Watch out Rachael Ray. A local resident may give you a run for your EVOO. Aaron McCargo Jr. from Camden was the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's Next Food Network Star. McCargo, along with ten other finalists, went through weeks of crazy missions including a throwdown with Bobby Flay to prove he was the next star. McCargo's prize? His own show called "Big Daddy's Kitchen," which premieres in early August. Adam......

Um, yes please.......

We love food. Not just because it's a necessary substance for sustaining life. Perhaps, we should say we're in love with food. That's why we would risk personal relationships for an ourstanding meal, why The Food Network is one of the only TV stations we can find without using the guide, and why we comb the pages of picture-heavy cookbooks the way most people thumb through the latest edition of Playboy (NSFW). And so......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. American Experience (Mon, 10PM-11PM, WHYY) A profile of legendary frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917), whose Wild West Show introduced millions in the eastern US and Europe to the American West. The bio includes many archival photos and film footage, as well as comments from various authors and historians, and from Gary Dull Knife, whose grandfather worked for Cody. Nova (Tue, 8PM-9PM, WHYY & WLVT) This episode takes......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Antiques Roadshow (Mon, 8PM-9PM, WHYY & WLVT) First part of a three part series set in San Antonio, Texas. One of the items examined is a World Series program for the 1905 series between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics. Good Eats (Mon, 8PM-8:30PM, Food Network) Our favorite cooking show takes a look at our favorite vegetable: broccoli! History of the Joke (Mon, 9PM-11PM, History......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Ancient Discoveries (Mon, 10PM-11PM, History Channel) This week's episode of Ancient Discoveries is entitled "Ancient Super Ballistics," and if that doesn't sound awesome to you, then we don't want to know you. It's about the history of ballistics, and features firearms experts testing ancient weapons for speed, accuracy, and power. Nova (Tue, 8PM-9PM, WHYY & WLVT) The venerable PBS science show takes a look at the Cold......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. State of the Union Address (Mon, 9PM-10:30PM, All network stations, among others) - W gives us the traditional load of bullshit in front of a joint session of Congress. Kansas governor Kathleen Sibelius will give the Democratic response. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Mon, 10PM-10:30PM, Food Network) - This time they're taking a tour of New Jersey diners, including restaurants in Long Beach Island, Hackensack, Lake Hopatcong, Livingston,......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Life After People (Mon, 9PM-11PM, History Channel) - An interesting thought experiment: what would the Earth be like if human beings suddenly disappeared off of it? Of course, it's not all guesswork; they take a look at actual places that were abandoned by people and what happened in those cases. Moment of Truth (Wed, 9PM-10PM, Fox) - The debut of the new game show where contestants have......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. BCS Championship Game: Ohio State vs. LSU (Mon, 8:15PM-11:30PM, Fox) - Woo hoo! It's the college football Super Bowl! Of course, the bittersweet thing is, this means college football is over for the season. But at least it'll go out with a bang. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Mon, 10PM-10:30PM, Food Network) - This episode's theme is eateries that are open 24/7, and one of the places being......

The Phillyist Staff had so many ways to countdown to 2008 that we found ourselves with quite a few leftovers on this, the final day of 2007. So enjoy this afternoon's glut of lists from your friendly neighborhood bloggers, and we'll see you next year! At this point, I guess most of you readers out there know that I don't eat to live – I live to eat. So it stands to reason that I've......

I've spoken before of my love for the Food Network. And now, I have one more thing to love about my favorite addicting cable network: swag. Just before Thanksgiving, they contacted me to see if I was interested in trying out any of the items from their Holiday Gift Guide. "All of them," I replied. They informed me that they couldn't send me one of everything, but that they'd send me the Calphalon Nonstick Everyday......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. All-Star Holiday Spirit (Mon, 9PM-10PM, Food Network) - The Food Network stars - including food nerd Alton Brown, freakish bird-woman Giada De Laurentiis, the hated Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, Tyler Florence, and obsessive lush Sandra Lee - prepare holiday party dishes. Should be a good time! Charlie Brown Christmas (Tue, 8PM-9PM, ABC) - The 1965 classic, accompanied by a behind-the-scenes making-of special hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, and......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Atlantis SquarePantis (Mon, 8PM-9PM, Nickelodeon) - A special 45-minute-long episode of SpongeBob SquarePants wherein he and his friends take a trip to the lost city of Atlantis, but a flash from Patrick's camera causes trouble. The episode is followed by a fifteen-minute making-of special, which rounds out the hour. The important part: David Bowie guest stars as the voice of Lord Royal Highness, the king of Atlantis.......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Nova (Tue, 8PM-9PM, PBS [WHYY & WLVT]) - This episode, entitled "Sputnik Declassified," is a look back at the early years of the space race, and includes segments on the launch of Sputnik, the failed attempt by the US to launch a satellite eight weeks later, and the contributions to the US space program by Wernher von Braun, former head of the Nazi rocket program. Secrets of......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Samantha Who? (Mon, 9:30PM-10PM, ABC) - Christina Applegate's new show (this is the pilot) features her as a woman who wakes up from a coma with amnesia and discovers that the person she used to be was a bitch, a cheater, an alcoholic, and had no friends. We remember a little movie called Regarding Henry that had a similar premise, but starred Harrison Ford instead of Applegate.......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Aliens in America (Mon, 8:30PM-9PM, The CW) - Here's an interesting show premise: a Pakistani Muslim exchange student named Raja comes to a Wisconsin town and is not exactly welcomed with open arms. In fact, in this first episode, his host family have to decide whether to send him back, as they weren't expecting a Muslim. We're betting they decide to keep him. He gets help adjusting......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. What Perez Says About the VMAs (Tue, 9PM-10PM, VH1) - Everyone's favorite internet celebrity gossip master turns his wit upon MTV's Video Music Awards. Moving from the internet to TV seems like a backwards step to us. Although of course we wouldn't turn down the offer of a Phillyist TV show if somebody wanted to help us make one... P.O.V. (Tue, 10PM-11:30PM, PBS [WHYY]) - The film......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Monday Night Football Exhibition: Eagles at Ravens (Mon, 7PM-11PM, 6ABC); NFL Football Exhibition: Panthers at Eagles (Fri, 7PM-11PM, 6ABC) - The Eagles are back! Sure, it's only preseason, but it's still Eagles football. And anyway, it'll be interesting to see some of the new guys in action, and to see the veterans get back into the swing of things by playing a series or two. Dog the......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Modern Marvels (Mon, 8PM-9PM, History Channel) - Tonight's modern marvel is chocolate, so obviously this episode is required viewing. Included is the history of chocolate, the chocolate-making process (including the manufacture of M&Ms), and the many properties that chocolate is thought to possess. LA Ink (Tue, 10PM-11PM, TLC) - Fugitive from Miami Ink Kat Von D is opening her own tattoo parlor - High Voltage Tattoo -......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Simon Schama's Power of Art (Mon, 10PM-11PM, PBS [WHYY]) - This time good old Simon is taking a look at Mark Rothko's abstract murals "Four Seasons." We've come to rather love Rothko and his big blocks of solid color, so this sounds interesting to us - especially since Rothko did these particular works for the Four Seasons restaurant, but then had them removed after having a meal......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Mon, 10PM-10:30PM, Food Network) - This week, amongst other restaurants, this show visits the Bay Way Diner in Linden, NJ and tries their Philly cheesesteaks. Saving Grace (Mon, 10PM-11PM, TNT) - TNT has a new cop drama, and this one stars Holly Hunter as a hard-living Oklahoma City detective who, in this first episode alone, gets involved in a deadly drunken-driving accident, becomes......

