FOOD NETWORK & COOKING CHANNEL SHINE IN 2017
WITH EPIC SPECIAL EVENTS AND NEW SERIES
Guy Fieri Launches a Nationwide Search in Guy’s Big Project
and Experts Offer a One-of-a-Kind Digital Experience
NEW YORK – March 22, 2017 – With year-to-date ratings gains, Food Network and Cooking Channel up the ante in 2017 and together will introduce nearly 50 new series and specials along with 40 returning favorites, as presented during Scripps Networks Interactive’s upfront tour. Additionally, FoodNetwork.com and CookingChannelTV.com continue to lead the way as the ultimate resource for all things culinary and entertaining, engaging fans across every major social media platform, broadcasting live from a breadth of locations and events, and offering special access audiences can’t seem to get enough of.
“With Food Network reigning as the #1 most distributed cable network, Cooking Channel notching 11 straight months of growth as well as our digital platforms engaging with 330 million visitors monthly, our core strategy remains hyper-focused on delivering the quality content audiences seek out,” said Kathleen Finch, Chief Programming, Content and Brand Officer, Scripps Networks Interactive. “Entertaining and informative stories, beloved and trusted experts and personalities, plus fresh new faces, all contribute and reinforce the leadership position these brands have long been known for.”
Food Network’s 2017 slate includes the much-anticipated Iron Chef Gauntlet, hosted by the inimitable Alton Brown and with the fiercest of opponents, Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon. Guy Fieri’s upcoming docu-series Guy’s Big Project (wt) slated for Q4, will offer fans and foodies alike a shot to have their dream show made into reality. Additional NEW projects include – a delicious adventure with digital star Hannah Hart in Hungry Hart (wt), Help My Yelp hosted by Monti Carlo as well as a road trip full of humor and delicious food in Incredible Edible America (wt).
Cooking Channel dishes out the all-new culinary competition Farmer’s Market Flip hosted by Jeff Mahin, an exploration of delicious and colossal fare in Monster Food as well as Late Night Eats, an excursion of sweet and savory snacks and liquid libations being served up after dark across the country.
FOOD NETWORK EVENT PROGRAMMING
Iron Chef Gauntlet
Series Premieres Sunday, April 16 at 9pm ET/PT
Alton Brown hosts this daunting competition featuring seven daring, up-and-coming chefs vying for the chance to outcook their fellow finalists and run the gauntlet against the fiercest of competitors, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon, for the ultimate title of Iron Chef.
Leading into Iron Chef Gauntlet at 8pm ET/PT, the one hour special, The Legend of Iron Chef will take a look at the history of the storied franchise and some of the big moments leading up to the new series launch. Plus, at 10pm ET/PT, Iron Chef Eats, an on-air companion, features stars from the world of Iron Chef who share where they chow down on their days off from the kitchen. From the best pizza to great burgers and fried chicken galore, Iron Chef Eats will be a celebration of all the delicious and phenomenal foods that the best in the business crave. Online, fans can check out exclusive digital series, Iron Chef Mode, for culinary inspiration, along with tips and tricks that home cooks can use in their own kitchens.
Food Network Star
Season Premieres in June
The anticipated return of Food Network Star showcases an all-new roster of talented hopefuls competing for the ultimate prize, to become the next Food Network star. Culinary superstars Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay are back to host with a star-studded cast of guests joining the action in and out of the studio throughout the season.
Adding to the suspense, Food Network Star: Comeback Kitchen returns in May, as seven former Food Network Star finalists return to the kitchen to vie for a coveted spot in the new season of the hit series. Hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence, these contestants are looking for a shot at redemption and the chance to be back in the spotlight. Plus, don’t miss digital companion series, Food Network Star: Star Salvation, premiering in June, in which one ousted finalist will rejoin the Food Network Star competition on-air, but only if he or she can survive and win a six-week journey on this special digital series hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli and Jeff Mauro.
Guy’s Big Project (wt)
Series Premieres in Q4
Guy Fieri is hitting the road and inviting fans to follow along as he sets out to find his next big project for the network in Guy’s Big Project (wt). Guy has traveled near and far to the very best diners, drive-ins and dives, meeting the dynamic folks dishing out extraordinary meals in a variety of flavors. Now Guy is looking for the next great culinary road show and host, giving one lucky winner the opportunity to have their dream become a reality. The new docu-series will capture the entire journey as Guy produces and directs the action, narrowing down the playing field of aspiring food experts looking to host and shape their very own food-focused travel show – he’ll test their mettle, culinary know-how and overall ability from location to location until the ultimate victor is left standing with a brand new show. Don’t miss every twist and turn of this exciting journey! The series will be accompanied by a rich complement of digital content online and across social platforms enhancing and extending the on-air viewing experience.
