or


[01/12/06 - 12:00 AM]
Bravo Serves Up a New Premiere Date and Time for "Top Chef" to Debut Wednesday, March 8, Following the "Project Runway" Second Season Finale

[via press release from Bravo]

BRAVO SERVES UP A NEW PREMIERE DATE AND TIME FOR "TOP CHEF" TO DEBUT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, FOLLOWING THE "PROJECT RUNWAY" SECOND SEASON FINALE

BRAVO SERVES UP A NEW PREMIERE DATE AND TIME FOR "TOP CHEF" TO DEBUT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, FOLLOWING THE "PROJECT RUNWAY" SECOND SEASON FINALE

TWELVE ASPIRING CHEFS COMPETE IN A NEW REALITY COMPETITION SERIES FOR THE CULINARY ARTS

KATIE LEE JOEL TO HOST; RENOWNED CHEF TOM COLICCHIO AND FOOD & WINE'S GAIL SIMMONS TO JUDGE

Pasadena, CA - January 12, 2006 - Off the heels of its Emmy-nominated hit "Project Runway," Bravo proudly announces "Top Chef," a new reality competition series offering a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of world-class cookery and the restaurant business at the highest level. The series will feature twelve aspiring chefs who head to San Francisco for their shot at culinary stardom and the chance to earn the prestigious title of "Top Chef." The ten-episode, one-hour series celebrating the culinary arts will premiere immediately following "Project Runway's" second season finale on Wednesday, March 8 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. "Top Chef" will debut in its regular 10:00 p.m. weekly timeslot on Wednesday, March 15 with the second episode of the series.

"Bravo provides a definitive voice and perspective to creative disciplines, and Top Chef delivers a delicious look at the fiercely competitive world of the culinary arts," said Lauren Zalaznick, President, Bravo. "Just as we've done with other Bravo hit series, we will be introducing some unique and extreme personalities that will not only reveal their dedication and high standards to make it to the top of this intense discipline--but also will create some truly intense, nail biting drama that Bravo's shows are known for!"

Each episode of "Top Chef" holds two challenges for the chefs. The first is a quickfire test of their basic abilities and the second is a more involved elimination challenge designed to test the versatility and invention of the chefs as they take on unique culinary trials such as working with unusual and exotic foods or catering for a range of demanding clients. The food will be tasted and evaluated by the host and judges, but will also be served to the customers for whom the challenge is aimed, whether it be patrons at a five star restaurant or a room full of hungry kids. Food has to appeal to the diner as well as the critics if the chef is to survive.

Katie Lee Joel will host this authentic portrayal of the inspired and often cutthroat world of the culinary arts. Katie's lifelong passion for excellent cuisine began at an early age when she first learned to cook from her grandmother while growing up in West Virginia. Katie co-created the culinary website www.oliveandpeach.com, and her culinary and lifestyle column, "East End Girl," is published weekly in Hamptons Magazine and will soon be a part of its sister publication, Gotham. Tom Colicchio, one of the culinary world's most celebrated figures and co-owner of New York City's Gramercy Tavern and Craft Restaurants, serves as mentor to the competing chefs and guides them through the stringent challenges that will not only test their skills in the kitchen, but also uncover if they have the customer service, management and teamwork abilities required of a Top Chef. Food expert Gail Simmons from Food & Wine magazine will serve as a regular judge for the series, and each week some of the food world's most renowned talents will guest judge, including Hubert Keller of San Francisco's Fleur de Lys, who helps critique the competing chef's preparation of their signature dish in the premiere episode elimination challenge.

The competing chefs will live and breathe the high-pressure lifestyle that comes with being a master chef, and each week someone will be asked to "pack up their knives" and go home. In the end, only one will make it through the last spectacular episode to take the title of "Top Chef." With backgrounds ranging from culinary graduates and students to personal celebrity chefs to a self-taught mother of three, the twelve competing chefs are:

Stephen Asprinio, 24 - Las Vegas, NV
Kenneth Lee, 34 - Dublin,Ireland;LA, CA
Andrea Beaman, 37 - New York, NY
Dave Martin, 40 - Los Angeles, CA
Harold Dieterle, 28 - New York, NY
Miguel Morales, 27 - New York, NY
Tiffani Faison, 28 - Las Vegas, NV
Lisa Parks, 45 - Los Angeles, CA
Brian Hill, 37 - Los Angeles, CA
Cynthia Sestito, 52 - East Hampton, NY
Candice Kumai, 23 - Carlsbad, CA
Lee Anne Wong, 28 - New York, NY

The winning chef will receive $100,000 in seed money to help encourage their culinary career, be featured in Food & Wine magazine, appear at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June 2006, and most importantly, earn the prestigious title of "Top Chef."

