NBC

CHICAGO – Part “Top Chef,” part “The Apprentice,” and even part “American Idol” and with a title borrowed from “America’s Next Top Model,” NBC’s “America’s Next Great Restaurant” is a recipe built from ingredients you’ve tasted before but that have become bland by mixing them all together with nothing new to add to the pot.

CHICAGO – In the opening scenes of the season premiere of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” the amazing Donald Trump actually claims to have turned Joan Rivers, Piers Morgan, and Bret Michaels into stars through their winning the show (and he’s only maybe half-joking; more like a quarter).

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico speaks with WGN Radio host Bill Moller on Feb. 19, 2011 about the ratings for “The Chicago Code” and the premieres of “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business,” “SNL: Backstage,” “America’s Next Top Model,” and “Shedding For the Wedding.” Other programs discussed include “Survivor: Redemption Island,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.”

CHICAGO – Since practically the beginning of TV, sitcoms about the trials of being in a couple are a dime a dozen. Today it takes innovative, highly intelligent writing to make the mundane, everyday challenges of being in a relationship seem exciting and—most importantly—watchable, week after week.

CHICAGO – The midseason premiere of season three of “Parks & Recreation” starts by catching us up on what we’ve missed. It details the arrivals of auditors, the “black hats,” played by the non-descript Adam Scott and a goofily-exuberant Rob Lowe, and features a tongue-and-cheek detailing of the budget crisis facing the parks department.

CHICAGO – David E. Kelley (“The Practice,” “Boston Legal”) is a fantastic TV writer. Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “About Schmidt”) is a versatile actress.

CHICAGO – NBC never learns. After not just countless rip-offs but “Heroes” itself tanked, why would they try to go back to a clearly-drained well for another comic book TV series like “The Cape”?

CHICAGO – TNT’s “Southland” has found that rare balance that evades most modern cop shows. In fact, it may be the best show of its type since “NYPD Blue.”

CHICAGO – NBC’s “Community” continues to climb the charts of what must be considered the most creative programs on television with a brilliant Christmas episode tonight inspired by the Rankin-Bass stop-motion animated classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman.”

CHICAGO – Amy Poehler’s “Parks and Recreation” had the serious problem of trying to find an audience on NBC during the destruction of the network by “The Jay Leno Show.” Debuting in April of 2009, it struggled to find a following and then barely hung around through the disastrous times at NBC during the 2009-10 season. To everyone’s surprise, it was renewed and will return on a revamped Thursday night lineup in January. To try and ignite interest in the show one more time, Universal has released the second season of this better-than-average show.