Frights and Bragging Rights at 'Stake' in Second Season of Halloween Wars

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Halloween Wars returns to Food Network for a spine-tingling second season on Sunday, October 7^th at 9pm ET/PT.  Five teams, consisting of a pumpkin carving artist, a cake decorator and a candy craftsman, battle it out over the course of this four episode competition series to create the ultimate Halloween themed display that features the most amazing and heart-pounding creations that are sure to scare the pants off of viewers.  One team is eliminated each week by the judging panel, made up of renowned cake decorator Shinmin Li and award winning special effects, make-up artist and horror actor/director Tom Savini, with the last team standing winning $50,000.  Hosted by Justin Willman (Cupcake Wars), each episode also features a rotating guest judge, including Shawnee Smith (Saw, Anger Management), Rutina Wesley (True Blood), Chaske Spencer (Twilight saga) and Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries).

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Episodes include:

Premiering Sunday, October 7^th at 9pm ET/PT – SEASON PREMIERE!

"Evil Clowns"

In the first of four battles, five teams made up of a pumpkin carving expert, cake artist, and candy craftsman must combine their arts to create the most terrifying clown imaginable. At the end of the battle, one team will be eliminated.

Special guest judge: Shawnee Smith

Premiering Sunday, October 14^th at 9pm ET/PT

"Battle of the Vampire Killer"

Four remaining teams made up of a pumpkin carving expert, cake artist, and candy craftsman must capture an epic battle in which a vampire killer slays his prey. At the end of the battle, one team will be eliminated.

Special guest judge: Rutina Wesley

Premiering Sunday, October 21^st at 9pm ET/PT

"Science Gone Wrong"
Three remaining teams made up of a pumpkin carving expert, cake artist, and candy craftsman must capture the terrifying moment when a mad scientist's creation goes horribly wrong, with one team being eliminated at the end.

Special guest judge: Chaske Spencer

Premiering Sunday, October 28^th at 9pm ET/PT

"Zombie Wedding"

In the epic finale, two teams made up of a pumpkin carving expert, cake artist, and candy craftsman must evoke the scene of a romantic yet horrific zombie wedding.  At stake is the Halloween Wars champion and a $50,000 grand prize.

Special guest judge: Sara Canning

ABOUT JUSTIN WILLMAN:
Justin Willman has quickly become one of the busiest TV-personalities and live entertainers in America. He presently hosts the hit show Cupcake Wars on Food Network, and is also well known as the witty correspondent on the Rachael Ray talk show with more than 20 appearances. Justin currently tours nationally with his Tricked Out Tour, a popular one-man comedy and magic live show. Willman has astounded audiences with his magic on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, made a guest appearance on G4's Attack of the Show, appeared in the Showtime documentary Make Believe, guest-starred on the hit CBS show The Defenders, and made a cameo on the long-running Disney sitcom The Suite Life on Deck. He also performed at the White House as a guest of the first family.

ABOUT SHINMIN LI:
Shinmin Li is a renowned cake decorator, who has studied graphic design at The School of Visual Arts in New York City before attending Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney; earning her degree in Grande Patisserie in 2003.

ABOUT TOM SAVINI:
Tom Savini is an award winning special effects and make-up artist and horror actor/director, whose credits include Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, From Dusk Till Dawn, and many more. Savini is also is the program signator for Tom Savini's Special Make-Up Effects Program, with Jeff Imbrescia, CEO/President, at Douglas Education Center in Monessen, Pennsylvania.

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 and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.45 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com),  is the manager and general partner.

*High-res images and interviews available upon request.

SOURCE Food Network