Every holiday season I imagine showing up to a party bringing an incredible dessert. Historically I am asked to bring wine or extra chairs to potlucks as my baking skills are notoriously weak.

This year I decided to do a little pre-holiday research by watching two of the most popular baking shows currently available on Netflix. The first, The Great British Baking Show, is a long running competition filmed under a big tent and featuring talented amateur bakers. The tent is not the only difference from other cooking shows.

Contestants on most shows are surprised with the challenges during t...