iron chef america

• USA has a Monk marathon all night.
• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then a new Amazing Race and the movie A Dog Named Christmas.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Ravens vs. the Steelers.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, followed by a new Iron Chef America.
• HGTV has Behind The Magic: Disney Holidays at 8.
• Also at 8: HBO has the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert.
• At 9, Showtime has a new Dexter, followed by a new Californication.
• At 10, Nickelodeon has a new Glenn Martin, DDS.
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has a new Metalocalypse.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Three Rivers, and Cold Case.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Cowboys vs. the Eagles.
• FOX has a new Brothers at 7, then new episodes of American Dad, Family Guy, Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, and The Cleveland Show.
• Cartoon Network has a new Ed, Edd, 'N Eddy at 7.
• At 7:30, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• At 8, PBS has a new Nature, then a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• At 9, HBO has a new Curb Your Enthusiasm, followed by the season finale of Bored To Death.
• Showtime has a new Dexter at 9, then a new Californication.
• Food Network has a new Next Iron Chef at 9, then a new Iron Chef America.
• Syfy has 2012: Startling New Secrets at 9.
• At 10, AMC has the season finale of Mad Men.
• Discovery has a new Storm Chasers at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Titan Maximum.
• At midnight, Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Venture Brothers, followed by a new Metalocalypse.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Hail to the chef -- First Lady Michelle Obama will make an appearance on a White House-based episode of Food Network's 'Iron Chef America.'

The two-hour event, which kicks off the new season of the cook-off series on Jan. 3, pits Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse against Iron Chef Bobby Flay and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford. Their challenge is to create five dishes in a "meal for America" featuring the secret ingredient (revealed by none other than the First Lady herself): anything found in the White House Kitchen Garden.

Judging this competition are cookbook author and chef Nigella Lawson, Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer (and former 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant) Natalie Coughlin, and actress (and fellow 'DWTS' also-ran) Jane Seymour.

Some people say that President Obama has been on TV too much since he became President a year ago, but his wife is about to make a big splash on one of Food Network's most popular shows.

First Lady Michelle Obama will reveal the secret ingredient on the January 3 special episode of Iron Chef America (I don't think it's the season premiere because we're in the middle of new episodes right now). There's no specifics yet on what the secret ingredient will be, but it is something that grows in the White House garden and ties in with the First Lady's "Healthy Kids Initiative" to get kids eating better and exercising. Beyond all that, this sounds like its going to be a great episode of the show. It will pit White House chef Cristeta Comerford and Bobby Flay against Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse.

You know what I'd like to see as the secret ingredient on Iron Chef America? Ring Dings. Or how about Atomic Fireballs?

• Syfy is showing V: The Final Battle all night.
• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Three Rivers, and Cold Case.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7.
• At 8, FOX has Game 4 of The World Series.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, followed by new episodes of Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America.
• Nickelodeon has a new Dora The Explorer at 8.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• There's a new Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO at 9, then a new Bored To Death.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new Dexter, followed by a new Californication.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• VH-1 has the series premiere of Sex Rehab at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Titan Maximum.
• At midnight, Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Venture Brothers.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• Nickelodeon has a marathon of The Nanny all night.
• Travel Channel has a Man vs. Food marathon all night.
• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Three Rivers, and Cold Case.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Giants vs. the Cardinals.
• At 7:30, FOX has Baseball Playoffs, the Yankees vs. the Angels.
• At 8, PBS has a new Nature, then a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 9, followed by new episodes of Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America.
• Also at 8: TCM has The Blob, then Die, Monster, Die!
• At 9, HBO has a new Curb Your Enthusiasm, followed by a new Bored To Death.
• Showtime has a new Dexter at 9, then a new Californication.
• History Channel has a new, two-hour MonsterQuest at 9.
• Animal Planet has Werewolves: The Dark Survivors at 9.
• Hallmark has the movie Always and Forever at 9.
• Retro TV has two episodes of the original Mike Hammer at 9, followed by The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Titan Maximum.
• At midnight, Cartoon Network has a new episode of Venture Brothers.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Three Rivers, and Cold Case.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Bears vs. the Falcons.
• FOX has a new Brothers at 7.
• At 8, FOX has a new episode of The Simpsons, then a new Cleveland Show.
• TBS has Baseball Playoffs at 8, the Dodgers vs. the Phillies.
• Nickelodeon has a new Nick News Special Edition at 8.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery!
• Food Network has a new Next Iron Chef at 9, then a new Iron Chef America.
• IFC has Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) at 9.
• HBO has a new Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9, followed by a new Bored To Death.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new Dexter, then a new Californication.
• At 9:30, FOX has a new American Dad.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Titan Maximum.
• At midnight , Cartoon Network has a new Venture Brothers.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Given the popularity of the second-season opener of The Next Iron Chef, I figured it was a good time to pull out this interview I did with the show's host, Alton Brown, at the network's TCA party in July. It was definitely the tastiest party of the tour, as each Iron Chef contestant plied the critics with delectable morsels of their creativity at various stations.

In a bit of a surprise, one of the contestants, Amanda Freitag, was being assisted by her friend Ariane Duarte, one of the more popular contestants from rival program Top Chef's New York season (I was so flabbergasted by the turn of events, I snapped a pic of the two with my cell phone). When I pointed this tidbit out to Brown, his response was very interesting...

