Food Network
Launched	November 23, 1993
Owned by	Scripps Networks Interactive (70%) Tribune Company (30%)
Picture format	480i (SD) 1080i (HD)
Slogan	Way More Than Cooking
Headquarters	New York City, New York
Sister channel(s)	Cooking Channel DIY Network Great American Country HGTV Travel Channel
Website	http://www.foodnetwork.com
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview (UK)	Channel 49 (18:00-22:00 only)
Satellite
DirecTV	231 (SD/HD) 1231 (VOD)
Dish Network	110 (SD/HD) 9462 (HD)
Sky (UK & Ireland)	Channel 262 Channel 263 (+1)
Freesat (UK)	Channel 405 Channel 406 (+1)
DStv	Channel 185
Cable
Available on most cable systems	Check local listings
Smallworld Cable (UK)	Channel 222 Channel 223 (+1)
UPC Ireland (Ireland)	Channel 508
Internet television
Meo Online	Watch live (Portugal only)

Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring (episodic) programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent.

The network is seen in more than ninety million households. In addition to New York City, it has offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, Jersey City, Cincinnati and Knoxville, Tennessee.

History[link]

Food Network was founded on April 19, 1993 as TV Food Network, and launched on November 23 of that year; its legal name is still Television Food Network, G.P. Within a few years, the network had shortened its on-air brand name. It was created by Reese Schonfeld (one of the founders of CNN), under the direction of Trygve Myrhen, President of The Providence Journal. Its original partners included the Journal itself, Adelphia, Scripps-Howard, Continental Cablevision, Cablevision, and most importantly, Chicago's Tribune Company, which provided the network's technical output.

Schonfeld, who was also a partner in the company, was appointed its Managing Director and sat on its management board along with two Providence Journal employees. The original lineup for the network included Emeril Lagasse (Essence of Emeril), Debbi Fields, Donna Hanover, David Rosengarten, Curtis Aikens, Dr. Louis Arrone, Jacques Pépin and Robin Leach. The next year the network acquired the rights to the Julia Child library from WGBH. In 1995, Schonfeld resigned as managing director of the network, but remained on its board until 1998, when he sold his interest in the company to Scripps.

The Food Network had been acquired from the A. H. Belo Corp. Corporation by the E. W. Scripps Company in 1997, trading KENS-AM/TV in San Antonio, Texas, for it. Belo had acquired the network when it purchased The Providence Journal Company in 1996. Myrhen left the Journal company the following year. In March 2009, the Food Network launched a re-purposed Food.com as a bookmarking site that lets users aggregate and search for recipes from different sources online.

Food Network was first launched internationally in the UK on November 9, 2009, and in Asia on July 5, 2010 (on StarHub TV's Channel 433 and Channel 468 for the HD version of Food Network Asia).^[1] Since the UK launch on November 9, 2009 on Sky,^[2] the channel has been added to the Freesat^[3] and Freeview^[4] platforms.

Programming[link]

Food Network programming is divided into daytime coverage known as "Food Network in the Kitchen" and primetime coverage the network calls "Food Network Nighttime". Generally, "In the Kitchen" is dedicated to instructional cooking programs while "Nighttime" features food-related entertainment programs, such as cooking competitions, food-related travel shows, and reality shows. Promos identify "Food Network Nighttime" programming but not daytime programming. Many of the channel's personalities routinely pull double-duty (or more) — hosting both daytime and nighttime programming — and the channel regularly offers specials which typically either follow its personalities on working vacations, or bring together a number of personalities for a themed cooking event.

Mario Batali and Bobby Flay joined the network in 1995. In 1996 Joe Langhan, an executive producer at The Food Network, created Emeril Live!, which became the channel's signature series. Among other duties, Flay and Batali now appear regularly on Iron Chef America, the channel's well-received remake of the original Japanese series. America's host, Alton Brown, gained a cult following for his Good Eats, which mixes science, cooking and offbeat humor. Currently the channel's biggest cross-over star is Rachael Ray, who has parlayed her cable following (primarily through the series 30 Minute Meals and $40 a Day into a syndicated talk show.

