Poets Watching TV: 6 Tips on the Creative Life from Bake-Off Imitator All That Glitters

Though it feels like a less-charming little brother to the Great British Bake-Off, HBO Max's All That Glitters still has lessons to teach us about life as a maker.

You’re reading Poets Watching TV, a semi-regular feature at PopPoetry, a poetry and pop culture Substack written by Caitlin Cowan. You can learn more about it here. Check out the archive to see other TV shows, movies, and films whose intersections with poetry I’ve covered. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, subscribe today for an early-bird discount!

You’re a creative type, and you’re clicking around your streaming services looking for something to watch after work. You stumble upon All That Glitters, the formulaic process TV competition that wishes it were The Great British Bake-Off. A handful of talented jewelers quietly melt and tap their way to stunning jewelry creations in a sober little Birmingham workshop.

It’s pretty ok, but not great. It wants to be GBBO—in both its tone and its structure—but lacks the charm and light of the smash baking show. What to do?

I’ll tell you what to do: play the poetry game.