L.A. Unified School District Says No To Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Jamie Oliver
The Los Angeles Unified School District has refused an offer to take part in Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.
In its first season, Food Revolution chronicled the British chef's attempts to improve school lunch programs in Huntington, W. Va. ABC announced last month that the second season would be filmed in Los Angeles, a city which Oliver called "his biggest challenge yet."
At the outset of the show, Oliver was met with heavy resistance in Huntington. Now, he's facing preemptive pushback in Los Angeles. In a letter written to the show's producers, LAUSD's director of partnerships in the superintendent's office Melissa Infusino said taking part in Food Revolution would be too time-consuming.
"Our feeling was that his time would be better spent or invested in other communities," Infusino told the Los Angeles Times.
Jamie Oliver taking Food Revolution to Los Angeles
"We believe our direct work with nutrition experts, health advocates, the community, schools and students is the most effective strategy for our continued success and improvement," Infusino added.
No word yet if the series will move its location. ABC publicity director Amber Gereghty told the Times the network was not prepared to comment about the show "because it's still in the creative stages."
TVGuide.com's emails to ABC and Oliver's reps were not immediately returned.