Jamie Oliver, Still Banned From LA Schools, Films Anyhow

British chef Jamie Oliver has arrived in Southern California with his whole family in tow to film the second season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and the Los Angeles Unified School District still refuses to allow his cameras in their cafeterias. A spokesman for the school district told The Los Angeles Times that the concern was that reality television has "to have drama or create conflict to be successful."

Perhaps the first season did have a bit of drama, but it also seems to have been somewhat successful: the Huntingon, West Virginia school district where it was filmed now makes most of their meals from scratch. Oliver intended to speak in front of the Los Angeles school board yesterday in hopes of overturning the decision, but it may not have helped: the same spokesman has said there is "no chance for a change of heart." Seriously, what is going on in those cafeterias?

Oliver's cooking center Jamie's Kitchen, which offers free cooking classes, will still open in Westwood on Wednesday and Oliver is looking for families to film, but the centerpiece of the first season was the school lunch program. Maybe Oliver can hold to his assertion that "If I really want to get in, I'll get in," because it seems the public won't see Los Angeles cafeterias any other way.

· TV chef Jamie Oliver shut out of L.A. school cafeterias [Los Angeles Times via -ELA-]
· All Jamie Oliver Coverage on Eater [-E-]