• At 7, ABC has the two-hour season premiere of Extreme Makeover, followed by the season premieres of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then the two-hour season premiere of The Amazing Race and the season premiere of Cold Case.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Colts vs. the Cardinals.
• At 8, FOX has the season premiere of The Simpsons, then the series premiere of The Cleveland Show and the season premieres of Family Guy and American Dad.
• TBS has The Wizard of Oz at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new Nick News Special Edition at 8.
• Also at 8: Food Network has a new Challenge, followed by a new Iron Chef America.
• At 8:30, ESPN has the Red Sox/Yankees game.
• At 9, HBO has a new Curb Your Enthusiasm, then a new Bored To Death.
• Showtime has the season premiere of Dexter at 9, followed by the season premiere of Californication.
• Cartoon Network has a new Total Drama Action at 9.
• Hallmark has the movie Mrs. Washington Goes To Smith at 9.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• At 10:30, HBO has a new Entourage.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Unpack your knives: Beginning next month, the Food Network will unveil a whole new plate of shows, including returning fare 'The Next Iron Chef,' 'Iron Chef America' and 'Down Home with the Neelys' -- plus new offerings such as 'Alex's Day Off,' featuring network veteran Alex Guarnaschelli.

Here's a taste of what to expect, courtesy of the Food Network.

• Food Network has an Iron Chef America marathon.
• At 7, ESPN2 has College Football, South Carolina vs. Georgia.
• At 7:30, ABC has the Sprint Cup: Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR race.
• At 8, FOX has the season premiere (two episodes) of Cops, followed by a new America's Most Wanted.
• CBS has the U.S. Open Women's Final at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8.
• ESPN has College Football at 8, USC vs. Ohio State.
• HGTV has a new Divine Design at 8.
• At 9, CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show.
• BBC America has the season premiere of Robin Hood at 9.
• HGTV has a new Color Splash at 9.
• Also at 9: Hallmark has the movie Citizen Jane.
• At 9:30, Biography has a new Ghostly Adventures.
• At 10, Style has a new episode of The Dish.
• At 12:30 AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• A 7, NBC has a new Dateline, then Pre-Season Football, the Bears vs. the Broncos.
  
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother, followed by a new There Goes The Neighborhood.
• The CW has the Daytime Emmy Awards at 8.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, followed by a new Iron Chef America.
• At 9, ABC has a new Shark Tank, then a new Defying Gravity.
• PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery! at 9.
• Comedy Central has Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder at 9.
• There's a new Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime at 8, then a new Army Wives.
• National Geographic Channel has the series premiere of The Human Family Tree at 9.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, followed by new episodes of Hung and Entourage.
• Also at 9: Syfy has the movie High Plains Invaders.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 10.
• History Channel has two new episodes of Pawn Stars at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, a tribute to Don Hewitt, then new episodes of Big Brother and There Goes The Neighborhood.
  
• NBC has two new episodes of Merlin starting at 7, followed by Miss Universe 2009.
• At 7:30, Disney has a new Hannah Montana.
• At 8, ABC has the finale of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, then new episodes of Shark Tank and Defying Gravity.
• ESPN has the Red Sox/Yankees game at 8.
• ESPN2 has the Little League World Series at 8.
• At 8:30, Disney has a new Jonas.
• At 9, Lifetime has a new Drop Dead Diva, followed by a new Army Wives.
• History Channel has the season finale of Ice Road Truckers at 9, then two new episodes of Pawn Stars.
• There's a new Iron Chef America on Food Network at 9.
• Also at 9: HBO has a new True Blood, then new episodes of Hung and Entourage.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 10.
• Comedy Central has Patton Oswalt: My Weakness Is Strong at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.

Check your local TV listings for more.

One of the best parts of the TV Critics' Press Tour is the over-the-top evening parties thrown by the networks to congratulate us on surviving another day of panels. (OK, and to promote their shows and stars.)

At last night's lavish Food Network event, we were introduced to this year's 'Next Iron Chef' hopefuls and got to sample their delights, but only the (TV) foodies in the crowd noticed that 'Top Chef' alum Ariane Duarte was assisting chef Amanda Freitag.

Here's one anonymous publicist's hilarious reaction:

"A 'Top Chef' contestant assisting an 'Iron Chef'? Seems like the right hierarchy to me! [Laughs]"

-- Food Network publicist,
at the network's chef-studded affair

• At 7, The CW has a new Valentine.
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• NBC has a new Merlin at 8, then the miniseries Meteor.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, then new episodes of Next Food Network Star and Iron Chef America.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery.
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, followed by a new In Plain Sight.
• Lifetime has the series premiere of Drop Dead Diva at 9, followed by a new Army Wives.
• A&E has two new episodes of Gene Simmons' Family Jewels at 9, then two new episodes of Hammertime.
• History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers at 9, followed by a new Expedition Africa.
• Also at 9: HBO has a new True Blood, followed by a new Hung and the season premiere of Entourage.
• At 1AM, Cartoon Network has a new Mighty Boosh.

Check your local TV listings for more.