Books: The BBC’s worldwide cult hit, “Doctor Who,” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, with its new season launching next month. So, to help ring in its golden anniversary, The Austin Post’s Chris-Rachael Oseland has written the “Doctor Who”-inspired cookbook, “Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook,” which is (I’m told) the first “Doctor Who” cookbook since 1986.
Oseland is, as you might imagine, a lifelong fan of the show and — as a food writer — she thought a series-inspired cookbook would be right in her wheelhouse. She watched over 100 hours of “Doctor Who” for inspiration — and for accuracy in her recipes, which include “Tardis Wellington,” “Baked Hath Served Over Black Beans with Red and Green Cabbage Slaw” and “Slitheen Eggs.” I have no idea what that all means, but I’ll take Oseland’s word that it does, indeed, hew closely to the “Doctor Who” mythology.
“Dining With the Doctor” is Oseland’s fifth book (published via Amazon’s CreateSpace/Kindle Direct Publishing) and is available on amazon.com.
More: ABC Family star Steve Schirripa (“The Secret Life of an American Teenager”) has teamed with Philip Lerman to write “Big Daddy’s Rules: Raising Daughters Is Tougher Than I Look,” which officially hits bookstores in June. Schirripa, who also played Bobby Bacala on “The Sopranos” — and hosts ID’s “Karma’s A Bitch” (he co-created and executive-produces the show) — has also written “A Goomba’s Guide to Life,” “The Goomba’s Book of Love” and “The Goomba Diet” and “Nicky Deuce: Home for the Holidays,” which will be turned into a Nickelodeon movie (reuniting Steve with many of his “Sopranos” co-stars).
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David Fishof has struck again.
The “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp” guru (the TV version aired on VH1) has snared two huge rock names to headline his next “Camp” in Las Vegas (it’s headquartered at the MGM Grand).
Legendary guitar wizard Jeff Beck and Brian Wilson — who needs no introduction — will headline “RRFC” April 18-21.
How cool is that?
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There were lots of rumors last month — and I wrote a story for The Post TV section — that Fox was very interested in a US version of “Food Glorious Food,” Simon Cowell’s new UK show. Well . . . “Food Glorious Food” bowed to only 2.7 million viewers on England’s ITV Wednesday night — the lowest-ever premiere viewership for a Cowell show. Worse yet, its lead-in, the soap “Coronation Street,” which has been running since 1960, snared over 8 million viewers.
Wonder if that will hinder the show’s hoped-for launch in the US?
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Last, but not least:
* Ch. 2 had a good February sweeps — averaging 511,000 viewers at 11 p.m. for its largest late-news audience, during a major sweeps period, since November 2010 (and its best Feb. sweeps period since 2005) . . . Fatima Ptacek, the voice of Nick’s “Dora the Explorer,” participates today in “Read Across America Day” at PS 111 (Brooke Jackman Library, 440 West 53rd) . . . “The World of Tennis: BNP Paribas Showdown Preview” airs 5:30 p.m. today on MSG+. The sixth annual BNP Paribas Showdown takes place Monday at the Garden and will feature Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and other A-list tennis stars.