Ty Pennington (Trading Spaces, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) will host TNT’s new series On the Menu with Chef Emeril Lagasse (Emeril Live, Top Chef, Emeril’s Florida) as Menu Master.
This is television’s first cooking show allowing viewers to taste the winning dish after each episode. It will also give everyday cooks the chance to have their recipes appear in dining institutions across the country. One Three Media will produce the series with Mark Burnett (The Bible, The Voice, Survivor) as executive producer.
“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.”
Every episode will highlight a group of passionate home cooks who are challenged to create a signature dish for that week’s selected restaurant chain, stadium concession stand, or other American food business. They will be able to work with professional chefs to help create their dishes from the first to last steps. A panel of judges will choose what dish tastes the best and how well it fits with the restaurant’s current menu offerings. That winning dish will be on the menu the next day.
Pennington will guide contestants through various challenges putting their brand knowledge and creative skills to the test. Lagasse will help guide, encourage and mentor contestants through the competition as Menu Master. With his background in cooking, branding and sales he will help contestants refine their culinary creations to pass the test and be served 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,” Senior Vice President of unscripted development for TNT and TBS, David Eilenberg said. “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.”
The series will premiere in the fall of 2014.