have become intimate after he told her he wanted to be with her at his apartment and she stared at him before walking off, with him following right behind her. However, following their night together in the episode "Frozen Lake", things become awkward and full of tension when their entangled emotions begin to have an effect on their performance during field work. When Deeks doesn't take a most-needed shot, Kensi becomes agitated and tells Deeks she is standing on a "frozen lake" and that while she wants what they have more than anything else, it just won't work. Despite this, at the end of the episode, Kensi tells Deeks they'll find a way to work things out between them, admitting they have a "thing", before asking him to be patient with her as they talk things through. He agrees to that and they make plans to meet again that night. As Kensi waits for Deeks later on, though, Hetty tells her she's been reassigned to a new and classified mission and will have to leave until the job is finished, much to her disappointment. As she prepares to leave, she receives a text message from Deeks saying he is almost there. She appears genuinely upset and walks off.

text: In Afghanistan, she receives her mission - she is to kill an American man who lives under the alias "White Ghost". Over time, she discovers the "White Ghost" is a man named Jack Simon – the same Jack Simon who was her fiancé nine years previously. Jack Simon had PTSD returning from the war and left her on Christmas morning (season two "Disorder"). Because of her personal connection to him, she isn't able to kill him and she eventually gets captured. It is revealed that all of this was a plan crafted by Hetty to protect Jack from the CIA, because Jack is in fact innocent. When the team hears news of Kensi's capture they rush to her aid, only to find her pale, weak and having been very severely beaten. This is a direct parallel to what Deeks went through at the beginning of season five. Kensi prefers not to talk about it, although she does confide in Deeks and he embraces her when she says "It was really bad".

text: Season 6[edit]

text: In season six, she and Deeks agree to make their relationship official.

text: Season 7[edit]

text: In season seven, Kensi decides to move in with Deeks. At the end of the season Deeks proposes to Kensi.

text: Season 8[edit]

text: In season eight, Callen, Sam, Kensi and Deeks go to the desert to capture a terrorist and their plane gets shot down and in the wreckage Kensi gets stuck under the nose of the plane and goes into a coma. The aftermath of the injury results in a spinal cord injury with a very slim chance of recovery. After months of physical therapy she does return to work. In episode 14, Kensi is kidnapped by a man she met in physical therapy. In episode 15, she is taken to a house where the man threatens to cut off her leg but Deeks saves her. At the end of the season finale, Kensi asks Deeks to marry her and he says yes.


document_title: The Lord of the Rings

question_text: which comes first the hobbit or lord of the rings

root

text: The Lord of the Rings

text: Plot summary[edit]

text: Prologue[edit]

text: Thousands of years before the events of the novel, the Dark Lord Sauron had forged the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power and corrupt those who wore them: the leaders of Men, Elves and Dwarves. Sauron was defeated by an alliance of Elves and Men led by Gil-galad and Elendil, respectively. In the final battle, Isildur, son of Elendil, cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger, causing Sauron to lose his physical form. Isildur claimed the Ring as an heirloom for his line, but when he was later ambushed and killed by the Orcs, the Ring was lost in the River Anduin at Gladden Fields.

tag: p

text: Over two thousand years later, the Ring was found by one of the river-folk called Déagol. His friend[12] Sméagol fell under the Ring's influence and strangled Déagol to acquire it. Sméagol was banished and hid under the Misty Mountains. The Ring gave him long life and changed him over hundreds of years into a twisted, corrupted creature called Gollum. Gollum lost the Ring, his "precious", and as told in The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins found it. Meanwhile, Sauron assumed a new form and took back his old realm of Mordor. When Gollum set out in search of the Ring, he was captured and tortured by Sauron. Sauron learned from Gollum that "Baggins" of the Shire had taken the Ring. Gollum was set loose. Sauron, who needed the Ring to regain his full power, sent forth his powerful servants, the Nazgûl, to seize it.

text: The Fellowship of the Ring[edit]

text: The story begins in the Shire, where the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits the Ring from Bilbo Baggins, his cousin[note 3] and guardian. Neither hobbit is aware of the Ring's nature, but Gandalf the Grey, a wizard and an old friend of Bilbo, suspects it to be Sauron's Ring. Many years later, after Gandalf confirms his guess, he tells Frodo the history of the Ring and counsels him to take it away from the Shire. Frodo sets out, accompanied by his gardener and friend, Samwise ("Sam") Gamgee, and two cousins, Meriadoc Brandybuck, called Merry, and Peregrin Took, called Pippin. They are nearly caught by the Black Riders but shake off their pursuers by cutting through the Old Forest. There they are aided by Tom Bombadil, a strange and merry fellow who lives with his wife Goldberry in the forest.

text: The Hobbits reach the town of Bree, where they encounter a Ranger named Strider, whom Gandalf had mentioned in a letter. Strider persuades the hobbits to take him on as their guide and protector. Together, they leave Bree after another close escape from the Black Riders. On the hill of Weathertop, they are again attacked by the Black Riders, who wound Frodo with a cursed blade. Strider fights them off with fire and leads the hobbits towards the Elven refuge of Rivendell. Frodo falls deathly sick from the wound. The Black Riders nearly overtake Frodo at the Ford of Bruinen, but flood waters summoned by Elrond, master of Rivendell, rise up and overwhelm them.

text: Frodo recovers in Rivendell under Elrond's care. The Council of Elrond discusses the history of Sauron and the Ring. Strider is revealed to be Aragorn, Isildur's heir. Gandalf reports that Sauron has corrupted Saruman, chief of the wizards. The Council decides that the Ring must be destroyed, but that can only be done by sending it to the Fire of Mount Doom in Mordor, where it was forged. Frodo takes this task upon himself. Elrond, with the advice of Gandalf, chooses companions for him. The Company of the Ring are nine in number: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, and the Man Boromir, son of the Ruling Steward Denethor of the land of Gondor.

text: After a failed attempt to cross the Misty Mountains through the Redhorn Pass, the Company are forced to take a perilous path through the Mines of Moria. They are attacked by the Watcher in the Water before the doors of Moria. Inside Moria, they learn of the fate of Balin and his colony of Dwarves. After surviving an attack, they are pursued by Orcs and by an ancient demon called a Balrog. Gandalf faces the Balrog, and both of them fall into the abyss. The others escape and find refuge in the Elven forest of Lothlórien, where they are counselled by Galadriel and Celeborn.

text: With boats and gifts from Galadriel, the Company travel down the River Anduin to the hill of Amon Hen. There, Boromir tries to take the Ring from Frodo, but Frodo puts it on and disappears. After the Company scatters to search for Frodo, they are attacked by Orcs. Frodo chooses to go alone to Mordor, but Sam guesses what he intends and goes with him.

text: The Two Towers[edit]

text: Orcs sent by Saruman and Sauron kill Boromir and take Merry and Pippin. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas debate amongst themselves which pair of hobbits to follow. They decide to pursue the Orcs bearing Merry and Pippin to Saruman. In the kingdom of Rohan, the Orcs are slain by a company of the Rohirrim. Merry and Pippin escape into Fangorn Forest, where they are befriended by Treebeard, the oldest of the tree-like Ents. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas track the hobbits to Fangorn. There they unexpectedly meet Gandalf. Gandalf explains that he slew the Balrog; darkness took him, but he was sent back to Middle-earth to complete his mission. He is clothed in white and is now "Gandalf the White", for he has taken Saruman's place as the chief of the wizards. Gandalf assures his friends that Merry and Pippin are safe. Together they ride to Edoras, capital of Rohan. Gandalf frees Théoden, King of Rohan, from the influence of Saruman's spy Gríma Wormtongue. Théoden musters his fighting strength and rides with his men to the ancient fortress of Helm's Deep, while Gandalf departs to seek help from Treebeard.

text: Meanwhile, the Ents, roused by Merry and Pippin from their peaceful ways, attack Isengard, Saruman's stronghold, and trap the wizard in the tower of Orthanc. Gandalf convinces Treebeard to send an army of Huorns to Théoden's aid. Gandalf brings an army of Rohirrim to Helm's Deep, and they defeat the Orcs, who flee into the waiting shadow of the trees, never to be seen again. Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to turn away from evil. When Saruman refuses to listen, Gandalf strips him of his rank and most of his powers. Pippin picks up a palantír, a seeing-stone that Saruman used to speak with Sauron and through which Saruman was ensnared, and is seen by Sauron. Gandalf rides for Minas Tirith, chief city of Gondor, taking Pippin with him.

text: Frodo and Sam capture Gollum, who has followed them from Moria. They force him to guide them to Mordor. They find that the Black Gate of Mordor is too well guarded, so instead they travel to a secret way Gollum knows. On the way, they encounter Faramir, who, unlike his brother Boromir, resists the temptation to seize the Ring. Gollum — who is torn between his loyalty to Frodo and his desire for the Ring — betrays Frodo by leading him to the great spider Shelob in the tunnels of Cirith Ungol. Frodo falls to Shelob's sting. But with the help of Galadriel's gifts, Sam fights off the spider. Believing Frodo to be dead, Sam takes the Ring to continue the quest alone. Orcs find Frodo; Sam overhears them and learns that Frodo is still alive.

