The Great Pottery Throwdown is one of the gentlest, the kindest, the warmest competitive

reality shows you will ever see, even when things literally explode.

The fifth season aired in the UK earlier this year and it's now streaming on HBO Max,

the dishes, the bowls, the handles, the crying.

It's all right there to help you relax at the end of even the longest day.

So we thought it would be a good time to revisit our episode about the series, featuring

our pals Cherine Marisol Maraji, Trevelle Anderson, and Petra Mayer.

As many of you know, Petra passed away last year, but we are always glad to bring her work

back to you.

I'm Linda Holmes and in this encore episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're talking

about the Great Pottery Throwdown.

This is so exciting for me.

The Great Pottery Throwdown is in a lot of ways, the Great British Bake Off with Pottery.

It's true, they start out with a bunch of contestants who each week do a couple of projects.

And based on those projects, one person goes home in each episode.

The judges this season are Rich Miller, who was the kindly kiln guy in the previous seasons.

And Keith Brimer Jones, aka The Judge who cries very real tears whenever he loves someone's

work.

Well, my initial thoughts are...

You don't really well.

Oh me.

Really?

...