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I learnt that you use the expression "there is/are" when you mention new information.
Example:
But I sometimes encounter phrases like
There's this great bakery that opened up recently.
There's this weird smell in the kitchen.
Is there any difference between the two sentences above and the ones below?
There's a great bakery that opened up recently.
There's a weird smell in the kitchen.
Emphasis.
There is no real difference in meaning, but using "there is this" usually signifies that "the thing that is" is important to the current situation. E.g. because the speaker wants to have lunch at that specific bakery.
I believe this is a case of semantic pleonasm. The use of unnecessary words for effect or emphasis. Your sentences are all OK, with or without "there is this". They essentially have the same meaning.