Beginning in 2005, an annual reality contest, The Next Food Network Star, has brought viewers to New York to compete for their own show. Previous winners include Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh (Party Line with The Hearty Boys), Guy Fieri (Guy's Big Bite, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, "Guy Off the Hook," "Ultimate Recipe Showdown," "Guy's Big Night," "Guy's Family Feast"), Amy Finley (The Gourmet Next Door), Aaron McCargo, Jr. (Big Daddy's House),^[5] Melissa d'Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners) and Aarti Sequeira (Aarti Party).^[6] For the 2010 season, the Next Food Network Star has relocated to Los Angeles.

In accordance with an agreement between Scripps and Chellomedia, Food Network programs started to air abroad in the fourth quarter of 2009 in the United Kingdom and then in other markets in early 2010.^[7]

Food Network HD[link]

Food Network HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast of Food Network. It originally aired a different lineup than the SD version, with only HD programs. On March 31, 2008 Food Network (along with HGTV) relaunched an HD simulcast of its standard definition feed. As a result, the programming is now identical on both channels, with upconverted and stretched versions of standard definition programs being shown when no high definition version is available.

Some cable companies broadcast the HD versions of programming on the east coast time slot (similar to satellite practices) with the SD version being broadcast in its normal timeslot. This only impacts cable networks and does not change local programming.

Food Network video game[link]

Food Network has released Cook or Be Cooked, a video game for the Wii console. The game, which was developed by Namco, simulates real cooking experiences and was released on November 3, 2009.^[8][9] Players can also try out the recipes featured on the game.

Carriage disputes[link]

Dispute with Cablevision[link]

On January 1, 2010 HGTV and Food Network were removed from Cablevision, a major cable company with systems serving areas surrounding New York City. Scripps removed HGTV and Food Network from Cablevision's programming following the expiration of their contract on December 31, 2009; Cablevision and Scripps had been in negotiations for several months to agree on a new contract, but no progress had been made. The discontinuance of Food Network from Cablevision led the channel to make arrangements with Tribune-owned WPIX in New York and WTXX in Hartford, Connecticut to broadcast a special episode of Iron Chef America with First Lady Michelle Obama on Sunday, January 10, 2010, after that episode enjoyed high ratings on its January 3 cable premiere. ^[10] On January 21, 2010 Cablevision and Scripps came to an agreement and Food Network and HGTV were restored to the cable systems that day.^[11]

Dispute with AT&T[link]

AT&T U-verse dropped Food Network, Cooking Channel, HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country on November 5, 2010;^[12] two days later, on November 7, 2010, the dispute was resolved.^[13][14]

Media comment[link]

In December 2007 The New York Times business section published an article on the end of Emeril Lagasse's show Emeril Live and quoted Brooke Johnson, the president as saying that Lagasse "remains a valued member of the Food Network family".^[15]

Derek Baine, senior analyst at the media research firm SNL Kagan, is reported to have commented, "It's not surprising that people move on". "They pay almost nothing for the people as they are building their careers". "That's been their strategy all along".^[15]

The article also commented on the declining popularity of the Food Network whose day ratings it reported had fallen "to an average of 544,000 people from 580,000 a year ago". It noted, "More significant, its signature weekend block of instructional programs, known collectively as 'In the Kitchen,' has lost 15 percent of its audience in the last year, to 830,000 viewers on average. This had left the network owing refunds, known as 'make goods,' to advertisers."^[15]

Erica Gruen, former president and CEO of the Food Network (1995–1998) who created Emeril Live during her tenure, was reported to have blamed the decline on increased competition, "There's all sorts of instructional cooking video on the Web".^[15]

But it reported that, "Bob Tuschman, Food Network's senior vice president for programming and production, said the weekend ratings drop was 'nothing we haven't anticipated'. He said the network's ratings in that time period grew by double digits in each of the last four years, growth that could not be sustained."^[15]

It also wrote, "About a year ago, the Food Network began aggressively trying to change that with new deals that were 'way more onerous' from the stars' point of view, said a person who has been affected by the changing strategy, by insisting on a stake in book deals and licensing ventures, and control over outside activities.^[15]

