NBC sets new 10 p.m. lineup

NBC sets 10 p.m. lineup

New and veteran NBC dramas and a comedy produced by Jerry Seinfeld will take over the bulk of the prime-time slots soon to be vacated by Jay Leno.

NBC announced Thursday that the freshman drama “Parenthood” and the relocated “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will fill three slots. Another will go to the comedy panel series “The Marriage Ref” from Seinfeld. “Dateline NBC” will fill the other 10 p.m. slot.

The new lineup will debut after NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics Feb. 12 to 28.

Yet to be resolved is NBC’s effort to make way for Leno to return to late-night by bumping Conan O’Brien’s “Tonight Show” to midnight, a plan O’Brien has rejected.

-- associated press Veggie tale has fishy ending

For months, the Food Network ran ads about an episode of “Iron Chef America” that would take place at the White House garden, with Michelle Obama making a cameo and plugging her responsible-eating initiative. The network promised it would be its biggest episode ever.

The buildup matched the reality: The Jan. 3 “Iron Chef America” drew 7.6 million viewers, the highest-rated show in network history. In it, superstar chef Mario Batali teamed with Emeril Lagasse, and Bobby Flay with White House chef Cristeta Comerford, to cook five dishes using produce from the White House garden.

Except for one thing: As first reported on AOL’s Politics Daily blog, the fruits and vegetables used on the show weren’t from the White House. They were stunt produce. Ringers.

At the beginning of the two-hour special, the chefs were shown picking sweet potatoes, broccoli, fennel and tomatillos from the White House garden. Then the chefs were seen walking into Kitchen Stadium, produce in hand. One problem: The show is filmed in New York City.

“Due to the production delay between the shoot at the White House and the shoot at Food Network, the produce used in Kitchen Stadium during the ‘Super Chef Battle’ was not actually from the White House garden,” Food Network spokeswoman Lisa Krueger said.

Honey was the only ingredient that actually came from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The White House garden produce, Krueger said, was donated to a local pantry.

-- chicago tribune HBO goes back to war, Katrina

HBO announced plans Thursday for three major new undertakings: a World War II miniseries and two shows focusing on recovery efforts in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina.

“The Pacific,” from the producers of HBO’s 2001 miniseries “Band of Brothers,” tells the story of the U.S. war against Japan through the eyes of three Marines, played by James Badge Dale, Joe Mazzello and Jon Seda. It will air on five consecutive Sundays beginning March 14.

Coming in April is “Treme,” a drama series about residents of New Orleans trying to rebuild their lives in the wake of Katrina’s devastation. The pay channel said it also has commissioned Spike Lee to make a sequel to his documentary about that topic, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.” Production begins today for airing this summer on the fifth anniversary of the hurricane.

-- from a times staff writer ‘Glee’ star gets music label deal

Matthew Morrison, who plays teacher Will Schuester on the Fox musical series “Glee,” has signed to record his first album, scheduled for release this fall by Mercury Records.

Fans of the 31-year-old Morrison know he is no stranger to musical theater, having had roles in Broadway productions such as “Hairspray,” “South Pacific” and “The Light in the Piazza,” which landed him a Tony nomination.

Earlier this week, Fox said it had renewed “Glee” for a second season.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy Finally

Renewed: Ray Romano’s new TV series, “Men of a Certain Age,” has been picked up for a second season of 10 episodes by TNT.

New host: TV Land says television personality and former “Dancing With the Stars” champion Brooke Burke will host the third season of the reality modeling competition “She’s Got the Look.”

Hasty Pudding: Following in the footsteps of such recent honorees as Renée Zellweger, Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson, actress Anne Hathaway has been chosen to be roasted with a Hasty Pudding award Jan. 28 from Hasty Pudding Theatricals at Harvard University. It’s the nation’s oldest undergraduate drama troupe.

Prison bound: Antwon Tanner, who played a basketball coach on the TV drama “One Tree Hill,” has been sentenced to three months in prison for dealing in stolen Social Security numbers.