TV suffers from an acute shortage of nice shows.

In this context, we can try to define “nice” as non-violent and non-confrontational, polite, quiet, easy on the eyes (and ears), fun, interesting, and in the case of "The Great British Baking Show," delicious.

This baking competition show, imported from the U.K. and seen in the U.S. on PBS stations, is the impetus for this TV Blog about the scarcity of nice TV shows.

Seen here in New York on Friday nights, this show is an oasis from the chaos and tumult that characterizes almost every other precinct of television.

In fact, TV is so often overly loud and grating that many of us have become so inured by its incessant noise that we have come to believe that this is the way TV is supposed to be.

But then you stumble upon “The Great British Baking Show,” and you soon realize you have entered a world that you are not accustomed to encountering in the act of watching television.

“The Great British Baking Show” is a competition show. But unlike the cooking competition shows we have become so used to on our American food channels, no one on this baking show is out to undermine the other contestants.

There are no raised voices or bleeped f-words (which have become a trademark on the cooking competition shows of chef Gordon Ramsay -- ironically an Englishman), and even the judges’ critiques are given softly and with impeccable manners.

The principal judges on “The Great British Baking Show” are two U.K. food personalities, Paul Hollywood, 52 (pictured above) and Mary Berry, 83 (second from left). Yes, “Hollywood” is Paul Hollywood's real last name.

Each episode features at least one segment in which Berry and Hollywood are seen together having a lovely discussion about the day's competition and the desired characteristics of the central pastry or cake that the contestants will be challenged to create.

The combined knowledge of these two master bakers can be mind-blowing, but even more incredible is the mutual affection and respect they demonstrate for each other. If this were an American show, they would be instructed to be at each other's throats. Not on this show, however.

The same goes for the contestants. Drawn from various walks of life, none of the contestants ever have a disparaging word for one another. And each episode’s losing contestant accepts his or her fate with an admirable dignity and graciousness that is rare for TV.

In “The Great British Baking Show,” the action takes place in an elaborate tent pitched somewhere in the rolling, damp and quite beautiful English countryside.

It's just a baking show, but the camerawork in this show is among the finest and most meticulous that you will see anywhere on television. This show is picture-perfect -- another rarity.

Best of all is the sense of serenity and peace that can come over you while watching this show. It is so pleasant that its one-hour length is not long enough.

Oases such as “The Great British Baking Show” are all too rare.