Twittering birds. Aside from the whirring of a Cuisinart or the banging of pots, that's the loudest noise you'll hear on Jamie Oliver's cozy new series, Jamie at Home (Saturdays at 9:30 am/ET, Food Network). The quiet chirping begins and ends segments, and helps set the mood for a show that dispenses with catchphrases, guests and gimmicks and instead features the 32-year-old British cook — first introduced to U.S. audiences in 2000 as the Naked Chef — using vegetables and fruits plucked from his bountiful 13-acre organic home garden in Essex, England.
There's an aura of spontaneity about the series. ("I haven't burnt [it]. Honestly," he assures us as the room fogs with smoke when dripping fruit juice caramelizes on the bottom of the oven while he's making a rustic blackberry-and-apple pie.) That's bec
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We're finally allowed to announce the judges on Oprah's Big Give, ABC's philanthropic reality road show premiering March 2 at 9 pm/ET. "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver, NFL player Tony Gonzalez and Chris Rock's wife, Malaak Compton-Rock — all of whom are known for their charity work — will choose the weekly winners among 10 contestants crossing the country "making dreams come true" by giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars to "unsuspecting strangers." Says producer Ellen Rakieten, "We wanted to pick people who have obvious credentials for their judging." Not that Oprah herself won't show up; we hear that she's in five or six of the episodes, usually presenting some kind of twist or surprise in the game. Alas, there is bad news for those of you hoping to be a recipient of the Big Give's largesse: Season 1 is already in the can. — Ileane Rudolph
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