• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 4, 2006

Hungry for a bigger piece of the prime-time pie, the Food Network is launching three new shows aimed at providing some after-dinner sizzle.

Chef Bobby Flay will star in a new reality series that's part "Candid Camera," part "Punk'd," and part "Iron Chef"--while another Food Network daytime personality, Paula Deen, provides the inspiration for two other offerings.

In "Two for the Road," Deen's sons, Jamie and Bobby, cruise America searching for the best local hand-crafted foods, while Deen herself will star in "Paula's Cooking Party," a food fandango and celebration shot in her Savannah, Ga. hometown.

Currently, Flay hosts "Boy Meets Grill," and Deen stars in "Paula's Home Cooking" on Food's daytime block.

While the network tries to add some spice to prime time, it's landed a big star for daytime. Britain's Nigella Lawson, a famous author and star of the Style Network's "Nigella Bites," will star in "Nigella Feasts" this fall.

The network announced its new programming at an upfront event Monday in New York.

Flay's new prime-time show, "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," features the chef on a secret mission to take on fellow top taste-makers. Flay will meet with food masters under the guise of doing a profile on them, then suddenly challenge them to a cook-off of their specialty.

"Two for the Road" launches June 27, with "Throwdown" premiering two days later. "Paula's Cooking Party" (working title) is set for September. The network is also renewing the shows "Iron Chef America," "The Next Food Network Star," and "Food Network Challenge."

Food Network's renewed focus on prime time comes as the network grapples with some ratings challenges in the daypart. Prime-time ratings in its target adult 25-to-54 demo are flat this season, at a 0.3 average.

At the same time, other networks are getting up in its grill. Bravo recently launched "Top Chef," a reality show in which 12 would-be Bobby Flays compete.

NBC is set to unveil the week-long "Celebrity Cooking Showdown" on April 17, where in the vogue of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," famous chefs will train celebrities to compete in the kitchen. And The History Channel is developing a show to be hosted by culinary master Chef Jacques that focuses on food's role in history.

"The hottest trend right now is the art of cooking," said Sean "Diddy" Combs, executive producer of the NBC show, in a statement.

"Cooking shows and puppies have always been the most popular way to keep and hold an audience on television," said Todd Schwartz, senior vice president at Branded Media Corp., which is developing the new History Channel series. "People don't turn away from food shows and they don't turn away from puppies."

Set for this summer, "A Bite of History" is part documentary, part cooking, and will be hosted by Jacques Haeringer, an author and television personality who heads restaurant L'Auberge Chef François in the Washington area.

But while the heightened competition may bring some new challenges, it also shows that the Food Network has found a recipe that works.

"It still has to compete with the growing field of programs, but that's more a reflection of their success and the relevance to their audience and advertisers," said John Rash, chief broadcast negotiator at Campbell Mithun.

Other daytime series coming to Food Network include more new shows from its established stars: "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger" will focus on food and wellness, and "Tyler's Ultimate" with Tyler Florence will look at classic dishes such as meatloaf and mac and cheese.

Food Network is in 87 million homes, and is part of the Scripps cable portfolio that also includes HGTV and the Fine Living channel.