text: The Return of the King[edit]

text: Sauron sends a great army against Gondor. Gandalf arrives at Minas Tirith to warn Denethor of the attack, while Théoden musters the Rohirrim to ride to Gondor's aid. Minas Tirith is besieged. Denethor is deceived by Sauron and falls into despair. He burns himself alive on a pyre, nearly taking his son Faramir with him. Aragorn, accompanied by Legolas, Gimli and the Rangers of the North, takes the Paths of the Dead to recruit the Dead Men of Dunharrow, who are bound by a curse which denies them rest until they fulfill their long-ago forsworn oath to fight for the King of Gondor. Following Aragorn, the Army of the Dead strikes terror into the Corsairs of Umbar invading southern Gondor. Aragorn defeats the Corsairs and uses their ships to transport the men of southern Gondor up the Anduin, reaching Minas Tirith just in time to turn the tide of battle. Éowyn, Théoden's niece, slays the Lord of the Nazgûl with help from Merry. Together, Gondor and Rohan defeat Sauron's army in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, though at great cost. Théoden is slain, and Éowyn and Merry are injured.

text: Meanwhile, Sam rescues Frodo from the tower of Cirith Ungol. They set out across Mordor. Aragorn leads an army of men from Gondor and Rohan to march on the Black Gate to distract Sauron from his true danger. His army is vastly outnumbered by the great might of Sauron. Frodo and Sam reach the edge of the Cracks of Doom, but Frodo cannot resist the Ring any longer. He claims it for himself and puts it on his finger. Gollum suddenly reappears. He struggles with Frodo and bites off Frodo's finger with the Ring still on it. Celebrating wildly, Gollum loses his footing and falls into the Fire, taking the Ring with him. When the Ring is destroyed, Sauron loses his power forever. The Nazgûl perish, and his armies are thrown into such disarray that Aragorn's forces emerge victorious.

text: Aragorn is crowned Elessar, King of Arnor and Gondor, and weds Arwen, daughter of Elrond. The four hobbits make their way back to the Shire, only to find out that it has been taken over by men led by Sharkey. The hobbits raise a rebellion and liberate the Shire. Sharkey turns out to be Saruman. Frodo stops the hobbits from killing the wizard, but Gríma turns on him and kills him in front of Bag End, Frodo's home. He is slain in turn by hobbit archers, and the War of the Ring comes to its true end on Frodo's very doorstep.

text: Merry and Pippin are celebrated as heroes. Sam marries Rosie Cotton and uses his gifts from Galadriel to help heal the Shire. But Frodo is still wounded in body and spirit, having borne the Ring for so long. A few years later, in the company of Bilbo and Gandalf, Frodo sails from the Grey Havens west over the Sea to the Undying Lands to find peace.

text: In the appendices, Sam gives his daughter Elanor the Red Book of Westmarch, which contains the story of Bilbo's adventures and the War of the Ring as witnessed by the hobbits. Sam is then said to have crossed west over the Sea himself, the last of the Ring-bearers.

text: Main characters[edit]

text: Some characters in The Lord of the Rings are unequivocal protagonists, and others are absolute antagonists. However despite criticism that the book's characters "are all either black or white", some of the 'good' characters have darker sides that feature in the story, and likewise some of the villains have "good impulses".[13] Therefore the categorization of characters as either 'protagonists' or 'antagonists' below indicates their general role in the story.

text: Protagonists[edit]

text:
The Company of the Ring:

Frodo Baggins, bearer of the One Ring, given to him by Bilbo Baggins
Samwise Gamgee, gardener and friend of the Bagginses
Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry), Frodo's cousin and friend
Peregrin Took (Pippin or Pip), Frodo's cousin and friend
Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, leads the Fellowship until his fall in Moria, returns from death as Gandalf the White to lead the armies of the West against Sauron
Aragorn, descendant of Isildur and rightful heir to the thrones of Arnor and Gondor
Legolas Greenleaf, an Elf prince and son of King Thranduil of the Silvan Elves of Northern Mirkwood
Gimli, son of Glóin, a dwarf
Boromir, the eldest son and heir of Denethor

Denethor, ruling Steward of Gondor and Lord of Minas Tirith
Faramir, younger son of Denethor and brother of Boromir
Galadriel, Elf co-ruler of Lothlórien, and grandmother of Arwen
Celeborn, Elf co-ruler of Lothlórien, husband of Galadriel, and grandfather of Arwen
Elrond, Half-elven Lord of Rivendell and father of Arwen
Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond, love interest of Aragorn
Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's cousin[note 3]
Théoden, King of Rohan, ally of Gondor
Éomer, the 3rd Marshal of the Mark and Théoden's nephew. Later King of Rohan after Théoden's death.
Éowyn, sister of Éomer, who disguises herself as a male warrior named Dernhelm to fight beside Théoden
Treebeard, oldest of the Ents
Tom Bombadil, lives at the edge of the Old Forest near the barrow-downs, a mysterious character with great powers

tag: ul

text: Antagonists[edit]

text:
Sauron, the Dark Lord and titular Lord of the Rings, a fallen Maia who helped the Elves forge the Rings of Power in the Second Age.
The Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, men enslaved by Sauron when they accepted his treacherous gifts of Rings of Power

The Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl, and Sauron's most powerful servant, who commands Sauron's army

Saruman the White, a wizard who seeks the One Ring for himself. Originally the chief of the order of wizards of which Gandalf is also a member;[14] corrupted by Sauron through the palantír.
Gríma Wormtongue, a secret servant of Saruman and traitor to Rohan, who poisons Théoden's perceptions with well placed "advice"
Gollum, a river hobbit originally named Sméagol and a obsessive previous owner of the One Ring, planning to steal it back.
Shelob, a giant spider who dwells in the passes above Minas Morgul
Durin's Bane, a Balrog dwelling beneath the Mines of Moria

text: Concept and creation[edit]

text: Background[edit]

text: The Lord of the Rings started as a sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien's work The Hobbit, published in 1937.[15] The popularity of The Hobbit had led George Allen & Unwin, the publishers, to request a sequel. Tolkien warned them that he wrote quite slowly, and responded with several stories he had already developed. Having rejected his contemporary drafts for The Silmarillion, putting on hold Roverandom, and accepting Farmer Giles of Ham, Allen & Unwin thought more stories about hobbits would be popular.[16] So at the age of 45, Tolkien began writing the story that would become The Lord of the Rings. The story would not be finished until 12 years later, in 1949, and would not be fully published until 1955, when Tolkien was 63 years old.

text: Writing[edit]

text: Persuaded by his publishers, he started "a new Hobbit" in December 1937.[15] After several false starts, the story of the One Ring emerged. The idea for the first chapter ("A Long-Expected Party") arrived fully formed, although the reasons behind Bilbo's disappearance, the significance of the Ring, and the title The Lord of the Rings did not arrive until the spring of 1938.[15] Originally, he planned to write a story in which Bilbo had used up all his treasure and was looking for another adventure to gain more; however, he remembered the Ring and its powers and thought that would be a better focus for the new work.[15] As the story progressed, he also brought in elements from 'The Silmarillion' mythology.[17]

text: Writing was slow, because Tolkien had a full-time academic position, and needed to earn further money as a university examiner.[18] Tolkien abandoned The Lord of the Rings during most of 1943 and only restarted it in April 1944,[15] as a serial for his son Christopher Tolkien, who was sent chapters as they were written while he was serving in South Africa with the Royal Air Force. Tolkien made another concerted effort in 1946, and showed the manuscript to his publishers in 1947.[15] The story was effectively finished the next year, but Tolkien did not complete the revision of earlier parts of the work until 1949.[15] The original manuscripts, which total 9,250 pages, now reside in the J. R. R. Tolkien Collection at Marquette University.[19]

text: Influences[edit]

text: The influence of the Welsh language, which Tolkien had learned, is summarized in his essay English and Welsh: "If I may once more refer to my work. The Lord of the Rings, in evidence: the names of persons and places in this story were mainly composed on patterns deliberately modelled on those of Welsh (closely similar but not identical). This element in the tale has given perhaps more pleasure to more readers than anything else in it."[21]

text: The Lord of the Rings developed as a personal exploration by Tolkien of his interests in philology, religion (particularly Roman Catholicism[22]), fairy tales, Norse and general Germanic mythology,[23][24] and also Celtic,[25][better source needed] Slavic,[26][27][28] Persian,[29] Greek,[30] and Finnish mythology.[31] Tolkien acknowledged, and external critics have verified, the influences of George MacDonald and William Morris[32] and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf.[33] The question of a direct influence of Wagner's The Nibelung's Ring on Tolkien's work is debated by critics.

