Top Chef Masters renewed for a second season

The spin-off of Top Chef that in many ways eclipsed the original has been renewed by Bravo. Top Chef Masters will air its new season “some time in 2010,” The Los Angeles Times reports, noting that the first season “ranks as the network’s highest-rated reality competition series debut.”

The identities of the established, world-renowned talent in the culinary world that will be subjected to the show’s televised culinary challenges have not yet been revealed; I’m curious to see if they bring back favorites from the first season, or go with all-new masters.

While Gael Greene, James Oseland, and Jay Rayner will all return to judge, producers are inexplicably bringing back Kelly Choi to fumble her way through as host, but hopefully she’ll be as minimized as she was last season.