Similar to the departure of Emeril Lagasse was that of David Rosengarten. In the foreword to his book Taste, Erica Gruen noted that the show had been the very first in-house production at Food Network and had become its most popular show. Yet after her departure at the end of 1998, the show was relegated to a 1:00 am broadcast time resulting in its inevitable drop in ratings and final demise. This strange and, on the surface, contrary to interest conduct by the network has never been explained.^[16]

See also[link]

• List of programs broadcast by the Food Network
• Food Network (Canada)
• List of Dish Network channels
• List of DirecTV channels
• The Food Network Awards

References[link]

External links[link]

	United States portal
	Television portal
	Food portal

• Official website
• Food Network HD
• Food Network Canada
• Food Network UK

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Guy Fieri

Born	Guy Ferry [1]) (1968-01-22) January 22, 1968 (age 44) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.[2]
Education	University of Nevada, Las Vegas (BS)
Current restaurant(s) Johnny Garlic's California Pasta Grill Tex Wasabi's
Television show(s) Guy's Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Ultimate Recipe Showdown Guy Off the Hook Minute to Win It

Guy Fieri ( /ˈɡaɪ fiːˈɛri/; born January 22, 1968 as Guy Ferry^[1]) is a United States restaurateur, author, television personality, and game show host. He co-owns five restaurants in California^[3] and is widely known for his television series on the Food Network.

By mid-2010, the Food Network had made Fieri the "face of the network."^[4] In 2010, the New York Times reported that Fieri brought an "element of rowdy, mass-market culture to American food television," and that his "prime-time shows attract more male viewers than any others on the network."^[4]

Career[link]

Although Fieri has no training as a chef, he worked at various restaurants during high school, and then went on to manage and own restaurants.^[5] After graduation in 1987, he went to work for Stouffer's, developing restaurant concepts in Southern California ^[4] and managing their flagship restaurant in Long Beach, California. After three years, he became District Manager of Louise's Trattoria, managing six locations along with recruiting and training for the restaurants. Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management in 1990.^[6]

In the fall of 1996, Fieri and business partner Steve Gruber opened Johnny Garlic's, an Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa, California. A second location opened in Windsor in 1999, a third in Petaluma in 2000 or 2001 (since closed), and a fourth in Roseville in late 2008. Subsequently they developed Tex Wasabi's (barbecue and sushi) in 2003 in Santa Rosa, adding a second location in Sacramento's Arden-Arcade area in 2007.^{[citation needed]} An additional Johnny Garlic's was opened in Dublin, CA in 2011.

Television[link]

After winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star ^[7] on April 23, 2006, Fieri was awarded a six-episode commitment for his own cooking show on Food Network. Guy's Big Bite premiered on June 25, 2006 and was renewed for a second season that began airing in early 2007. The show continues.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, his second series, premiered in April 2007 (a one-hour special aired in November 2006), with Fieri traveling the country visiting local eateries. The New York Times called the series "not a cooking show as much as a carefully engineered reality show."^[4] Ultimate Recipe Showdown, co-hosted with Marc Summers, debuted on February 17, 2008 and aired for three seasons. On September 14, 2008, Guy Off the Hook debuted on Food Network. This special studio audience show aired through the end of 2008, but the extra cost of staging an audience show did not result in a ratings bump and the concept was discontinued. For Thanksgiving 2008, Fieri hosted a one-hour special titled Guy's Family Feast. He used the "Guy Off the Hook" set for the special, which was broadcast live, on Friday, November 28, 2008.

Fieri has also appeared on other Food Network programs such as Dinner: Impossible in 2007 and 2009, Paula's Party, Ace of Cakes, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

In December 2009, NBC named Fieri as the host of the game show Minute to Win It, which premiered in March 2010 and aired for two seasons.^[8] On May 13, 2012, NBC announced that the game show will not be renewed for a third season, citing high production costs and low ratings.