text: Tolkien included neither any explicit religion nor cult in his work. Rather the themes, moral philosophy, and cosmology of The Lord of the Rings reflect his Catholic worldview. In one of his letters Tolkien states, "The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion', to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism."[22]

text: Some locations and characters were inspired by Tolkien's childhood in Birmingham, where he first lived near Sarehole Mill, and later near Edgbaston Reservoir.[34] There are also hints of the Black Country, which is within easy reach of north west Edgbaston. This shows in such names as "Underhill", and the description of Saruman's industrialization of Isengard and The Shire. It has also been suggested that The Shire and its surroundings were based on the countryside around Stonyhurst College in Lancashire where Tolkien frequently stayed during the 1940s.[35] The work was influenced by the effects of his military service during World War I, to the point that Frodo has been "diagnosed" as suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or "shell-shock", which was first diagnosed under that name at the Battle of the Somme, at which Tolkien served.[36]

text: Publication history[edit]

text: A dispute with his publisher, George Allen & Unwin, led to the book being offered to Collins in 1950. Tolkien intended The Silmarillion (itself largely unrevised at this point) to be published along with The Lord of the Rings, but A&U were unwilling to do this. After Milton Waldman, his contact at Collins, expressed the belief that The Lord of the Rings itself "urgently wanted cutting", Tolkien eventually demanded that they publish the book in 1952.[37] Collins did not; and so Tolkien wrote to Allen and Unwin, saying, "I would gladly consider the publication of any part of the stuff", fearing his work would never see the light of day.[15]

text: For publication, the book was divided into three volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring (Books I and II), The Two Towers (Books III and IV), and The Return of the King (Books V and VI plus six appendices). This was due largely to post-war paper shortages, as well as being a way to keep down the price of the book. Delays in producing appendices, maps and especially an index led to the volumes being published later than originally hoped — on 29 July 1954, on 11 November 1954 and on 20 October 1955 respectively in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Houghton Mifflin published The Fellowship of the Ring on 21 October 1954, The Two Towers on 21 April 1955, and The Return of the King on 5 January 1956.[38] The Return of the King was especially delayed due to Tolkien revising the ending and preparing appendices (some of which had to be left out because of space constraints). Tolkien did not like the title The Return of the King, believing it gave away too much of the storyline, but deferred to his publisher's preference. He suggested the title The Two Towers in a deliberately ambiguous attempt to link the unconnected books III and IV, and as such the eponymous towers could be either Orthanc and Barad-dûr, or Minas Tirith and Barad-dûr, or Orthanc and Cirith Ungol.

text: Tolkien was initially opposed to titles being given to each two-book volume, preferring instead the use of book titles: e.g. The Lord of the Rings: Vol. 1, The Ring Sets Out and The Ring Goes South; Vol. 2, The Treason of Isengard and The Ring Goes East; Vol. 3, The War of the Ring and The End of the Third Age. However these individual book titles were later scrapped, and after pressure from his publishers, Tolkien initially suggested the titles: Vol. 1, The Shadow Grows; Vol. 2, The Ring in the Shadow; Vol. 3, The War of the Ring or The Return of the King.[39][40]

text: The books were published under a profit-sharing arrangement, whereby Tolkien would not receive an advance or royalties until the books had broken even, after which he would take a large share of the profits.[41] It has ultimately become one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.[1]

text: Editions and revisions[edit]

text: In the early 1960s Donald A. Wollheim, science fiction editor of the paperback publisher Ace Books, claimed that The Lord of the Rings was not protected in the United States under American copyright law because Houghton Mifflin, the US hardcover publisher, had neglected to copyright the work in the United States.[42][43] Then, in 1965, Ace Books proceeded to publish an edition, unauthorized by Tolkien and without paying royalties to him. Tolkien took issue with this and quickly notified his fans of this objection.[44] Grass-roots pressure from these fans became so great that Ace Books withdrew their edition and made a nominal payment to Tolkien.[45][46] Authorized editions followed from Ballantine Books and Houghton Mifflin to tremendous commercial success. Tolkien undertook various textual revisions to produce a version of the book that would be published with his consent and establish an unquestioned US copyright. This text became the Second Edition of The Lord of the Rings, published in 1965.[45] The first Ballantine paperback edition was printed in October that year, and sold a quarter of a million copies within ten months. On September 4 1966, the novel debuted on New York Times' Paperback Bestsellers list as number three, and was number one by December 4, a position it held for eight weeks.[47] Houghton Mifflin editions after 1994 consolidate variant revisions by Tolkien, and corrections supervised by Christopher Tolkien, which resulted, after some initial glitches, in a computer-based unified text.[48]

text: In 2004, for the 50th Anniversary Edition, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, under supervision from Christopher Tolkien, studied and revised the text to eliminate as many errors and inconsistencies as possible, some of which had been introduced by well-meaning compositors of the first printing in 1954, and never been corrected.[49] The 2005 edition of the book contained further corrections noticed by the editors and submitted by readers. Further corrections were added to the 60th Anniversay Edition in 2014.[50]

text: Several editions, notably the 50th Anniversary Edition, combine all three books into one volume, with the result that pagination varies widely over the various editions.

text: Posthumous publication of drafts[edit]

text: From 1988 to 1992 Christopher Tolkien published the surviving drafts of The Lord of The Rings, chronicling and illuminating with commentary the stages of the text's development, in volumes 6–9 of his History of Middle-earth series. The four volumes carry the titles The Return of the Shadow, The Treason of Isengard, The War of the Ring, and Sauron Defeated.

text: Translations[edit]

text: The novel has been translated, with various degrees of success, into at least 38 languages.[51] Tolkien, an expert in philology, examined many of these translations, and made comments on each that reflect both the translation process and his work. As he was unhappy with some choices made by early translators, such as the Swedish translation by Åke Ohlmarks,[52] Tolkien wrote a "Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings" (1967). Because The Lord of the Rings purports to be a translation of the fictitious Red Book of Westmarch, with the English language representing the Westron of the "original", Tolkien suggested that translators attempt to capture the interplay between English and the invented nomenclature of the English work, and gave several examples along with general guidance.

text: Reception[edit]

text: While early reviews for The Lord of the Rings were mixed, reviews in various media have been, on the whole, highly positive and acknowledge Tolkien's literary achievement as a significant one. The initial review in the Sunday Telegraph described it as "among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century".[53] The Sunday Times echoed this sentiment, stating that "the English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them".[53] The New York Herald Tribune also seemed to have an idea of how popular the books would become, writing in its review that they were "destined to outlast our time".[54] W. H. Auden, an admirer of Tolkien's writings, regarded The Lord of the Rings as a "masterpiece", further stating that in some cases it outdid the achievement of John Milton's Paradise Lost.[55]

text: New York Times reviewer Judith Shulevitz criticized the "pedantry" of Tolkien's literary style, saying that he "formulated a high-minded belief in the importance of his mission as a literary preservationist, which turns out to be death to literature itself".[56] Critic Richard Jenkyns, writing in The New Republic, criticized the work for a lack of psychological depth. Both the characters and the work itself are, according to Jenkyns, "anemic, and lacking in fibre".[57] Even within Tolkien's literary group, The Inklings, reviews were mixed. Hugo Dyson complained loudly at its readings.[58][59] However, another Inkling, C. S. Lewis, had very different feelings, writing, "here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron. Here is a book which will break your heart." Despite these reviews and its lack of paperback printing until the 1960s, The Lord of the Rings initially sold well in hardback.[6]

text: In 1957, The Lord of the Rings was awarded the International Fantasy Award. Despite its numerous detractors, the publication of the Ace Books and Ballantine paperbacks helped The Lord of the Rings become immensely popular in the United States in the 1960s. The book has remained so ever since, ranking as one of the most popular works of fiction of the twentieth century, judged by both sales and reader surveys.[60] In the 2003 "Big Read" survey conducted in Britain by the BBC, The Lord of the Rings was found to be the "Nation's best-loved book". In similar 2004 polls both Germany[61] and Australia[62] also found The Lord of the Rings to be their favourite book. In a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers, The Lord of the Rings was judged to be their favourite "book of the millennium".[63] The Lord of the Rings was awarded the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award in 2009.

text: Themes[edit]

text: Although The Lord of the Rings was published in the 1950s, Tolkien insisted that the One Ring was not an allegory for the atomic bomb,[64] nor were his works a strict allegory of any kind, but were open to interpretation as the reader saw fit.[65][66]

text: A few critics have found what they consider to be racial elements in the story, generally based upon their views of how Tolkien's imagery depicts good and evil, characters' race (e.g. Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, Southron, Númenórean, Orc); and that the character's race is seen as determining their behaviour.[67][68][69] Counter-arguments note that race-focused critiques often omit relevant textual evidence to the contrary,[70][71][72] cite imagery from adaptations rather than the work itself;[73] ignore the absence of evidence of racist attitudes or events in the author's personal life,[70][73][74] and claim that the perception of racism is itself a marginal view.[74]

text: Critics have also seen social class rather than race as being the determining factor in the portrayal of good and evil.[70] Commentators such as science fiction author David Brin have interpreted the work to hold unquestioning devotion to a traditional elitist social structure.[75] In his essay "Epic Pooh", science fiction and fantasy author Michael Moorcock critiques the world-view displayed by the book as deeply conservative, in both the 'paternalism' of the narrative voice and the power-structures in the narrative.[76] Tom Shippey cites the origin of this portrayal of evil as a reflection of the prejudices of European middle-classes during the inter-war years towards the industrial working class.[77]

text: Other observers have cited Christian and Catholic themes in The Lord of the Rings.[78]

text: The book has been read as fitting the model of Joseph Campbell's "monomyth".[79]

text: Adaptations[edit]

text: The Lord of the Rings has been adapted for film, radio and stage.

