The Big Family Cooking Showdown
The Big Family Cooking Showdown, often referred to as simply "Cooking Showdown" or "BFCS", is a BBC team cooking competition. The first season was hosted by "Great British Bake Off" winner Nadiya Hussain and Zoe Ball. Each week, two teams of three family members competed in three challenges, judged by Michelin starred chef Giorgio Locatelli and cookery teacher Rosemary Shrager. The winners in each of eight heats moved on to the semi-finals, consisting of three episodes. The three semi-final winners then progressed to the final episode where the winning family was selected. "The  Big Family Cooking Showdown" premiered on BBC Two on Tuesday, 15 August 2017, then moved to Thursday evenings on 31 August to avoid a scheduling conflict with "The Great British Bake Off" on Channel 4. On 9 May 2018, the BBC announced that the show would return for a second season of 14 episodes airing in a new slot of 7pm. The second season aired multiple episodes per week, beginning on 15 October 2018. The show returned with a refreshed style and modified format, and without any of the original line-up of presenters or judges featured in the  first series. Presenter and "Celebrity MasterChef" winner Angellica Bell was joined by Michelin starred chef Tommy Banks to host and co-judge the second series. After viewership and ratings fell below expectations, BBC announced that the show would not be returning for a third season. Production and Format. In both the first and second season of the competition, each team consists of three family members. However, otherwise the two seasons of the show are somewhat distinct in terms of production style and format. Section::::"Season One". The first season of the series, The "Cooking Showdown" kitchen is located in the main  barn at the Quadrangle Trust, near Shoreham in Kent. Each heat featured two teams, while each semi-final and the final featured three teams. There were 12 episodes in total, and one episode aired per week. Season one featured two judges, Giorgio Locatelli and Rosemary Shrager, and two presenters Nadiya Hussain and Zoe Ball. Only one of the presenters would travel to the home visit challenge, which took place in the contestants' homes. However, both presenters were present in the barn, except for the final episode, which didn't feature Zoe Ball. Heats. In each episode, two teams comprising three  family members competed in three time-limited rounds. At the end of the three rounds, a winner was selected, who moved on to one of a series of semi-final rounds. Semi-finals. All three challenges were staged in the "Cooking Showdown" barn. Final. For the final, the teams faced "one long, continuous challenge." Each family was challenged to "prepare food for a big family get-together, including nibbles, main courses, and desserts." Section::::"Season Two". The second season was filmed in Wales. All elements of show were shot in a studio kitchen and did not feature a challenge in the  contestants' own homes. A total of 16 families took part in the competition. There were 14 episodes in total of the second season, which were aired across three weeks. Up to five episodes would air per week on the weeknights. In each episode, the teams are given two tasks - one they have had time to practise at home, the other a complete surprise, testing their collective ability to work together and think on their feet. This season didn't see a return of the quartet of two judges and two presenters, but rather the duo consisting of judge Tommy Banks  and Angellica Bell, who also judged the contestants' cooking, as well as narrating the show. Heats. In contrast to just two families in the first season, four families take part in each of the four heats. However, each heat runs across two episodes. At the end of the first episode of the heat, one of the four families would be eliminated. The remaining three families returned the following day, which concluded with one more family being sent out of the competition. The remaining two families would compete against each other along with two other heat-winning families in one of  two the play-offs. The winners of the play-offs proceeded to the finals. Ratings. Official episode viewing figures are from BARB. Reception. About the location, Sally Newall, writing for "The Independent" said, "Instead of the "Bake Off" tent, there's a barn conversion with a country-kitchen-meets-early-Noughties warehouse-conversion vibe. There is lots of wood, exposed brick, shiny copper lampshades and those letters with light bulbs that you tend to see at weddings. Michael Hogan, writing for "The Daily Telegraph" described the kitchen as a "swish barn, kitted out in twee, shabby chic style to resemble  something from a glossy interiors magazine." Stuart Heritage of "The Guardian" called it "Bland, awkward and awful". Scheduling conflict. After Channel 4's announcement that they will broadcast "The Great British Bake Off" on Tuesdays opposite "The Big Family Cooking Show", the BBC moved the show to Thursday to avoid a scheduling conflict. The BBC said, "Channel 4's decision to move "Bake Off" from its long-term traditional Wednesday slot will be a surprise to many viewers who may see this as a cynical move. We never intended for our new cookery show to clash with theirs. There is  room for both and we don't, in this instance, see any public value in two public service broadcasters going head-to-head in this way."