» Michael D. Ayers

Ever have the sensation that you'd like to go to the mall but just don't feel like getting up off that cozy couch?

TLC is making that possible with the announcement of their new series, 'Mall Cops: Mall of America,' Variety is reporting.

The show stems from a one-hour special of the same name that aired on Oct. 15, garnering 1.2 million viewers. The series promises to look at the men and women who work security at the Mall of America based in Bloomington, Minn., the largest mall in North America. 12 half-hour episodes have been ordered.

In a statement from TLC, the mall is said to be like a "mini-city," due to the 500 stores, theme park, wedding chapel, school and aquarium that exist within the mall's confines. Such a city needs lots of protection, apparently.

Fresh of his "champions round" run on Bravo's 'Top Chef: Masters,' chef Art Smith is headed to TLC for his own cooking series, under the working title 'Craving Comforts.' So far, eight half-hour episodes have been ordered, with production already underway.

Luckily for Smith, 'Comforts' won't be anywhere near the stress-inducing levels of 'Top Chef: Masters.' Instead, Smith will showcase his teddy bear personality as he travels across the country to uncover stories behind America's favorite comfort foods (think 'Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives' meets 'Paula's Home Cooking').

Smith seems like a logical choice for his own show, and will likely provide a comforting alternative to the more extreme and abrasive celebrity chefs currently on television (hello, Gordon Ramsay!). His resume also makes him the perfect fit for TLC, given that he's worked for Oprah for years and is a two-time James Beard Award winner.

Season 4 of 'Dexter' has been chock-full of complications thus far; from the Trinity murders to the Vacation murders, surviving has become a feat in itself.

Popping up over the course of this season has been the curious "Christine Hill," a go-getter reporter and Quinn's new lover, played by Courtney Ford. Having appeared in episodes of 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Cold Case' and 'Ugly Betty,' landing this spot in Dexter has been a breakout role for her. And it couldn't have come at a better time, as she was almost ready to throw in the acting towel.

AOL TV recently spoke to Ford about her role on 'Dexter,' how her character has evolved and the role of the media in crime investigations.

After a grueling competition that involved recreating a miniature version of a Bocuse d'Or, chef Eli Kirshtein was eliminated for serving what judge Tom Colicchio described as "raw lamb."

This week's challenge was not only a showcase of cooking nouvelle French cuisine; it also served to highlight each chef's technique. And that it did, causing everyone except Kevin to struggle. In the end, it boiled down to Eli's raw lamb verses Michael Voltaggio's directionless Mediterranean dish, which featured a cauliflower couscous and salmon.

The winner was Kevin (again), who took home a $30,000 prize and the chance to represent the U.S. in the 2011 Bocuse d'Or competition. While he's only earned a chance to try out for the team, Colicchio said on his blog, "I think that though it's not his normal inclination to cook as they do for the Bocuse d'Or, if given the time to prepare for the competition, Kevin would apply that same intelligence about food to that particular challenge and would rise to it not only ably but admirably."

Fred Willard, better known for his work in films like 'Best in Show,' is joining the Dunphy family on ABC's breakout comedy 'Modern Family.'

In an interview with Fancast, Ty Burrell reveals that Willard will play the Phil Dunphy's father.

"Fred is not just a pioneer for this type of comedy but somebody who has really set the tone for how it can be done, so it was just a total honor," Burrell says to Fancast. "He really established, even going back to 'Spinal Tap,' some of the funniest stuff out of the medium."

Comedian Bob Saget is going on a few road trips next year.

A&E and the longtime television personality have agreed to produce a new travel series under the working title 'Bob Saget's Strange Days,' in which he explores off-beat communities and subcultures. So far, the show will have Saget hanging out with biker gangs, mail-order brides, partying Amish teenagers and survivalists. An initial order of seven one-hour episodes are scheduled to air at some point in 2010, according to Variety.

The show is said to stem from Saget's stand-up routine, and will explore alternative lifestyles while trying to uncover a more emotive element. In a statement released, senior vice president Robert Sharenow said the show "will reveal hidden corners of the real America and the real Bob Saget, who is even funnier and more relatable when just being himself than any other role he's ever played."

Like 'em or not, Heidi and Spencer Pratt are here to stay -- that is, if they get their wishes fulfilled.

In an interview with the Associated Press, 'The Hills' stars revealed their desires to stay in the reality game, and are currently shopping a new series. The concept: Instead of just showing the narrow version of the Pratts that we get on 'The Hills,' it would dig into the nether regions of their everyday lives and show ... everything!

"You don't get to see our everyday lives and what we do," Heidi Pratt said in reference to 'The Hills.' Still, should the couple get a green light, they'd still want to continue "working" on 'The Hills,' too.

Currently, they're promoting a tongue-and-cheek advice book, 'How to be Famous: Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press, and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture.' But the advice that TV fans may soon give them: go away. While they've found some sort of fan base on MTV, their major network experiment on NBC's 'I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!' didn't exactly go very well. Negative press flooded in, with the general consensus being that these two might be a wee bit spoiled and, um, clueless.

'Meet the Browns' -- meet syndication.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the TBS sitcom -- which already has over 40 episodes under its belt -- will start airing on several of the major networks next fall, including Fox and CBS.

Meanwhile, Variety is also reporting that Fox stations in New York, Dallas, Houston and Washington, D.C. are confirmed, and a total of 70 percent of U.S. households will be meeting the 'Browns' in syndication.

The TV series stems from a play that Tyler Perry first debuted in 2004, which subsequently spawned a feature film. 'Browns' currently airs Wednesday nights at 10PM.

The move is somewhat unprecedented, considering the show (now in its third season) premiered in January. It also marks a rare occurrence, in which a cable series is making a jump to the major networks, and not the other way around.