In January 2012, Guy was one of the two team captains (along with Rachael Ray) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.^[9]

Advertising[link]

Fieri has appeared in promotions for Flowmaster, a California-based auto exhaust parts manufacturer. In 2008 and 2009, he was the spokesperson for T.G.I. Friday's.^[10] In 2010, he appeared in a commercial for Aflac named "Spicy."^[11]

Other projects[link]

In 2009, Fieri began touring with the Guy Fieri Roadshow, a multi-state food tour that featured some of his fellow Food Network personalities.^[12][13] He also appears in regional Food Network events, such as the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival^[14] and the South Beach Food and Wine Festival.^[15]

Personal life[link]

Fieri lives in Northern California with his wife Lori, sons Hunter and Ryder, and his dog Rockstar. He collects classic cars and features his own red 1967 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Guy also owns a 1971 Chevy Chevelle, 1968 Pontiac Firebird, 1976 Jeep CJ-5, 1996 Chevy Impala SS, 2004 Cadillac Escalade and a 1967 Chevy C10 pickup[1].

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Guy Fieri

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Guy Fieri

• Official Website
• Guy Fieri's Biography at FoodNetwork.com
• Guy Fieri's profile and diary from The Next Food Network Star at FoodNetwork.com

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010)

Marc Summers
Born	Marc Berkowitz (1951-11-11) November 11, 1951 (age 60) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation	Television personality
Years active	1986–present
Notable credit(s)	Double Dare (Nickelodeon) What Would You Do? (Nickelodeon) Unwrapped (Food Network) The Next Food Network Star (Food Network)
Spouse	Alice Filous (1974-present) - 2 children
Children	Matthew and Meredith
Website
http://viryours.com/ms/

Marc Summers (born November 11, 1951) is an American television personality, comedian, game show host, producer, and a two-time talk show host. He is best known for hosting the Nickelodeon game show Double Dare and currently hosts Unwrapped on The Food Network.

Early career[link]

Summers was born Marc Berkowitz in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[1] He attended Westlane Middle School and North Central High School in Indianapolis. His early careers were as a radio disc jockey and a stand-up comedian, though he held various television production jobs before, Summers' career boosted in 1986, when Nickelodeon hired him as the host of Double Dare. Double Dare was syndicated within two years and had a brief broadcast network run in prime time as Fox's Family Double Dare in 1988. The show's popularity led to other hosting jobs including the syndicated Couch Potatoes in 1989, and Nickelodeon's What Would You Do? in 1991. GSN chose him to host their original program WinTuition in 2002. He also had a rare dramatic performance in the Nickelodeon-produced Halloween program Mystery Magical Special, which also highlighted his skills as a stage magician. Summers also made celebrity guest rounds on other game shows including Scrabble, Super Password, Talk About, Lingo, To Tell the Truth, Win, Lose or Draw, and Hollywood Squares.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Summers appeared on television talk shows, including a stint on ABC television's Home Show. After Double Dare's cancellation in 1993, Summers co-hosted Our Home, a daily talk show aimed at homemakers, on Lifetime. Summers left Our Home after a couple of seasons to co-host another Lifetime talk show, Biggers & Summers.

On March 28, 2008, the Communication and Journalism Club of Coastal Carolina University presented Summers with the first annual Peach Cobbler Award and declared that day as "Marc Summers Day". The Peach Cobbler Award was modeled after Harvard's Hasty Pudding Award. The Peach Cobbler Award recognizes an individual and their accomplishments in the communication field. After the ceremony, Summers hosted a mock version of Double Dare on the university's campus.

Health[link]

During an interview with Dr. Eric Hollander on Biggers & Summers, Summers revealed that he has obsessive compulsive disorder. Summers went public about his condition on various television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show. In 1999, Summers co-wrote a book with Hollander about his experience, called Everything in Its Place: My Trials and Triumphs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Summers also participated in a series of videos for Freedom from Fear, a non-profit organization with the goal of addressing anxiety disorders and other related behavioral disorders.^[2] Despite his OCD, he was able to interact fully with his fans and contestants on Double Dare to the point of even allowing himself to get slimed.

Later career[link]

During the 1990s, Summers continued work on television shows, each with varying success. He created and hosted the short-lived children's game show Pick Your Brain, co-hosted Great Day America on the PAX Network, produced I Can't Believe You Said That, and hosted It's a Surprise on Food Network.

