Emeril Lagasse knows a thing or two about variety. The celebrity chef is taking his years of experience, celebrity friends and his trademark "Bam!" to ION Television in a new variety series.

Each week the chef will tackle a new theme and bring a mix of food, music, games and entertainment with the help of celebrity guests such as Martha Stewart, Jennie Garth, Eli Manning, Tim Gunn and Elmo. Yes, Elmo.

In the premiere episode of 'The Emeril Lagasse Show' (Sun., April 18 at 8PM ET on ION), Emeril welcomes Martha Stewart. The duo tackle a housewarming theme and are joined by former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams.

Watch a preview after the jump.

Ion will look to add a little flavor to its prime time lineup with the addition of 'The Emeril Lagasse Show.'

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network has picked up the New York-based series, which will begin airing Sundays at 8PM on Mar. 28.

The show will feature the famed TV cook before a live studio audience, where he will chat with celebrities, interact with an in-house band and film various field pieces in New York.

The Scripps vs. Cablevision battle rages on, but at least New York City area viewers will be able to see a battle of another kind this weekend.

The 'Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event,' which NYC viewers couldn't watch because Food Network and HGTV programs are no longer being carried on Cablevision, will be rebroadcast 8 p.m. Sunday on WPIX-TV, Channel 11, in NYC and WTXX-TV, Channel 20, in Hartford, Conn., both free channels.

As part of an effort to promote her healthy eating agenda, First Lady Michelle Obama made a guest appearance on 'Iron Chef America' and revealed the secret ingredient in a battle pitting Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse against Bobby Flay and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford.

In this clip, Obama tells the assembled chefs the secret ingredient is anything grown in the White House garden, which includes an abundance of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Watch the video after the jump.

When you're a cable network and you're only reaching 55 million households and want to reach twice that amount, what do you do? If you're Scripps Networks, you rebrand the channel and give it a new name. That's why Fine Living will become the Cooking Channel in 2010.

The way I see this, since Scripps owns the Food Network, the Cooking Channel will be sort of a Food Network annex. Food Network 2.0. Food Network, Two. In actuality, a lot of the programming on Fine Living now is connected to Food Network. Old Iron Chef episodes, Emeril LaGasse and Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck ... all cooking shows that were once on Food Network.

Now that it's going to drop the Fine Living angle and concentrate on cooking, all the overflow from Food Network will have somewhere to go.

I love Top Chef (well, the regular version... this oddball Masters edition seems to be just summer filler until the real show starts again). I especially enjoy the hosting stylings of Padma Lakshmi, and not just because of her looks. She has a presence, seems to know her food, and displays an intelligence that fits well in the cerebral nature of the show.

But the word "funny" has never come to mind when I've seen her work. Which is why I'm scratching my head at the news that NBC is developing a sitcom for Lakshmi. You heard me. As in most cases in the world of TV, the premise can be boiled down into one oh-so-confidence-infusing sentence, according to Variety: "Building on her Top Chef credentials, the show will star Lakshmi as a woman working in the culinary world." One possible title? Single Serving.

Oofah. The show's got "two week mid-season stinker" written all over it, doesn't it?

[via TV Week]

Oh, boy, I can't wait! Finally, after all this time we're going to get to go behind the gates, into the exclusive, much-discussed but rarely filmed Martha Stewart estate. Actually, not the whole estate, but part of it. On her syndicated show, Martha Stewart's 153-acre Bedford, New York farm will be on display in the season ahead.

When the show returns with new episodes on September 15, Ms. Martha will share all the fun stuff she grows and prunes and plants. You know what this means, don't you? Compost heap! Seriously, Martha believes in natural recycling.

There will also be her state-of-the-art greenhouses and her extensive flower and vegetable gardens. Over a hundred guests will join Martha on her tour of the farm.

A day hasn't gone by where we haven't received some sort of tip or email asking us, the TV Squad, how to get on [insert reality show here]. Unfortunately no, Simon Cowell does not work for us, and Donald Trump isn't my BFF, so we really can't help all that much.

The folks at RealityWanted.com often send us a list of new and existing reality shows that are looking for new, er, talent, and they've given us permission to make mention of them here. We'll try to make this a regular feature as often as we get a new list.

This time we have Split Ends, Divorce Court and other new shows.

Just a few weeks ago, TV Squad reported that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia acquired Emeril Lagasse's media properties. Now, the Bam-man will be starring in a new daily cooking show. Celebrity chef and restauranteur Emeril Lagasse will star in Emeril Green, a show that will be shot entirely at Whole Foods Market. The enterprise will be shot in front of a live audience, and will air on Planet Green, Discovery Communications' new 24/7 eco-lifestyle television network, PG launches in June 2008 with a bunch of new shows, including Emeril Green which will launch in July.

How's this for a winning recipe? Domestic diva Martha Stewart has snagged superchef Emeril Lagasse for her empire. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. announced today the acquisition of Emeril's franchise -- all those cookbooks, kitchen products and TV shows in which he stars -- for $45 million in cash and $5 million in stock at closing. That $50 million could swell by $20 million more if "if certain benchmarkets are achieved."

Martha's purchase, however, does not include Emeril's Homebase, which includes the chef's 11 stellar restaurants, including Emeril's New Orleans and Delmonico's Steakhouse in Las Vegas.