text: Radio[edit]

text: The book has been adapted for radio four times. In 1955 and 1956, the BBC broadcast The Lord of the Rings, a 12-part radio adaptation of the story. In the 1960s radio station WBAI produced a short radio adaptation. A 1979 dramatization of The Lord of the Rings was broadcast in the United States and subsequently issued on tape and CD. In 1981, the BBC broadcast The Lord of the Rings, a new dramatization in 26 half-hour instalments. This dramatization of The Lord of the Rings has subsequently been made available on both tape and CD both by the BBC and other publishers. For this purpose it is generally edited into 13 one-hour episodes.

text: Film[edit]

text: Following J. R. R. Tolkien's sale of the film rights for The Lord of the Rings to United Artists in 1969, rock band The Beatles considered a corresponding film project and approached Stanley Kubrick as a potential director; however, Kubrick turned down the offer, explaining to John Lennon that he thought the novel could not be adapted into a film due to its immensity.[80][81] The eventual director of the film adaptation Peter Jackson further explained that a major hindrance to the project's progression was Tolkien's opposition to the involvement of the Beatles.[82]

text: Two film adaptations of the book have been made. The first was J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1978), by animator Ralph Bakshi, the first part of what was originally intended to be a two-part adaptation of the story; it covers The Fellowship of the Ring and part of The Two Towers. A three-issue comic book version of the movie was also published in Europe (but not printed in English), with illustrations by Luis Bermejo. When Bakshi's investors shied away of financing the second film that would complete the story, the remainder of the story was covered in an animated television special by Rankin-Bass. Stylistically, the two segments are very different. The second and more commercially successful adaptation was Peter Jackson's live action The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, produced by New Line Cinema and released in three instalments as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). All three parts won multiple Academy Awards, including consecutive Best Picture nominations. The final instalment of this trilogy was the second film to break the one-billion-dollar barrier and won a total of 11 Oscars (something only two other films in history, Ben-Hur and Titanic, have accomplished), including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

text: The Hunt for Gollum, a fan film based on elements of the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, was released on the internet in May 2009 and has been covered in major media.[83]

text: Born of Hope, written by Paula DiSante, directed by Kate Madison, and released in December 2009, is a fan film based upon the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.[84]

text: Stage[edit]

text: In 1990, Recorded Books published an audio version of The Lord of the Rings,[85] with British actor Rob Inglis – who had previously starred in his own one-man stage productions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – reading. A large-scale musical theatre adaptation, The Lord of the Rings was first staged in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2006 and opened in London in May 2007.

text: Legacy[edit]

text: Influences on the fantasy genre[edit]

text: The enormous popularity of Tolkien's work expanded the demand for fantasy fiction. Largely thanks to The Lord of the Rings, the genre flowered throughout the 1960s, and enjoys popularity to the present day. The opus has spawned many imitators, such as The Sword of Shannara, which Lin Carter called "the single most cold-blooded, complete rip-off of another book that I have ever read".[86] Dungeons & Dragons, which popularized the role-playing game (RPG) genre in the 1970s, features many races found in The Lord of the Rings, most notably halflings (another term for hobbits), elves (who are distinct from dark elves, following Tolkien's example), dwarves, half-elves, orcs, and dragons. However, Gary Gygax, lead designer of the game, maintained that he was influenced very little by The Lord of the Rings, stating that he included these elements as a marketing move to draw on the popularity the work enjoyed at the time he was developing the game.[87]

text: Because D&D has gone on to influence many popular role-playing video games, the influence of The Lord of the Rings extends to many of them as well, with titles such as Dragon Quest,[88][89] the Ultima series, EverQuest, the Warcraft series, and the Elder Scrolls series of games[90] as well as video games set in Middle-earth itself.

text: Research also suggests that some consumers of fantasy games derive their motivation from trying to create an epic fantasy narrative which is influenced by The Lord of the Rings.[91]

text: Music[edit]

text: In 1965, songwriter Donald Swann, who was best known for his collaboration with Michael Flanders as Flanders & Swann, set six poems from The Lord of the Rings and one from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil ("Errantry") to music. When Swann met with Tolkien to play the songs for his approval, Tolkien suggested for "Namárië" (Galadriel's lament) a setting reminiscent of plain chant, which Swann accepted.[92] The songs were published in 1967 as The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle,[93] and a recording of the songs performed by singer William Elvin with Swann on piano was issued that same year by Caedmon Records as Poems and Songs of Middle Earth.[94]

text: In 1988, Dutch composer and trombonist Johan de Meij completed his Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings", which encompassed 5 movements, titled "Gandalf", "Lothlórien", "Gollum", "Journey in the Dark", and "Hobbits". In 1989 the symphony was awarded the Sudler Composition Award, awarded biennially for best wind band composition. The Danish Tolkien Ensemble have released a number of albums that feature the complete poems and songs of The Lord of the Rings set to music, with some featuring recitation by Christopher Lee.

text: Rock bands of the 1970s were musically and lyrically inspired by the fantasy embracing counter-culture of the time; British 70s rock band Led Zeppelin recorded several songs that contain explicit references to The Lord of the Rings ("Ramble On", "Misty Mountain Hop", "The Battle of Evermore", and "Over the Hills and Far Away"). In 1970, the Swedish musician Bo Hansson released an instrumental concept album based on the book titled Sagan om ringen (translated as "The Saga of the Ring", which was the title of the Swedish translation of The Lord of the Rings at the time).[95] The album was subsequently released internationally as Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings in 1972.[95] The songs "Rivendell" and "The Necromancer" by the progressive rock band Rush were inspired by Tolkien. Styx also paid homage to Tolkien on their "Pieces of Eight" album with the song "Lords of the Ring", while Black Sabbath's song, "The Wizard", which appeared on their debut album, was influenced by Tolkien's hero, Gandalf. The heavy metal band Cirith Ungol took their name from a mountain pass in Middle-earth. Progressive rock group Camel paid homage to the text in their lengthy composition "Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider", and Progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest was inspired by the character Galadriel to write a song by that name, and used "Bombadil", the name of another character, as a pseudonym under which their 1972 single "Breathless"/"When the City Sleeps" was released; there are other references scattered through the BJH oeuvre.

text: Later, from the 1980s to the present day, many heavy metal acts have been influenced by Tolkien. Blind Guardian has written many songs relating to Middle-earth, including the full concept album Nightfall in Middle Earth. Almost the entire discography of Battlelore are Tolkien-themed. Summoning's music is based upon Tolkien and holds the distinction of the being the only artist to have crafted a song entirely in the Black Speech of Mordor. Gorgoroth and Amon Amarth take their names from an area of Mordor, and Burzum take their name from the Black Speech of Mordor. The Finnish metal band Nightwish and the Norwegian metal band Tristania have also incorporated many Tolkien references into their music. American heavy metal band Megadeth released two song titled This Day We Fight! and How the Story Ends which were both inspired by the Lord of the Rings series.[96] German folk metal band Eichenschild is named for Thorin Oakenshield, and naturally has a number of Tolkien-themed songs. They are not to be confused with the 70s folk rock band Thorin Eichenschild.

text: Enya wrote an instrumental piece called "Lothlórien" in 1991, and composed two songs for the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring—"May It Be" (sung in English and Quenya) and "Aníron" (sung in Sindarin).

text: Impact on popular culture[edit]

text: The Lord of the Rings has had a profound and wide-ranging impact on popular culture, beginning with its publication in the 1950s, but especially throughout the 1960s and 1970s, during which time young people embraced it as a countercultural saga.[97] "Frodo Lives!" and "Gandalf for President" were two phrases popular amongst United States Tolkien fans during this time.[98]

text: Parodies like the Harvard Lampoon's Bored of the Rings, the VeggieTales episode "Lord of the Beans", the South Park episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers", the Futurama film "Bender's Game", The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius episode "Lights! Camera! Danger!", The Big Bang Theory episode "The Precious Fragmentation", and the American Dad! episode "The Return of the Bling" are testimony to the work's continual presence in popular culture.

text: In 1969, Tolkien sold the merchandising rights to The Lord of The Rings (and The Hobbit) to United Artists under an agreement stipulating a lump sum payment of £10,000[99] plus a 7.5% royalty after costs,[100] payable to Allen & Unwin and the author.[101] In 1976, three years after the author's death, United Artists sold the rights to Saul Zaentz Company, who now trade as Tolkien Enterprises. Since then all "authorized" merchandise has been signed-off by Tolkien Enterprises, although the intellectual property rights of the specific likenesses of characters and other imagery from various adaptations is generally held by the adaptors.[102] Outside any commercial exploitation from adaptations, from the late 1960s onwards there has been an increasing variety of original licensed merchandise, from posters and calendars created by illustrators such as Pauline Baynes and the Brothers Hildebrandt, to figurines and miniatures to computer, video, tabletop and role-playing games. Recent examples include the Spiel des Jahres award winning (for best use of literature in a game) board game The Lord of the Rings by Reiner Knizia and the Golden Joystick award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar by Turbine, Inc..

