Esquire Network To Debut New, Grittier Cooking Show

There are a plethora of cooking shows on TV today, ranging from the high-stress Chopped to the more playful Cupcake Wars, and if you’re enrolled in culinary online programs, odds are you may watch one or two of them religiously. On April 23rd, a new culinary show will hit the airwaves on the Esquire Network.

Hosted by former Top Chef winner Ilan Hall, the show, titled “Knife Fight” differs from other reality shows in its format. According to USA Today, Knife Fight “looks like Iron Chef with a Fight Club twist,” and has no prize aside from bragging rights. The underground, after-hours format will showcase a grittier side of cooking, as the show’s producers also decided to welcome hecklers to the stands to egg on the contestants.

“This happened really organically, it was just one chef talking smack to another,” Hall told Eater National. “It then became a full-fledged fight that we do all the time.”

In the show, two chefs will go head to head, using two or three secret ingredients to make at least two dishes in a one-hour time period. Guest judges are rumored to include Drew Barrymore, Elijah Wood, Erika Christensen, Jason Lee, Bijou Phillips and others.