MICHAEL McKEAN RETURNS TO SHED LIGHT ON SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR FOOD MYTHS ON NEW SEASON OF "FOOD: FACT OR FICTION?"

Season Premiere Monday, October 24th at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT on Cooking Channel

NEW YORK - September 22, 2016 - Host Michael McKean returns to explore age-old food adages such as "do carrots really improve our eyesight," "did salt win the Civil War," and more in the second season of Food: Fact or Fiction? premiering Monday, October 24th at 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT. During the new season McKean will uncover fascinating food mysteries that are baked inside everything we eat. From pancakes to burgers to apple pie, Food: Fact or Fiction? will reveal the accidental discoveries, clever marketing ploys and war propaganda campaigns that have flavored favorite dishes with a spoonful of fact and a dash of fiction.

"In Food: Fact or Fiction? Michael McKean is on a mission to unmask some of the most mouth-watering mysteries," said Didi O'Hearn, Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network & Cooking Channel. "Whether it is exploring the origins of a food or debunking a common myth, Michael is the perfect person to shed light and humor upon these commonly held beliefs."

"Food is universal. To delight together in finding new flavors and styles is, in a sense, to communicate and share beyond language," said Michael McKean. "We've had great fun tracking the origins of different dishes, investigating food myths and mysteries, and welcoming all comers to our table for a hearty bite of history...with a few laughs on the side."

In the premiere episode Michael McKean shares the "hole" story of everyone's favorite middle-missing baked goods. See if donuts helped bring about the end of World War I, if the secret to New York bagels lies in the city's water and how Bundt cakes went from headlining brunch to saving lives. Through 13 episodes of the series, produced by Morgan Freeman's and Lori McCreary's Revelations Entertainment, viewers will be stunned as they uncover the facts and the fiction about some of our most favorite foods, including whether beer's spirits were put there by angels, is cotton candy a cavity conspiracy, did tailgating begin on the battlefield and is a hoagie a hero or a sub, among many others.

Challenge your food knowledge in CookingChannelTV.com's new interactive video trivia game. Plus, find out the truth behind popular food urban legends, like the five-second rule, gum taking seven years to digest and more. Join the conversation with #FoodFactorFiction.

Michael McKean is an accomplished actor, writer, and Grammy award-winning musician, widely recognized for his first starring role as Lenny Koznowki on Laverne and Shirley and the longevity of his career. His work spans film, television, recording and the stage. Films include This is Spinal Tap, Clue, The Big Picture, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and many more. Just some of the TV shows include Saturday Night Live, X-Files, Family Tree and he is currently starting production on the third season of acclaimed series Better Call Saul. His love of the theatre has brought him to stages in New York, Los Angeles, Cambridge, Williamstown and London with his most recent appearances including The Band Wagon, All The Way, Gore Vidal's The Best Man, King Lear, Our Town, Superior Donuts, The Homecoming, The Pajama Game, A Second Hand Memory, and Hairspray. McKean won a Theatre World Award for Rupert Holmes's Accomplice; Grammy Award for the title song A Mighty Wind, written with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy; Oscar nomination for Best Song A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow, written with his wife, Annette O'Toole. Michael is also the only million dollar Celebrity Jeopardy champion.

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