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Parents' Guide to

Family Food Showdown

By Marty Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Family cooking show focuses on good food and light drama.

TV Food Network Game Shows 2019
Family Food Showdown Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Family Food Showdown Series: Valerie Bertinelli hosts
  • Family Food Showdown Series: The Gollahers finish the challenge
  • Family Food Showdown Series: Families face off

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

toniejp
toniejp Adult
March 10, 2019
age 18+

Unfair to winners of the first two rounds

I believe the show has a good concept but it's not fair. If a family wins the first two rounds then they should be the winner. The 3rd round for $10,000 should not be determined by one win for the other family that lost the 2 previous rounds. what is the purpose of round 1 & 2 if it doesn't count? There should be a round 4 if the losing family of the first 2 rounds won round 3.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Each week on FAMILY FOOD SHOWDOWN, two three-person families face off in a series of cooking challenges to win $10,000. Families are given several simple prompts (a favorite childhood meal, for example) and are given a limited amount of time to cook. Meals are then presented to a panel of judges, and the team with the better food wins. Valerie Bertinelli hosts.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The most interesting thing about this fun, simple cooking show is its focus on family dynamics, and how working together under pressure can change them. Sometimes the ideas can feel a little antiquated -- the episode about moms, for example, repeatedly focuses on "who is the boss of the kitchen" -- but Family Food Showdown generally keeps the drama light and shows families succeeding together despite occasional in-fighting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about cooking together. How do the contestants on Family Food Showdown work in the kitchen? What does it mean to work together on a task like this?

  • Did the families cook any foods you've never seen before? What are they? Do you like to try new foods or do you prefer old favorites?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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