Summers returned to Nickelodeon in 2000 as the executive consultant for Double Dare 2000, an updated version of his original show. Two years later, he was the executive producer for another Nickelodeon resurrection, Wild and Crazy Kids.

He returned to television as the host of more shows, including History IQ with his old announcer Harvey on the History Channel; the Food Network series Unwrapped, currently in its ninth season; the Unwrapped spin-off game show, Trivia Unwrapped; and the Game Show Network series WinTuition. In 2005, Summers became the host of Food Network's reality series The Next Food Network Star. Most recently, Summers has joined Chef Guy Fieri as co-host of Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown in 2008. Off the screen, Summers has been involved as an executive producer on the Food Network's Dinner: Impossible and "Restaurant: Impossible." Summers currently splits his time between homes in Los Angeles and Philadelphia where his company Marc Summers Productions has a branch.

Summers has hosted stage versions of The Price Is Right and credits Bob Barker and The Price Is Right for helping him pursue a game-show career. Summers was a young page at CBS when The Price Is Right premiered with The Joker's Wild and Gambit in 1972, and he often asked advice of Barker, Jack Barry and Wink Martindale—the shows' respective hosts—about a hosting career. He claims it's the best possible education and training in the game show field, and it was during this time that Summers got his first on-air experience, as a fill-in announcer on The Joker's Wild.

Summers served as host of "Drunk Double Dare" during Drunk Day, an annual episode of the Philadelphia-based Preston and Steve radio show on WMMR, held directly before the Fourth of July weekend. The show reunited Summers with his Double Dare cohorts John Harvey and Robin Marrella.

Summers appears in the Good Charlotte music video for their song "Last Night", which uses Family Double Dare as the motif for the video. He has also played himself on The Cleveland Show, Robot Chicken, and Workaholics, and appeared in special segments on ABC's The Chew.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marc Summers at the Internet Movie Database
• Marc Summers' unofficial website

Tony Hawk

Hawk in November 2006
Personal information
Full name	Anthony Frank Tony Hawk
Nickname(s)	The Birdman
Born	(1968-05-12) May 12, 1968 (age 44) Carlsbad, California, United States
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Skateboarding
Medal record Summer X Games medal record Competitor for  United States Gold 1995 Rhode Island Vert Gold 1997 San Diego Vert Gold 1997 San Diego Vert Doubles Gold 1998 San Diego Vert Doubles Gold 1999 San Francisco Vert Doubles Gold 1999 San Francisco Vert Best Trick Gold 2000 San Francisco Vert Doubles Gold 2001 Philadelphia Vert Doubles Gold 2002 Philadelphia Vert Doubles Silver 1995 Rhode Island Park Silver 1996 Rhode Island Vert Silver 2001 Philadelphia Vert Best Trick Bronze 1998 San Diego Vert Bronze 1999 San Francisco Vert

Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision. He is widely considered one of the most successful and influential pioneers of modern vertical skateboarding.^[1]

Raised in San Diego, California, Hawk was described as being "hyperactive" as a child. His parents supported his skateboarding because it served as an outlet for his excessive energy, and as Hawk's skills developed, he became a professional skateboarder at age fourteen. In 1999, he became the first skater to land a 900. In 2002, he created the Boom Boom HuckJam, an extreme sports exhibition and tour which launched in Las Vegas.

Throughout his career, Hawk has made numerous appearances in films and other media, as well as his own series of video games. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities including his own Tony Hawk Foundation which helps build skateparks in underprivileged areas, and also including collaborations with other athletes in the charity Athletes for Hope.

Early life[link]

Hawk was born in Carlsbad, California, to, Frank Peter Rupert Hawk. ^[2][3] When Hawk was young, he was described as being "hyperactive,"^[3] and his mother says that he was "so hard on himself and expected himself to do so many things."^[1] One time, Tony struck out in baseball and was so distraught that he hid in a ravine and had to be "physically coaxed out" by his father. His frustration with himself was so harsh that his parents had him psychologically evaluated at school. The results were that Tony was "gifted," and school advisors recommended placing him in advanced classes.^[1]

Hawk attended Jean Farb Middle School from 1980 to 1981, and recently went back there for the show "Homecoming" where he set up a ramp and did a demonstration.