text: The Lord of the Rings has been mentioned in numerous songs including The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Leonard Nimoy, Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop, Over the Hills and Far Away, Ramble On, and The Battle of Evermore, Genesis' song "Stagnation" (from Trespass, 1970) was about Gollum, and Argent included the song "Lothlorien" on the 1971 album Ring of Hands.

text: Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter) of British rock band T. Rex took his name from the hobbit Peregrin Took (better known as Pippin). Took later recorded under the pseudonym 'Shagrat the Vagrant', before forming a band called Shagrat in 1970.


document_title: The Great British Bake Off

question_text: where is great british bake off filmed 2014

text: The Great British Bake Off

text: Background[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: The idea of the baking competition was conceived by producer Anna Beattie after she spoke to a friend who had seen 'bake-offs' in America.[5] Beattie was also inspired by village fete baking competitions; she said: "I loved that idea of village fetes and an old-fashioned baking competition with people who only wanted to bake a good cake."[6] However, Beattie failed to interest any channel in the idea for four years. In early 2009, they pitched the idea to Janice Hadlow, the then controller of BBC Two.[7] The pitch was successful, and Hadlow and the Commissioning Editor Charlotte Moore commissioned the programme,[8][9] which was then developed over the next six months. The development team first selected Mary Berry as a judge, and following an audition Paul Hollywood was also appointed. Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc were approached to be presenters of the show.[7]

text: Broadcast and personnel changes[edit]

text: On 17 August 2010, the first episode of The Great British Bake Off was shown on BBC Two.[10] It stayed on BBC Two for four years, grew in popularity and become the most popular programme on that channel. In its fifth series it was moved to BBC One where it stayed for three years. It was the most-watched programme on British television in 2015 and 2016.[11][12] Following extended negotiations, Love Productions announced that the seventh series of the show would be the last broadcast by the BBC. On 12 September 2016, Love agreed to a three-year deal to broadcast the show on Channel 4.[13][2] Giedroyc and Perkins subsequently announced that they would not be returning when the show moves to its new network.[14] On 22 September, Berry announced that she would also be leaving the show when it moved to Channel 4,[15] while Hollywood later announced he would stay.[16] In March 2017, it was announced that Prue Leith would join Hollywood as judge, while Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig would take over as presenters.[17]

text: Format[edit]

text: The programme operates on a weekly elimination process to find the best all-around baker from the contestants, who are all amateurs. The applicants to the show are assessed by a researcher, followed by an audition in London with two of their bakes. They then undergo a screen test and an interview with a producer. A second audition involves the applicants baking two recipes for the judges in front of the cameras.[5] Ten contestants were chosen for the first series, twelve for the following two series, thirteen for the fourth, and back to twelve from series five onwards.

text: In each episode, the amateur bakers are given three challenges: a signature bake, a technical challenge, and a show-stopper.[5] The three challenges take place over two days, and the filming takes up to 16 hours a day. The contestants are assessed by the judges who then choose a "Star Baker" for the week (introduced in series 2), and a contestant is also eliminated. In the final round, three bakers are left and a winner is chosen from the three.

text: In the first series, the location of the cast and crew moves from town to town each week, but starting from the second series, the competition is held in one location in a specially constructed marquee. Interspersed in the programme are the background of the contestants as well as video vignettes on the history of baking. What each baker intends to bake during a particular challenge is illustrated using animated graphics. These graphics have been created by illustrator Tom Hovey since the show's inception in 2010.[18][19]

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Series
Episodes
Premiere
Finale
Winner
Runners-up
Average UK viewers
(millions)[20][21]
Timeslot
Channel

1
6
17 August 2010
21 September 2010
Edd Kimber
Miranda Gore Browne
2.77
Tuesday
8:00 pm
BBC Two

Ruth Clemens

2
8
14 August 2011
4 October 2011
Joanne Wheatley
Holly Bell
4.00

Mary-Anne Boermans

3
10
14 August 2012
16 October 2012
John Whaite
Brendan Lynch
5.00

James Morton

4
10
20 August 2013
22 October 2013
Frances Quinn
Kimberley Wilson
7.35

Ruby Tandoh

5
10
6 August 2014
8 October 2014
Nancy Birtwhistle
Luis Troyano
10.04
Wednesday
8:00 pm
BBC One

Richard Burr

6
10
5 August 2015
7 October 2015
Nadiya Hussain
Ian Cumming
12.50

Tamal Ray

7
10
24 August 2016
26 October 2016
Candice Brown
Andrew Smyth
13.85

Jane Beedle

8
10
29 August 2017
31 October 2017
Sophie Faldo
Kate Lyon
9.29
Tuesday
8:00 pm
Channel 4

Steven Carter-Bailey

tag: table

text: Series 1 (2010)[edit]

text: Series 1 of The Great British Bake Off saw ten home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned the Great British Bake Off's best amateur baker. Each week the nationwide tour saw the bakers put through three challenges in a particular discipline. The rounds took place in various locations across the UK, with the final round being held at Fulham Palace, London.

text: The three finalists were Ruth Clemens, Miranda Gore Browne, and Edd Kimber. On 21 September 2010, Edd Kimber was crowned the best amateur baker.[22]

text: Series 2 (2011)[edit]

text: The number of amateur baker contestants increased to twelve for the second series. Unlike Series 1, this year The Great British Bake Off stayed in one location – Valentines Mansion, a 17th-century mansion house in Redbridge, London.

text: All the Series 2 finalists were female: Holly Bell, Mary-Anne Boermans, and the winning contestant Joanne Wheatley.[23]

text: Series 3 (2012)[edit]

text: A third series of The Great British Bake Off began on 14 August 2012.[24] The series was filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.

text: In contrast to Season 2, there was an all-male final. The finalists were Brendan Lynch, James Morton and John Whaite,[25] who won the final in a surprise result.[26]

text: Series 4 (2013)[edit]

text: The fourth series of The Great British Bake Off started on 20 August 2013 on BBC Two. The series was again filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.[27] The all-female final was won by Frances Quinn, with Ruby Tandoh and Kimberley Wilson as runners up.[28]

text: In the U.S., the fourth series was broadcast as season 2 on PBS.

text: Series 5 (2014)[edit]

text: The fifth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 6 August 2014 on BBC One. This series was filmed at Welford Park in Berkshire.[29] There were twelve bakers taking part. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges, whilst Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc continued to present the series. Richard Burr was awarded the largest number of star baker designations of any series so far, but was beaten by Nancy Birtwhistle in the final.

text: A spin-off show The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, hosted by comedian Jo Brand on BBC Two, was also launched as a companion series this year. Each episode was broadcast two days after the main show but later moved to the same night. The show includes interviews with eliminated contestants.[30]

text: In the U.S., the fifth series was broadcast as season 1 on PBS.

text: Series 6 (2015)[edit]

text: The sixth series began on 5 August 2015[31] on BBC One, again from Welford Park in Berkshire. Spin-off show The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice returned for a second series, with Jo Brand as host. This series was won by Nadiya Hussain, with Ian Cumming and Tamal Ray as runners up.[32]

text: In the U.S., the sixth series was broadcast as season 3 on PBS.

text: Series 7 (2016)[edit]

text: The seventh series began on 24 August 2016 on BBC One, once again from Welford Park in Berkshire, a later than usual start following the BBC's coverage of the Olympic Games.[33] This series was won by Candice Brown, with Jane Beedle and Andrew Smyth as runners up.

text: In the U.S., the seventh series was broadcast as season 4 on PBS.

text: Series 8 (2017)[edit]

text: The eighth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 29 August 2017.[34] This is the first series of The Great British Bake Off to be broadcast on Channel 4 following its move from the BBC.[35] The series features new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and new judge Prue Leith along with returning judge Paul Hollywood. This series was won by Sophie Faldo, with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey finishing as runners-up.

text: Incomplete bakes and other incidents[edit]

text: As of the sixth series, there have been four incomplete bakes.

