The Great Pottery Throw Down

Did You Know?

• In July 2020, HBO Max secured US distribution rights, premiering on 17 September 2020.
• As of July 2024, HBO Max has not released season 6 and only indicates 5 seasons exist.
• A Canadian version, The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, premiered on CBC Television on 8 February 2024.

Format

Each episode features amateur potters facing two challenges. The main make is a multi-stage creative task where contestants design, build, and decorate a ceramic creation for judges after kiln firing. A second challenge tests a specific skill, with potters ranked worst to best. The judges name a potter of the week, eliminate the worst performer, and the final episode winner becomes series champion.

Series overview

The first series ran from 3 November to 8 December 2015 on BBC Two, judged by Keith Brymer Jones and Kate Malone, hosted by Sara Cox at Middleport Pottery. The second series aired from 2 February to 23 March 2017 on BBC Two; one week no one was eliminated due to judge disagreement, leading to two eliminations the following week. The third series moved to More4 from 8 January to 11 March 2020, with Sue Pryke replacing Kate Malone as judge and Melanie Sykes as host. The fourth series began on Channel 4 on 10 January 2021 and ended 14 March 2021, relocating to Gladstone Pottery Museum; Richard Miller became a judge alongside Keith Brymer Jones, and Siobhán McSweeney hosted. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming paused for seven days, and no elimination occurred that week.