Hulu's 'Best in Dough' Pizza Reality Show Isn't Up to It

Reality TV shows are locked in their own battle.

The days of just 'Survivor', 'American Idol' and 'The Bachelor' are over – three giants that still threaten but have spawned dozens of imitators over the past 20 years. Any new show in the genre must now not only crown a winner, but stand out in order to leave a lasting impression.

Enter Hulu's "Best in Dough," a pizza-making contest series hosted by Bachelor Nation's Wells Adams. In each 30-minute episode, Adams, accompanied by chef Daniele Uditi and a third guest judge, reviews pizzas made by various groups: Italian nonnas, social media influencers, grill masters, and more. These groups are not in competition with each other, but with each other, which is a missed opportunity for the mad chemistry of nonnas berates students or independent pizza makers against pizzerias. The chemistry between contestants is what shows up in so many reality TV shows, and in the three episodes screened for critics, "Best in Dough" doesn't feature enough.

Right now, Hulu's non-fiction originals are nearly all documentaries or the like, except for one reality juggernaut: "The Kardashians." The closest cousin to "Best in Dough" is "Baker's Dozen," the Cooking Channel series where 13 bakers try to impress the judges with baked goods. "Best in Dough" is a lot like Hulu trying to tap into the loyal following of the Cooking Channel, Food Network and Netflix's "Great British Baking Show" - the OG in an ever-expanding field.

As such, "Best in Dough" may have too many ingredients for those disparate TV flavor notes to shine through. There's the guest judge component, a staple of reality TV but which in this format doesn't give viewers many opportunities to make a good impression. Uditi is a highlight, with his deep Italian roots, decades of expertise and apparent ease in front of the camera. Adams manages instinctively by simple juxtaposition; while he's quite affable, the series could use a celebrity X-factor either more in line with its premise or completely out of left field.

In Episode 2, Adams congratulates a contestant on trying something new for the first time on national television.

"I've done this a few times and it hasn't worked very well for me," he says. Barely missing a beat, the contestant says, "I want to hear this story," suggesting he has no idea who Adams is or why he's hosting a pizza show. It's a moment that could delve into viral awkwardness or hilarity, but a quick cut drops all intrigue and brings us back to calzones.

Les Nonnas in episode 101 of "Best in Dough"

Michael Desmond/Hulu

The same awkwardness is true for the candidate categories, which add a fascinating color that gets shorter...