Culinary Cowboy Show ‘Twisted Skillet’ Leads RFD-TV’s 2026 Slate
EXCLUSIVE: In its first slate since Gatsby Gottsch Solheim and Raquel Gottsch Koehler succeeded their late father at Rural Media Group (RMG), cable channel RFD-TV has unveiled its Q1 program plan.
An original series titled Twisted Skillet, produced in-house, marks the first original under the new leadership. Premiering February 4, it is billed as “a straightforward, hands-on approach to food television, rooted in food and fire.”
It follows Texas chef Sean Koehler, who explores outdoor cooking techniques, regional ingredients, and “the people who raise, prepare and inspire the food found across America.” Each episode will see him begin in a local restaurant or kitchen and learn how a dish comes together and the story behind it. He’ll then head back to his ranch to reinterpret the dish with a culinary cowboy twist, cooking outdoors over an open fire.
“Food has always been part of rural life, community, and culture, and expanding into cooking programming felt like a natural evolution for us,” said Gottsch Koehler, co-owner and Chief Marketing and Creative Officer of RMG. “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.”
Other new series dropping in Q1 include Outback Farm, which launches tomorrow (January 13) and follows a family through their first year establishing a new farm in the Australian Outback. Two days later, A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing & Wild Cooking will launch. It follows Michelin-starred chef Analiese Gregory exploring food and self-sufficiency in remote Tasmania.
Returners include FarmHER + RanchHER, which premiered on January 8, The Malpass Brothers Show, which dropped on January 10 and Shark Farmer, which debuts tomorrow. The podcast Dirt Diaries is also scheduled for a second season.
RMG said the slate reflects “continued investment in original production” at RFD Studios’ Music Row location in Nashville and the Auction Barn Studios in Fort Worth, and investment in several acquisitions.
“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 Gottsch Solheim, co-owner and Chief Legal & Finance Officer for RMG. “This slate stays true to the audience that’s been with us while welcoming more people into the fold.”
Gottsch Solheim and Gottsch Koehler took over the running of RMG following the death of their father, Cowboy Channel founder Patrick Gottsch, in 2024. That same year, Gottsch Solheim and Gottsch Koehler finalized the sale of The Cowboy Channel and The Cowgirl Channel to Teton Ridge, in a deal their father had initiated. The daughters said would allow RMG to expand the reach of flagship network RFD-TV and several other assets such as the production studio.
Both Gottsch Solheim and Gottsch Koehler have been at RMG since launch, with Gottsch Koehler working as CEO of The Cowboy Channel from 2017 until its sale, which closed in December. Under her leadership, it broadcasted more than 600 live rodeos annually. Gottsch Solheim has played a key role in the financial and strategic focus at RMG since 2010, overseeing a $30M debt restructuring, expanding international and digital distribution and leading on several asset sales.
RFD-TV reaches around 50 million homes through linear, streaming and radio, and is distributed internationally.