text:
In Series 2, Robert Billington accidentally dropped his tiered showstopper while applying finishing touches to the cake. Both judges and presenters came to his aid to salvage the bottom tier of his cake. He was able to present the incomplete showstopper as a single-tiered cake.
In Series 3, John Whaite was unable to complete his bake after he suffered a severe cut to his finger on the food processor. He tried to continue working on his strudel wearing a rubber glove, but the bleeding required medical attention and he therefore had to abandon the last bake. As a result, no one was eliminated that week.[36]
In Series 4, contestant Deborah accidentally used Howard's custard instead of her own. As a result, Howard was forced to use Deborah's custard, and this was taken into account by the judges.[37]
In Series 5, during the Baked Alaska challenge, Iain Watters' ice cream melted for reasons that were not entirely clear, although the editing of the show suggested that it had been caused by another contestant's actions. He threw his ice cream into the bin in frustration and left the tent. He returned shortly after, and as he had no cake for judging (he produced his bin instead, and the incident was labelled "bingate"), he was eliminated from the competition. The event that led to his departure provoked some anger from the viewers.[38]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The early reviews for the first series were mixed. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian wondered if "competitive baking [is] a contradiction in terms" and found the proceedings humourless.[39] Iain Hollingshead of The Daily Telegraph was scathing, describing the presenters as "annoying", the judge Paul Hollywood as looking "sinister without being interesting", and that the audience would be so bored that they "could certainly forgive the cameraman if he were to commit hara-kiri in a giant pool of egg and flour."[40]

text: However, reviews from the later series were more positive. Andrew Collins of The Guardian called it "the nicest show on television" and judged it the best TV programme of 2012.[41][42] Rachel Ward of The Daily Telegraph thought the programme "had just the right consistency of mouth-watering morsels, good humour, and fascinating history",[43] while Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent considered the contest "perfectly baked".[44]

text: Bake Off was moved to Channel 4 in 2017, and reviews of the programme on the channel were largely positive, although a few felt that it did not compare well to the BBC version.[45][46][47] Mark Lawson of The Guardian described the programme on Channel 4 as "both exactly the same but also just subtly different enough", and that "only someone desperate to dislike the re-plated show could argued that [it] has soured, spoiled or binned its recipe".[48] Michael Hogan of The Telegraph thought that "Mary, Mel and Sue might be gone but the show's recipe remains as winning as ever. The four Cs – chemistry, camaraderie, comedy, cakes – were all present and correct."[49] Anna Leszkiewicz of the New Statesman however considered that while the format had been left largely unchanged and the contestants "irresistibly likeable", "every single change to the show has been for the worse".[46]

text: Cultural impact[edit]

text: The show has become a significant part of British culture and is credited with spurring an interest in home baking, with supermarkets and department stores in the UK reporting sharp rises in sales of baking ingredients and accessories.[50][51] It was also credited with reviving the Women's Institute, whose membership reached its highest level since the 1970s.[52] The show also boosted the sales of bakery books and the number of baking clubs, and independent bakeries also showed an increase. According to one analyst, more than three-fifths of adults have baked at home at least once in 2013 compared with only a third in 2011.[53]

text: TV ratings[edit]

text: The first series of The Great British Bake Off premiered in August 2010 with moderate ratings of just over 2 million viewers for its first episode.[54] This was enough to place it in BBC Two's top ten for that week, and over the series the audience grew to over three million, with the semi-final and final both achieving first place in BBC Two's weekly ratings. During the second series, the ratings gradually increased, and it became a surprise hit with nearly 4 million watching each episode.[55] Week two was the last time that the show was out-rated by another BBC Two programme in the same week (it came second to the drama Page Eight); from then until the show's move to BBC One, every competition episode would be the channel's number one rated programme of the week. By its final episode it had averaged 4.56 million viewers, peaking at 5.1 million in its last 15 minutes.[56]

text: The ratings continued to strengthen in the third series, and the show began to beat its competition in its timeslot.[57] The final of the series where John Whaite was crowned the winner saw its highest rating yet, with an average of 6.5 million viewers that peaked at 7.2 million, which made it the second highest-rated BBC Two-originated show after Top Gear since at least 2006.[58][59] The fourth series achieved some of the highest ratings seen on BBC Two. The viewer count for its premiere episode was more than two million higher than that of the previous series,[60] while the final episode was seen by 9.1 million viewers at its peak, more than twice the number of viewers on BBC One and ITV.[61] The final episode is the most-watched show on BBC Two since the present ratings system was introduced in 2002, beating the previous record set by Top Gear.[62] As a result of its high ratings, the show was moved to BBC One.[63]

text: After its move to BBC One, the opening episode was watched by over 7 million viewers according to overnight figures, beating the figure of 5.6 million for the opening episode of the previous year.[64] the Bingate controversy surrounding episode four helped the show gain its biggest ever audience of 10.3 million viewers, with 2 million people who watched it on BBC iPlayer.[65] The final of the show gained an overnight viewing figure of 12.29 million, then the highest viewing figure of the year for a non-sporting event on UK TV.[66] In the following year, the top ten ratings for 2015 was also dominated by The Great British Bake Off, with seven of the year's ten most-watched television programmes being episodes of the show, topped by the final episode with 15.05 million viewers.[67] In the last series on the BBC in 2016, nine of the top ten most-watched programmes of the year were episodes of the show, with 16.03 million viewers watching the finale.[68]

text: The first series broadcast by Channel 4 opened with average viewing figures of 5.8 million, rising to 6.5 million to include those watching on Channel 4+1, and 9.46 million for the 7-day rating.[69] Although the overnight figure was the lowest for an opening episode since 2013, it was Channel 4's biggest audience since the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics.[70] This series attracted an average audience of 9 million viewers on Channel 4.[71]

text: Controversies[edit]

text: Product placement sanction[edit]

text: In September 2012, production company Love Productions was sanctioned by the BBC for product placement of Smeg fridges. The issue came to light after a viewer wrote to the Radio Times complaining of "blatant product promotion". After an investigation, the BBC said Love Production's loan agreement with Smeg did not meet editorial guidelines and was being revised for the third series, and that appropriate retrospective hire payments would be made.[72] The BBC asked Smeg to remove a notice from its website promoting its association with the show, which it has since done.[73]

text: Favouritism[edit]

text: During the fourth series, there were accusations of favouritism towards female contestants after the last man Glenn Cosby was eliminated from the show;[74] however, similar claims were not made the previous year over the all-male final, or even the year before, when there was also an all-female quarter-final. The fourth series also suffered allegations of Paul Hollywood's favouritism towards Ruby Tandoh,[75][76] and personal attacks on Tandoh by various people including the chef Raymond Blanc.[77][78][79] Both Paul Hollywood and Ruby Tandoh denied the accusation.[80][81]

text: Baked Alaska controversy ("Bingate")[edit]

text: In the fourth episode of the fifth series, there was controversy around the elimination of contestant Iain Watters. During the final showstopper round contestants were tasked with producing a Baked Alaska. Iain's ice cream was shown as having not set and in a show of frustration he threw his bake in the bin. The editing of the show suggested that another contestant, Diana Beard, had caused the failure by removing the ice cream from a freezer, and the perceived "sabotage" resulted in a furore on social media networks.[82] However, unseen footage broadcast in the accompanying programme An Extra Slice shows Luis holding the large floor freezer that contained Iain's ice cream open as he piped the sides of his own baked Alaska, while Mel warns him to pipe quickly and close the freezer. Later in the episode, when Iain removes his ice cream to begin the next step of his dish, it is still quite soft, indicating it went into the freezer he shared with Diana without being completely frozen. Various members of the cast posted comments in support of Diana[83] and a BBC spokesman later issued a statement that "Diana removing Iain's ice cream from the freezer for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain's departure."[84]

text: More than 800 complaints were lodged with the BBC over the incident and some also complained to the communication watchdog Ofcom.[85]

text: Use of innuendo[edit]

text: A number of viewers complained to the BBC feedback show Points of View in the fifth series about the "constant smutty remarks" from the presenters Mel and Sue.[86][87] This series was seen as having more innuendos than previous ones; some reviewers noted the "extra pinch of saucy spice" and "the increasingly filthy-minded hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins",[88][89][90] while the Daily Mail argued that the "smutty" innuendos made the show no longer fit for family entertainment.[91] The series 3 winner John Whaite however argued that innuendo is part of what made the show a success,[92] whilst judge Paul Hollywood described the innuendos as banter in the spirit of the Carry On films and is a part of British culture,[93] a view shared by others.[94][95]

text: Clones, legal challenges and move to Channel 4[edit]

text: The success of The Great British Bake Off led to the BBC commissioning many other series closely following the format from Love Productions for example The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down. However the 2014 series Hair using the same format was produced in house by the BBC, Love Productions responded by making preparations to sue the BBC for infringing their copyright.[96][97] Although the matter was kept quiet, with the BBC settling out of court and compensating Love Productions,[96][97] the matter soured relations between the BBC and Love Productions.[97] In September 2016, it was announced that the BBC had lost the broadcast rights of the show to Channel 4.[98] Channel 4 offered £25 million for the show outbidding the £15 million offered by the BBC.[98] In January 2017 the BBC waived its rights to keep the program off the air until 2018, and wished the programme "well for the future".[99]

text: Accidental revealing of Series 8 winner[edit]

text: On 31 October 2017, judge Prue Leith accidentally revealed the winner of Series 8 on Twitter twelve hours before the finale was due to air. This caused uproar among many fans of the show. She quickly deleted the tweet and apologised to the fans who saw the tweet.[100]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: The Great British Bake Off was nominated for a Rose d'Or in the Lifestyle section of the 2012 competition and won.[101][102] The programme has been nominated a number of times in various categories for the BAFTA awards and won in 2012, 2013, and 2016.[103][104] It also won two 2015 National Television Award for Skills Challenge Show.[105]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient
Results
Ref.

