Shhh…don’t tell anyone. I am a total competition show addict. I can be drawn into the regular network fare, (think: The Voice, Survivor, Top Chef) and most anything cooking related (although I don’t cook) like Chopped, Kid’s Baking Championship, and Tournament of Champions. But the shows I love best are the quirky off-channel series that come up from time to time on Netflix or some obscure network.

I particularly love art-related competitions. A recent favorite was The Great Pottery Throw Down. I loved learning about the variety of pottery techniques and watching pottery artists realize their visions with clay. I enjoy learning to critique each work and match my decisions about the quality of the works against those of the judges. I love the way these shows help you get to know the artists, learning a bit about their lives and their skills. Have you seen Blown Away? I’ve learned so much about glass blowing and have become fascinated with the interplay of heat and breath that goes into creating these delicate works of art.

I can watch tattoo competitions, make up artists at work, up and coming fashion designers, aspiring models, interior designers… You can see, I’m not overly choosy about indulging in my guilty pleasure. And right now, while I should be writing those report cards that are due later this week, I just watched the first episode of The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist, a show my son (who is an artist and knows how much I love competition shows, especially of the art variety) recommended.

What is your guilty pleasure? And if you have a recommendation of a quirky, wonderful competition show, please share!