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TV This Week

No reservations, but lots of complaints

Bourdain, on his way to CNN, picks a fight with his network

By Louisa Ada Seltzer

November 19, 2012

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It appears Anthony Bourdain will not have a smooth exit from Travel Channel, where the second and final season of “The Layover with Anthony Bourdain” premieres tonight at 9 p.m.

Earlier this year the famed chef announced he was leaving his longtime network to join CNN.

Last week Bourdain took to his Tumblr blog to rip Travel’s management following an episode of his most popular show on the network, “No Reservations,” claiming they had turned the program into a commercial.

“Reservations” featured footage of a Cadillac that Bourdain said was added post-production, making it seem as though he was endorsing the product. He also complained about the current direction of the network, where he has worked for eight years.

“[I]n the last year or so things started to take a definite turn for the worse,” he wrote. He also unleashed a series of profane tweets targeting the network and calling them, along with a number of unprintable words, greedy.

Travel Channel put out a statement saying, “We’ve enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Tony and his production team, but his decision to make further remarks on this matter in the public domain is unfortunate.”

Bourdain even went on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” last week to discuss the controversy, making his first appearance on the network since announcing his departure from Travel.

CNN is rumored to be hoping to expand into reality-style and lifestyle-heavy programming on weekends in an attempt to stem an extended ratings slide, and Bourdain certainly fits into that strategy.

“Layover” focuses on what to do in different cities across the world when faced with an extended layover. The first episode includes footage of Cadillac again, so people undoubtedly will be watching his Tumblr and Twitter to see his thoughts.

Travel is coming off a steady third quarter in which it averaged 257,000 viewers in its target adults 25-54 demo, according to Nielsen, down 1 percent from the previous year.

A look at this week's top TV draws
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Time		Network	Program			Description
8 p.m.		ABC	"Dancing with the Stars" (R)			The contestants dance to songs from Michael Jackson's "Bad" album.
8 p.m.		Nickelodeon	"TeenNick 2012 HALO Awards" (A)			The fourth annual awards ceremony honoring teen leaders, hosted by Nick Cannon.
8:30 p.m.		ESPN	"Monday Night Football" (S)			Good NFC matchup between the 49ers and Bears.
9 p.m.		Travel Channel	"The Layover with Anthony Bourdain" (R)			Season premiere. Bourdain tells viewers where to get food and drinks in Chicago.
9:30 p.m.		CBS	"Mike & Molly" (C)			Mike gets sick and Molly thinks she doesn't have to make Thanksgiving dinner, but it doesn't quite work out that way.
10 p.m.		NBC	"Revolution" (D)			The group has problems on their way to Independence Hall.
10 p.m.		MTV	"Teen Mom" (R)			Some people never learn–Jenelle fails a drug test.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Time	Network			Program	Description
8 p.m.	NBC			"The Voice" (R)	Two singers from each team are eliminated.
8 p.m.	Science Channel			"Fringe" (D)	The Fox drama makes its cable syndication premiere.
8 p.m.	Sundance Channel			"Iconoclasts" (N)	Season finale. Former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and rapper Chuck D guest.
9 p.m.	CBS			"NCIS: Los Angeles" (D)	The team looks into a crime that ends up on the internet.
10 p.m.	FX			"Sons of Anarchy" (D)	In a special 90-minute episode, Jax tries to get things in order while Nero runs into his old crew.
10 p.m.	USA			"Covert Affairs" (D)	Season finale. Annie attempts to rescue a spy in Amsterdam.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Time	Network			Program	Description
8 p.m.	ABC			"Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" (A)	Annual special includes a special cartoon that takes place on the Mayflower in 1620.
8 p.m.	Fox			"The X Factor" (R)	The top finalists deliver another round of performances.
9 p.m.	Food Network			"Restaurant: Impossible" (R)	Season premiere. Helping a struggling Latin restaurant in Kansas City.
9 p.m.	Discovery Channel			"Moonshiners" (R)	Mark and Jeff build a new copper still, while Josh and Bill make progress with their underground still.
10 p.m.	ABC			"Private Practice" (D)	Jake deals with a high maintenance patient, and separately he plans to meet with Henry's social worker
10 p.m.	Showtime			"Jim Rome on Showtime" (T)	Series premiere. The TV and radio sports personality launches a new cable program.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Time	Network			Program	Description
12:30 p.m.	CBS			"NFL Football" (S)	The Lions host the Texans in the first of three Thanksgiving Day games.
3:30 p.m.	AXS			"College Basketball" (S)	Minnesota takes on Duke in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.
4:30 p.m.	Fox			"NFL Football" (S)	RG3 and the Redskins take on the Cowboys in Dallas.
7:30 p.m.	ESPN			"College Football" (S)	Not into the pros? Good college game between TCU and Texas.
8:30 p.m.	NBC			"NFL Football" (S)	Another solid matchup, this between the Patriots and Jets.
9:30 p.m.	ABC			"Bad25" (N)	Spike Lee documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's "Bad" album.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Time	Network			Program	Description
12 p.m.	ABC			"College Football" (S)	Big Ten clash between Nebraska and Iowa.
8 p.m.	CBS			"Frosty the Snowman" (K)	The classic holiday special narrated by Jimmy Durante.
8 p.m.	Nickelodeon			"iCarly" (C)	Series finale. Spencer goes to a dance with Carly, whose dad can't make it.
9 p.m.	Discovery Channel			"Gold Rush" (R)	Episode titled "The Ultimatum" will no doubt result in some drama.
9:30 p.m.	CBS			"It's a SpongeBob Christmas!" (K)	New holiday special based on the long-running Nickelodeon cartoon.
11 p.m.	CMT			"CMT Crossroads" (A)	A mash-up between the Avett Brothers and Randy Travis.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24
Time	Network			Program	Description
3:30 p.m.	ESPN			"College Football" (S)	Rivalry game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
8 p.m.	CBS			"Made in Jersey" (D)	The network starts burning off episodes of the canceled drama.
8 p.m.	ABC			"College Football" (S)	If Notre Dame wins at USC they will likely earn a spot in the BCS national championship game.
8 p.m.	Hallmark Channel			"Naughty or Nice" (M)	A woman comes across Santa's "Naughty or Nice" book.
10 p.m.	CBS			"48 Hours" (N)	Looking back at a 1984 murder in South Pasadena.
10 p.m.	MSNBC			"Lockup: Louisville – Extended Stay" (N)	Following inmates at a prison in Louisville.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Time	Network			Program	Description
4:30 p.m.	Speed			"Formula One Racing" (S)	The season-ending Grand Prix of Brazil, with the championship still up for grabs.
8 p.m.	ABC			"Once Upon a Time" (D)	Cora tries to get the compass from Emma and Mary Margaret.
8:20 p.m.	NBC			"Sunday Night Football" (S)	Game between the past two Super Bowl champs as the Packers face the Giants.
9 p.m.	AMC			"The Walking Dead" (D)	Rick has to make a decision about somebody who shows up at the prison.
10 p.m.	Travel Channel			"Instant Christmas" (N)	Dollywood in Tennessee makes the list of holiday vacation ideas.
10 p.m.	TLC			"Extreme Cougar Wives" (N)	Looking at a handful of strange relationships, including one between a 76-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.