The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 56

Ted Allen knows the difference between a Scotch Bonnet and a Habanero. He does now, anyway. Thanks to the intrepid readers of his blog, which can be found at BravoTV.com/blog/TedAllen he mistake one for the other as he did a few weeks ago when he chastised a since-eliminated contestant for never having heard of the Scotch Bonnet. got about that for Allen says. (They are both in the same species of chili pepperbut have distinct flavors.) But enjoying the rabid reaction to culinary competition, either way.

In fact, life Eye for the Straight for the foodie fifth of the original Fab Five has been one satisfying meal after another. got the highest profile of the quintet these days, and his face is now ubiquitous with food TV fans, from recurring judging gigs on and Food Chef along with his own PBS series, Wine Made the food of good chefs and complaining about it on TV. It Allen says on the phone from his home in Brooklyn. a busy lifebut a welcome relief after several grueling seasons of episode took a week to shoot, so really, you do anything else, which was sometimes frustrating. It made it hard to write books or make any other he says.

(Note to diehard fans: The series will begin its final season Oct.2 on Bravo with 10 new episodes.) Meanwhile, is enjoying a first-ever Emmy nomination for outstanding reality competition series and bigger audiences than ever. The show is watched by an average of 2 million people, up from the same point in Season 2, and last episode won the 10 p.m. period on cable. The only pitfall of gig, one might be surprised to know, is the occasional all-nighter. Turns out brawls are not just between the contestants.

There has been more than one heated argument at the table, and the debates that appear to last moments on camera have actually gone on for hours. During a recent taping, Allen and fellow judges Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi discussed the merits of the contestants under the ax until 5:30 a.m. not Allen says. feel bad for the They, after all, are relegated to Stew where they await the final decision after each challenge. But yes, real fights have broken out.

of the decisions have been agonizingly Allen says. got a higher level of competition than Still, at the end of last episode, the chef-testants, as Allen calls them, had been given a reprieve from a disastrous edition of Restaurant Wars, a once- a-season challenge in which two teams establish, decorate and open a restaurant within a 24- hour period. a tall order for even the most accomplished of chefs, and each operation had its share of woes. One team, who founded Restaurant April, tastefully decorated their placebut suffered from poor service. Their competition, the Garage, soared in front-of-the-house skills, but theteam made the crucial error of burning vanilla-scented candles in the restaurant, a fatal error according to the judges.

Allen says that even within the tougher-than-normal confines of a reality TV challenge, Restaurant Wars is his favorite week during the season. show called Easy to Be a Restaurant Wars is a difficult challenge, but also not. They have an ample budget, and not asking them to cook with Cheetos or Coke. They only need to cook the food they love and serve it to people. You get to see what these people are really Allen, who got his degree in journalism at New York University and studied environ- mental and science research reporting, found his own love for food as an editor at Chicago magazine, the found myself being sent out to interview chefs and attend tastings.

I began pitching in with reviewsand just really fell in love with it he says. Tonight the teams will remount their operations in a never-before second chance for the group. And get a surprise visit from Season self-important sommelier, Stephen Asprinio. The season concludes in a first-ever live finale this fall, but Allen reveals his favorites. would love to see Trey go all the way.

He uses bold a great He pauses and quickly adds, I also think Dale, Hung, Casey and CJ are people to And hot-headed Howie? mind that he cooks pork all the time. If you wanna make happy, give Show Tracker follows television series through their highs and lows. His appetite is boundless Matthias Clamer Bravo BAREFOOT AND CHEEKY: the food of good chefs and complaining about it on TV. It Allen says. His appearances on Eye for the Straight resume in October.