The series was shot on location in San Francisco and the Bay Area, an area that is increasingly being recognized for its innovative cuisine. The grand finale will be filmed in Las Vegas, a city now home to some of the country's most respected chefs and popular fine dining establishments.

"Top Chef" is executive produced by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves, who also produced "Project Runway" and "Project Greenlight" for Bravo. Shauna Minoprio serves as co-executive producer.

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed off-network dramas, comedy and music specials, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 79 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Project Runway," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," and "Blow Out" as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye." The network's latest hits include "Being Bobby Brown" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980.For more information visit www.bravotv.com.





  [january 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· PROJECT GREENLIGHT (HBO)
· PROJECT RUNWAY (FREEFORM)
· TOP CHEF (BRAVO)





[07/14/25 - 02:13 PM]
Lifetime Announces Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies Debuting Saturdays This Fall
Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jon McLaren, Marilu Henner, Brielle Robillard, Sam Trammell, Steve Byers, Ashley Jones, Holly Barrett, Doug Savant, Maggie Lawson, and Courtney Stodden are among the featured talent.

[07/14/25 - 01:10 PM]
Season 10 of the Hit Dating Series "Ready to Love" Returns to Philadelphia as the Journey to Find Love Continues This Summer on OWN
Beginning Friday, August 1 at 8 PM ET/PT on OWN, viewers return to the City of Brotherly Love to reignite the search for lasting love among its most eligible singles.

[07/14/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix and MVP's Taylor-Serrano 3 Goes the Distance with Nearly 6 Million Global Viewers
In the US, an estimated AMA of 4.2 million viewers tuned in to the main event (Live+1) according to VideoAmp and Netflix, making it the most-watched professional women's sports event of 2025.

[07/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "SEC Football: Any Given Saturday" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Follow college football's most elite players and coaches in this unfiltered documentary series that goes behind the scenes of the 2024 SEC season.

[07/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Hosted by Ken Jeong & Erin Andrews, "99 to Beat" Premieres Wednesday, September 24 Following the Season Four Premiere of "The Floor," Hosted by Rob Lowe
In "99 to Beat," 100 contestants go head-to-head in a range of visually distinctive and hilarious games in an arced competition game show like we've never seen before.

[07/14/25 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces 2025 San Diego Comic-Con Programming
Featured are beloved returning series including "Gen V," "Upload," "Hazbin Hotel," "The Legend of Vox Machina," and highly anticipated new series like "Helluva Boss," "The Mighty Nein," and "Butterfly."

[07/14/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Hulu Reveals Official Trailer for "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball"
Additionally, it's been announced that the series will make its franchise-first debut at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26.

[07/14/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Debuts Trailer and Key Art For Spy Thriller "Butterfly," Starring and Executive Produced by Daniel Dae Kim
As previously announced, all six episodes will debut on Wednesday, August 13.

[07/14/25 - 08:15 AM]
Sean Hannity to Host "Wanted: Dead or Alive" on FOX Nation
Set to premiere on Wednesday, July 16, new episodes will be released weekly and tackle the stories of the infamous John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and Ma Barker.

[07/14/25 - 08:00 AM]
Gabby Windey Sets Sail as Host of Hulu's New Unscripted Series "Love Overboard"
Step aboard the ultimate luxury yacht, where sexy singles are ready to mix and mingle... and find love.

[07/14/25 - 08:00 AM]
HBO Original "Harry Potter" Television Series Begins Production
The series will debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max where it's available, including in upcoming launch markets Germany, Italy, and the UK.

[07/14/25 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases First-Look Images and Teaser Trailer for Upcoming Psychological Thriller "The Girlfriend"
All six-episodes will be available September 10 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[07/14/25 - 07:41 AM]
Welcome to Atlanta: FOX Sports Assembles All-Star Cast for MLB's 95th Midsummer Classic
Live from Truist Park, FOX MLB's lead duo of Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Davis and first-ballot Hall of Famer John Smoltz (eight-time All-Star with the Atlanta Braves) reunite in the booth for their fourth All-Star Game together.

[07/14/25 - 07:15 AM]
Prime Video Announces Six Additional Cast for New Original Series "Bloodaxe"
Karlis Arnolds Avots, Rod Hallett, Alina Tomnikov, Sisse Marie, Rune Temte, and Jesper Christensen join the cast of the historical drama.

[07/14/25 - 07:14 AM]
Icon Award, Presenters, Attendees, and Musical Performances Announced for "The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One," Airing Live Wednesday, July 16 at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT on ABC and Streaming on ESPN+
During this year's event, ESPN will honor former WNBA player Diana Taurasi and former USWNT player Alex Morgan with the Icon Award in recognition of their incredible careers and significant impact on the world of sports.