Jonathan Bennett: A Time-Traveling Host Bringing Nostalgia and Halloween Magic to TV
Carissa Pavlica
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Business is slow in Hollywood right now with the writers and actors on strike, but that hasn't slowed down Jonathan Bennett.
Bennett has two programs airing on Food Network over the next couple of months, which allows the charismatic host to do on screen what relatively few get the opportunity to do -- be himself.
He's having a great time, and viewers are reaping all the rewards.
The first production he's hosting is Battle of the Decades, a new series in which chefs of different decades partner up to create something edible (elevated!) with dishes and gadgets of the time.
It's a perfect match for Bennett, who has been firmly planted in popular culture since his breakout roll in Mean Girls in 2004, starring with Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and a host of others who have been influencing the industry ever since.
Bennett referenced Taylor Swift, who, at a recent concert, said something to the effect that as tiring as it seems to do shows five or six nights a week, you don't get exhausted because she's finally reached the point in her career she's been working so hard to achieve.
That sentiment rings home for Bennett. "I've worked my whole life to entertain people and to make them laugh and give them a way to turn off their brains and just watch fun TV.
"To get to go and do that every day and then also get paid for it is, like, the coolest thing in the world." Getting paid to be yourself is an enviable position, and he agrees. "It's the best job ever," Bennett confirms.
Bennett loves the nostalgic feel of Battle of the Decades, "where you really go back in time with the crazy cooking ingredients that we make these chefs use," particularly because of its laid-back production values.
"The show feels looser and more off the cuff than I've ever seen on Food Network, but it still has that familiar competition feel to it," Bennett said.
On other productions, he feels that a lot of what makes a show special falls to the cutting room floor, which gives Battle of the Decades a fresh feel, and Bennett confirms that although there is a structure to the series, it's not filmed the same way twice.
"It just makes me excited to shoot the next season because now that I know we can put all that stuff in, we'll turn it up."
Battle of the Decades Season 1 Episode 1 featured six competing chefs and judges, Antonia Lofaso and her daughter Xea Myers and guest star Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Using moussaka, bacon, Go-GURT, and the Magic Bullet blender, the partnered chefs worked together to craft their first dish while Bennett entertained and kept the conversation flowing.
As "a huge Seinfeld fan," Bennett's favorite episode airs tonight, as Wayne Knight takes the team back in time to 1994 when the chefs joke about their varying memories of the '90s as they use the iconic George Foreman Grill to create elevated dishes out of popular foods from the decade: muffin tops, chicken breasts, ranch dressing, and Lucky Charms.
Then, new school and old school chefs alike learn how difficult it is to recreate the viral "accordion potato" food trend, and judges Kathy Fang and her father, Peter Fang, use a classic beef Wellington to determine which chef prevails.
This particular episode beats close to Bennett's heart.
"I grew up using a George Foreman grill. It's my favorite cooking device. I used it every single day. And so to bring out the George [of Seinfeld], the George Foreman grill, and then have to use muffin tops because of the Seinfeld episode The Muffin Tops, they have to use those two things to create a dish.
"It's just hilarious because one of my favorite parts is when one of the new school chefs doesn't know how to turn on the George Foreman grill because they've never seen one before. And that's where you get all the comedy of the show to see the generational gap between these two contestants."
How the chefs work together has also been surprising.
"It's funny because a lot of times you think the new school chef is going to try to do something brand new and out of the box. But a lot of times, we realized that the new school chef is sticking with more of the classics, and it's the old-school chefs that are actually pushing the envelope.
"So I guess it's that old adage -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And so when you have classic dishes, like Beef Bourguignon, or, you know, chicken waffles, like, don't mess with the classics. Just give them a good classic."
The generational gap between the chefs seems to be pushing them in different directions, which works well within the format of the show. That format also includes references to the decades in question.
"It's fun. Even the questions they put in between each commercial break to bring you back to that year. There are so many fun things that make this show different and fun, and fresh. I think people are going to really respond to it.
Bennett, who used the Magic Bullet growing up to make protein shakes hope those conversations go both ways, that kids can learn from their parents and parents can check out viral content their kids are into, too.
