TV books: Martha Stewart signs copies of her latest book, “Martha’s American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation’s Most Treasured Dishes, from Coast to Coast” tonight at 6 at Williams-Sonoma (10 Columbus Circle). The book is officially out today; in that vein, this morning’s “The Martha Stewart Show” (10 a.m./Hallmark Channel) is entitled “The American Food Book Hour.”
Stewart’s run on Hallmark Channel is coming to an end — she’s signed a new deal with PBS to host “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School” this fall — and “The Martha Stewart Show” will be in repeats next week. The following week, May 7th through 11th, it will air previously taped new episodes, followed by repeats thereafter through Sept. 25, according to a Hallmark spokeswoman. So, for all intents and purposes, the last “new” Stewart show on Hallmark Channel will air Friday, May 11.
Valerie Harper, meanwhile, has inked a deal with Gallery Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) to write a memoir about her days playing Rhoda Morgenstern on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and its spinoff, “Rhoda.”
In “I Rhoda Book” (clever title), scheduled to be published next January, Harper also promises to talk about the pressures of starring in her NBC sitcom, “Valerie” (co-starring a very young Michael Bateman) — which morphed into “The Hogan Family” (starring Sandy Duncan) after Harper was booted off the show following its second season after getting into a dispute with the producers. She’s also going to reminisce about working with TV legends including Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason and, of course, Mary Tyler Moore.
Noted LA-based TV agent Ken Lindner, who negotiated Matt Lauer’s new deal with NBC (to remain on the “Today” show) — and whose client list, past and present, reads like a “who’s who” of broadcasting — also has a new book. “The New Broadcasting Realities” tackles the challenges faced by broadcast industry types (journalists, production execs and broadcasters) in “The New Age” of broadcasting, cable and the Net. It’s Lindner’s third book, following on the heels of “Broadcasting Realities” (1995) and “Crunch Time: 8 Steps to Making the Right Life Decisions at the Right Time” (2005).
Proceeds from “The New Broadcasting Realities” will be divided, equally, between The American Cancer Society, Shriners Hospital for Children and The American Red Cross.
More clever titles: Dan Bucatinsky, who’s Lisa Kudrow‘s producing partner on her NBC series, “Who Do You Think You Are?” — and who co-created and co-stars on their Showtime series, “Web Therapy” (which started life as a Web series) — has written “Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight?: Confessions of a Gay Dad.” Published by Touchstone, it’ll be in stores on June 5, just in time for Father’s Day. In the book, Bucatinsky (who also co-created and co-starred in Kudrow’s HBO series, “The Comeback”), writes about his relationship with husband Don Roos and his “poignant, hilariously honest journey into parenthood,” according to a press release. Bucatinsky will sign the book at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble (97 Warren St.) on Tuesday, June 12 (6 p.m.).
Neil Sedaka, meanwhile, will be at the 92nd Street Y next Wednesday, May 2, to answer audience questions, perform a few tunes and talk about his new book, “Dinosaur Pet,” which will be published that same day (and which he co-wrote with his son, Marc). The Brooklyn-born Sedaka (“Calendar Girl,” “Breaking Up is Hard to Do”), 73, appeared as a guest judge on Season 3 of “American Idol” back in 2003 — and has appeared on the show several times since then (including last May). He’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
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Human Nature, the soul-flavored Australian vocal quartet who appeared with Smokey Robinson on last night’s Motown-themed episode of “Dancing With the Stars” (which also included Martha Reeves and The Temptations), will be hitting New York for one night as they launch their new tour.
The band (brothers Mike Tierney and Andrew Tierney and pals Phil Burton and Toby Allen) kicked off their “The Motown Show” tour in Detroit (natch), and will play here on Sunday, May 6 at The Beacon. Robinson produces their live stage show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; they’re working their US tour into that already grueling schedule (five-to-six nights each week).
The group released its newest album, “The Motown Record,” last month and headlined its own PBS special late last year.
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“The Biggest Loser” host Alison Sweeney is partnering with Facebook to launch a nationwide search for the next “Little Miss Coppertone” beginning May 3.
Speaking of Facebook, Tout.com — where users upload 15-second videos to share via Facebook, Twitter, et al. — has been used by Ryan Seacrest, Wendy Williams and CNBC’s “Fast Money,” among others.
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Last, but not least:
* Tom Bentey’s 2005 movie, “At the Jersey Shore” — which, like MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” unfolds at Seaside Heights, NJ — will be screened at the Montclair Film Festival May 4 (Clairidge Cinema). It’s also available on Video on Demand, iTunes and amazon.com starting this Friday . . . The fourth season of “Damages” (Glenn Close, Rose Byrne) is out on DVD June 26.