Universal Kids has renewed its upcoming reality series Top Chef Jr. for a second season—ahead of the show’s October 13 premiere on the newly launched NBCUniversal-owned channel.
Produced by Magical Elves, the series is hosted by Vanessa Lachey and Chef Curtis Stone (pictured). It follows 12 chefs between the ages of 11 and 14 from across the US, who will compete for the Top Chef Jr. title and a US$50,000 cash prize. Other judges on the show include culinary experts/Top Chef alums Gail Simmons, Graham Elliott and Tiffany Derry, along with surprise guest judges.
The show’s 14 x one-hour episodes will also include iconic challenges like restaurant wars.
In related news, DreamWorksTV—an Awesomeness division with 3.3 million YouTube subscribers—has signed its first major domestic linear TV deal with Universal Kids. Its YouTube series Life Hacks for Kids has spawned a new 10 x half-hour show entitled Life Hacks for Kids: On the Road.
The series will see host Gillian Espina travel to cool locations looking for inspiration and teaching kids DIY projects. The show will bow on Universal Kids in 2018.