Ted Allen of and has turned judging other efforts into a recipe for success. By Denise Martin Special to The Times SHOW TRACKER CALENDAR E11 LOSANGELESTIMES ProgramNet- work Viewers ProgramNet- work Viewers 1 Got Talent (Tue.) NBC10.83 2 60 MinutesCBS9.91 3 Singing Bee 4 KitchenFOX9.68 5 So You Think You Can Dance (Thu.) FOX9.61 --------------------------------------------6 CSICBS9.49 7 Two and a Half MenCBS9.22 8 Without a TraceCBS9.10 9 So You Think You Can Dance (Wed.) FOX8.68 10 NCISCBS8.52 --------------------------------------------11 Criminal MindsCBS8.25 12 Cold CaseCBS8.24 13 CSI: MiamiCBS8.20 14 CSI: NYCBS8.14 15 So You Think You Can Dance (Mon.) FOX7.87 --------------------------------------------16 Power of 10CBS7.67 17 Big Brother 8 18 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC7.55 19 Big Brother 8 20 Big Brother 8 --------------------------------------------21 Law Order: SVUNBC7.30 22 SharkCBS7.26 23 Preseason (Sun.) NBC7.15 24 Rules of EngagementCBS7.13 25 Just for Laughs (8:30 p.m.) ABC6.88 --------------------------------------------26 Just for Laughs (8 p.m.)ABC6.72 27 Dateline: NBC 28 Funniest Home Videos ABC6.51 29 30 Primetime: CrimeABC6.09 --------------------------------------------31 Dateline: NBC 32 Most Outrageous Moments NBC5.97 33 Family Guy (9:30 p.m.)FOX5.86 Wife SwapABC5.86 35 Preseason (Sun.) NBC5.77 --------------------------------------------36 Last Comic Standing 5NBC5.69 37 Family Guy (9 p.m.)FOX5.41 38 HouseFOX5.25 39 Old ChristineCBS5.23 40 --------------------------------------------41 Ghost WhispererCBS5.20 42 How I Met Your MotherCBS5.19 43 Destilando Amor 44 Cops (8:30 p.m.)FOX5.08 45 The SimpsonsFOX5.07 --------------------------------------------46 Destilando Amor 47 Primetime: The OutsidersABC4.96 48 Destilando Amor 49 Numb3rsCBS4.87 50 Most WantedFOX4.83 --------------------------------------------51 Destilando Amor 52 American DadFOX4.46 53 1 vs. 100NBC4.45 54 My Name Is EarlNBC4.41 55 Fat MarchABC4.30 --------------------------------------------56 SupernannyABC4.29 57 Destilando Amor 58 The UnitCBS4.15 59 Law Order: Criminal Intent NBC4.02 60 Desperate HousewivesABC4.01 --------------------------------------------61 Gymnastics (Sun.) NBC3.97 62 Preseason (Fri.) FOX3.96 63 The OfficeNBC3.93 64 According to Jim (8 p.m.)ABC3.92 Friday Night SmackdownCW3.92 --------------------------------------------Thank God HereNBC3.92 67 According to Jim (8:30 p.m.) ABC3.81 Cops (8 p.m.)FOX3.81 69 Ugly BettyABC3.61 70 AnatomyABC3.59 --------------------------------------------71 JerichoCBS3.49 72 Men in TreesABC3.48 73 ScrubsNBC3.44 George Lopez (9:30 p.m.)ABC3.44 75 30 RockNBC3.41 --------------------------------------------Las VegasNBC3.41 77 ERNBC3.39 Got Talent (Sat.) NBC3.39 Set for LifeABC3.39 80 Familia P. LucheUNI3.35 --------------------------------------------81 Aqui AhoraUNI3.32 82 Don Francisco PresentaUNI3.28 83 Preseason (Fri.) FOX3.25 84 NASCAR In PrimetimeABC3.19 85 George Lopez (9 p.m.)ABC3.16 --------------------------------------------86 HeroesNBC3.10 87 CristinaUNI3.00 88 Brothers SistersABC2.96 89 Preseason (Sat.) CBS2.89 90 Gymnastics (Sat.) NBC2.78 --------------------------------------------91 a Date With Tad ABC2.76 92 King of the HillFOX2.73 Amar Sin Limites 94 Singing Bee 95 Familia De DiezUNI2.64 --------------------------------------------96 Masters of Science Fiction ABC2.57 97 Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Fri.) UNI2.46 98 Amar Sin Limites 99 Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Thu.) UNI2.39 100 Amar Sin Limites --------------------------------------------101 Til DeathFOX2.34 Amar Sin Limites 103 SOS: Sexo Otros Secretos UNI2.31 104 Amar Sin Limites 105 Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Tue.) UNI2.12 --------------------------------------------106 Smallville Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Wed.) UNI2.08 108 On the LotFOX2.00 109 Sabado GiganteUNI1.93 110 Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Mon.) UNI1.92 --------------------------------------------111 Hora PicoUNI1.91 112 SupernaturalCW1.82 113 Buscando TimbiricheUNI1.66 114 GirlfriendsCW1.65 115 All of UsCW1.64 --------------------------------------------116 The GameCW1.63 117 Everybody Hates ChrisCW1.53 118 Top Model 1 (9 p.m.) CW1.42 119 Top Model 1 (8 p.m.) CW1.38 120 Casos Familia Ed EspUNI1.29 --------------------------------------------Madre Luna 122 Gilmore GirlsCW1.27 123 Beauty and the GeekCW1.25 124 7th HeavenCW1.23 125 Dame Chocolate --------------------------------------------126 Smallville 127 Esclava Isaura Madre Luna 129 Esclava Isaura 130 Esclava Isaura --------------------------------------------131 Madre Luna 132 Esclava Isaura 133 Dame Chocolate 134 Madre Luna 135 Madre Luna --------------------------------------------136 Pussycat DollsCW0.96 137 Amor Mio 138 Dame Chocolate 139 Dame Chocolate 140 Esclava Isaura Network averages Here is the number of viewers (in millions) that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season. Network Last week Season to date CBS6.7110.78 FOX5.979.06 NBC5.327.82 ABC4.448.39 UNI2.893.53 CW1.822.79 TEL0.890.90 Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (Aug.

