"Top Chef" spinoff puts teens in kitchen

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Bravo is cooking up a spinoff to its "Top Chef" franchise that would feature teenage competitors.

In addition, the cable network has given an eight-episode order to an untitled docu-series that will follow chef Jean-Christophe Novelli as he opens a cooking school in Los Angeles.

"Top Chef Junior," which is in development, is a cooking-competition series that would feature contestants who likely will range in age from 13 to 16. Bravo said that "Top Chef," which aired its season finale Wednesday night, is a draw with younger viewers, ranking in the top 15 shows among kids/teens 2-17 in the Wednesday 10-11 p.m. slot among all ad-supported cable entertainment networks for the season to date.

Meanwhile, the Novelli series, which likely will premiere in 2009, will center on the chef, who has restaurants in London, France and South Africa and already has a cooking school in the U.K.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter