06x08 - Abstract Coffee Set and Rice Bowls

[bunniefuu]

It's the quarterfinals
and our five remaining potters

have entered an altered reality

because, this week,
they are throwing,

and radically altering,
a coffee set.

Considering I've just said
"altered reality",

this all seems a bit normal,
doesn't it?

Oh, more coffee? Yes, please.

Last time...
Time for a quick Brazilian.

...the potters went wild
with metallic animal sculptures...

I'm channelling
my inner sloth today.

...and threw long-necked vases.

I think I'm getting
carried away now.

Jon's cantilever pangolin won him
his second Potter of the Week.

You've emulated that
shell-like quality so beautifully.

But while Helen's penguin
fell short...

I think the penguin's probably about
a third of its original size.

...Derek's ferret went large...

Wow! It's the Godzilla of ferrets.

...and he became the latest potter
to leave the competition.

I'll go away from here with some of
the greatest memories of all.

This time... Arrgh!

...our potters face
their toughest challenge so far...

Why did I choose to do this?
Ambition.

...testing everything
they thought they knew.

I'll be questioning whether
I can make this coffee set.

The infamous bucket of doom
makes an appearance.

It's that one that's pants, though.

But who will stay
to face the semifinals...

Out of all the potters,
yours is the best idea.

...and who will be going home...
Don't panic! ..and back to reality?

Whoa! Oh, my God!

It's the quarterfinal,
and our remaining potters are back,

bright-eyed, bushy-tailed,

and ready to face
their toughest challenge yet.

Yay! Quarterfinals!
Can't believe it.

Yeah, I'm really pleased to be here.

It feels like, last week,
I was gone down a gear.

This week, I feel like
I've got to go up two gears.

I have prepared aspects
of my coffee set.

I've not necessarily made
the whole thing,

so I'm playing a bit of a gamble

and I don't know
how it's going to turn out.

Oh, the stakes are really high.
I've really got to up my game.

Hello, potters,
and welcome to the quarterfinals.

Yay!

For your Main Make challenge
this week,

the judges would like you
to throw and alter a coffee set

that will consist of a coffee pot
with a fitted lid,

two matching morning coffee cups
and saucers,

a cream jug,
and a sugar bowl with a fitted lid.

Now, that was very easy to say,
but I'm sure it's not easy to make.

We're looking for
a stunning statement coffee set

based on abstract art.

Now, this is the quarterfinal,
so really challenge yourself.

Your coffee set should be bold,
unusual, exciting and provocative.

Really push the boundaries
of what's possible with that clay,

but make sure it's still functional.

Now, these sets are to be thrown,
but radically altered,

so really think about
straight lines,

looping curves, challenging shapes.

Nothing about your coffee set
wants to be vanilla.

It wants to be the punk
of the hot beverage world.

Wow! The punk of the beverage world.

You have six hours to make
and refine your abstract coffee set,

and your time starts now.

Potters, get potting.

Right, then...

The potters have their work cut out.

They have six hours to make
a seven-piece coffee set... Oh!

...which, once dried leather-hard,
must then be cut,

twisted or contorted
into radically altered shapes.

There's lots to do.
I'm definitely aware

that I need to make sure
I keep the pace up.

I don't think I've got time,
really, for mishaps.

Giving it all I've got.

It's the quarterfinals.
You can't lay back any more.

So, quarterfinals. Yes. And we're
really upping the ante, aren't we?

Yeah, cos we've asked
our potters to make

a radically altered
abstract coffee set.

Yeah, not much, is it?

They can really push the boundaries
of what's possible.

Big, extravagant handles
that kind of almost look like

they shouldn't be made out of clay
are achievable,

but they can be risky,
so it just depends how brave,

how ambitious they are
with the forms.

I really want to look at
what they've made

and think, "How did they make that?
How did they put that together?"

I mean, this is fantastic, isn't it?

You wouldn't necessarily think that
that was the lid. No.

It feels like a continuation
of the design.

They want to feel like
they're pieces of art,

but it's really important
that they remain functional.

Like, these are lovely,

and despite the fact that
it's very angular,

they feel beautiful in the hand.

This is the quarterfinals.
Everything to play for.

It's going to be interesting
to see how brave our potters get.

To leave enough time
to radically alter their set,

all our potters are beginning
by throwing their coffee pot.

Need to be careful about the timing.
That's why I'm starting with

the big things,
cos they'll take longer to dry,

and also, probably,
they're more difficult,

so, if it goes wrong,
I can do it again.

I'll be questioning whether
I can make this coffee set

because, you know,
I haven't practised it,

but I'm just going
to really enjoy myself today.

Hello, Helen. Hello.

So, what are you going
to make us this week, Helen?

So, I was a teenager in the sort of
late '60s, early '70s... Yeah.

...so I'm going for
basically a homage

to the fashions of the time -
Mary Quant, Biba, Vivienne Westwood.

Lots of colour, lots of distortion.
So, this is your coffee pot, is it?

Yeah, yeah. Right.
I like the way you're using

the kind of human attributes,

you know, that stance.
Kind of like the way you're moving?

Well, it's... "I'm a little teapot."
Yeah, exactly! Yeah, definitely.

Helen's colourful, riotous ode
to the fashion of the '60s

will feature beaded necklaces
on the saucers

and a hat and gloves
on the sugar bowl,

all with curvy shapes taken
straight from the dance floor.

We went to the youth clubs.

We'd all do this sort of dance -
well, the girls would do the dance -

the, like, jiving dance,
and we'd look really cool, you know?

What's the jiving dance?

You do like that and you jive,
but you've got to look up,

and nonchalant like that.
Reversing. Yeah, yeah.

And I can remember
being at this dance

and I really fancied this guy,

and I was sort of doing the dance
and then I sort of leant on

this pile of tubular steel chairs,

and it was one of those moments
where you just roll backwards and...

Yeah. Comedy classic. Never went out
with him. Never went out with him.

Never heard of him again?
Never heard of him again.

Keep the noise down!
We're trying to work here!

I'll see you later.

Peace, man.

If I can get the coffee pot made,
that'll be great,

but height-wise,
I've got a long way to go.

To ensure their pieces
are robust enough to be altered,

the potters must throw
with precision.

I think the trickiest part
is throwing the initial forms.

There's definitely more
to think about

because I've just thrown this
and it's...

I'm not sure if it's a bit thin.

So, if it is,
I'll have to do it again.

The coffee pot,
I'm almost there in terms of height,

but you can see there's
a bit of a lump going on here,

so I need to recover this quickly
before I lose it.

Hi, jon. Hello, jon.
How are you today? All right, yes.

So, you're reigning
Potter of the Week.

Yeah, I know. Pressure's on now,
it feels. Yeah, goodness!

Tell us about your design.
So, yes, I've worked with a few

sort of post-modern architects

and so it's taken ideas from
post-modern architecture -

kind of lots of leaning out,
kind of challenging gravity,

not touching the ground
as much as you'd normally expect.

Which is often quite difficult
to do with clay

because you rely on those
contact points to support the form.

Yeah. So, how are you
kind of going to create...?

So, they're all cylinders.
They'll have these thrown cones

on the base which create
that sort of lightness

and lift it off of the surface.

Jon's carefully engineered
coffee set

will be decorated
in bright block colours

to accentuate the bold,
floating forms.

However,
with 14 cylinder legs to make,

he'll need all the help
he can muster.

So, I'm now onto the cones.

This is my new tool
that I've never used before,

and now I know why.

Is it a help or a hindrance?

It doesn't seem to have worked
very well so far, so, you know...

I don't really know
what it's meant to be doing.

Well, it's supposed to be giving me
a constant looking...

Look at that. It's just
making it go really weird.

Yeah, but I suppose
that's the whole point of this make,

is to make stuff look weird.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Whilejon's relying on
sturdy cylinders

to support his coffee set...

So, I'm throwing my mugs upside down

cos then I'm going
to make a hole like that...

...and you'll be drinking like that.

...Caitlin's taking
an even bigger risk.

That's the actual cup itself? Yeah.

Ancl this is the handle and base?

Yeah. Right.

Like a teething ring.
Yes, like a teething ring.

These are sort of defying gravity,
so we'll see how they work.

Which is always great in ceramics...

Exactly. ..you know,
things that defy gravity.

Caitlin's gravity-defying coffee set

involves a series
of doughnut handles

attached to round,
voluminous shapes,

which will be decorated
in primary colours,

but stabilising each element
will be a challenge.

It's a really lovely idea.

You know, we've asked you
to form these

into different shapes
and radically change them. Yeah.

But they still need to be
fairly practical. Yeah, exactly.

So, I'm trying to balance that
between them.

Hopefully, it pulls off. Fingers
crossed you pull it off. Yeah.

Yeah, well, best of luck.

So, I'm doing
my first cup now.

I cut this old credit card out
this morning

to try and push the shapes in.

I'm not really sure
how that's going to work.

I've got to make 12 cones. just got
to keep going and motoring on.

I hope to get them all thrown.
You can do it, Jon.

Come on! Come on!

Potters, the drying room is open!

Rose, if you please.

Rose, cup of tea, please.

Yeah, I...| don't like
this altered reality at all.

You make the cup of tea.

The drying room is open, potters!
The drying room is open.

Oh, big relief!

Love it. Once our potters
have thrown their pieces,

they must be dried to leather-hard
before they can begin to alter them.

This one's gone really wrong.
I might just do another one.

And for Lois, making sure her pieces
have enough time to dry is crucial.

I'm cutting most of this stuff
in half,

which seems fairly radical.

If we try and alter things
when they're too wet,

then they'll just wobble about
and just be basically useless.

Lois's coffee set has been inspired
by her ceramic journey so far

and the marvellous
Gladstone Pottery.

Featuring bulbous shapes,
concertinaed surfaces

and vessels cut in half,
it will be decorated in bold colours

such as forest green
and salmon pink.

And this area here,
is it your handle or something?

That is the spout. Oh, sorry.

So, I'm going to cut, actually,
this whole area out. OK. OK.

And then I'm cutting the back off
of these so they'll sit together.

And then the cups and saucers
are similar. Right.

I'm going to cut the back off,
cut some holes out,

add some slabs...
Goodness! ..on the back.

Just a small list of things to do.

Doughnuts - tick.

If creating a seven-piece coffee set
wasn't difficult enough...

The cones and the cups are done.

Saucers are relatively simple
at this stage.

I've got the jug
and the sugar bowl to go,

but I've got to get a move on
cos I am a little bit behind now.

...James is making this challenge
twice as hard.

Each item I'm making, I'm going
to make two exact same ones,

and the second one's going to be
cannibalised into the first one.

I'm going to cut all the way down
the vertical of each piece

and then put it back together
so it's got a little step in it.

Wow! So, all of it's going to be cut
down here? Yeah, it is. Yeah.

Have you got any concerns about

kind of cutting away
all of your hard work

and completely sort of then
trying to reassemble it,

all of those joins?
As long as I put them together

at the same consistency,
it should be fine.

Going over the joins and
just really smudging it together,

it can't leak.

Each piece in james's
painstakingly-made coffee set

will be individually spliced
and radically altered

to include a step
inspired by ballroom dancing.

And why dance, then?

My parents, that's how they met -
ballroom dancing, yeah.

Oh, I see. Oh, OK.

And do you do it?
I was going to say, do you do it?

No, I was young, I was stupid.

You could have been learning...
I know, yeah.

...all these amazing dances.
You'd be on a different show then,

and we wouldn't have you here,
so thank you, past you.

Potters, you're halfway through.

That's three hours left
to make your altered coffee sets.

OK!

This is scary.

Last bit of clay. Got no clay left.

What do you have left to do?
My two saucers.

Ah, for God's sake! The saucer...

Saucers shouldn't be more than this.

Let's go. Yes, let's go. Exactly.

No of fence, guys,
but this is really easy.

I've got all the components,
so I'm nearly done.

For those finished throwing,

their coffee pots
are now leather-hard

and are ready
to be radically altered...

I'm doing this very gently
just cos the day's harder up here

than it is down there and I'm just
trying to see how much give it has.

...but the potters
must take the utmost care.

You've got to respond to the clay
and not push it too far.

They must manipulate the clay
at the right moment...

These are the coffee-pot legs.

Quite different moisture content
between those two

and I'm worried it'll crack,
so I'll try and match up moisture.

...to avoid any cracked joints
or weak seams.

Arrgh! I'm so scared
of this challenge.

This is crazy for me, honestly.

It's quite dry,
so I'm hoping it won't crack.

I hope it works.
I'm not absolutely sure,

you know, what happens when
you stress out clay like this.

I've faffed around so much.
What I love about this is that

you've actually made
twice the amount.

But I'm not using twice the amount.
It's a bit of a waste cos...

Work smarter, not harder.
Yeah. Yeah.

Saw that in graffiti
on the back of a bathroom door.

I'm going to cut a big hole here
and then put a tube through

so that you can grab it.
That's the idea.

We just need to get
the hole patched up now.

Otherwise, we'll have
coffee problems.

Why did I choose to do this?

Ambition. Ha-ha! Bravery.

I hope you appreciate it
when it works, cos it will work.

No matter how creative the design,

the coffee sets
still need to be functional.

It's got to still do its job,
so there's a spout on the jug.

It's got to hold some fluid
and be pourable.

Hopefully, I achieve that.

James? Hmm? Are you putting
a big hole in your coffee-pot spout

or little ones, like a teapot?

I'm not doing...
I'm just doing a lip.

You don't want it to dribble.

I'm wanting it to be sharper
and sharper as it gets to the end,

so that the liquid ends up
being thrown off the surface.

So, I've got to cut it
slightly down like that.

Potters, you have one hour left.
Last hour of making.

Don't panic!

So, I need to attach my handles
to my mugs, which take a long time,

and I don't know
if they stand up yet.

I need to fit my handles.
I need to make my saucers.

I need jet fuel to get this clone.

Caitlin, those cups and saucers -
absolutely amazing concept.

But whether
they'll actually function, I mean,

whether they'll even stand up,
I mean...

This is going to be my sugar pot,

so I'm just trying to attach
a slab to the back of it

so that it's radically altered.

In many respects, Lois's forms,
particularly with the cups,

are starting to pay off

because they're quite strange forms.
But it's possible to finish them,

turn them, and get those pristine
surfaces, isn't it? Yeah, yeah.

That's not too bad.

Jon is starting to apply
all of those different elements.

I'm just concerned that
they're going to be very heavy.

Come on!

Do you want me to press it in?
That usually helps. Go on, then.

See what that looks like. OK.

Not a success.
I mean, we tried it. We did.

I think she realised that,
obviously, tying a ribbon

wasn't really going to work. Yeah.

I mean, if we put a belt on
and we tie it, we'll move

because we're nice and soft
and squidgy, but...

Speak for yourself, Keith!

But with clay,
you can't really do that.

Well, I'm a bit bothered now that,

yeah, no, they may say that
it doesn't fit the brief.

I'm not sure that
this is abstract enough.

Potters, you have half an hour left.
Half an hour left.

What a joke!

I have set myself
an absolutely massive,

mammoth challenge.

Score, score, slip.
Score, score, slip.

Score, score, score, score, score.

Not going to have the chance
for handles.

This is not great, but, you know,
they're still usable.

Right, let's get a saucer clone.
Come here.

Bend this one.

How are you getting on, Helen?

Yeah, I'm OK.
I'd like to put some beads on.

Would you agree this is
the hardest challenge you've had?

Yes. Last five minutes.
Come on, now, guys. Oh, gosh!

Please, please,
don't give me a heart attack.

Start bringing things into
the drying room.

Excellent, Helen.
The cups and saucers are going in.

Oh, have I finished that?
Oh, wait... Yeah, you have!

It looks very finished.
Oh, my God! OK.

Can you carry it? Yeah.
Oh, my God! That was so not nice!

Right, I'm coming in, Helen.
Watch out. Ten seconds!

Nine, eight, seven...
Thank you. Thank you.

...six, five, four,

three, two, one.

Well done!
That was extraordinary work.

You should be very,
very proud of yourselves.

You now get to have a break
and recuperate,

and we will see you soon.
Potters dismissed.

I need to let my hair down
after that

because that was the most insane,

craziest thing
that I have ever clone.

I think everyone's
absolutely worn out.

There's just so much to do!

Wow! I think I need, like,
a week's rest now.

I was stressed at times
and things didn't work.

I don't know what
it's going to come out like

and I don't know
what the judges think,

but it doesn't matter.
I did my best.

That was a quarterfinal!

They have risen the stakes so much
and I cannot believe

we all managed to get something
in the drying room.

The potters are back to face
their mysterious second challenge.

Ooh-hoo-hoo! It's not a big lump.
I'm scared now.

Oh, he's got dungarees on! No!

Welcome back, potters.

Now, this week,
your second challenge is

a Throw Down, and the judges
want to be bowled over...

Uh-oh. ..as they would
like you to make

as many high-footed rice bowls
as you can.

They all need to be identical
and they have to be thrown in one.

Now, to show us how it's done

is our royal high-ness himself,
master potter Keith.

Please, take to the wheel.
OK. There's our ware board.

Oh, right. I see you.

It's porcelain, isn't it?
Yeah, you've guessed it.

I've never thrown with porcelain.

So, you're going
to be throwing in porcelain.

Porcelain is quite tricky.

Even when you pat it,
it brings the water to the surface,

so you have to be really quick,
really purposeful with it,

and it is probably
the hardest clay to throw with.

It's like throwing with ice cream.

It doesn't taste
like ice cream, though.

I've done that so you don't need to.

You really have to think of
that proportion of the stem

to the overall rice bowl that
you're going to try and achieve.

So, there you go -
there's your stem.

I'll go down with my finger
just to start you off.

Nice and slow.

What you want to try and do
is almost throw from the inside,

just gently pull it out.

But you don't want to go too far
because it will collapse.

You've only got one go with this,

one pull, to actually get
that nice bowl shape you're after.

Ancl they really want
to look like this one.

We don't want your interpretation.

Then get your wire, wire it through,

bit of water on there,
and there you go.

What we're really looking for
is that nice bowl shape on the top,

a high-footed stem that's
in proportion with the bowl shape.

OK, potters,
back to your benches, please.

Oh, dear! Potters,
you have been given...

How long do you think?
Half an hour. Half an hour.

...15 minutes...

...to make as many high-footed
rice bowls as you can,

and your time starts...now!

Remove the hessian.

I'm panicking already.

How many ba*ls?

What does it feel like? Sticky.

It feels like clotted cream.

I've never thrown
with porcelain before, ever.

This is so weird.

Porcelain is made up of
finer components than other clays.

This makes it very difficult
to throw forms on the wheel.

Opening up from the top
is very strange.

It'll be hard to throw with cos it doesn't
feel like it's got a lot of strength to it.

Keith threw up the stem first

and then sort of left it,
so I'm trying to do that.

If you take it too fast,

you just get inconsistencies
and it starts wobbling. Yes.

Oh, it's wobbling
all over the place!

Nice and easy, Jon.

I think the bowl shape's quite good,
but there's a lot of stem.

Come on! It's so slippery.

James has one done.

Nice work, James.

Oh, got my other goblet.

Remember, we don't want a goblet.
We want a bowl.

It's a gobletty thing,
but it's a practice.

Jon has made one.

This one, I am attempting
to do a little bit more bowl

and a bit less stem

cos there was far too much stem
in that last one.

I'm struggling to get it off.

Well clone, Caitlin.
Yes! Bowl proportions.

That's what we want.
How are we doing, Helen?

That's five minutes gone, potters.
jeez! Five minutes gone.

You've got one done. Well done.

There we go. That's all right.

It's like a slightly fatter goblet
than the last one.

They don't really
look identical to me.

I was holding my breath there.
Oh, my gosh! I know.

It's really fragile, this stuff,
isn't it? It is.

Don't go near it, Siobhan.
Don't go near it.

OK, I'll back away.
I'll back away.

Don't want to rush. Yeah, you really
don't want to rush this clay.

It's not forgiving,
this clay. You touch it and it goes.

It's an unusual clay.
It's a very, very fine clay.

And the way it behaves
is just very different.

I'm not sure that
I've shaped that one the same

cos they're quite upright

as opposed to wide,
but I'll go with it anyway.

We're nearly finished
the second one. How is it?

Erm, I want to make one
that's at least a bowl.

That would be great.

Well clone, Lois.
You've still got time.

Got to do quality and quantity.

They don't ask for much, do they?

I'm not going to go for quality. I'm going
to go for quantity. Take your time,jon.

Take your time?
Don't take your time!

Didn't give me any time!
You need to hurry up

because you've only five minutes
left. Five minutes left.

Oh, God! Five minutes left, potters!

I'm really trying not to panic now.

James, how are we doing? I want to get rid
of this one cos it's not gone very well.

We're going to get through it. We're
going to get through our fourth one.

At least one more, eh?
The more I make,

the more that can go in the bucket,
I suppose. I don't know.

There's a bit more bowl
to this one than there is stern,

so I think it's a bit better.

Come on, Jon! You can do it.
Get another goblet done.

Get another ball on the wheel.

Caitlin, come on!

Just one more! Just one more.
You can do it!

Don't ruin it. Please don't die.
Please don't die.

One minute left, potters!

That's not good.

I've got to go faster
to get it done.

Lois, you could get one more done
in this final minute.

I know you can.

This is a one-minute bowl, people.

Well clone, Helen.
You going to go in again? Yeah.

Yes! Use every last second.

Ten seconds! Arrgh! Nine...

...eight...
Go on, Helen! "seven, six,

five, four... Go on, Helen!

...three, two... Go on, Helen! ..one!

Go on, Helen! Yes!

Marvellous! Best one you did!

Oh, that's ridiculous.

Well done!

That's a nice one, Jon, there.
It's good. That's my favourite.

The judges are looking for
beautifully finished,

identical rice bowls

with a perfectly proportioned,
high-footed stem.

Hey, Jon. Hi. What was it like
throwing with porcelain?

It's so soft. It was gentle,
you felt. Yeah.

Just not move it too much,
really. Yeah.

What, like you've been here?

Yeah, that one. Gentle with this
one? Really gentle with that one.

I feel like I should save... Oh!

I couldn't even get in there.

I was going to say,
before we started,

the Keith that we know and love
is no longer in the room.

Just bear this in mind.

Yeah, that one's pants, as well. Oh!

The thing is,
is it a bowl or is it a goblet?

Well, it's all relative,
really, isn't it?

It looks a little bit like
there's not been too much bravery

to open those forms out.

Little bit closed at the top.
But you did make seven of them.

We want quality
as well as quantity, really.

I mean, this is not great, is it?

I was just going to say, actually,
that one there looks

a little bit at odds
to perhaps the rest of them. Yeah.

It's naff, actually, Jon. Yeah. Ooh!

So, right, four, Jon. Well clone.

It went one, two, three, four,
one minute. Yeah, that's hopeless.

Looking at them,
you've got a lovely consistency

across all of the rims.
They feel like they're... Yeah.

...a very even thickness.

They do. They do. And you've got...

You've got a really nice
kind of fluent shape in there.

That's a bowl, isn't it?
Yeah. That's a bowl shape.

Yeah, just a...

They could have been splayed out
a little bit more,

but I think
we can actually leave those.

Thank goodness for that.

I'll take him away before
he changes his mind. Yeah. Bye!

Bye-bye, now. They're great.
Well clone. Cheers, Lois. Thanks!

Hello, Helen. Hi, Helen.

Hi. So, how did you find that, then?

Oh!

I was going to take that one...
That was my sculpture! Yeah!

That's going in.
Yeah, in the bucket.

You've got a nice,
consistent rim on all these.

You know, I really admire
your bravery.

Actually, the bowl element
is really quite wide.

It's just the foot. Yeah. You know,
that one there kind of...

Yeah, no, that one's... It's two
from Rich! I know, I'm sorry.

This is the effect he has.

The proportion wasn't quite right

and it was a bit lower
than the others.

No, well clone, Helen. Lovely.
Well clone. Excellent. Thanks.

They're all nicely thrown.

There's a lovely consistency
and nice, fine rim on them.

It just feels a bit like

the distribution of the clay
is different to Keith's.

You've got slightly longer feet

and smaller bowls
on the top of them.

But they are beautifully made

and there's a lovely consistency
in the shape.

But that one...

That's all right.
That won't bother me.

That was a goblet,
so that's got to go.

It's that one that's pants, though.

I have to say, that was the one
I had my mind on. Yeah.

It just felt less finished
at the base,

and the form wasn't
quite as consistent.

But really nicely thrown. Yeah.

Brilliant. Cheers, James.
Thanks a lot.

Have you thrown in porcelain before?

No, I've never touched
porcelain before.

I'm reluctant to throw any of them.

Goodnight. I...
Right, let's go. Let's go.

No, I'm pretty blown away by that.
That's really, really good.

I'm quite... I'm impressed.
Thank you.

What you've clone is
you've managed to get

the proportion of that stem right,
the rims are nice and consistent,

and you've got that bowl shape
on the inside.

I think even this one over here
is not too bad at all.

It is very consistent
across all of them. Yeah.

Ancl they feel the closest
to Keith's form, actually.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, well clone,
Caitlin. Really well clone.

Fantastic. Thank you very much.

The judges will now rank the potters
from worst to first.

In fifth place isjon.

They're just a little bit more
goblet-shaped than bowl.

In fourth place, Helen.

We would have just liked to have
seen those stems a bit higher.

In third place, we have James.

They were really,
really nicely thrown.

Bit inconsistent with the sizing.
Second place...

...is Lois.

They were just
that little bit more bowl-shaped

than some of the others.

Ancl so that just leaves
first place - Caitlin. Well clone.

That's totally blind-sided me.

I mean, as soon as I saw
the porcelain, I was like,

"Oh, no! This is not
going to go well."

So, it's a really nice surprise
that I came in first place,

and I maybe will try
porcelain again.

Yeah, that didn't go so well-
fifth out of five.

Couldn't get much worse, really, but I was very
pleased I managed to throw with all seven ba*ls.

They just thought that
the quality was so low

that the quantity
did not make up for it.

I enjoyed the challenge,
but I still came second to last!

I don't think they'll like
my coffee pot either,

so I've packed!

Our potters' coffee sets
have been bisque-fired overnight

and are ready for decoration...

Really excited about decoration,

but what I've got to make sure
is that I don't faff.

...but first
the potters must discover

if their radically altered
coffee sets

have survived in one piece.

Quite excited last night
thinking about it being fired.

If it's fallen apart,
then it's a disaster,

but I think,
if it's stayed together,

then I've got a good chance,
with decoration,

to achieve pretty much
what I was aiming for.

Good morning, potters. Hello, hello!
Oh, look at that! All intact.

Well done, Lois.
Oh, it comes off! Yay!

James. Oh, that's me.

Oh, James, look!

So, it's going to hold coffee.
Yeah, yeah, not going to leak.

My saucers -
I'm worried that they'll warp

and therefore,
if they're also unsteady,

then my mugs have no chance.

Ooh! Oh, yes! Yeah, there we go!
Yes! It stands up in the saucer.

Here we go, Helen.
They fit really nicely.

What a stroke of luck!

Right, Jon, lots of legs.
Oh, they're good.

That's really good. No, that's good.

Welcome back, potters.

Your coffee sets
have been bisque-fired

and are ready to be decorated.

Well, as this challenge
is all about being radical,

this stage is absolutely crucial.

Be bold with your colour choices

and really bring
your pieces together

as an exciting statement coffee set.

Now, you've worked really,
really hard

on those shapes and forms
of your coffee sets.

Don't ruin it with bad decoration.

You know, be careful
with that glaze application

and really wow us
with that creativity.

You've been given a range of glazes
and three hours to use them,

and your time starts now!

Right... The judges have asked
for bold and vibrant decoration...

Red Dragon or Fire Engine Red?

Gone with Fire Engine Red.
Bit of zing to the other one.

...so our potters
need to think carefully

about what colours they select.

Just trying to think stuff through
before I start randomly going crazy.

The stakes are high now.

That's what gets me.
I'm like, "Ooh-hoo-hoo!"

So, my overall design,

it's really a tribute
to the designers of the '60s.

Bit of hippy flower power,

so just every colour on that table
is going on this pot.

Caitlin pushed the clay
to its limits with her make...

They do stand up in the saucer.
Blimey! Well clone. I know.

...but her plans for her decoration
are somewhat simpler.

I'm sticking with
three simple colours. OK.

So, I'm going for red,
blue and yellow,

so I'm going for quite a simple,
but bold look.

Well, it's so weird. You know,
we use this word "simple"... Yeah.

...but, actually, the simplicity,
the harder it is...

Yeah, yeah, exactly. ..cos there's
literally nowhere to hide. Yeah.

Caitlin's not the only potter
taking a block colour approach.

Just trying to use three colours
which stand out -

primary colours,
so they're nice and bold.

I'm looking for
a really solid colour.

I'm trying to emphasise
each of the pieces.

You're not going to sort of do
a faded watercolour kind of thingy?

No, I don't have Lois's skill set
for any of that malarkey,

so I'm just going to slap it...
Do you hear that, Lois?

We haven't got
any faded colours today.

Like I have clone
in other challenges,

I'm going to mix up
my colours a bit.

I just feel like
it gives it a bit extra,

like, a bit more of me.

I hope I can get them
bright enough.

Neat and defined
application of colour

will be crucial for our potters

in achieving a professional
as well as eye-catching finish.

I want to have good clean lines,

good tidy blocks
between the colours.

I'm not a decorative painter,

so I'm trying to be calm
at the edges.

Use a bigger brush.
It'll go quicker.

Because I'm creating
different sections of colour,

I want that to be
a really neat line...

Oh, right. OK.
..so I'm using a wee brush to go...

A nice transition.

Yes, a very bold transition.
Oh, bold transition.

Straight line.
That's what I like to hear. Yes.

And what colour are you going
to do the watering can?

Watering can?
You're hitting the brief,

which is radically alter
a coffee-pot set. To...

You've radically altered it.
..a watering can?

Yeah, and a teething ring.
Yeah, exactly! It's great.

A pigeon. There we go.

A little pigeon!

I don't want texture of
brush strokes and things in there.

I want it to all come through
just yellow, red, blue.

Almost that you wouldn't see
it's applied with a paintbrush.

If creating immaculate block colours
by hand wasn't hard enough...

just got to keep your hand
so steady, haven't you? Arrgh!

...once again, James has
given himself even more to do.

The outlines are drawings

of whatever the object is
they're drawing on.

So, on the coffee pot,
there's lots of little coffee pots.

You're going to paint
all of these? Wow! That...

I admire your ambition, James.

Well, I will leave you to
your mammoth decorating task.

Good luck with it!
Every minute counts.

I've spent over an hour
doing two cups and saucers.

That's just dreadful.

I saw a Picasso painting
with eyes like this,

so I copied that look.

I've given myself a hard job,

but I like the effect,
I like the colour.

It means something to me, this era,

so I've given myself a real job
to get all this clone in time.

You're really getting into
your decoration.

I know. I didn't...

Before this competition,
I didn't know,

so this is lovely to have found that
I can paint and I really enjoy it.

It's lovely. Yeah.
Keep going with your decoration.

See you on Carnaby Street.
Groovy, baby!

Potters, you're halfway through.
Halfway through.

Big, deep breaths.

Now I just need
some layers on there.

In order to achieve bold and
vibrant colours on their coffee set,

the potters need to build up
multiple layers of underglaze.

It's just weighing up the time
cos I could spend hours

making sure that
they're nice and neat and bold,

but I've got
to get the balance right.

It's getting a bit tight,
so I'm slapping it on.

Although it needs
about three layers,

I'm going to do two layers thick.
Might just be enough.

I am painting colour by colour

just to make it easy
for my wee brain

and not pick up
the wrong paintbrush

and put a big dob on. Oh!

You all right? No, I just stuck the brush
in the wrong colour and stuck it on the pot.

Haven't got time for that, Jon!
I know!

I think the thing
for all of our potters

is good application, isn't it?

Getting enough coats
of that underglaze on

that they're really block colours,
because if they're not well applied,

they're just going
to be see-through

and it's just going to look patchy.

Maybe a little bit too cavalier
about it, but I'll tidy it up.

Jon and Caitlin
are probably very similar

in the way they're approaching
those block colours

to really accentuate
those different shapes.

I just haven't got time
to be able to faff around

and make sure every single
little bit's nice and neat.

But then you've got James.

There's a lot going on there,
isn't there? Yeah.

I'm struggling with
that smaller brush.

I'm loving the look of Lois's.

It feels very different
to what she'd ordinarily do.

She usually has
quite a sort of painterly style,

and this looks much more about,
like, block colours. Yeah, yeah.

It does look quite similar
to what I designed,

so, yeah, that's a real good thing,
in my book.

Helen has gone for
quite an intricate kind of design.

In appearance, her shapes are
sort of slightly more simple,

to a degree. Yeah.

Ancl they're kind of relying very
heavily on that decoration... Yeah.

...to kind of really pick them up.
Pick them up, yeah. Yeah.

My decoration, I'm hoping that
that will pull me through,

but I've still got two pieces to do
and not much time to do them in.

Potters, that's half an hour left.
Last 30 minutes.

Oh, 30 minutes already?

Come on.

This is the last bit I've got to do,
but it's being a bit messy.

The red looks really watery.

I feel like
I'm messing this up a bit.

I like the look with it lined.

You need a really steady hand
to be doing this,

and lots of time,
and I haven't got it.

I'm really worried
I'm not going to get finished.

But Caitlin might have a bigger
problem with one of her cups.

It has started to come apart.

I'm hoping we'll sort of patch up
with the transparent glaze

that I'll put on top,
so it'll still be,

hopefully, a functional cup.
They've all turned out well.

Just getting them all ready
for glazing now, really.

I'm going to go dunk it
in the bucket.

You're going to be finished
in time? I hope so.

All right, head off and glaze.
Oh, it's busy, busy.

That transparent glaze
seals all the colours in

and will make it food-safe.

You can use it for coffee.

The coffee pot itself is in.

I'm trying to avoid
this middle section

because that's where my cups
are going to sit during the firing.

So, if I glaze that bit,
then they'll stick,

and that won't be good.
Final two minutes, potters!

Final two minutes!

Come on in. Welcome.
Come on in. Thank you so much.

Stick it in with her hands now.
Rub-a-dub-dub!

It's going to stick. I've not
been able to wipe anything.

I'm nearly there.
I'm wiping bottoms now.

Do you want a hand? I'm clone. Yes!

Wipe the bottom of that lid.
Ten seconds, potters!

Step away from your benches.
Well done!

Oh, mine's such a mess!

Oh, that was full-on.

I really struggled
to get everything done.

I don't know whether
it fits the brief.

Is it abstract enough?

Decorating went quite well.

I did manage to finish it
with calmness at the end there,

so that was good for me.

I've given myself quite a lot to do,
probably a little bit too much,

but that's all part and parcel
of the whole challenge.

I'm really happy with it.
I think I've hit the brief,

the abstract aspect.
I think I've got the bold colours.

Didn't get to clean my bottoms,
my galleries.

Bit of a disaster, to be honest.

I'm worried that I won't be able
to move my mug from the saucer.

We'll see what comes out
of the kiln.

It's judgment day, and the potters'
radically altered coffee sets

have been gloss-fired and
are ready to come out of the kiln.

Oh, it is judgment clay!
The day's finally here.

I am apprehensive to see
how my stuff's come out of the kiln.

Now that I've glazed things, I'm worried
that they might have stuck together.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

I reckon I can get them off.

I'm kind of hopeful, actually,
that it will be OK.

I hope my little spout
isn't too dribbly!

Coffee leaking out could be one
to send you home, I suspect.

Can I make it into the semifinals?

I really hope so.
Wouldn't that be great?

I know I'm not safe,
not at the moment.

My saving grace will be
if it's fairly intact.

They're stuck on
and I want to get a chisel to them

to see if I can get them off.

It's off! One is off.

Yay! Does it still stand?
It still stands.

Oh, that was quite scary, wasn't it?

Potters, your abstract coffee sets
look amazing.

Caitlin, would you please bring
your coffee set up to the judges?

All right, great.

I love the concept.
I think it's really mind-boggling.

Out of all the potters
in the pottery,

yours is the best idea.

You know, that does sit in there
and, actually, it's fairly stable.

That is just brilliant.

I'm quite impressed with the way
you've made the doughnuts.

They're very symmetrical.
They're not heavy.

In terms of the quality
of the throwing across the set,

it's very good.
But there are elements,

I think, that perhaps could be
slightly better finished.

The rims aren't
sort of quite matching.

They're sort of thin and thick.

You see, the finish... Come on.

A couple of wipes with a sponge
would have got rid of that.

I mean, there are lovely elements.
You know, you pick up the cup,

and you wouldn't necessarily know
that was a cup.

You might think you were off
down the gym, you know,

for a bit of a workout. Feels like
a kettle bell or something.

It's so obscure.

The quality of the application
of the glaze is very good.

Laying down a big patch
of that underglaze

is really difficult
to maintain... Yeah.

...that kind of even quality
across all of the surface,

and you've clone that
beautifully well.

Shall we test it out?

Might have a crack.
Oh, we've got a bit of a dribble.

Oh. Oh, I see. OK. Hang on.

That's pretty radical, though.
That is, yeah.

But this is what I mean -
you can't fault the ambition.

You've pushed the boundaries
of what we asked you to do

and you've delivered something
really, really wonderful.

I always thought
it was a bit of a risk

going for this kind of design
all the way through.

There are certain elements, for me,
that don't really work.

I mean, I love these
as a little concept,

but maybe in
the abstract kind of design,

I'm not sure whether
that really worked for me.

I love this idea, as well.

Is it too subtle? I'm not sure.

I sort of look at it
and it makes me think of, like,

a Roy Lichtenstein kind of print.

It feels very pop arty, somehow.

I definitely admire the sheer volume

of decorative work you've got
on there. I mean, crikey!

To hand-draw all of
those little pots onto the side

is unbelievable.

You know, it doesn't necessarily
feel like the most radical,

but I really like the design,
the use of colour,

the way it feels
very much like a set.

Ancl the fact that
you used sacrificial pots

to kind of build into them
was really wise

because, actually,
it doesn't look like

you've got any severe cracks
in any of those joins.

What you've managed to achieve in
the time that you had is staggering.

It's a potter's coffee set.

Any potter looking at that will say,
"That's actually hard to do."

There's a lot of hidden detail
in the making,

and I want to commend you on that.
OK, then, let's test it.

Wow! Wow! It's very good.

That's really lovely, James.
That is a really good pourer.

That's a really good pourer.
No drips, nothing.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

I remember coming round
to your work station

and you were in a joyful,
playful mood, weren't you? Mm-hm.

Ancl you've given us a joyful,
playful coffee set.

The only thing is...

...is it a radically altered
coffee set? I like it.

I like it, too. I love these.
These are brilliant.

This is fantastic.

You do seem to have a really
good connection with brushwork,

and it's such a simple design
and yet so effective.

This is really nice
and I love the lid.

It works really, really well.

There's a slight crack
on the inside of this one... Yeah.

...but both Rich and I thought that
that was a very, very hard form

to really achieve,
but you've achieved it.

It's just whether
you've followed the brief -

that's my main problem.

You gave yourself
an absolutely mammoth task

with the decoration. Yeah.

There was a lot of surfaces
to cover.

I think the fluidity
that you've managed to achieve

in the body of that coffee pot
is really quite beautiful.

Yeah, very sexy. Yeah. It is!

They're beautiful curves, Helen.

Thank you very much.

Back to the coffee set! And now,
yeah, back to the coffee pot.

Erm, I mean...

But I just love the stance.

She's got real presence,
you know? Yeah.

You know, even the handle,
it looks like her arm.

It really does. Yeah.

That's definitely
the statement piece, but, for me,

it's just the way you do the eyes.

They're great! Thank you.
They're really brilliant.

Yeah, it's fantastic. Yeah.

There's something so simple
about it, but something so right.

Thank you.
OK, let's see how it pours.

Ooh!

Not bad at all. Nice, Helen.

It's really charming.
It's really lovely. Thank you.

Well, it looks great.
I particularly like these,

and I'm quite glad
that you hadn't got the time

to put the handles on.

It does look stunning,

and the fact that you've used
all this block colour

to accentuate all those
different shapes and forms going on

is just really, really good,
isn't it? Yeah.

I really, really like this.

The actual shape
and the form and the concept

is just really nice.
And, actually, this is fairly light,

whereas this... That's a beast,
that one, isn't it? Yeah.

This... It's a m*rder weapon, mate.
It's a bit on the heavy side.

It's definitely radical.

It's certainly not
a conventional coffee set.

I like the thinking,
that idea of the tripod, you know,

that engineering of...

Oh, did we mention
you're into engineering?

I'm not sure we mentioned that.
Do you know what?

I get 20 quid every time
they mention an engineer.

I like the fact
that you've thought about

how these really obscure objects
are going to stand,

and it kind of throws
sort of everything

we usually think about convention
out the window, so I like that.

I definitely admire
your bravery, Jon. Crikey!

And then you've got the spout.

I don't know
how that's going to pour.

Ooh! Well, it's an unusual pourer.

For me, if you'd just cut that off,

it would have poured so well,
I think. Yeah. Really bold, Jon.

You've really pushed the boundaries
of the task in hand.

Lovely use of colour
and lovely use of shape and form.

So, Lois, for me, it looks like
a modern twist on Clarice Cliff -

the colours, the way that
they really accentuate the forms.

Ancl I really like the cups.
I think they're really lovely.

Ancl to get this kind
of curve in there

when you're throwing,
it takes some doing.

Ancl then you've carried on
that concept with the saucer.

I really like that idea.

It's definitely radically altered.
Yeah. Oh, good.

Every single piece
has been taken away

from a conventional shape.

I love these - your sugar bowl
and your cream jug.

I like the fact that you've got
that weight at the base

because it gives it assurance
kind of when it's on the surface.

They're very stable, aren't they?

Yeah, but without
sort of feeling heavy, somehow.

Wow! That handle works really well.
Oh, I'm glad you think so.

Well, it feels comfortable
in the hand.

All of the edges, as you go round
on the inside there,

are beautifully finished,
beautifully smooth.

That's great. Yeah. Look at the
cross-section on that, you know?

I know! Ancl that is
a lovely profile.

You know, it's what
you'd be looking for in a saucer.

Let's pour it.

Wahay! Oh! Not too bad. Fabulous.

Really good. I mean, you've got
that lovely balancing act.

It works really well, practically,
and it looks different.

It's definitely radically altered.

No stone has been left unturned
in terms of

every element being changed
and distorted from the original.

I think it's great. Aw, thanks.

Thank you. Well done.
Yeah, cheers, Lois.

It was, like, crazy!

Then to get positive feedback for it
was really nice.

You couldn't ask for more,
could you, really?

If you push it,
there's always risks.

Myself and Caitlin pushed it and
we had problems that didn't work.

A bit of a dribbly carrot
on the coffee pot.

What's a dribbly carrot
between friends?

I sort of thought,
when I looked around the room,

"They're going to tell me
it doesn't fit the brief

"cos it's not
radically altered enough."

So, I was sort of waiting
for them to say it.

But, yeah, I mean, it's fair.
That's fair enough.

What a week living in
an altered reality!

How do you think our potters got on?

I think they found it
really challenging,

but if anyone was to win
just on the concept alone,

it would be Caitlin.

She really, really
pushed the boundaries.

You know, I love to see people
push themselves,

but it's got to be within the realms
of their ability.

Their capability, yeah. You know,
some of the aspects of Caitlin's

were a little bit heavy. One of
the cups leaked quite heavily.

But it looks very interesting.
It doesn't look like a coffee set.

How do you think
James got on this week?

He was brave, in a sense,

because to cut a section out
of every single piece...

He made two sets. Yeah, I mean...
Yeah, that's it. A donor set. Yeah!

Yeah, beautifully put together,
but not that out there.

Andjon, unfortunately,
came last in the second challenge.

Do you think he's in danger?

I mean, I think the coffee pot
was a bit of an oversight.

It was very heavy, but, you know,
you can't fault his ambition.

Ancl just the mere concept
of the mug standing up.

Even if it was on a slight incline?

Even if it was on
his upside-down saucer!

He's taken a saucer

and he's turned it upside down
and then he's stuck his mug on it.

Brilliant! Well, there you go.
There you go - there's abstract.

And Lois -
was her set exciting to you?

That ball underneath the jug
and the sugar pot -

really, really inspired.

She'd thrown those really intricate
concertina shapes.

She still then chose
to cut them to pieces

and reassemble them
and reconstruct them.

It just felt
really radically altered.

You know, Jon, Lois ancl Caitlin
have clone really, really well

in giving us that abstract form
that we were going for.

Helen - not so much.

Helen's was beautifully decorated,

but you didn't get a sense that
the pieces had been changed much.

This is a very important decision

because, next week,
we're going into the semifinals.

Who do you think has reached the end
of their time here in the pottery?

It's a really tough one, isn't it?
It's really tough.

Helen did a really great make.
But is it really what we asked for?

You know, some of the other potters
have been far more ambitious.

So, Helen is at risk.
Anyone else? Maybejon.

Practically, that coffee pot
really didn't pour very well.

Well, if you're talking
about function,

then surely Caitlin?

Absolutely. She's at risk, as well.

So, who do you think is in line
for Potter of the Week?

Well, for me,
Lois has to be up there.

Yeah, and James could
just about be in the mix.

Well, it sounds to me that you have
a very difficult decision to make,

but you've got to hurry up because
I have five anxious potters up there

and I don't want them
waiting too long.

What a week, potters!

We know how difficult it's been,

and you've all done so,
so brilliantly.

The judges have taken a long time
because it has been very difficult,

but they have made their decision.

Potter of the Week goes to...

...Lois.

Well done! Thank you! Well done!

Look at you! Is that
a little hug to yourself?

OK, now the really,
really difficult part,

which I know agonised our judges,
and please do take that to heart.

It was very difficult this week.

The potter who will be leaving us
this week is...

...Helen.

I'm so sorry, Helen.

No, no, it's absolutely fine.

It's just been an absolute hoot.
Thank you so much.

From start to finish - brilliant.
Aw, come here!

You're going to be so missed!

I can't lie -
I'm a little bit relieved.

I'd begun to feel out of my league.

Yeah, it just didn't fit the brief

because I possibly
couldn't have done it

without coffee
coming out of every orifice.

Orif-if-ice. Orif... Hole.

Aw, thank you! Thank you!
You've been fantastic.

Couldn't stop laughing.
It was just brilliant!

Yeah, hanging on there a bit longer.

It's amazing
what you can get away with

with a bit of a blag
and a bit of planning, so...

Well done. Well done, mate.

In all the weeks,
I've really gotten to know Helen,

and I have so much respect for her.

Like, she has
so much wisdom with her.

Ancl a fantastic illustrator -
her decorations are just stunning.

Thank you, Rich. Thank you.

Helen's coffee set,
I would love to use.

It was beautifully made.
it just lacked that ambition.

But these are the narrow margins
we're dealing with

and, unfortunately,
it just wasn't Helen's week.

And, as Helen makes her way home,
Lois's radically altered coffee set

becomes her third piece
to enter the Throw Down gallery.

I'm very happy. I'm also, like,
just really overwhelmed with emotion

for everyone else, as well. Like,
we all really put a lot into that.

Lois really does give us everything.

You know, that organic kind of form

that she created
for the handle of the coffee pot

could so easily
have gone badly wrong for her,

but it was really lovely to hold
and pick up, and it looked good.

The fact that I'm in the semifinals,

it's wow, isn't it? Yeah.

Ooh!

Next time... Oh,
I've got to just go for this.

...the potters face a massive
twin sink and tile set challenge...

This is me trying to up my game
because it's the semifinal.

...and a delicate
decoration spot test.

Have you ever seen me stressed out?

Who will clean up
ready for the final...

I am coping. Ah!

...and whose chances
are disappearing down the drain?

They're a bit smaller
than the rest of the guys'.

But, you know, us small-handed
people need to wash our hands, too.