EXCLUSIVE: Magnolia Network, the network joint venture between Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines and Discovery, is cooking up more originals ahead of its launch next year.
The network has ordered Zoe Bakes featuring baker Zoë Francois from Andrew Zimmern’s Intuitive Content. In the series, the Minneapolis resident breaks down the secrets of the best pastry chefs, teaching viewers how to achieve beautiful and delicious desserts from their own kitchens.
Francois trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has authored seven books including The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day series.
She has known Zimmern, who exec produces, since he hired her out of the CIA when he was opening a restaurant and needed a pastry chef assistant.
It is the second show for Magnolia Network from Zimmern’s production company – he is also making Family Dinner in which he visits families across America to explore how the cultural, regional and historical facets of who we are inform what and how we eat.
Both shows are intended to air around the network’s launch, which is set for early 2021, after it was delayed from its 2020 launch due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
Patrick Weiland and Patrick McMahill exec produce both shows alongside Zimmern.
Allison Page, Magnolia Network President, said: “We are thrilled about the opportunity to partner with Intuitive Content on projects for Andrew and Zoe, two exceptional talents with passions for good food and great stories. Family Dinner and Zoe Bakes are the perfect complements to a robust slate of original programming and we look forward to continued success working collaboratively with Andrew and his team of makers over at Intuitive Content.”
Andrew Zimmern, CEO of Intuitive Content, added, “We are honored and privileged to be a part of this historic network launch with our close collaborators and dear friends, Chip, Jo and the Discovery Networks team. These two projects couldn’t be more indicative of the Intuitive brand – telling inspirational, compelling, premium content focusing on real people and telling real stories.”