Additional Food Network programming highlights:
Help My Yelp
Series Premieres Monday, April 10 at 10pm ET/PT
The customer is always right, especially in today’s fast-paced restaurant business where online reviews can make or break a business with a click of the mouse. But what if those reviewers are the same people who can help save a business and its reputation? Chef and restaurant consultant Monti Carlo is on a mission to help struggling restaurants fix their food and service issues by enlisting elite Yelp reviewers. After they help to identify problems typical customers have, she executes solutions that will put these restaurants in distress on the path to five-star success.
Ginormous Food
Season Premieres Friday, April 28 at 8pm ET/PT
Food fanatic Josh Denny is on a quest to find the biggest and tastiest foods in America. From a five-foot pizza to an eight-pound barbecue sandwich to a burrito too big to wrap his arms around, Josh meets the passionate people who come up with these insane dishes, finds out what makes them so enormous and delicious, and sinks his teeth into these culinary monsters.
Kids BBQ Championship
Season Premieres Monday, May 1
Move over mom and dad, the barbecue now belongs to a new generation of creative and innovative grillers, and they’re all under 13 years old! Each week, four different kids will enter the BBQ ranch and after two grueling rounds of competition, hosts Eddie Jackson and Damaris Phillips will crown a champion of barbecue and award a $10,000 cash prize.
Incredible Edible America (wt)
Series Premieres in June
Comedian Jeff Dunham and his wife Audrey are going on a food tour of the United States seeking America’s most unbelievable incredible eats. Having traveled the country for many years discovering new and fantastic culinary creations each time, Jeff and Audrey love to explore what Americans have learned to do with food. Now, they are getting to the bottom of why each chef or restaurateur does what he or she does. It’s not only about super fun and irresistible eats, but also about the masterminds behind the ridiculously inventive food Jeff and Audrey experience.
Hungry Hart (wt)
Series Premieres in August
YouTube sensation Hannah Hart has spent the last five years sharing her passion for food – and love for puns – with millions. Now she’s setting out to travel this great land of ours to discover America’s love affair with the regional favorites that consume them, from sea to shining sea. She’ll learn the many ways that Portland loves its lobster, Sante Fe cherishes its chiles, and Asheville takes its dishes – Southern-fried, thank you very much. This hungry Hart is on the look-out for the country’s most incredible foods, and the awesome people who make them.
Kid Chef Nation (wt)
Series Premieres in Q3
Meet America’s most extraordinarily-talented and food-obsessed kid chefs. These young chefs spend every waking moment perfecting their skills and their passion, in hopes of taking home the top prize as they compete in festivals across the nation. Now, a lucky group of young BBQ masters have a once in a lifetime opportunity to show their stuff at the first-ever Kids Grilling Invitational at the World Food Championships.
Ms. Polly’s Cakes
Series Premieres in Q3
Ms. Polly is the resident cake master of Savannah and its unofficial mayor! She’s been baking for more than 18 years, and her patrons travel far and wide for her custom cakes. Helping her run the bakery’s two locations are her four kids, who she calls “the Giants.” Together, they create amazing cakes and keep Savannah’s sweet tooth satisfied!
Texas Cake House
Season Premieres in Q3
Follow along as married couple, Natalie and Dave Sideserf, owners of Sideserf Cake Studio, create remarkable, hyper-realistic cakes for their Austin, Texas clientele. With a fine arts background, Natalie has made a name for herself with her award-winning, intricate, extraordinarily detailed and textured cake sculptures that push the boundaries of cake design. With business booming, her husband has quit his day job in software development to help manage the operation that specializes in outside-the-box cake designs. This young couple is going all in to create incredible works of edible art, and viewers will get an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at their magical creations and what it takes to run a top-tier business with a spouse.
