WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY'S ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKS TOUT ROBUST PROGRAMMING LINEUP AT NEW YORK UPFRONT PRESENTATION
Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of the Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks,
Readies New Culture-Shaping Series and Influential Genre-Defining Programming
With Hollywood Celebrities, Popular Network Stars, and Iconic IP
New York [May 14, 2025] Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of the Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, announced programming plans and outlined a vision for the entertainment networks during the 2025 Upfront presentation for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Dungey, who assumed oversight of such brands as Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, TBS, TNT, TLC, Adult Swim, OWN and others in January, shared her top priorities for the portfolio which are to create the next generation of culture-shaping programming, broaden collaboration with WBD's streaming platform HBO Max(R) to attract unique audiences, and enhance and extend the power of the group's premium brands.
"Our strength lies in our ability to create shows that dominate the zeitgeist," said Dungey. "We produced six of the top 10 new unscripted series on cable last year, and we'll continue to push the boundaries of great storytelling to serve the dedicated fans of our signature franchises in bold new ways."
Dungey announced several exciting new series for 2025/2026 during the presentation to advertisers at Madison Square Garden, including:
· Food Network's competition show Family Recipe Showdown, produced and hosted by Academy Award(R)-winning actress Octavia Spencer, and Guy's Flavortown Games (wt), featuring Emmy(R) Award-winning host and restaurateur Guy Fieri;
· Discovery's Dancing With Sharks (wt), a Shark Week special hosted by Emmy(R) Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron;
· Investigation Discovery's (ID) They Know What They Did, narrated and executive produced by Golden Globe(R) Award-nominated actress Jennifer Love Hewitt. ID also will premiere a compelling new series that features an unprecedented collaboration between Vanity Fair Studios and Dick Wolf's Wolf Entertainment;
· HGTV's latest home renovation competition Renovating the Bachelor Mansion (wt); and
· OWN's new reality series Heart & Hustle: Houston (wt).
Dungey also previewed TLC's upcoming 90 Day: Hunt for Love, the next spin-off in the 90 Day Fiancé juggernaut, and TNT's High Value Target (wt), a new scripted limited series about the interrogation of Saddam Hussein. She also confirmed that the first season of HBO Max(R) and Warner Bros. Television's breakout hit medical drama The Pitt will premiere on TNT in advance of the show's season two premiere on HBO Max(R).
These are among the many popular series that will return for new seasons: Food Network's Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, HGTV's Ugliest House in America, and Adult Swim's Rick and Morty and My Adventures with Superman.
Beyond television, Dungey highlighted the strong social footprint of the networks. She also underscored partnership opportunities with the Food Network Kitchen, at the HGTV Dream Home or HGTV Smart Home, at the TCM Film Festival, and with Adult Swim on the Green at San Diego Comic-Con.
Here are a few upcoming new series:
Food Network
Guy's Flavortown Games (wt)
Fresh off the season finale of Tournament of Champions, which delivered Food Network's highest-rated telecast in two years, Emmy(R) Award-winning host and restaurateur Guy Fieri brings his iconic Flavortown to life. In the new competition series Guy's Flavortown Games (wt), slated to premiere in early 2026 on Food Network and HBO Max(R), two fearless chefs accept Guy's invitation to the epic restaurant row at the heart of Flavortown Square. Their goal: to prove they have the cooking cred to prepare a winning dish in any type of kitchen imaginable - from an awesome smashburger in the cramped food truck to a Michelin-worthy dinner in the state-of-the-art kitchen of a fine dining restaurant. The chef who makes the best dish in each round gets to choose their own culinary adventure by selecting the unique restaurant and cuisine they'll have to tackle next. In the town that Guy built, choosing the right restaurant can change your fortune.
Family Recipe Showdown
Going back to her Southern roots, Academy Award(R)-winning actress Octavia Spencer hosts a multi-generational home cooking competition that celebrates secret family recipes and traditions - where pride is on the line and the stakes are deeply personal as duos compete for a $10,000 prize. Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, Southern cooking royalty and expert judge Edgar "Dook" Chase is joined by guest judges and Octavia's celebrity friends, including Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain, Danielle Brooks, Eric Stonestreet, Tina Knowles, Kandi Burrus, Tim Gunn, and Al Roker with his daughter Leila. Family Recipe Showdown will debut later in 2025 on Food Network and HBO Max(R).