He turned pro by the age of 14^[1] and was the National Skateboard Association world champion for 12 consecutive years.

The 900[link]

On July 27, 1999, Hawk was the first skater to land a 900. He successfully landed the trick, which involves completing two-and-a-half revolutions with the skateboard, on the eleventh attempt. After completing the trick, he commented, "This is the best day of my life."^[4] Nearly 12 years later Hawk was still able to land his famous 900 and posted a video of the trick via his Twitter account stating "I'm 42 and I did a 900 today."^[5]

Endorsements[link]

Boom Boom HuckJam[link]

In 1998, Tony Hawk started freestyle motocross, skateboarding, and BMX with a show in Las Vegas and then on to 31 cities around the USA and eventually to Six Flags amusement parks.^[6]

Video Game Series[link]

A video game series based on his skateboarding debuted in 1999. Since then, the series has spawned 16 titles, including main series titles, spin-offs, and repackages. The latest game of the series is the Tony Hawk: Ride, which involves riding on a skateboard-shaped controller.

Hawk's role in the series was usurped by customizable player characters in later installments,^[7] but he has remained a prominent character. In the 2003 game Tony Hawk's Underground, he is a minor non-player character whom the player meets in Tampa, Florida and skates against. Impressed with the player's skills, Hawk grants them entry into a skate competition.^[8] He later appears in Moscow to teach them the "360 Varial Heelflip Lien" move.^[9] Hawk and other skaters are briefly playable near the end of the game when they skate in a promotional video for the player's skate team,^[10] and in all gameplay modes except the story mode.^[11] He appeared as a kid in the Backyard Sports series Backyard Skateboarding.

Amusement Park Ride[link]

A series of amusement park rides known as Tony Hawk's Big Spin were built in three Six Flags parks in 2007 and 2008. The ride was originally billed as the "total Tony Hawk experience" and was designed to have the look and feel of a giant red-and-black skatepark. It offered a full "extreme sports" experience, with monitors in the queue lines displaying highlights of the history of action sports and a large spinning Tony Hawk figure crowning the ride. The ride was later demolished to make way for a new ride known as Superman: Ultimate Flight (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) announced to be open in Spring 2012. Additionally, a water park ride called Tony Hawk's Halfpipe was opened at Six Flags America in Bowie, MD.

Film and television appearances[link]

In 1986, Tony Hawk was a featured skateboarder and skater-double for Josh Brolin in the movie Thrashin'. In 1989, he appeared as a skateboarder in Gleaming the Cube. In 2002, he appeared in Neal H. Moritzs's and Christopher Gilcrest's film xXx playing the role of one of Xander Cages stuntman friends, and later in the movie, a skateboarder at a party. In 2004 he played himself in the Australian skateboarding movie Deck Dogz. In 2006, Tony Hawk appeared in a cameo on the film Drake & Josh Go Hollywood as himself; when Drake & Josh steal his car to escape from two crooks with the Geo (iPods) that carry illegal information for counterfeiting money. Tony Hawk also asks for the cops to give Drake & Josh a police escort to Sunset Studios, for a performance on TRL. Hawk has had a cameo in the movie, The New Guy. Hawk appeared in Jackass: The Movie with Mat Hoffman and Bam Margera, skateboarding in a fat suit and Jackass 2, while skateboarding through an obstacle course. Tony appears in the film following the 2006 Gumball Rally, 3000 Miles, again with Bam Margera. He also plays the police officer who arrests Ryan Dunn in the movie Haggard: The Movie. Hawk also made a brief cameo appearance in Lords Of Dogtown as an astronaut, where he is shown comically falling off the skateboard as he is a "rookie". He played himself in an episode of Rocket Power.

Hawk was featured as an extra in the "Weird Al" Yankovic video "Smells like Nirvana". He can be seen sitting in the bleachers during the crowd sweep near Dick Van Patten. He also made a cameo appearance in the Simple Plan music video for "I'm Just a Kid", he can be seen, in a crowd, watching kids at a high school skating..