Also coming later this year, Guy’s Family Road Trip (wt) featuring Guy Fieri and his family heading out in a monster RV in search of great food, big adventure, iconic locations and crazy characters. Halloween Wars: Hayride of Horror, takes the competition out of the kitchen and all the way out into the pumpkin patch for the spookiest hayride and scariest competition yet with host Harley Morenstein and judges, renowned pastry chef Zac Young and special effects make-up artist Bianca Appice. Chopped: Alton’s Challenge (wt) has Alton Brown taking over the Chopped Kitchen and the baskets! In this epic, five-part tournament, the food science mastermind will put 16 bold chefs to the test, with puzzling challenges that tap into the science of cooking and the physics of food!
Plus, don’t miss NEW episodes of fan-favorites including Bakers vs. Fakers, Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, Chopped Junior, Cooks vs. Cons, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, The Great Food Truck Race, Guy’s Grocery Games and Worst Cooks in America as well as more seasonal Baking Championships. There will also be plenty of new ‘In The Kitchen’ instructional programming with premiere episodes of Ayesha’s Home Kitchen, Barefoot Contessa, Giada in Italy, The Kitchen, Kitchen Sink, The Pioneer Woman, Trisha’s Southern Kitchen and Valerie’s Home Cooking.
COOKING CHANNEL PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Farmers’ Market Flip
Series Premieres Thursday, April 20th at 10pm ET / 7pm PT
Jeff Mahin hosts this action-packed cooking competition that puts two teams of chefs’ culinary skills to the ultimate test, as they face off to see who can produce the most crowd-pleasing dishes over one lightning-fast day! First, it’s the Flavor of the Market challenge – the teams must create a dish that highlights a vendor’s star ingredient. Then, the teams get only 20 minutes to race through the farmers’ market to buy ultra-fresh ingredients. They’ll set up shop in the Farmers’ Market Flip pop-up kitchen, where they’ll have one hour to prepare gourmet delights that will be sampled and judged by hungry customers at the market. When time’s up, the team that wins over the most palates will take the prize – and earn some serious culinary cred!
Monster Food
Series Premieres in Q3
New series Monster Food explores how the world’s most colossal, jaw-dropping dishes are cooked up, revealing the mind-blowing logistics of how they are created. From flipping quarter-ton hamburgers to dunking tire-sized donuts, find out the extraordinary culinary secrets behind the world’s biggest mega meals. Go behind the scenes at the restaurants that serve up these titanic treats and meet the characters who put these gigantic dishes on their menus and the diners who share their passion for eating these extraordinary creations.
Late Night Eats
Series Premieres in Q3
Late Night Eats visits amazing chefs across America who are ruling the late night food scene. From dishes that only appear on menus after dark, to destinations that cater to the late night crowd, our host, Jordan Andino, will uncover the delicious secrets, savory snacks, and liquid libations that will make anyone want to stay out just a little bit later.
Also returning with NEW seasons this year on Cooking Channel, Cheap Eats with host Ali Khan featuring the best bargain bites, Food: Fact or Fiction? with host Michael McKean exploring popular food myths, delicious new recipes and exciting new guests in Patti LaBelle’s Place, and invites to dine with the stars from both Tiffani Thiessen and Tia Mowry. More excitement awaits on the midways and fairgrounds as host Noah Cappe seeks out delectable Carnival Eats and suit up for sun, sand and Beach Bites with Katie Lee. Also on the menu, a chance to get back to the basics and fire up the grill as Roger Mooking returns with a new season of Man Fire Food and pitmaster Shannon Ambrosio hits the road for a new season of Big Bad BBQ Brawl.
2017 Scripps Lifestyle Studios featured content:
FoodNetwork.com
Busy Moms’ Kitchen (wt)
Welcome to the Busy Moms’ Kitchen, where chaos is calmed and plans and last-minute meals meet. Hosts like Bev Weidner of Bev Can Cook and other moms from the front lines of cooking for families share time-saving hacks and easy tasty meals that’ll keep mom happy and the kids smiling.
Food Network Finds (wt)
Fans with a youthful approach to food want to know what’s cool and what’s hot. This editor-curated experience of recipes, tips, hacks, and newsletter will include video from fresh faces, influencers and content creators who stretch Food Network into timely topics and trends. Think ‘what to cook’ meets ‘where to go’: If you’re on the road our restaurant guide is brimming with the sites and bites to visit as tasted by our Food Network talent, our editors and now, you! On our social platforms, you’ll find a new social extension, #FNFinds: We’re on the hunt for the most-exciting culinary creations at restaurants, bakeries and other food destinations. From new food inventions to age-old classics, we secure our fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into how things are made and where they should go next around the country and — soon — around the globe.
