‘Halloween Wars’ Season 8 and More Food Network Specials Announced
The Food Network always cooks up savory Halloween flavor, and this year is no exception, with Season 8 of the popular competition series Halloween Wars returning in October, along with the equally tasty Halloween Baking Championship., plus the new series Haunted Gingerbread Showdown and more specials
Read on for the full press release and the 2018 schedule for all of Food Network’s Halloween programming, starting on Sunday, Sept. 30.
‘Tis the season for frights and delights, as Food Network rolls out two returning series, one all-new competition, plus five sensational specials capturing the Halloween spirit for over 20 hours of thematic holiday programming. The lineup features new seasons of fan-favorites Halloween Baking Championship and Halloween Wars, along with new Halloween-themed specials featuring some of Food Network’s biggest stars, including Duff Goldman and Trisha Yearwood. And don’t miss new series Haunted Gingerbread Showdown, as Food Network celebrates the scariest, and the most wickedly-delicious holiday of the year.
“Food Network kicks off the holiday season with the return of our Halloween programming lineup that features familiar faces and spine-tingling competitions that capture and exceed viewers’ imagination,” said Courtney White, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Programming, Food Network and HGTV. “From spell-binding edible sensations to colorful costumes and more, Food Network is the go-to destination for jaw-dropping Halloween creations that feature mind-blowing skill and artistry.”
Halloween Baking Championship returns on Monday, September 24th at 9pm ET/PT and is filled with more hauntingly delicious treats. Comedian John Henson, along with judges Carla Hall, Lorraine Pascale, and Zac Young test the skills of eight talented bakers as they show off their creepiest, scariest skills over six episodes with bone-chilling challenges. From spider web desserts to towering confections of terror, only one will frighten the competition for a chance to be featured in Food Network Magazine as the winner of Halloween Baking Championship, along with the $25,000 grand prize!
Take a look back at some of the most outrageous moments and disgustingly-decadent desserts from seasons past on Best of Halloween Baking Championship, premiering Monday, October 1st at 10pm ET/PT, with host John Henson counting down all the diabolical desserts and creepy ingredients that viewers have come to love.
On Sunday, September 30th at 8pm ET/PT, viewers get a behind the scenes look at the weeks and months leading up to the best pumpkin carvers, cake and sugar artists entering the Halloween Wars kitchen, on Road to Halloween Wars. Year round, these gleefully ghoulish geniuses work to hone their craft, with dreams of supreme victory.
From points near and far around the globe, find out who has what it takes to be chosen to compete in the new season of Halloween Wars, which premieres on Sunday, September 30th at 9pm ET/PT. Jonathan Bennett returns to host as six teams each made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist, and a sugar master battle it out over five episodes to create Halloween-themed edible displays that are as scary as they are delicious. Each teams’ creations are judged by award-winning cake decorator Shinmin Li, horror film special effects master Todd Tucker (The Terror of Halloween), and a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges, including movie director Mick Garris (Hocus Pocus), Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), and more, to determine which team takes home the grand prize of $50,000!
Halloween Wars Season 8 Episode 1 – Sept. 30
“The Boogeyman’s Nightmare” – Six teams, each consisting of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master, dive into the first battle of the season. They have to create mind-blowing and yummy Halloween-themed displays that depict a monstrous creature so scary that it’s the Boogeyman’s greatest nightmare. Actor Sean Gunn of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie franchise joins the judging panel.
Halloween Wars Season 8 Episode 2 – Oct. 7
“Clowns vs. Zombies” – Five remaining teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master go into battle to create amazing and tasty Halloween-themed displays that depict an epic face-off between clowns and zombies. The special guest judge is John Kassir, the actor behind the unforgettable voice of the Crypt Keeper on the TV series Tales from the Crypt.
Halloween Wars Season 8 Episode 3 – Oct. 14
“Witch Gets a New Ride” – Four remaining teams consisting of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master put their skills to the test to create astonishing and delectable Halloween-themed displays that show what happens when a witch trades in her tired old broom for a brand new ride. Writer, director, and producer Mick Garris of the iconic film Hocus Pocus joins the judges.
Halloween Wars Season 8 Episode 4 – Oct. 21
“Halloween Time Travel” – The remaining three teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master pull out all the stops to create stunning and scrumptious Halloween-themed displays that bend time and space to show their vision of Halloween time travel. Actor Gaten Matarazzo of Stranger Things serves as special guest judge.
Halloween Wars Season 8 Episode 5 – Oct. 28
“Outbreak!” – It’s the spine-tingling finale of Halloween Wars! The final two teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master have slaughtered their competition, and now they’re facing off in one last epic showdown. The team that can best illustrate a terrifying worldwide outbreak and the race for an antidote will be crowned Halloween Wars champions and win $50,000! LeeAnna Vamp, actress, model, and horror culture icon, serves as guest judge.
And don’t miss Halloween Wars: Even More Monstrous Scares, premiering Sunday, September 30th at 10pm ET/PT. Each Halloween for nearly a decade, the world’s greatest pumpkin carvers, cake and sugar artists have joined forces to bring to life the most mind-blowing and terrifying Halloween creations imaginable, as they compete for the grand prize. It’s time to dig up even more of the creepiest ghosts, scariest witches, werewolves, yummiest treats, and most mind-blowing displays in the history of Halloween Wars.
This Halloween, Food Network is putting the haunted back into haunted house with the thrilling competition Haunted Gingerbread Showdown, premiering Sunday, October 7th at 10pm ET/PT. Over four episodes, host Sandra Lee pits nine of the best gingerbread artists in the country against each other to create spooky gingerbread masterpieces that embody the season. Judges Jamika Pessoa and Jason Smith are joined by rotating judges, including the “Mistress of the Dark” herself, Elvira, to determine the winners of the first three heats, who will square off against each other in the finale for a chance to win the ultimate Halloween treat — $25,000 and to be featured in Food Network Magazine. But beware, these aren’t your grandma’s cute gingerbread houses. With surprises lurking around every corner, these wildly haunted original creations tell a darker story.
There are even more outlandish and spooky cakes on the hour-long special Halloween Cake-Off, premiering on Monday, October 8th at 10pm ET/PT. Cake master Duff Goldman hosts this unconventional competition where four professional bakers must prove their expertise in the studio kitchen and within their own bakeries. For the first challenge in the studio, the bakers create cakes incorporating a surprise selection of candies and treats, but one will be ghosted from the competition. With three remaining bakers, they head back to their bakeries to design, bake, and construct an elaborate Halloween-themed showpiece cake that transforms from good to evil by either moving, bursting, shattering or even melting. The one that impresses judges Waylynn Lucas and Pichet Ong with presentation, transformation, and taste, will take home $10,000 and be crowned winner of the Halloween Cake-Off!
Trisha Yearwood is throwing her biggest party ever for her favorite holiday on Trisha’s Halloween Spooktacular, premiering Monday, October 15th at 8pm ET/PT. Join Trisha as she shares eye-popping tricks and treats for the ultimate Halloween party. Along with her best friends, Trisha goes into full preparation mode for the ghoulish gala, from trying on costumes to preparing her most elaborate Halloween-themed dishes to checking out Nashville’s most popular Halloween-themed bar, Trisha’s guests will experience a night they will never forget, ending with a Zombie-filled, candy-coated Halloween jam!
See what else is on TV for Halloween 2018 here!
For more Halloween news, follow @HalloweenDaily.