2012
Rose d'Or
Lifestyle
The Great British Bake Off
Won
[106]

BAFTA TV Awards
Features
Anna Beattie, Andy Devonshire, Simon Evans, Richard McKerrow
Won
[107]

YouTube Audience Award
The Great British Bake Off
Nominated
[103]

2013
Features
Anna Beattie, Kieran Smith, Amanda Westwood, Scott Tankard
Won
[108]

Radio Times Audience Award
The Great British Bake Off
Nominated
[108]

National Television Award
Factual Entertainment
Nominated
[109]

2014
BAFTA TV Awards
Features
Anna Beattie, Amanda Westwood, Samantha Beddoes, Simon Evans
Nominated
[110]

National Television Award
Factual Entertainment
The Great British Bake Off
Nominated
[111]

2015
BAFTA TV Awards
Features
Anna Beattie, Samantha Beddoes, Andy Devonshire, Simon Evans
Nominated
[112]

Radio Times Audience Award
The Great British Bake Off
Nominated
[113]

National Television Award
Skills Challenge Show
Won
[114]

2016
National Television Award
Challenge Show
Won
[114]

BAFTA
Features
The Great British Bake Off production team
Won
[115]

Radio Times audience award
The Great British Bake Off
Nominated
[115]

2017
National Television Award
Challenge Show
The Great British Bake Off
Nominated
[116]

TV judge
Mary Berry
Won
[117]

BAFTA
Features
The Great British Bake Off production team
Nominated
[118]

text: International broadcast and versions[edit]

text: The UK version of The Great British Bake Off is broadcast in many countries and it has been sold to 196 territories as of 2015.[119] The format has also been sold to 20 territories by 2015, making it the third most successful BBC format after Dancing with the Stars (Strictly Come Dancing) and The Weakest Link.[120] Many of these shows have been successful.[121][122] The Junior Bake Off format has also been sold to Thailand.[123]

text: Beginning in 2014, the US broadcaster PBS has aired several series of the show under the name The Great British Baking Show.[124] The change of name was necessary due to the fact that "Bake-Off" is a registered trademark of Pillsbury in the United States. The fifth series was broadcast as Season 1 in Winter 2014–2015;[125] the fourth series was then broadcast as Season 2 in Fall 2015,[126] the sixth series was broadcast as Season 3 in Summer 2016, and the seventh series was broadcast as Season 4 in Summer 2017.

text: The CBC began broadcasting The Great British Bake Off in Canada in August 2016, starting with the sixth series and also with the Great British Baking Show title. The seventh series aired the year after.[127]

text: International versions[edit]

text: Current and upcoming versions include:[128]

text: Legend:      Airing or in production        No longer airing

text:
Country
Local title
Host(s)
Judges
Channel
Premiere

 Australia
The Great Australian Bake Off
Shane Jacobson
Anna Gare[129]
Dan Lepard
Kerry Vincent
Nine Network[130]
9 July 2013

Claire Hooper
Mel Buttle
Maggie Beer
Matt Moran[131]
LifeStyle Food
13 October 2015

 Belgium
De MeesterBakker
(The Master Baker)
Rani De Coninck
Sofie Dumont
Bernard Proot
vtm
4 April 2012

 Brazil
Bake Off Brasil
Carolina Fiorentino (2017–)
Ticiana Villas Boas (2015–16)
Fabrizio Fasano Jr.
Beca Milano (2017–)
Carolina Fiorentino (2015–16)
SBT
Discovery Home & Health
26 July 2015

Bake Off SBT
Carolina Florentino
Danilo Gentili
Ratinho
Fabrizio Fasano Jr.
Beca Milano
23 December 2017

Júnior Bake Off Brasil
Carolina Florentino
6 January 2018

 Bulgaria
Bake Off: Най-сладкото състезание
(Bake Off: The Sweetest Competition)
Aleksandra Raeva
Raffi Bohosyan
Julia Pandzherova
Yuri Baltaliyski
Nova TV
15 November 2016

 Canada
The Great Canadian Baking Show
Dan Levy
Julia Chan
Bruno Feldeisen
Rochelle Adonis
CBC
1 November 2017

 Denmark
Den store bagedyst
(The Great Baking Contest)
Timm Vladimir
Mette Blomsterberg
Jan Friis-Mikkelsen
DR1
28 August 2012[132]

 Estonia
Eesti parim pagar[133]
Kristjan Rabi (2015)
Indrek Vaheoja (2015)
Alari Kivisaar
Angeelika Kang
Ants Uustalu
TV3
31 August 2015

 Finland
Koko Suomi leipoo[134]
(The whole of Finland bakes)
Anne Kukkohovi
Mika Parviainen
Sami Granroth
MTV3[135]
24 September 2013

 France
Le Meilleur Pâtissier[136][137]
(The Best Baker)
Julia Vignali
Cyril Lignac
Jacqueline Mercorelli
M6[138]
RTL-TVI (Belgium)
26 November 2012

 Germany
Das große Backen
(The great Bake)
Britt Hagedorn (2013)
Meltem Kaptan (2013)
Enie van de Meiklokjes (2014–16)
Annika Lau (2017)
Christian Hümbs
Enie van de Meiklokjes (2013)
Andrea Schirmaier-Huber (2013–14)
Betty Schliephake-Burchardt (2015–17)
Sat.1
1 December 2013

 Ireland
The Great Irish Bake Off
Anna Nolan[139]
Biddy White Lennon
Paul Kelly[140]
TV3
19 September 2013

 Italy
Bake Off Italia – Dolci in forno[141]
(Bake Off Italy – Sweets in the oven)
Benedetta Parodi
Ernst Knam
Clelia d'Onofrio
Damiano Carrara
Real Time[142]
November 2013

 Israel
בייק אוף ישראל[143]
(Bake Off Israel)
Paula Rosenberg
Aya Kremerman
Ran Shmueli
Oded Brenner
Carine Goren
Channel 2
9 April 2016

 Netherlands
Heel Holland Bakt
(All of Holland bakes)
Martine Bijl[144]
(2013–15)
André van Duin
(2016–present)
Robèrt van Beckhoven
Janny van der Heijden
MAX (NPO 1)
5 June 2013[145]

 Norway
Hele Norge baker
(All of Norway Bakes)
Line Verndal
Pascal Dupuy
Øyvind Lofthus[146]
TV3[147]
10 March 2013[148]

 Poland
Bake Off – Ale Ciacho!
(Bake Off – What A Cake!)
Anna Gacek
Paulina Mikuła[149]
Krzysztof Ilnicki
Gosia Molska[150]
TVP2
5 September 2016[151]

 Portugal
Best Bakery – A Melhor Pastelaria de Portugal
(Best Bakery – The Best Pastry in Portugal)
Ana Guiomar
Luca Arguelles
Telmo Moutinho
SIC
3 October 2016

 Romania
Bake Off Romania[152]
Nicolle Stanese[153]
Alex Stan
Simona Pope
Tudor Constantinescu
Pro TV
29 February 2016[154]

 South Africa
The Great South African Bake Off[155]
Anne Hirsch
Lentswe Bhengu
Shirley Guy
Tjaart Walraven
BBC Lifestyle
8 October 2015

 Sweden
Hela Sverige bakar[156]
(All of Sweden Bakes)
Tilde de Paula
Johan Sörberg
Birgitta Rasmussen
TV4 (Sjuan)
20 September 2012

Hela kändis-Sverige bakar[157]
(Celebrity All of Sweden Bakes)
11 November 2014

 Turkey
Ver Fırına
Burcu Esmersoy
Arda Türkmen
Emel Başdoğan
TV8[158]
20 October 2014[159]

 Ukraine
Великий пекарський турнір
(Great Bakers Tournament)
Yuri Gorbunov[160]
Serge Markovic
Catherine Ahronik
Olga Ganushchak
1+1[161]
1 September 2013[162]

 United States
The American Baking Competition[163][164]
Jeff Foxworthy
Marcela Valladolid
Paul Hollywood
CBS[165]
29 May 2013[166]

 United States
The Great American Baking Show
Ayesha Curry
Anthony Adams
Johnny Iuzzini
Paul Hollywood[167]
ABC
30 November 2015 (as The Great Holiday Baking Show)[168][169][170][171]

text: The Great Sport Relief Bake Off[edit]

text:
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off

Genre

Cooking
Baking

Presented by

Mel Giedroyc
Jennifer Saunders (2016)
Ed Byrne (2014, 2016)
Sarah Millican (2016)
Sue Perkins (2014)
Jo Brand (2014)
Omid Djalili (2014)

Judges

Mary Berry
Paul Hollywood

Country of origin
United Kingdom

Original language(s)
English

No. of series
3

No. of episodes
12

Production

Running time
60 minutes

Production company(s)
Love Productions

Release

Original network
BBC Two (2012–2013)
BBC One (2014–2016)

Picture format
16:9

Original release
10 January 2012 (2012-01-10) – 23 February 2016 (2016-02-23)

text: Episode viewing figures from BARB.[172]

text: Series 1 (2012)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)

1
Traybake
Wholemeal Cheese Scones
Meringue Dessert
Angela Griffin
10 January 2012 (2012-01-10)
3.52

James Wong

Joe Swift

Sarah Hadland

2
Savoury Flan
Banana & Chocolate Chip Loaves
Layered Cake
Arlene Phillips
11 January 2012 (2012-01-11)
2.79

Fi Glover

Gus Casely-Hayford

Saira Khan

3
Classic Crumble
Coffee & Walnut Cake
24 Miniature Tarts
Alex Deakin
12 January 2012 (2012-01-12)
2.56

Alex Langlands

Anita Rani

Pearl Lowe

4
Trio of Baked Biscuits
6 Sausage Rolls
Covered Tiered Occasion Cake
Angela Griffin
13 January 2012 (2012-01-13)
3.43

Anita Rani

Fi Glover

text: Series 2 (2014)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Guest host
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)