OWN
Heart & Hustle: Houston (wt)
Heart & Hustle: Houston (wt), produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment in their first-ever foray into the unscripted ensemble arena, follows a dynamic sisterhood of successful Black women in the vibrant heart of Houston. These women are redefining what it means to be a boss, a wife and a mother, while navigating a labyrinth of unique daily challenges. Despite appearing to 'have it all,' they face insecurities and pressures to maintain a perfect image. Their unbreakable bond of friendship and support helps them rise above the chaos, reminding them it's okay to be 'perfectly imperfect.' The series will premiere in Summer 2025 on OWN.
Discovery
Dancing With Sharks (wt)
Hosted by Emmy(R) Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron, Dancing With Sharks (wt) is a new Shark Week 2025 special that features an unprecedented underwater dance competition between expert divers and their shark partners. Blending skill, grace and the daring pursuit of the ultimate underwater thrill, five divers - all trained by a world-class underwater choreographer - will compete to show off their skills during epic underwater dances. Each diver will attempt to outperform their competitors, with moves including the Hammerhead Hoedown and Tiger Trot, and redefine dancing with danger. They will have one shot to wow the judges and be crowned the first-ever champion of Dancing With Sharks (wt).
Investigation Discovery
They Know What They Did
They Know What They Did, narrated and executive produced by Golden Globe(R) Award-nominated actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, explores a group of interconnected individuals haunted by a murder from their past. Blending a kaleidoscope of perspectives, each episode charts the journey to confront what really happened, revealing secrets and uncovering the truth. The stories unfold through first-person accounts of friends, family, locals, journalists and law enforcement. The series will premiere in Summer 2025 on ID and HBO Max(R).
Vanity Fair/Dick Wolf Series
Vanity Fair, renowned for its in-depth investigative journalism and rich history of reporting on high-profile true crime cases, along with Dick Wolf, the mastermind behind iconic crime dramas, and his production company Wolf Entertainment are joining forces in an unprecedented collaboration to bring a compelling new series to Investigation Discovery, the leader in true crime programming. Together, they will present some of the most impactful stories with unparalleled access and exceptional reporting. This unique partnership will bring the incredible feature reporting of Vanity Fair to life in a new event anthology series helmed by best-in-class documentary filmmakers, coming to ID and HBO Max(R) in 2026.
TNT
High Value Target (wt)
Inspired by the book "Debriefing the President," the miniseries High Value Target (wt) is about a man's relentless quest for truth, a nation's complicated campaign for justice, and the bonds between fathers and sons. For the first time, it tells the intimate story of two men at the heart of one of the 21st century's most formative conflicts. In 2003, John Nixon, a CIA analyst, became the first American to interrogate Saddam Hussein. During their time together, Nixon began to understand the potential consequences of the invasion, humanitarian horrors and geopolitical turbulence that would follow Saddam's deposing.
HGTV
Renovating the Bachelor Mansion (wt)
For more than 40 seasons, zealous fans have watched singletons find love within the iconic walls of the recurring Bachelor(ette) Mansion. Now, HGTV shines the light on this recognizable estate, giving the property the facelift it finally deserves. In the new competition twist from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television premiering in 2026 on HGTV and HBO Max(R), former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants who possess expert reno skills return to the house to duke it out in various design challenges with the hope of winning a cash prize.
TLC
90 Day: Hunt For Love
The linear and streaming global sensation 90 Day Fiancé continues with its latest spin-off, 90 Day: Hunt For Love. The new iteration will follow eight 90 Day alums as they try to find real love. Over two weeks, the cast will travel to Tulum, Mexico, to take part in an exclusive, singles-only retreat to meet, mingle, party, and hopefully find "the one." What could go wrong? Or maybe, what could go right if they find love? 90 Day: Hunt For Love premieres Monday, May 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on TLC, with each new episode available to stream the next day on HBO Max(R).
About Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.
|