A New Reality Show Turns the 'Real or Cake?' Trend into a Competition

I'll admit it: I've never watched The Roku Channel. It's not like they haven't tried to grab my attention: This year, three Roku Original shows have been nominated for eight Emmys. But sometimes, the best way to grab people's attention isn't with quality content… It's with a show where you ask people "Is it real… or is it cake?" and then you force those people to try to eat those things to see if it's cake, and then you have Josh Groban host the whole thing.

Eye Candy — which is a very real show — declares in its trailer that "it's the wild show that asks the question, 'Would you take a bite of this?'" To put it another way, the series takes the viral idea of cakes that look like real objects and turns it into a competition of sorts. "I first saw this show in Japan when it was called Sokkuri Sweets and was obsessed with how fun and silly it was," Groban was quoted as saying. "To be the ringmaster of such insanity is a dream."

Roku explains Eye Candy will pair celebrities with contestants who will be tasked with teasing apart edible items created by "by top-notch pastry chefs" from their everyday counterparts. "Whether it's a shoe, a plant, or a doorknob, they must distinguish real from fake," the announcement stated. "Once they decide, there's only one way to find out: by taking a big bite!"

The laundry list of celeb appearances is said to include Jamie Chung, Bryan Greenberg, Michelle Buteau, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Tiki Barber, Melissa Gorga, Caroline Manzo, Jeremy Jordan, Bridget Everett, Nico Tortorella, Aparna Nancherla, Nina Agdal, and Michael Ian Black. And if that's not enough noteworthy names for you, the show is also executive produced by Chrissy Teigen.

"Eye Candy is pop-culture at its finest," Brian Tannenbaum, Roku's head of alternative programming, stated. "We've tapped into a viral phenomenon, putting viewers on a wild ride full of colorful, confectionary concoctions and inviting them to figure out, is it real or is it cake? For makers everywhere, there's no sweeter binge than Eye Candy."

An official premiere date for the ten-episode series will be announced later this year. When the series does arrive, it will be a Roku Original, available for viewing exclusively on The Roku Channel.