I don’t normally like baking shows because they only further intensify the cravings of my sweet tooth, and made my baking skills feel inadequate, but “Nailed it” on Netflix quickly changed my mind. Instead of using experienced bakers to execute challenges created by professional chefs, the show uses competitors who believe they are great bakers, but have no formal experience. The competitors quickly realize that no matter how easy chefs make it look on the Food Network, baking is hard.

On top of being inexperienced, the competitors are also given some of the most intricate dessert recipes I’ve ever seen and little time to put them together. At the end of each challenge, the judges decide who has “nailed it” and who hasn’t. The winner is given $10,000 which is shot at them from a money gun. To make the challenge more interesting, each player gets a “panic” button that gets them three minutes of advice from one of the judges. The loser of the first challenge also gets an advantage that changes every episode. In one episode, the competitor will push a button and the show’s host, the hilarious Nicole Byer, will spend three minutes annoying the other competitors. The show is funny, and a great break from the reality of real life, while also seeming real and making you feel a little better about buying a cake for a friends birthday .. rather than attempting to make something extravagant you saw on the internet.