Ray cooking up new media ventures
Rachael Ray is ending her longtime talk show after more than a decade, but food content will still be her meat and potatoes.
CBS recently announced that the “30 Minute Meals” star will conclude her self-titled talk show after its current 17th season.
“In my more than 20-plus years in television, I have had 17 wonderful seasons working in daytime television with ‘Rachael,’ ” she said in a news release. “However, I’ve made the decision that’s it’s time for me to move on to the next exciting chapter in my broadcast career.”
Ray’s announcement came hours after Deadline revealed that the
Food Network personality would launch Free Food Studios, a production company.
According to its website, Free Food Studios will focus on “original content in the food space.” In her announcement, Ray said her “passions have evolved” to a platform she says is “unencumbered by the traditional rules of distribution.”
Ray said she also intends to “develop new and upcoming epicurean talent.”
The cooking guru’s daytime show debuted Sept. 18, 2006. In its 17 years on air, “Rachael
Ray” earned more than 30 Daytime Emmy nominations and won outstanding talk show three times.
CBS has not yet revealed when the final episode of Ray’s show will air.
Paolini returns to Eragon’s world: Christopher Paolini will have new adventures out this fall from Alagaesia and the world of Eragon, featuring the Dragon Rider Murtagh.
Random House Children’s Books recently announced that Paolini’s
“Murtagh,” a stand-alone novel that takes place a year after the events of his blockbuster “Inheritance Cycle,” will be published Nov. 7. According to Random House, the novel is an “epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled” as Murtagh and his dragon confront a “mysterious witch.”
“‘Murtagh’ is the novel I’ve been waiting to write for over 13 years,” Paolini said in a statement.
“It’s a deep dive into the life of our titular character and his dragon, Thorn. Here you’ll find mystery, magic and revelations as Murtagh attempts to answer some of the deepest questions in the land, as well as those of his own life,” he added.
Paolini, 39, had yet to turn 20 when his debut novel “Eragon” made him one of the world’s most popular fantasy writers. His four “Inheritance” books — “Eragon,”
“Eldest,” “Brisingr” and “Inheritance” — have sold more than 40 million copies, according to his publisher.
To mark the 20th anniversary of “Eragon,” Alfred A. Knopf is releasing an illustrated version of the book on the same day “Murtagh” comes out. New paperback editions of the “Inheritance” novels will be published April 25 by Knopf.
Another new Paolini book, “Fractal Noise,” will be released May 16 by Tor Publishing Group.
March 13 birthdays: Drummer Roy Haynes is 98. Songwriter Mike Stoller is 90. Singer Neil Sedaka is 84. Singer Candi Staton is 83. Actor William H. Macy is 73. Actor Robin Duke is 69. Actor Dana Delaney is 67. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard is 61. Rapper Common is 51. Singer Glenn Lewis is 48. Actor Noel Fisher is 39.