Octavia Spencer to Host New Food Network Series FAMILY RECIPE SHOWDOWN

Academy Award®-winning actress Octavia Spencer returns to her Southern roots this summer in the new home cooking competition Family Recipe Showdown. Set in New Orleans, Octavia serves as the host of the series which also features Southern cooking royalty Edgar “Dook” Chase as THE RESIDENT expert. Each episode welcomes family duos to THE KITCHEN as they prepare their most cherished recipes for a $10,000 prize.

Together, Octavia and Dook sample the dishes before being joined in the final round by a rotating panel of guest judges and Octavia’s celebrity friends—including Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain, Danielle Brooks, Eric Stonestreet, Tina Knowles, Kandi Burruss, Tim Gunn, and Al Roker with his daughter Leila. Family Recipe Showdown premieres Thursday, July 17th at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network and streams the next day on HBO Max.

Each episode features two rounds of culinary throwdowns with themes from a Southern brunch with all the fixings to a top-notch biscuit bakeoff, and three teams of home cooks must impress Octavia and Dook to advance to the final round. The two duos that move on to the second showdown are tasked with putting their own delicious spin on a family favorite recipe of the episode’s guest judge. Each week, only one family takes home the win and $10,000 prize. In the series premiere, Octavia and Dook open THE KITCHEN to three teams of Southern families for a down-home showdown. In the first round, an aunt and niece, mother-in-law and son-in-law and wife duo serve up their best Southern brunch. In the second round, the final two teams put their own spin on one of guest judge Reese Witherspoon's childhood favorites. Ultimately, only one team has what it takes to impress the judges and take home the $10,000 prize.

Family Recipe Showdown is produced by Hello Sunshine and Orit Entertainment for Food Network. Executive producers include Reese Witherspoon, Sara Rea and Lauren Neustadter on behalf of Hello Sunshine. Octavia Spencer, Brian Clisham and Stephanie Kluft on behalf of Orit. Brielle Lebsack Cohen serves as showrunner, and Joe Guidry directed the series.