Key Highlights:
- RFD-TV introduces new original and acquired series launching Q1 2026, led by ‘Twisted Skillet.’
- New food and lifestyle programming joins long-standing news and entertainment viewers rely on.
- Core franchises return, reinforcing RFD-TV’s steady commitment to rural audiences.
NASHVILLE, TN - January 12, 2026 RFD-TV today shared its Q1 2026 programming slate, bringing together new original series, carefully chosen additions, and the return of programs viewers have counted on for years. The lineup reflects a network building on its strengths while making room for new stories that fit naturally alongside daily news, agriculture, and entertainment.
The 2026 slate includes Twisted Skillet, a new RFD-TV produced cooking and travel series, along with several acquired programs and returning favorites. It also reflects continued investment in original production at RFD Studios’ Music Row location in Nashville and the Auction Barn Studios in Fort Worth, supporting more food, music, lifestyle, and unscripted storytelling rooted in rural life as it is lived today.
“Our goal is to serve the full range of rural life, the news people depend on, the stories that feel familiar, and the ones that open the door a little wider,” said Gatsby Gottsch Solheim, Co-Owner + Chief Legal & Finance Officer. “This slate stays true to the audience that’s been with us while welcoming more people into the fold.”
At the center of the slate is Twisted Skillet, the first new original series produced by RFD-TV under the leadership of Raquel Gottsch Koehler and Gatsby Gottsch Solheim.
Twisted Skillet: A New Original Series Where Restaurant Inspiration Meets Cowboy Culinary Creativity
Premiering February 4, 2026, Twisted Skillet brings a straightforward, hands-on approach to food television, rooted in food and fire. Hosted by Texas chef Sean Koehler, the series explores open-fire outdoor cooking techniques, regional ingredients, and the people who raise, prepare, and inspire the food found across America. Every episode begins with restaurant inspiration, and every dish gets a cowboy culinary twist.
Each episode opens with Sean spending time in a local restaurant or kitchen, learning how a dish comes together and uncovering the story behind it. He then heads back to the ranch to reinterpret the meal in his own way, cooking outdoors over an open fire and walking viewers through his process step by step.
The style is intentionally simple and unpolished. Food is cooked the way it often is in rural America, outside, with what’s on hand, focused on technique, instinct, and creativity rather than perfection.
“Food has always been part of rural life, community, and culture, and expanding into cooking programming felt like a natural evolution for us,” said Raquel Gottsch Koehler, Co-Owner and Chief Marketing + Creative Officer. “Twisted Skillet brings together great storytelling, regional flavor, and a fresh take on outdoor cooking, and we’re excited to introduce it as part of our 2026 lineup.”
“I’ve always been passionate about food, but traveling across the country has deepened my appreciation for the different styles, techniques, and traditions of cooking,” said Sean Koehler, host of Twisted Skillet. “For me, cooking is about learning, and then taking what you’ve learned and making it your own.”
At its heart, Twisted Skillet honors tradition while encouraging cooks to trust their instincts and let experience guide the final dish, shaped by fire, process, and personal style.
New Series Highlight the Shared Story of Rural Life
RFD-TV is also adding several new series that explore food, work and self-reliance in rural communities around the world. While the settings may differ, the values remain familiar: hard work, care for the land, and pride in building something that lasts.
- Outback Farm (January 13, 2026), following a family through their first year establishing a new farm in the Australian Outback.
- A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing & Wild Cooking (January 15, 2026) with Michelin-starred chef Analiese Gregory exploring food, and self-sufficiency in remote Tasmania.
Returning Favorites and the Talent Viewers Know and Trust
Alongside new additions, RFD-TV will continue to air the programs that have long defined the network. These returning series deepen the connection with loyal viewers while fitting naturally within the broader slate.
- FarmHER + RanchHER (Season Premiere Jan. 8), hosted by Kirbe Schnoor
- The Malpass Brothers Show (Season Premiere Jan. 10), featuring Chris and Taylor Malpass
- Shark Farmer (New Season Jan. 13), with Illinois farmer Rob Sharkey
- Dirt Diaries (Podcast) (Season 2 in 2026), continuing the conversations from women across rural industries.
A Foundation of News Viewers Rely On
Daily live news remains the backbone of RFD-TV. Programs such as Market Day Report, Rural Evening News, and Cow Guy Close deliver live coverage throughout the workday from the RFD Studios in Nashville, providing timely updates on markets, weather, and issues that affect agriculture and rural communities.
Together, new originals, returning favorites, and trusted news coverage form a Q1 2026 slate that reflects RFD-TV’s steady commitment to the audiences it serves, carrying familiar values forward while making room for what comes next.
About RFD-TV
Launched in 2000, RFD-TV is the flagship television network of Rural Media Group, Inc., and the only 24-hour network dedicated to serving the needs of rural America. An independent, family-owned and operated media network, RFD-TV features a mix of agribusiness reporting, equine programs, rural lifestyle shows, and traditional country music. The network produces more than six hours of live news every weekday from state-of-the-art studios located on iconic Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, and in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas. RFD-TV is available nationwide via DISH, DIRECTV®, AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Charter Spectrum, and other major providers, as well as online at watchrfdtv.com and through RFD-TV Now, Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, and Sling TV.