Global Flavors (wt)
Spin the globe and find a new way to eat. Based on research showing that our younger fans prefer internationally inspired comfort food to traditional American fare, we’re creating a world of flavor on FoodNetwork.com and its social platforms. Look for videos with Son of a Southern Chef Lazarus Lynch, sharing his spin on comfort combined with international flare. Plus, find shortcut and authentic recipes from dozens of countries, the best places to get favorites like dumplings, arepas, dosas and lumpia, and lots of how-to videos.
How to Win Summer
Our hit digital series is back with fresh, cool ways to up your party game. In How to Win Summer, make breezy weekdays and fun-filled weekends the best yet with easy-to-do, over-the-top party ideas and hacks, like a big-batch shrimp boil in a cooler, pull-apart rainbow fish cupcakes and a boozy watermelon keg.
#InspiredBy (wt)
Get an extra taste of the culinary creativity seen on your favorite Food Network shows as we have fun with the challenges in our kitchen. From a ginormous breakfast sandwich using an emu egg to a tie-dye cheesecake, we bring fun food creations to our audience inspired by our shows.
Kids Can Make
There’s never too many cooks in the kitchen when kids get together with Mom or Dad and try their hand at building a junior-focused repertoire. This social forward video series will showcase the best recipes for every age and skill level, resulting in delicious, fun, shareable foods the whole family will love.
The Musts of Every Season (wt)
FoodNetwork.com and its social platforms are THE go-to for top-notch, no-fuss eats all year. From January’s fresh start to the big game and comfort food in winter, to light, lively ideas for Easter and Mother’s Day in Spring, our how-to videos, tips and tricks carry you through and to every week’s best picks for what you want to eat right then. Summer brings grilling and barbecue, with cocktails, mocktails, parties and picnics to bring joy to bright times. Back to school, Halloween and tailgating—plus all the apple recipes and busy-fall-weekend solvers you can imagine—fill the table for fall. We round out the year with every home cook’s handbook for the holidays: tried, true, trusted traditions and on-trend ingredients, twists and sweet spins from Thanksgiving to holiday cocktail parties and cookie swaps to New Year’s toasts. All year long, we celebrate great taste, irresistible recipes and foods that make every delicious moment matter.
Sweet Side of Life (wt)
Join YouTube star Raiza Costa, aka Dulce Delight, as she gives her sweet take on homemade sprinkles and DIY ice cream cones and join in the fun by making her inspired treats like Chocolate Tart from Another Planet and Apple Rose Tartlets.
CookingChannelTV.com
Cooking It Old School
Discover treasured family recipes and stories in this video series starring “mature” home chefs cooking authentic meals with skills from the old country and timeless wit as a sous chef.
The Snackdown
Is cereal soup? Are green beans finger food? Is spaghetti a salad? Not every foodie needs to have food-snob seriousness. Watch our whimsical animated debates voiced by The Sporkful’s Dan Pashman, and get in on the most fun food fight in town.
FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to nearly 100 million U.S. households and draws over 46 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine’s rate base has grown 13 times and is the #2 best-selling monthly magazine on the newsstand, with 13.9 million readers. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24-hour networks in the United Kingdom, Asia, and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Scripps Networks Interactive (NASDAQ: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com) and Great American Country (www.gactv.com), is the manager and general partner.
COOKING CHANNEL (www.cookingchanneltv.com) is an entertainment brand dedicated to today’s passionate food lover. For food people, by food people, Cooking Channel is the answer to a growing hunger for more content devoted to food and cooking in every dimension from global cuisines to international travel, history and unconventional how-to’s. Cooking Channel is part of the media portfolio of Scripps Networks Interactive (NASDAQ: SNI), which also includes Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com) and Great American Country (www.gactv.com).
ABOUT SCRIPPS LIFESTYLE STUDIOS Launched in December 2015, Scripps Lifestyle Studios is a digital business division of Scripps Networks Interactive, created to drive digital content innovation and advertising solutions. In 2016, Scripps Lifestyle Studios delivered over 5 billion total video views across various digital platforms and has achieved an average of 812 million video views and 356 million visitors across its platforms in the early months of 2017. Combining the digital content operations of HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, Great American Country, and Food.com, this full service editorial unit spearheads development of compelling lifestyle experiences across social media, apps, websites, third party offerings, and more. Scripps Lifestyle Studios operates physical locations through the Food Network Kitchen in New York and the HGTV Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.scrippslifestylestudios.com.
