Ty Pennington to Host TNT's New Series "On the Menu," With Legendary Chef Emeril Lagasse as Menu Master

Fall 2014 Premiere Set for TV's First Cooking Competition To Let Viewers Taste Each Week's Winning Dish

Ty Pennington (Trading Spaces, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) is heading to the kitchen to host TNT's new series On the Menu, with legendary Chef Emeril Lagasse (Emeril Live, Top Chef, Emeril's Florida) signing on as Menu Master. On the Menu is television's first cooking show ever to give viewers the chance to taste the winning dish after every episode, as well as give everyday cooks the chance to have their dish appear in dining institutions across the country. The series is being produced by One Three Media, with Mark Burnett (The Bible, The Voice, Survivor) serving as executive producer.

Slated to premiere in fall 2014, TNT's On the Menu is the first cooking competition show ever to give viewers at home the chance to taste the dishes they see on screen. In each episode, a group of passionate home cooks will be challenged to create a the next signature dish for that week's selected restaurant chain, stadium concession stand, or other American food business. These amateur cooks will work in conjunction with professional chefs to create their dishes, from concept to execution. A panel of judges will then determine which dish not only tastes the best, but also fits with the restaurant's current menu offerings. The winning dish will immediately go on the business' menu, giving viewers at home the chance to go try the dish the very next day.

As host of On the Menu, Pennington will lead contestants through a series of challenges that will put their brand knowledge and creative skills to the test. He will also be their confidant and sounding board.

Lagasse will be the show's Menu Master, serving as the seasoned chef and industry insider resource to help guide, encourage and mentor the contestants through the competition. Using his vast knowledge of cooking, branding and sales, Lagasse will help the contestants refine the culinary creations they hope will pass the test and be served as a dish on the menu.

"Ty Pennington has everything we could want in a host: immense creativity, an engaging personality, a motivational spirit and lots of down-home charm," said David Eilenberg, senior vice president of unscripted development for TNT and TBS. "Emeril Lagasse is one of the most popular and loved chefs of our time thanks both to his high-octane cooking style and his infectious enthusiasm. We're extremely excited to be working with Ty and Emeril on TNT's On the Menu."

"We love being first with new formats for our audience, and I think this one is a real winner," said executive producer Mark Burnett. "Two TV veterans, Emeril and Ty, who have amazing energy, are coming together for a show that is all about serving up a brand new experience for the viewer. This is going to be fun to watch: Emeril and Ty in a kitchen with real people creating a dish that's going to be on an actual menu."

About Ty Pennington

Ty Pennington first won national attention as the quirky and creative carpenter on the groundbreaking home improvement series Trading Spaces. Later as host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Pennington helped transform the lives of thousands, while inspiring millions more around the world to volunteer their time to help others. The show was consistently rated among television's Top 20 programs and won two Emmys(R) for Outstanding Reality Program.

Pennington has been recognized as a leader in the field of volunteerism for his work on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Ty's Great British Adventure. He also serves as ambassador for the Sears American Dream campaign.

In addition to his extensive television work, Ty is a go to for his design expertise and style. He launched the Ty Pennington Impressions fabric line with Westminster Fabrics. A flooring line, The Ty Pennington Collection, is with Lumber Liquidators. And Pennington's outdoor and holiday décor line, Ty Pennington Style, is carried at Sears.

Pennington's latest book, How Good Design Can Change Your Life (Simon & Schuster) is an intimate look at Ty's design inspirations with décor advice and tips. It followed his New York Times bestseller Ty's Tricks (Hyperion), which is part reference and part behind-the-scenes in Ty's own home, which he completely remodeled himself.

About Emeril Lagasse

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 13 restaurants, including three in New Orleans (Emeril's, NOLA and Emeril's Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse's Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop); three at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania (Emeril's Italian Table, Emeril's Chop House and Burgers And More by Emeril) and one in Charlotte, N.C. (e2 emeril's eatery).

As a national TV personality, he has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network and is the food correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America. He is also the host of Fresh Food Fast and The Originals with Emeril on the Cooking Channel. His latest TV show, Emeril's Florida, began its second season in January 2014 on the Cooking Channel. Lagasse also joined the judges' table on Top Chef New Orleans, season 11 of Bravo's hit food series Top Chef.

Lagasse is the best-selling author of 18 cookbooks, including Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine. His latest cookbook, Cooking with Power, was released in October 2013.

In 2002, Lagasse established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children's educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition, healthy eating and important life skills. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $5.5 million to children's causes in New Orleans, Las Vegas and on the Gulf Coast. In 2013, Lagasse was named the Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation for his dedicated efforts to further the culinary arts in America, as well as for his philanthropic work supporting children's educational programs through his Foundation.

Lagasse's restaurant company, Emeril's Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations, a test kitchen for recipe development and a boutique store for his signature products.

Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands in 2008, when Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) acquired the assets related to Emeril's media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, the Emerils.com website and his licensed kitchen and food products.

About TNT

TNT is television's destination for drama. Seen in 101 million households and ranking among cable's top networks, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies, Perception, Dallas and Franklin & Bash. TNT's upcoming slate of scripted dramas includes the original series Legends, The Last Ship and Murder in the First, as well as Transporter The Series, which will make its U.S. television debut on the network this fall. TNT also features dramatic unscripted originals like Cold Justice, Boston's Finest, Marshal Law: Texas, APB with Troy Dunn, Private Lives of Nashville Wives, Save Our Business and Inside Job, as well as the upcoming On the Menu, Wake Up Call and Life Flight. In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like Hawaii Five-0, Castle, The Mentalist, Bones and Supernatural; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R); blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

TNT is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.