In the first half of 2006, Food Network will premiere two new programs, Ham on the Street and Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger; bring back its reality search for a cooking host; and premiere new limited series featuring its celebrity chefs, the network announced during its presentation today at the Television Critics Association press tour.
Ham on the Street, which features young chef/comic George Duran quizzing people on the street about food topics and cooking with a cast of interesting characters, will debut Jan. 11 at 10:30 p.m. Healthy Appetite, in which nutritionist/author Krieger shows viewers how to make quick, healthy recipes, premieres in April.
Returning for a second installment March 19 at 9 p.m. is The Next Food Network Star, which pits eight aspiring TV chefs against each other to find a headliner for a new six-episode Food Network series. Tyler’s Ultimate, in which food network personality Tyler Florence searches for the very best of America’s favorite dishes, will debut new episodes in September.
In addition to new Food Network Challenges, specials in which chefs from around the country compete for cash, the network will premiere at least one new limited series and special featuring its own talent in the coming months. Chefography, a five-part series of specials profiling the network’s chef personalities—including Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay—debuts March 13 at 8 p.m. Mario Shoots for the Stars (working title), a special about how network personality Mario Batali balances his restaurants, food line, cookbooks and television engagements, debuts Feb. 18 at 9 p.m.
Food Network, the majority of which is owned by Scripps, averaged 790,000 viewers in prime during fourth quarter.
