NBC Greenlights New Show From Top Chef Producers

Ooh boy. Eater National spies a an ambitious new NBC show from Magical Elves, the production company that created sister network Bravo's Top Chef, and it will offer one of the biggest television prizes ever--at least in cooking show history. The United Plates of America will bring together would-be restaurateurs to compete for funding from a "a panel of wealthy investors from the cooking and business world." The contestants need not be professional chefs (producer Dan Cutforth said that "It's a culinary competition that anybody can take part in"); they simply need to have and execute an idea for a great national eatery.

Whether the winning idea will be closer to McDonald's or Momofuku, only time will tell. And in return for a killer concept? "The show's winner will receive a restaurant chain that opens in four locations in various U.S. cities on the night of the show's season finale."

Four restaurants from a reality show--this is huge.
· NBC reality series cooks up serious competition [Reuters]