Lifestyle TV veterans Maggie Barnes and Brett Stolnick have launched Garden Slate Productions, home of Food Network’s long-running series “The Kitchen” and HGTV’s “The High Low Project.”
Barnes and Stolnick previously worked together at BSTV Entertainment, which the pair acquired from producer Beth Burke. BSTV’s roster also included Food Network’s “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen” and “Big Restaurant Bet.” The company’s branded content division that produced material for Walt Disney World Resorts and Target.
Barnes will serve as co-owner of Garden Slate and executive producer of productions that come from the Montclair, N.J.-based banner. Stolnick is co-owner and head of production. Another lifestyle TV veteran, Christine Stirrat, has signed on as VP of development. Stirrat previously worked in development for Warm Springs Productions and Rock Shrimp Productions, where she shepherded shows for Food Network, HGTV, Bravo, History Channel and TLC.
“We are thrilled to launch Garden Slate Productions following ‘The Kitchen’s’ renewal for its 39th season,” Barnes and Stolnick said in a statement. “Our focus remains on creating unscripted programming that is both groundbreaking and entertaining. We look forward to sharing our passion for storytelling with new audiences across the television landscape.”
Before joining BSTV in 2019, Barnes produced ABC’s daytime foodie TV show “The Chew” and the syndicated talk show “The Rachael Ray Show.” Stolnick he worked as a production management executive on such shows as Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” and History’s “Pawn Stars.”
Garden Slate Productions is represented by Innovative Artists.
(Pictured: Brett Stolnick and Maggie Barnes, center, with ‘The Kitchen’ stars Sunny Anderson, Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro, Alex Guarnaschelli and Geoffrey Zakarian)
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