On television, he has also appeared in Action (TV series), What I Like About You, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, The Tom Green Show, The Naked Brothers Band and Zeke and Luther, So Random, and All That. Hawk was a guest on the kid's show on Nickelodeon, Yo Gabba Gabba.^[12] In 2000, he played himself in Max Steel. He also guest voiced on The Simpsons episode "Barting Over", where he played himself, along with fellow San Diegans Blink-182. In the episode, Hawk lends Homer a new board from his brand where complete rookies are able to perform at the top levels. He ends up having a comical play off with him after Homer begins to show him up. On the PBS Kids show Cyberchase, he guest starred as Slider's long-lost father, Coop. In the CSI: Miami episode "Game Over" he played a game programmer who was murdered. In 2008, he played on Million Dollar Password. Hawk also played on Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Tony Hawk helped design the world famous Canvey Island skate park in 1982 and has hosted Cartoon Network's "Hall of Game" sports award show on February 25, 2011. Hawk was also on the Live-Action/Animated Talk Show Take Two With Phineas and Ferb. Hawk appeared on the internet cooking show Epic Meal Time on October 28, 2011 to celebrate the show's one year anniversary, where he can be seen in the final scene eating a deep-fried pizza cake. He also guest starred on the ABC comedy, Last Man Standing. He also played a skater in Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol.

Skate videos[link]

This section requires expansion.

• 1984: The Bones Brigade Video Show (Powell-Peralta)
• 1985: Future Primitive (Powell-Peralta)
• 1987: The Search for Animal Chin (Powell-Peralta)
• 1988: Public Domain (Powell-Peralta)
• 1989: Ban This (Powell-Peralta)
• 1992: Feasters (Birdhouse)
• 1992: Untitled (Birdhouse)
• 1993: Ravers (Birdhouse)
• 1998: The End (Birdhouse)
• 2001: One Step Beyond (Adio)
• 2007: The Beginning (Birdhouse)

Personal life[link]

Hawk with Lhotse Merriam in 2007.

Hawk married Cindy Dunbar in April 1990.^[13] They had a son, Riley Hawk (born December 6, 1992) whom they named for one of Hawk's ancestors.^[14] Riley also skates for Lakai Limited Footwear and Baker Skateboards.^[15] The couple divorced in 1993.^[3] Hawk married Erin Lee in 1996. They had two sons, Spencer (born March 26, 1999) and Keegan (born July 18, 2001). Lee and Hawk divorced in 2004.^[3] Hawk married Lhotse Merriam on January 12, 2006, on the island of Tavarua, Fiji.^[16] The couple's first child, a daughter named Kadence Clover Hawk, was born on June 30, 2008. The couple announced their divorce on February 7, 2011.^[17]

Tony launched the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has given away more than $3.4 million to help build well over 400 skateparks around the U.S.A. The Foundation supports projects in low income areas and helps underprivileged kids. In 2007, Hawk, Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken, Jr. founded the charity Athletes for Hope^[18] which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and aims to inspire all people to volunteer and support their communities.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tony Hawk

• Official website
• tonyhawkfoundation.org
• Tony's Birdhouse Skateboards website
• Tony Hawk at the Internet Movie Database

Paula Hiers Deen

Paula Hiers (left) in a public service announcement for Civitan International.
Born	(1947-01-19) January 19, 1947 (age 65) Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Cooking style	Southern
Current restaurant(s) The Lady & Sons Restaurant, Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, Owens Shepard's Finest
Television show(s) Paula's Home Cooking (2002–present) Paula's Party (2006–present) Paula's Best Dishes (2008–present)
Award(s) won 2007 Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host
Official website
http://www.pauladeen.com/

Paula Hiers Deen (born January 19, 1947) is an American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality. Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has published five cookbooks. Though married in 2004 to Michael Groover,^[1] she uses the surname Deen from her first marriage.^[2]

Early life[link]

Deen was born in Albany, Georgia.^[3] Her parents died before she was 23, and an early marriage ended in divorce. In her 20s, Deen suffered from panic attacks and agoraphobia. She then focused on cooking for her family as something she could do without leaving her house.^[4] In 1986, she took a job as a bank teller, and later moved to Savannah, Georgia, with her sons. In 1989, she divorced her husband, Jimmy Deen, to whom she had been married since 1965.^[1] She was left with only $200.^[3] She then started a catering service,^[5] making sandwiches and meals, which her sons Jamie and Bobby delivered. She was recently revealed as a sufferer of type-2 diabetes.^[6]

Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.

