‘Halloween Wars’ Fans Beyond Disappointed After Food Network Cuts Popular Tradition From Show

October is here, and the TV landscape is being filled with spooky titles just in time for Halloween, but one popular competition is catching some major flak from fans. Halloween Wars, the Food Network competition series that pits teams against one another to create spectacular baking displays, has returned for the 2021 season without a popular component: pumpkin caring.

According to sources who spoke to TMZ, the lack of pumpkin carving in the 2021 season is due to a combination of the show’s filming schedule and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. While past seasons of Halloween Wars have filmed well before the start of the fall season, filming on the currently-airing season did not start until recently, by which time a shortage of pumpkins was already ongoing. The show typically requires large numbers of pumpkins and gourds, though they were unable to secure the number required for the competition due to the shortages. Sources cited “seasonal demand, an already-stressed supply chain, and new COVID-safety protocols for shows with group settings” for the lack of the popular pumpkin carving tasks on this year’s Halloween Wars.

Given that pumpkin carving had been a main segment of the show, along with cake sculpting and sugar artistry, the lack of pumpkins on Halloween Wars 2021 hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans. In fact, as viewers tune in weekly to new episodes on Food Network, there has been a growing amount of backlash online as fans take to social media to air their grievances. Keep scrolling to see what viewers are saying about this year’s nearly pumpkin-less Halloween Wars.

‘Just another competition baking show’

“Our family tradition of watching [Halloween Wars] is officially over,” declared one former fan. “How can the take away pumpkin carving? Now it’s just another competition baking show with no Halloween cojones…”

‘Not watching’

“Not watching this year it’s no fun,” another person wrote on one of Food Networks’ posts promoting the show. “Bring back the old host and the pumpkin carving!”

‘Miss the old format’

“Where’s the pumpkin carvers?! Miss the old format!” commented somebody else.

‘Totally ruins the show’

“How can you have Halloween Wars without the pumpkin carvers???” questioned somebody else. “There are already plenty of Halloween cake shows. The pumpkin carving is what set the show apart. I like the new set but agree with other comments on bringing back the original host, the pumpkin patch, and the old judge and guest judges. That’s what made the show so great.”

‘Reduced to watching reruns’

“They messed with Halloween Wars and now it sucks,” added another viewer. “Bring back the pumpkin carving as part of it.”

‘So mad’

“I’m so mad that they took out the pumpkin carving part of halloween wars. Ruined the show,” shared one person.

‘Bring back the pumpkin carvers’

“This new format is terrible,” commented another viewer. “Bring back the pumpkin carvers. It’s what made Halloween Wars unique.”