What's new and/or interesting on television this week. Victoria Beckham: Coming to America (Mon, 8PM-9PM, NBC10) - It's the British invasion all over again in this reality show-type special which follows Posh Spice as she moves from London to LA. Secret Life Of... (Mon, 8:30PM-9PM, Food Network) - This time they're taking a look at superstitions surrounding foods - so, stuff about New Year's Day foods, spinach, garlic, and carrots. Cities of the Underworld (Mon,......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Animal Battlegrounds (Tue, 9:30PM-10PM, Animal Planet) - Are the parts in nature shows where the animals eat each other your favorite bits? Then this show is for you! It seems to look exclusively at such conflicts. This episode focuses on wetland environments, particularly Africa, and features archerfish shooting their prey down out of the trees, and black egrets catching fish by tricking them with shadows. Globe Trekker......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Cities of the Underworld (Mon, 9PM-10PM, History Channel) - This week's episode is "Freemason Underground," which means we should hear some good conspiracy theories, and they might even mention Philadelphia, since our city, of course, played host to the founding fathers, a number of whom happened to be masons. Science of Love: A Modern Dating Experiment (Mon, 10PM-11PM, NBC10) - In this special, a man dates two......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Simon Schama's The Power of Art (Mon, 9PM-10PM, PBS [WHYY, WLVT]) - The guy in the title is a Columbia University art history professor, and in this new show he takes a look at famous artists: their masterworks, and crucial moments in their lives. In the debut, he's talking about Van Gogh and his painting Wheatfield with Crows (pictured here). Heartland (Mon, 10PM-11PM, TNT) - Another medical......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Road Tasted (Tue, 9:30PM-10PM, Food Network) - Guess where Road Tasted is going this week? That's right, our very own Philadelphia! They'll be sampling cheesesteaks at Campo's Deli (uh, what about Pat's or Geno's??) and sweets at Franklin Fountain, amongst other things. Lil' Bush (Wed, 10:30PM-11PM, Comedy Central) - This is the debut episode of a new animated series following the adventures of a prepubescent version of......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Creature Comforts (Mon, 8PM-8:30PM, CBS) - A new US version of the popular UK show created by Wallace & Gromit's Nick Park. It involves clay, stop-motion animated animals sharing their opinions on life. If it's anything like the original, the dialogue will consist of actual interviews with real people that end up being quite amusing when coming out of the mouths of gorillas and panthers. Unwrapped (Mon,......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. 24 (Mon, 8PM-10PM, Fox) - One of the many season finales airing this week is this two-hour long sixth-season finale of everybody's favorite real-time espionage action thriller drama. In it, Jack is trying to protect us from the Russians. The Russians? Seriously? What year is it again? Heroes (Mon, 9PM-10PM, NBC) - Also having a season finale Monday night is everybody's favorite sci-fi action thriller about super-powered......

This week we'd like to congratulate the -ist network's Mother Hen, Gothamist's Jen Chung, who found herself a recipient of Wired Magazine's Wired Rave Award. If that doesn't sound terribly exciting, keep in mind another recipient was J.K. Rowling. Yep, that's right, the -ist network and Harry Potter now have something in common. Go us. Austinist has a chat with the ever-fashionable Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, and managed to catch some local fashionistas making......

We'll be the first to admit that we're a little addicted to watching the Food Network. It's not that we have it on all the time. It's just that once it's on, hours and hours will go by before we can even think about turning the television off. (It's probably more like televised pot, than televised crack, in that regard.) Hell, we even kind of like Rachel Ray. (Sure, she can be annoyingly chipper, and......