1
Sue Perkins
12 Sandwich Biscuits
Tarte Tatin
3D Novelty Cake
Bonnie Wright
13 January 2014 (2014-01-13)
4.37

Johnny Vaughan

Michael Vaughan

Samantha Bond

2
Jo Brand
12 Gingerbread Biscuits
Banoffee Pie
Chocolate Cake
Greg Rutherford
14 January 2014 (2014-01-14)
5.07

Jane Horrocks

Jason Gardiner

Kirsty Young

3
Omid Djalili
Traybake
Iced Ring Dougnuts
Layered Cakes
Emma Freud
15 January 2014 (2014-01-15)
5.02

Jamelia[173]

Michael Ball

Victoria Pendleton

4
Ed Byrne
Pizzas
Eccles Cakes
Tiered Cakes
Alistair McGowan
16 January 2014 (2014-01-16)
4.94

Doon Mackichan

Helen Skelton

Rochelle Humes

text: Series 3 (2016)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Guest host
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)

1
Mel Giedroyc
Canapés
Paris–Brest
Trophy Cake
David James
27 January 2016 (2016-01-27)
6.03

Jason Manford

Maddy Hill

Samantha Cameron

2
Jennifer Saunders
American Muffins
Football Pie
Tiered Cake
Chris Kamara
3 February 2016 (2016-02-03)
7.44

Ed Balls

Kimberley Walsh

Victoria Coren Mitchell

3
Ed Byrne
Savoury tarts
Chocolate and Beetroot Tray Bake
3D Biscuits
Geri Horner
17 February 2016 (2016-02-17)
7.12

Jermaine Jenas

John Simpson

Louise Redknapp

4
Sarah Millican
Open-top Pie
Salmon Roulade
Cupcakes
Ade Edmondson
24 February 2016 (2016-02-24)
6.74

Alison Steadman

Morgana Robinson

Will Young

text: The Great Comic Relief Bake Off[edit]

text:
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off

Genre

Cooking
Baking

Presented by

Mel Giedroyc (2013, 2015)
Sue Perkins (2015)
Jo Brand (2015)
Ed Byrne (2015)

Judges

Mary Berry
Paul Hollywood

Country of origin
United Kingdom

Original language(s)
English

No. of series
2

No. of episodes
8

Production

Running time
60 minutes

Production company(s)
Love Productions

Release

Original network
BBC Two (2013)
BBC One (2015)

Picture format
16:9

Original release
21 January 2013 (2013-01-21) – 4 March 2015 (2015-03-04)

text: Series 1 (2013)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)

1
Shortbread
Custard Slices
Portrait Cake
Jo Brand
21 January 2013 (2013-01-21)
4.17

Stephen K. Amos

Lorna Watson

Ingrid Oliver

2
Iced Biscuits
Bakewell Tart
Gateaux
Warwick Davis
22 January 2013 (2013-01-22)
4.44

Duncan Bannatyne

Simon Reeve

Andy Akinwolere

3
Scones
Chocolate Eclairs
Novelty Cake
Ellie Simmonds
23 January 2013 (2013-01-23)
4.34

Kirsty Wark

Julia Bradbury

Bob Mortimer

4
Chocolate Biscuits
Lemon Meringue Pie
Comic Relief Birthday Cake
Claudia Winkleman
24 January 2013 (2013-01-24)
4.39

Ed Byrne

Martha Kearney

Helen Glover

text: Series 2 (2015)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Guest host
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)

1
Sue Perkins
Giant Cookie or Biscuit
12 Mini Fruit Tarts
Tiered Chocolate Cake
Dame Edna Everage
11 February 2015 (2015-02-11)
7.75

Joanna Lumley

Jennifer Saunders

Lulu

2
Mel Giedroyc
24 cupcakes
20 profiteroles
Marble "Building" Cake
Jonathan Ross
18 February 2015 (2015-02-18)
8.39

Zoe Sugg

Gok Wan

Abbey Clancy

3
Jo Brand
24 Shortbread
6 Mini Pork Pies
Triple-tiered Pavlova
Sarah Brown
25 February 2015 (2015-02-25)
7.92

David Mitchell

Michael Sheen

Jameela Jamil

4
Ed Byrne
Tray Bake
12 Crumpets
Vegetable Self Portrait Cake
Alexa Chung
4 March 2015 (2015-03-04)
8.21

Victoria Wood

Chris Moyles

Kayvan Novak

text: The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off[edit]

text:
The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off

Genre

Cooking
Baking

Presented by

Sandi Toksvig
Noel Fielding

Judges

Prue Leith
Paul Hollywood

Country of origin
United Kingdom

Original language(s)
English

No. of series
1

No. of episodes
5

Production company(s)
Love Productions

Release

Original network
Channel 4

Picture format
16:9

Original release
6 March 2018 – present

text: Series 1 (2018)[edit]

text:
Episode No.
Signature Challenge
Technical Challenge
Showstopper Challenge
Contestants
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)

1

Harry Hill
6 March 2018

Martin Kemp

Roisin Conaty

Bill Turnbull


document_title: Senior airman

question_text: how long after a1c do i put on sra

question_tokens: how long after a1c do i put on sra

text: Senior airman

text: This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Senior Airman (SrA) is the fourth enlisted rank in the United States Air Force, just above Airman First Class and below Staff Sergeant. It has a pay grade of E-4. Between its approval on 30 December 1975 (with implementation 1 June 1976) and 19 March 1991, Senior Airmen wore sleeve chevrons with blue center stars instead of silver to distinguish them from the non-commissioned officer rank of "Sergeant", also a pay grade of E-4. The latter was abolished in 1991 and the blue center star was changed to white to conform to all enlisted rank chevrons.

text: The Air Force promotes an Airman First Class (A1C) to Senior Airman after 36 months time in service (TIS) and 20 months time in grade (TIG), or 28 months TIG, whichever occurs first. Outstanding Airmen First Class, limited to no more than 15 percent of the total, may be promoted to Senior Airmen six months early, in a competitive process called Below-the-Zone, which normally involves going before a competitive board. Senior Airmen are expected to be technically proficient and begin to develop leadership skills, and may be expected to supervise an Airman of lesser rank.

text: Senior Airmen must attend the six-week Airman Leadership School, the first course of the Air Force's college of enlisted professional military education, before being promoted to staff sergeant. SrA with no projected promotion and between three and six years TIS, may attend Airman Leadership School.

text: History[edit]

text: Formerly, from 1976 to 1991, this grade was divided into ranks with separate titles: sergeant (referred to unofficially but almost universally within the USAF as "Buck Sergeant" or simply "Buck"), a non-commissioned officer; and Senior Airman, which is the equivalent of Specialist, a non-supervisory rank. Senior Airmen were promoted to Sergeant after 12 months' time in grade and completion of the now-defunct Non-Commissioned Officer Preparatory Course. This schism reflected a desire by the Air Force in 1976 to subdivide enlisted ranks into a three-tier organization, a move which was resisted by the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, resulting in the compromise dual-rank that lasted fifteen years. The last Air Force promotions to Sergeant were effective 1 April 1991. Those personnel who had been promoted to Sergeant prior to this cut off date retained the rank until being promoted to a higher rank or leaving the service. There are no longer any personnel on active duty who hold this rank. Due to high year of tenure rules in effect at the time, the last person to hold the rank was forced out of the Air Force on 23 March 1998.[1] Sergeants wore the same chevrons as present-day senior airmen. Senior airmen wore similar chevrons, but with a blue (green on the fatigue or battle dress uniform) subdued central star, as did all airmen in the lowest tier.

text: The ranks of Senior Airman and Sergeant held the same pay grade, but Sergeants were expected to supervise other airmen as part of their duties as non-commissioned officers. As with any change in policy, many Airmen supported this change, while others protested. Those Air Force members against the change protested that the rank of Sergeant prepared Airmen for transition to Staff Sergeant, and that new Staff Sergeants would therefore be less well-trained for their new position. In addition, Senior Airmen who complete Airman Leadership School may be expected to supervise lower-ranking Airmen but are not considered non-commissioned officers and therefore have limited authority. Air Force personnel who supported the change argued that proper leadership training eliminated the need for a separate rank within the pay grade; moreover, the rank created disparity between individuals earning the same pay and benefits and, often, performing the same duties, since often there were no additional junior airmen in a given duty section for a new buck sergeant to supervise.

text: Senior Airmen are the lowest USAF rank eligible for selection as a USAF recruiter, and (before Fall of 2013) as a military training instructor for USAF basic military training.

text: Today, the USAF is again the only United States military service that does not have a non-commissioned officer rank at the E-4 pay grade. Previously, from 1947 to 1952, and from late 1968 or early 1969 to 1997, the rank of Sergeant (E-4) was a non-commissioned officer rank in the USAF. In the interim, from 1952 to at least early 1968, the paygrade rank was titled Airman First Class.