IT'S COOK OR BE COOKED: NEW ORIGINAL SERIES "KNIFE FIGHT" DEBUTS TUESDAY, APRIL 23 ON ESQUIRE NETWORK

Los Angeles, CA (March 25, 2013) - KNIFE FIGHT, a gritty new cooking competition show hosted by Top Chef Season 2 winner Ilan Hall, premieres Tuesday, April 23 at 9P E/P on the new Esquire Network. The 10-episode series features underground, after-hours cooking bouts between Los Angeles' most exciting chefs at The Gorbals, Hall's downtown restaurant.

"It's real chefs cooking in a real kitchen in front of real people," says Hall. "What started as one chef talking smack to another has grown organically into a full-on competition. At the end, it's not about winning and there's no huge prize. These chefs are just pouring their hearts into what goes onto their plates out of a genuine love of food."

Each hour-long episode of KNIFE FIGHT features an undercard and a title bout. 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 April 23 premiere episode, rising stars Kevin Meehan (Kali Dining) and Felix G. Barron IV (KITCHN 105) compete in the undercard bout, while Brendan Collins (Waterloo & City) and David Feau (most recently executive chef of The Royce at The Langham), battle for the title. Actor and comedian Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show) and award-winning food writer/author Jeanne Kelley join Hall on the panel of judges.

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.

For additional information about KNIFE FIGHT, follow on Twitter @KnifeFightESQ and "like" on Facebook at http://facebook.com/KnifeFightESQ.

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.

About Esquire Network

The modern man will be televised. Championing intelligence, wit and style, Esquire Network brings the iconic men's brand to television as the definitive network for the modern, multi-faceted man. A strategic partnership between NBCUniversal and Hearst Magazines, the network's programming explores and celebrates the interests, passions and aspirations of men today: gaming and gear, food and drink, fashion and style, women and relationships, travel and adventure, celebrity and entertainment, health and recreation, politics, talk and more. Formerly known as G4, Esquire Network will rebrand on April 22, 2013 in 62 million households nationwide, as well as online, mobile, On Demand and other platforms. Esquire Network is a unit of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.