Esquire Network Shifts KNIFE FIGHT, THE MIX Premieres to this Summer

KNIFE FIGHT, the gritty new cooking competition show hosted by Top Chef Season 2 winner Ilan Hall, and THE MIX, hve been bumped to a summer premiere, Esquire Network announced today. The two shows were previously scheduled to air next week.

The network has decided to delay the premieres in order to shift its original programming up.

"In order to give our viewers a more substantial program offering that showcases the breadth of the Esquire Network, we are pushing our rebrand to the summer," Esquire Network's general manager, Adam Stotsky, said in a statement today.

In each episode, two sets of chefs compete in two separate Knife Fight bouts. For each battle, two chefs go head-to-head, making at least two dishes in one hour, from a combination of two to three secret ingredients.

As the chefs Face Off in The Gorbals' kitchen, they feel the heat as they're cheered and heckled by a rowdy crowd - including friends, neighbors and an eclectic group of celebrities, food professionals and die-hard foodies that serve as judges and timekeepers for each bout. Among them: Drew Barrymore (who also serves as Executive Producer), Elijah Wood, Jason Lee, Bijou Phillips and Erika Christensen, food writers Jeanne Kelly and Evan Kleiman, and Hall's Top Chef friends like Elia Aboumrad and Michael Voltaggio. World-renowned skateboarding photographer Giovanni Reda acts as master of ceremonies for the series.

With new contestants each week, this season features exciting and acclaimed chefs, including James Beard nominees, Food & Wine "Best New Chefs," Top Chef competitors, chefs who've worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more.

In the premiere episodes, it's England vs. France as BrenDan Collins (Waterloo & City) and David Feau (most recently executive chef of The Royce at The Langham), battle it out. Actor and comedian Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show), actress, model and singer Bijou Phillips, and award-winning food writer/author Jeanne Kelley join Hall on the panel of judges.

Then, cooking competition veteran CJ Jacobsen (The Mercantile), battles it out with his friend, Ray's & Stark Bar's Kris Morningstar. But will one chef be up to the task when he realizes he's allergic to a main ingredient? Guest judges include restaurateur Lou Amdur and Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz.

EsquireTV.com will host two original companion series, "The Mix," an exploration of the perfect cocktail and "Eat Like A Man," extending the long-running Esquire franchise to television and featuring Hall's tips guaranteed to elevate men's game in the kitchen. Viewers can also go behind the scenes with episode recaps, photo galleries, clips from each episode and extended web exclusive video.

Knife Fight is produced for Esquire Network by Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment. For Flower Films, Drew Barrymore and Nancy Juvonen are executive producers; co-executive producers are Ember Truesdell and Chris Miller. For Authentic Entertainment, Lauren Lexton, Tom Rogan and J.C. Begley are executive producers. Ilan Hall, Rich Kim and Kevin Johnston are executive producers. For Esquire Network, Matt Hanna and Laura Civiello are series network executives.

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