"I can't wait for that moment when the kid says oh my gosh, Mom, how do you not know what an accordion potato is? It's all over TikTok."
Full disclosure, I didn't know what an accordion potato was, so I'm already learning from the mere existence of Battle of the Decades. Bennett laughed. "Yeah, I didn't either until we shot the show."
He's also excited about an upcoming episode featuring Olympic swimmer Greg Louganis.
"I mean, what a fun time because they have to use Wheaties because he was on the Wheaties box, coffee, and a fruit roll-up that just takes us back to the year 1984. Just having Greg Louganis on the show and talking about what 1984 was like. It's just such a fun nostalgic episode."
Bennett said watching the chefs craft a meal from those ingredients in the Easy Bake Oven was just hilarious. "Who would have thought years ago when you're playing with the Easy Bake Oven that it would be on Food Network as one of the items in a challenge?"
You might think Bennett's got his hands full with Battle of the Decades, but you'd be missing the mark. He will again be hosting Halloween Wars, premiering on September 17.
Bennett hosted from 2016 to 2020, and he's thrilled to return.
"They were doing different formats because of what was going on in the world. And then, you know, they called and said, 'Do you want to come back to the show,' and I obviously jumped at the chance because it's such a fun show to get to do, and it's just become such a staple of people's lives in October."
When I first asked about his personal attachment to Halloween, Bennett admitted that while he enjoys holidays, he spends so much time promoting them for various productions that he's usually burned out and doesn't celebrate.
As the conversation continued, I sensed that even round-the-clock promotion wouldn't stop him from enjoying the holiday.
"This past year, for Halloween, I got to dress up as Elphaba from Wicked, which is my favorite musical. I got to go as the green witch and made my husband dress up as Fiyero. So I think that was my favorite Halloween in a long time. But we did the Act One costumes, so this year, I think I have to do the Act Two costumes."
"Well, like Elphaba says, [singing] 'something has changed within me.' I think coming back to Halloween wars has reignited my passion for Halloween."
Bennett thinks fans will enjoy Halloween Wars Season 13, which brings back a fan-favorite. "The biggest thing for lucky Season 13 of Halloween Wars is that the pumpkins are back, and that was something the fans were really missing from the previous seasons.
"But we have the pumpkins back, we have the pumpkin carvers, and we're going back to a little bit more of the original format of the show in many ways with the host and the judges and then also keeping it fresh with new stuff on the show, where we have different ways of eliminating the teams this season.
"So it'll have a really familiar feel to it but also have fresh ideas in that in that familiar feel."
The pumpkins may be back but don't expect Bennett to try his hand at carving. "I am the worst. I am horrible. I'm horrible at carving pumpkins. However, the pumpkin carvers will always have a special place in my heart not only because of the magic work that they do on these pumpkins but because I met my husband promoting Halloween Wars.
"I met him promoting Halloween wars with a pumpkin Carver. One of our pumpkin carvers and I went on James's show, Celebrity Page, to promote the season finale of Halloween Wars.
"So I will always associate and have a love for pumpkin carving. Because without taking a pumpkin carver on TV to promote the show, I wouldn't have met my husband."
If that's not a great reason to return to Halloween Wars, I don't know what is.
"I will always have a special place in my heart for Halloween and Halloween wars because it's literally the reason I fell in love." Swoon.
He could also not do any of this without your support. "It goes back to what I said, if you're lucky enough to get paid just to be you, it's the best job in the world.
"I'm so grateful to the Food Network fans because they really have been so supportive of me and embrace me and to see all the comments online and feel the excitement that I'm back on the network is overwhelming and heartwarming."
You can continue showing your support by checking out both shows. Let's carry our love for food and Halloween in our pockets for the next couple of months!
Battle of the Decades premiered on Wednesday, August 16, and is available to watch now on Discovery+, and a new episode premieres on Food Network tonight at 10/9c.
Halloween Wars Season 13 premieres on September 17, so you'll have a few weeks of concurrent programming with Jonathan Bennett as your gracious host.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
