Spring’s TV premieres

With spring just around the corner, there is plenty to look forward to on TV and online.

The cable networks are launching a number of season premieres this month, as well as some completely new shows you may not have heard about. Here’s a sampling:

Playing With Fire — Premiered on Sunday, March 17 at 11pm on E! Entertainment:

Coming on right after the new Kourtney and Kim, which every Kardashian fan has already heard about, this new show promises an exclusive look into the lives of some of the top personalities driving New York’s world-renowned culinary scene. The new series follows these movers and shakers as they try to balance their professional and personal lives amid the cut-throat competition and fast pace of this city that is famous for its outstanding cuisine.

Star “foodies” in the six-episode, one-hour series include the well-connected Chef Boyardee heiress and author Anna Boiardi; the handsome identical twins, event planners and food entrepreneurs Derek and Daniel Koch; Julie Elkind, a pastry chef extraordinaire with an edgy personality to counteract her sweet touch; and Candice Kumai, a former model and Top Chef competitor. Celebrity chef/restaurateur Todd English will also make guest appearances.

Trip Flip — Season two premiere, Sunday, March 17, at 10pm on Travel Channel:

It’s hard to believe that when the host of this show, comedian Bert Kreischer, walks up to people on the street and offers them a free vacation, many of them say no. It took him two days to find some willing takers in California. Are we all just too jaded or afraid of anything that might be a scam?

In any event, when Kreisher walks the streets of America scouting for a random duo to send on a totally extravagant vacation where everything is a surprise, it would be wise to say yes. See who does and the dream vacations that ensue.

UrbanTarzan – premiered Tuesday, March 19 at 11.30pm on Spike TV:

This new original series follows America’s preeminent extreme animal handler, UrbanTarzan (formerly John Brennan who legally changed his name) as he goes about his business, which is based on more than 20 years of rescuing, capturing and relocating dangerous and exotic animals.

It’s an unpredictable world, as you can imagine, and UrbanTarzan and his team may be dealing one day with pythons on the loose in residential neighbourhoods and the next tracking down lions that escaped from an animal sanctuary.

Fortunately, UrbanTarzan is a serious animal advocate, though he has been bitten or stung by just about everything that moves.

Sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, blog posts, etc. can be found at www.UrbanTarzan.spike.com 

The Nerdist — premieres Saturday, March 30 at 11pm, on BBC America:

This new series is part of BBC America’s new Supernatural Saturday line-up.

It’s a fresh take on the comedy-variety talk show genre and is based on the podcast by the same name, produced by comedian, Doctor Who evangelist and cyber pundit Chris Hardwick.

The podcast was named one of the best comedy podcasts by Rolling Stone, and is one of the top ten comedy podcasts on iTunes.

Hardwick hosts the show and is joined by Matt Mira, Jonah Ray and an array of celebrity correspondents on both sides of the pond as they welcome actors, writers, comedians, scientists and pop icons who will weigh in on a diverse assortment of nerdy topics. Expect stand-up and musical performances too.

Best Ink — Season two premiere, Wednesday, April 3 at 11 pm, on Oxygen:

Oxygen teamed up with Youtoo Technologies to create a user-generated video site, “Best Ink: Skin Stories” to bring to life the stories behind fans’ favourite tattoos, prior to the premier of this Second Season of Best Ink the TV show.  Viewers can visit http://best-ink.oxygen.com/skin-stories or https://www.facebook.com/bestinkoxygen to record a 30-second video testimonial that tells the story behind their favourite tattoo.  Fans are sharing stories on social networks and watching each other’s video submissions on Oxygen.com and on-air. Oxygen will be going to tattoo conventions and events across the United States to collect more stories. Yet another web to TV crossover.

Happy Spring!