13-19) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 283.5 million potential viewers in the U.S. ages 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions.

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285.0182 FAX 310. 285. 9740 Bond 349159 License 1910-1073 Disney unprecedented ratings success end when the credits rolled for record-setting premiere of School Musical With that premiere drawing 17.24 million viewers the largest audience in cable television history Disney Channel averaged 5.93 million viewers for its prime-time programming from Aug. 13 through Monday, making it the third-most-watched network of the week, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research. The weekly prime-time average was the second-highest in cable history, behind 6million for the week of Dec.

26, 2005-Jan. 1, 2006. CBS averaged 6.71 million viewers to finish first for the 11th time in the 12 weeks of summer season. The School Musical premiere was the most- watched program, the first time acable show earned that distinction, and most- watched program since May 29, when 17.3 million watched the season finale of The premiere of the series which followed the School Musical premiere, drew 10.8 million viewers, matching the most-watched broadcast series, Got An episode of that aired next drew 10.7 million viewers, putting it fourth for the week. Prime-Time TV Rankings Disney hits high notes with School Musical civil to Jones, as she coldly tells Hurley how the presence on the news undermines the credibility and her own personal reputation.

The news director, Dan Delgado, is just as incensed. Hurley remains doggedly determined, patronizing to one and all like some minor character in on a Hot Tin you go get your he asks Joneswhen she arrives, firmly on display. help matters; though she figures out a more appropriate dress code and whenever she has the chance, she never seems to understand either the nature of the storm clouds around heror the definition of journalism. was created and produced by Brian Most sure he thought this would be a very funny way of exploring the nature of television news, of how thin the line between journalism and entertainment can be, of how desperate so many news outlets have become, using outrageousness to sell all sorts of thingsthese days. says one potential viewer when asked if she will watch Jones, guess now it sells the But the dumb blond who maybe so dumb was when Judy Holliday did it back in the 1940s, and no Judy Holliday.

Jonesis not part of the joke, she is the joke, because she is blond, busty and wears short skirts. Which is somehow supposed to be funny. If Gadinsky had any courage at all, he would have simply made her a drag queen that at least would have been interesting because that is what she male drag queen, her femininity exaggerated, her intelligence diminished. Who, when thrust into ahigh-pressure occupation with no training, would not look stupid? For the women surrounding her, Petragliaand the other reporters, there is no winning either they must smile and surrender to watching an unqualified hire waste valuable time and resources being or risk being seen as somehow jealous, or worse, unsisterly. Presumably, we are all supposed to be rooting for simple-minded Jonesto emerge, Marilyn Monroe, as the brains behind her scattered character.

I just wanted everyone, including Jones, to rise up as one and throw the cameras and the whole concept out of the newsroom and back to whatever airport strip bar provided its genesis. what Judy Holliday would have done. mary.mcnamara@latimes.com Fox DIVA: wardrobe evolves over the course of the series. Lights, camera, news from PageE1 Where: Fox When: 8 to 9 p.m. Wednesday Rating: TV-PG-L (may be unsuitable for young children, with an advisory for coarse language) The 59th annual Emmy Awards for prime-time programming are still weeks away, but the first winners were announced Tuesday.

look to them for handicapping the big awards later, though: The 11 recipients represent 11 different programs on five networks. The winners came in what the Academy of Television Arts Sciences calls its juried categories, which differ from the other Emmy competitions because there are no nominations; judges look for individual excellence and may choose one winner, many winners or no winners at all. This year they did one of each. In the category of costumes for a program or special, the Emmy went to Colleen Atwood (costume designer) and Kendall Errair (wardrobe supervisor) for Bennett: An American For individual achievement in animation, the judges selected Sang-Jin Kim (animator)for The Last Sihanouk Mariona (animator)for Cartoon Thomas Smith (animator)for Cartoon Sue Mondt (art director)for Cartoon Dave Dunnet (background key designer)for Cartoon Home for Imaginary Narina Sokolova (background painter)for Cartoon Gym a David Colman (character designer)for Cartoon of Phil Rynda (character designer)for Cartoon Grim Adventures of Billy James McDermott (character designer)for Starz Kids and Steve Fonti (storyboard artist)for There were no awards given in the category of voice-over performance. Performers from have often been honored in this category in the past.

The awards will be presented in the first round of the Emmy Awards, for creative arts categories, on Sept. 8. The second ceremony televised on Fox and presenting the awards for best shows and actors is scheduled Sept. 16 at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. lee.margulies@latimes.com Emmy winners in juried categories announced The 11 prime-time awards honor several animators and the costume team.

By Lee Margulies Times Staff Writer Visitlatimes.com/carsorcall1.866.295.5860 Private party ads only. 07CL032 cars Where: Bravo When: 10 tonight Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children younger than 14).