Restaurants[link]

Deen's home business, The Bag Lady, soon outgrew her kitchen. In January 1996 Deen opened her own restaurant, The Lady & Sons, in downtown Savannah, on West Congress Street. Within a few years, the restaurant moved to a larger building in Savannah's historic district. USA Today named The Lady & Sons the "International Meal of the Year," in 1999. The specialty is a buffet, which typically includes sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, deep-fried Twinkies, fried chicken, cheesy meatloaf, greens, beans, and creamed corn. Every meal is served with a garlic cheese biscuit and a hoecake. Her sons are also involved in managing the restaurant, which is popular with tourists to Savannah.^[7]

In 2008, Deen parlayed her fame into another restaurant, the "Paula Deen Buffet" at Harrah's Tunica Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.^[8] Its entrance facade is modeled on Deen's home in Savannah and features Southern cooking.^[9]

In September 2009, Deen announced a new dessert line to be sold at Walmart including signature pies Apple Crunch Top, Dark Rum Pecan, Old Fashioned Fudge and Gooey Butter Cake bars.^[10]

Books and magazines[link]

In 1997, Deen self-published The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cooking and The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cooking 2. Both cookbooks featured traditional Southern recipes.^[11] She has since published two more, written with Martha Nesbit. Deen has appeared on QVC and on The Oprah Winfrey Show (first in 2002, twice in 2007 and once in 2010). Her life story is featured in Extraordinary Comebacks: 201 Inspiring Stories of Courage, Triumph, and Success (2007, Sourcebooks).

In April 2007, Simon & Schuster published Deen's memoir, It Ain't All About the Cookin'. She launched a lifestyle magazine called Cooking with Paula Deen in November 2005.^[12] which claimed a circulation of 7.5 million in March, 2009.^[13]

Food Network[link]

Deen's relationship with Food Network began in 1999, when her friend Erin Lewis introduced her to Gordon Elliott, who then introduced her to her current agent, Artist's Agency owner Barry Weiner.^[14] Elliott took her through the city for a series of Doorknock Dinners episodes. She also appeared on Ready, Set, Cook!. Deen was invited to shoot a pilot named Afternoon Tea in early 2001. The network liked it, and eventually gave Deen her own show, Paula's Home Cooking, which premiered in November 2002. Paula's Home Cooking was originally taped in Millbrook, New York at the home of Gordon Elliott, the show's executive producer.^[15][16] Deen mentioned in an on the March 13, 2006, edition of The Daily Buzz that the next batch of episodes of her show would be taped at her home in Savannah, Georgia. According to the first of those episodes, actual production at her new Savannah home began in November 2005.

Deen throwing out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game in Washington, D.C.

Since then, Deen has been given two more Food Network shows, Paula's Party and Paula's Best Dishes.^[17] Paula's Party premiered on the Food Network in 2006 and Paula's Best Dishes debuted on June 8, 2008.^[18]

A televised biography of Deen was aired on an episode of the Food Network's Chefography program, in March 2006.^[19]

In December 2007, Deen teamed with Cat Cora and faced Chefs Tyler Florence and Robert Irvine in battle Sugar on the holiday special of Iron Chef America. At the end, Deen and Cora won.

Deen also helped Pat and Gina Neely get their first Food Network show, Down Home with the Neelys.^[20] During the summer of 2006, her sons, Bobby and Jamie Deen, featured the Neelys' Bar-B-Que Nashville location on their Food Network show Road Tasted. In September 2006, Paula ate at the Neelys' downtown Memphis restaurant and was impressed. In January 2007, the Neelys were invited to appear on Paula's Party,^[21] which eventually led to the Down Home show. In July 2008, the Neelys would also take over Road Tasted from the Deen brothers.