GUY FIERI IS ON A MISSION TO FIND FOOD NETWORK'S NEXT BIG FOOD-ROAD SHOW ON ALL-NEW "GUY'S BIG PROJECT"

NEW Series Premieres Sunday, November 5th at 9pm ET/PT

New York - September 29, 2017 - Guy Fieri has visited thousands of restaurants on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, literally putting food-road shows on the map. Now, Guy is searching for Food Network's next big culinary-travel series. After receiving and sorting through thousands of submissions from hopeful hosts with promising concepts, Guy and his team of food and television experts narrowed it down to a final group of prospects that will vie to have their idea developed into a show on Guy's Big Project. The six-episode journey begins on Sunday, November 5th at 9pm ET/PT and documents every twist and turn as the prospects move from initial pitch through development to network review, to the ultimate end goal - the premiere of a new show on Food Network.

"Over a decade ago I was given a chance that I could never have dreamed of on Food Network Star, and now I'm honored to have the opportunity to help make someone else's dream a reality," said Fieri. "As a producer, I know what it takes to get a show off the ground, and we will see if these prospects have the passion and skills needed, because a great idea is just the first step."

"Guy's Big Project invites viewers behind-the-scenes to see how a series goes from a passionate idea to a reality on-air," said Courtney White, Senior Vice President Programming, Scripps Networks Interactive. "Guy's betting on not only identifying the next big idea for the network, but he's also committed to doing everything needed to help the prospects succeed."

Guy and his team of experts including Food Network's Alex Guarnaschelli and veteran television producer Mark Dissin, are taking the most promising prospects out on the road to see who has what it takes to be a success. The journey begins with the finalists picking a restaurant that best represents them and their show idea, where they film a pitch video to convey what their show would be about. Then, the pressure heats up as they whip up a meal in Guy's personal kitchen that embodies their idea. One prospect will find the feedback hard to chew and will be sent home.

As the season progresses, the prospects are put through the paces by Guy and his team, learning that there is a lot more to hosting a food-television show than a passion for food and cooking skills. From describing each bite of food in order to convey the flavors, aromas and textures, to engaging the audience while eating and interviewing a wide variety of chefs, there is a lot to digest especially when your hopes and dreams are on the line.

On the finale on Sunday, December 10th at 9pm ET/PT, the remaining prospects each shoot a pilot employing all the skills they learned from the previous weeks. After submitting their tapes to the network, they must wait to hear the decision. Immediately following the finale, at 10pm ET/PT, viewers will find out who made the cut as they get a sneak peek of the winner's series!

The prospects include: Mark Anderson (Boise, Idaho) together with Ryan Fey (Los Angeles, California), Zane Caplansky (Toronto, Canada), Sharon Damante (Napa, California) together with Sherri Williams (Crestview, Florida), Christian Gill (Cincinnati, Ohio), Lindsay Greene (Atlanta, Georgia), Rashad Jones (Ocala, Florida), Dariany Santana (Kenilworth, New Jersey), and Vincenzo Vaccaro (Astoria, New York).

Fans can get an insider's look at the making of Guy's Big Project with behind-the-scenes photos of Guy and the prospects, as well as bonus videos and recipes inspired by the show at FoodNetwork.com/GuysBigProject. To join the conversation on social media use #GuysBigProject.

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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to nearly 100 million U.S. households and draws over 46 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine's rate base has grown 13 times and is the #2 best-selling monthly magazine on the newsstand, with 13.9 million readers. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24-hour networks in the United Kingdom, Asia, and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Scripps Networks Interactive (NASDAQ: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com) and Great American Country (www.gactv.com), is the manager and general partner.