Summer is still a little longer, but Food Network is looking forward to the spooky season by releasing its Halloween programming lineup.
The list starts with one of the cable network’s biggest annual hits, “Halloween Baking Championship.” The new steampunk-themed season premieres on September 16 at 9 p.m. ET. According to Food Network, “The series returns with even more creativity and competition as 10 talented bakers from across the country create amazing desserts inspired by the haunted science lab known as Henson’s Labs. This will be the first season of “Halloween Baking Championship” where immunity is on the line every week.”
John Henson returns as host, and Stephanie Boswell, Carla Hall and Zach Young as judges.
Expanding on the Baking Championship series, Kids Baking Championship will launch a new special called “Scary Good” on October 7 at 8 p.m. ET. Hosted by Duff Goldman and Kardia Brown, the event will feature the return of four fan-favorite kid bakers to celebrate both sides of Halloween — the scary and the wonderful. Contestants will be challenged to create Halloween-themed cakes using one of the hottest peppers on the planet before a shocking surprise puts baking tools and equipment to the test.
Halloween Baking Championship and Kids Baking Championship are produced by Triage Entertainment.
The new season of “Halloween Wars” will premiere on September 22 at 9 p.m. ET with Jonathan Bennett returning as host and Shinmin Lee and Artie Sequeira as judges. The show will see eight teams of skilled pumpkin carvers, cake makers and sugar artists compete against each other to create amazing monster-themed displays. Led by past champions, each team must capture the essence of iconic and classic Halloween monsters with delicious treats crafted to wow the returning cast. In the end, one team will be left standing and walk away with the “Halloween Wars” championship.
Before the new season of Halloween Wars kicks off, a special episode titled “The Road to Halloween Wars” will air at 8 p.m. ET, revealing how the final batch of contestants was selected.
Halloween Wars and Road to Halloween Wars are produced by Super Delicious.
Hosted by Damaris Phillips, “Outrageous Pumpkins” returns on September 29 at 10 p.m. EST and will feature a team of 14 of the country’s best carvers competing in teams. According to Food Network, “These accomplished duos will be challenged to create jaw-dropping pumpkin creations, from gravity-defying structures to mechanical monsters with jaw-dropping special effects. The stakes have never been higher as teams compete to win the first-ever Outrageous Pumpkins All-Stars title.”
“Outrageous Pumpkins” comes from Turn Card Content.
In addition to the prime-time horror shows, Food Network will also air Halloween-themed episodes of daytime soap operas “The Kitchen” and “The Pioneer Woman.”
With more than 28 million viewers watching its Halloween programming last year, Food Network was one of the top 5 non-news/sports cable networks among adults 18-49 during September and October.
“Food Network’s Halloween programming is iconic because of its fantastical themes and out-of-the-ordinary creations,” said Betsy Ayala, president of food content at Warner Bros. Discovery. “Launching Halloween in September allows us to build fan excitement early and carry that momentum through October and into the end of the year.”
