Cake Boss
Encyclopedia
Cake Boss is an American reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 series, airing on the cable television network TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...

. Set at Carlo's Bakery
Carlo's Bake Shop
Carlo's Bake Shop, commonly known as Carlo's Bakery and also known as Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop, is a bakery located at 95 Washington Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, opposite the City Hall. It is currently run by Buddy Valastro Jr...

 in Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

, the show mainly follows Buddy Valastro, his mother, four sisters, and three brothers-in-law, as they operate their business, with a focus on how they make their cakes. However, many episodes of the show have included other events, such as vacations taken by the Valastro family. The show premiered on April 19, 2009, and three additional seasons followed, premiering October 26, 2009, May 31, 2010 (returning in October), and January 31, 2011 (returning in September), respectively.

The popularity of the show has resulted in increased business for Carlo's Bake Shop, and increased tourism to the Hoboken area.

Present

  • Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro (born March 3 1977) The star of the series, he is the only son and the youngest child of Bartolo "Buddy" Sr. and Mary Valastro. He grewed up in Little Ferry, New Jersey
    Little Ferry, New Jersey
    Little Ferry is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,626.-Geography:Little Ferry is located at ....

    . He is married to Lisa Valastro (née Belgiovine) who now have four children named Sofia, Bartolo "Buddy"III,Marco, and Carlo.
  • Mauro "Chef Mario" Castano, Buddy's right-hand man, and the husband of Buddy's sister Maddalena.
  • Danny Dragone, employee and close family friend.
  • Frank "Frankie" Amato Jr., Buddy's first cousin, and the godfather to his son Marco.
  • Joey Faugno, the husband of Buddy's oldest sister Grace.
  • Grace Faugno (née Valastro) Buddy's oldest sister and Joey's wife.
  • Maddalena Castano (née Valastro)Buddy's second oldest sister and Mauro's wife.
  • Mary Sciarrone (née Valastro) Buddy's middle sister.
  • Lisa Valastro Buddy's sister and ex-wife of Remy. On the Cake Boss episode "Mother's Day, Mama and Mom-to-be", Lisa gives birth to her and Remy's daughter.
  • Anthony "Cousin Anthony" Bellifemine, a cousin, who started as a delivery boy, and later became a baker.
  • Lisa Valastro (née Belgiovine), Buddy's wife.
  • Ralph "Ralphie Boy" Attanasia III, a bakery sculptor.
  • Dana Herbert, Buddy's intern (winner of Season 1
    Next Great Baker (season 1)
    The first season of Next Great Baker was televised from December 6, 2010 to January 24, 2011 on TLC. During this season, the last contestant standing will win $50,000 cash, a Chevrolet Cruze and an apprenticeship at Buddy's bakery, Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Show opening:Each episode...

     of Next Great Baker
    Next Great Baker
    Next Great Baker is an American television series that aired on TLC, hosted by Buddy Valastro, the star of his own reality series, Cake Boss. The show features contestants participating in challenges that test their baking and decorating skills...

    ).
  • Maurizio Belgiovine Lisa Valastro's younger brother, who works as a delivery boy for the bakery, and replaces Cousin Anthony in so he that Anthony can start baking. He is now 21.

Past

  • Mary Valastro Pinto, Buddy's mother. A show regular until her 2010 retirement; still appears on the show on occasion.
  • Emilio"Remy" Gonzalez, Buddy's former left-hand man and the ex-husband of Buddy's sister Lisa. Remy's first and only child, daughter Isabella, was born on the Cake Boss episode "Mother's Day, Mama and Mom-to-be"
  • Salvatore "Sal" Picinich (1947 - January 30, 2011) Started working at the bakery in 1964 and was one of Buddy's most trusted employees. Picinich stopped appearing on the show at the end of 2009, when he began battling cancer, but returned in the summer of 2010 to accept the Employee of the Century Award on the occasion of the bakery’s 100th anniversary.
  • Kevin "Stretch" Krand, a delivery boy
  • Tony "Tone-Tone" Albanese, Buddy's second intern.

Recurring guests

  • Buddy Castano, the son of Mauro and Maddalena Castano.
  • Mary Castano, the daughter of Mauro and Maddalena Castano.
  • Robert Faugno, the son of Joey and Grace Faugno.
  • Bartolina Faugno, the daughter of Joey and Grace Faugno.

Reception

Due to the series' popularity, Carlo's Bake Shop has become a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....

, with lines to enter the bakery often extending down the block and around the corner. In 2010, Hoboken renamed the corner of Washington Street and Newark Street to "Carlo's Bakery Way" in honor of the bakery's centennial.

Season one averaged 2.3 million viewers while season two averaged 1.8 million viewers.

Tie-ins and spinoffs

On November 2, 2010, Buddy Valastro's book, Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia, which is based on the series, was released. Published by Free Press
Free Press (publisher)
Free Press is a book publishing imprint of Simon and Schuster. It was founded by Jeremiah Kaplan and Charles Liebman in 1947 and was devoted to sociology and religion titles. It was headquartered in Glencoe, Illinois, where it was known as The Free Press of Glencoe...

 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Carlo's Bake Shop, the book features the history and stories of Valastro's family and the bake shop, along with recipes.

The success of Cake Boss has led to a spin-off competition series hosted by Buddy Valastro himself, Next Great Baker
Next Great Baker
Next Great Baker is an American television series that aired on TLC, hosted by Buddy Valastro, the star of his own reality series, Cake Boss. The show features contestants participating in challenges that test their baking and decorating skills...

. Ten people compete to win the show's top prize: $50,000 cash, a new car and an apprenticeship at Carlo's Bakery. The program's first season was seen on TLC December 6, 2010 through January 24, 2011.

Another spinoff series, Kitchen Boss
Kitchen Boss
Kitchen Boss is an American television series that currently airs on TLC, hosted by Buddy Valastro, the star of Cake Boss. The weekday series debuted January 25, 2011....

, debuted January 25, 2011. This series, which is seen weekdays, features Buddy presenting his family's recipes, as well as special guests, including members of his own family.

Episodes and DVD releases

As of November 28, 2011, a total of 91 episodes and 5 specials have been broadcast one is now on it is called Cake Boss Family Secrets. The first three seasons have been released on DVD in Region 1. Each episode name employs alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...

.

Legal issues

In July 2010, Masters Software, Inc., of Cedar Park, Texas
Cedar Park, Texas
Cedar Park is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 48,937. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately to the southeast, although Austin directly borders Cedar Park at the latter's...

, obtained a preliminary injunction forbidding TLC from calling its show "Cake Boss". Since 2006, the company has operated the domain name cakeboss.com, and since 2007, it has sold a bakery management program called CakeBoss. The suit claims that Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...

 infringes on its trademark by causing confusion among customers and vendors. In October 2010, Masters Software and Discovery Communications reached a settlement, the details of which are not public.

See also

  • Ace of Cakes
    Ace of Cakes
    Ace of Cakes is an American reality television show which airs on the Food Network. The show focuses on the daily operations of Duff Goldman's custom cake shop, Charm City Cakes, in Baltimore, Maryland; including small-business ownership, working with various vendors, tasting with customers,...

    -- similar program on Food Network
    Food Network
    Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....

  • Food Network Challenge
    Food Network Challenge
    Food Network Challenge is a competitive cooking television series that currently airs on the Food Network. Each episode, professional chefs compete in a timed competition in their professional specialty. The winner receives a check for $10,000 and a gold medal.-Format:The competitions are judged...

    -- series where Buddy Valastro was a frequent contestant

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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