Two new programs hosted by Selena Gomez have been ordered by Food Network for its upcoming schedule. The “Only Murders in the Building” star, who currently presents the food show “Selena + Chef” on HBO Max (soon to be Max), will launch a “celebration-focused series” later this year, with a debut around the holidays.
Gomez will debut a show in 2024 that will see her visiting other chefs’ kitchens. Gomez will appear in the untitled project, “Meeting up with some of the best chefs in the country in a quest to cook their most popular dishes when she visits their kitchens.”
According to a source, “Selena + Chef,” which has not yet been renewed for a fifth season at Max, is unrelated to these new projects. A brand-new competition inspired by The Elf on the Shelf, a beloved holiday tradition, will also brighten the 2023 season for the Food Network, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Food Network’s “The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown” (working title), which was developed in collaboration with The Lumistella Company, is “set in a whimsical holiday wonderland and will feature The Elf on the Shelf’s Scout Elves challenging some of the best sweets makers from across the country to create the most magical and unexpected holiday creations ever seen.”
Selena kicking off the nearly 100 hours of new and returning holiday programming will undoubtedly make this upcoming season one to celebrate, according to Kathleen Finch, chairman, and chief content officer of US Networks of Warner Bros. Discovery, who made the announcement at the company’s Wednesday upfront presentation to advertisers at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. “The holidays are always huge for Food Network, reaching nearly 60M P2+ viewers,” Finch said.
Seasons of “Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown,” “Christmas Cookie Challenge,” “Holiday Baking Championship,” and “Holiday Wars” will all return in the fourth quarter.
The fifth season of Guy Fieri’s “Tournament of Champions,” which will premiere in early 2024, has been ordered by Food Network for the upcoming year. Fieri is kept busy by the cabler, who has also ordered the latest “travelogue” for a competition dubbed “Best Bite in Town.” For that program, Fieri “will appoint some of his chef friends to hit the road to visit different cities each week, competing to find the very best bite in town.”
“As the leader in food programming, besting ourselves year after year is no easy feat, but the upcoming lineup turns up the star power with new and returning faces and is packed with exciting competitions, magical holiday creations, and culinary adventures for the whole family,” said Betsy Ayala, head of food content.
Both of the Gomez-hosted shows on the Food Network are produced by Sony Pictures Television’s Sony Pictures Television and The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC).
Produced by Objective Media Group and All3 Media America, “The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown” is a holiday television special.