Throng

7:30pm - Saturday, September 4 on TV 3

Been missing your weekly dose of Top Chef? Fear not as the hit culinary series returns on Saturday, September 4th at 7:30pm on 3.

Picking up its knives where we last left off, series seven sees the Top Chef contestants face cooking challenges presented by Washington D.C.'s movers and shakers - including astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, assistant White House chef Sam Kass, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and CIA director Leon Panetta.

What's more, this season sees French-born chef Eric Ripert join Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons as a permanent Top Chef judge.

"He has more stars from the New York Times and Michelin than any other chef on the continent," says series host Padma Lakshmi of Ripert. "He brings that gravitas with him."

TV3’s Modern Family proved the big television winner at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards today, after scooping three golden statuettes.

As well as taking home the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series gongs; Modern Family walked away with the top prize of Outstanding Comedy Series.

C4’s Breaking Bad continued its Emmy success with Bryan Cranston winning the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series award for the third consecutive year running. Aaron Paul added to the Breaking Bad award tally after he took out the category for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Following news of the pulling of Top Chef on Thursday nights for low ratings, replaced by Grand Designs, news comes of the removal of Parenthood. The show has been removed after racking up a miserable 125k last night  and will be replaced next week by Big Momma's House 2...no word on a permanent replacement for the slot, but without another season of Survivor available until September...you have to wonder where they go from here.

TV3 are no doubt getting a lot of negetive feedback due to their weak decision to take the Emmy award winning TOP CHEF off our screens.  I challenge them to review their decision immediately and stop pissing off their loyal viewers by stopping a show mid season. They claim the ratings were poor. If thats the case I think the ratings system is flawed. I know so many people from all walks of life who really love the show. If prime time didnt work for TOP CHEF, at least have the decency to screen it in another later time slot immediatley...

7:30pm - Thursday, July 8 on TV 3

Top Chef goes to Washington D.C. when the hit culinary series returns to 3 for its latest sizzling season, premiering on Thursday, July 8th at 7:30pm on 3.

As the series packs up its knives and moves to America's capital for its seventh season, series host Padma Lakshmi says that there's only one thing that she craves nowadays.

"A good night's sleep," the new mum of three-month-old daughter Krishna Thea tells Reality TV World. Too bad that's about the only thing that can't be whipped up in television's hottest kitchen.

This season will see the series' 17 cheftestants face cooking challenges presented by Washington D.C.'s movers and shakers - including astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, assistant White House chef Sam Kass, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and CIA director Leon Panetta.

FOOD TELEVISION - Weekdays from Monday 10 May, 9.30pm

The latest crop of fifteen of the most impressive rising chefs hit beautiful Miami Beach - where the sun is hot and the competition even hotter - in this all new tropical season of Top Chef. Culinary expert Ted Allen (Chopped) brings his expertise to the judges table this season, joining cookbook author, actress and host Padma Lakshmi; Tom Colicchio, celebrated culinary figure and co-founder of Craft Restaurants; and returning judge Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine. The contestants will reside in the luxurious beachfront Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, and be challenged to turn up the heat and use Miami's flavourful fruits, fresh seafood, and cultural influences to full effect to take out the prestigious title of Top Chef.

8:30pm - Thursday, December 17 on TV 3

Judge and world-class chef Tom Colicchio will find his Top Chef Season Six winner on Thursday, December 17th at 8:30pm on 3. But what road did Colicchio take to become the well respected judge he is today?

Colicchio says that his early experience fishing with his grandfather gave him a sense at a young age that food was a source of connection and pleasure.

"It was my job to come home - I had to clean the fish," Colicchio tells American TV Guide. "So, I learned to filet fish when I was about four-years-old. And then we would just cook all afternoon and eat that night, and it would last all night long."

"So, something as simple as going out for day fishing turned into a feast. I didn't know any other way, that's just the way I was raised, and I kind of expect that from everybody."

8:30pm - Thursday, November 26 on TV 3

Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman (Star Wars: Episode I, II and III) is joining the judging panel as this week's guest judge on Top Chef when the hit culinary series continues its sizzling sixth season on Thursday, November 26th at 8:30pm on 3.

The strictly vegan actress will be appear on this week's episode, (in)appropriately titled "Meat Natalie", where the chefs are asked to create a culinary spread for Portman and her posse at Craftsteak, Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio's Las Vegas restaurant.

This will be Top Chef's second outing into the vegan world, during the Foo Fighters' guest appearance on last season's Thanksgiving episode the chefs were requested to cater for their crew of 60 people, some of which were vegetarian.

The vegan cornbread stole the show last year. Will another vegetarian dish be a big hit this time around?