Jim Bawden

The Degrassi set? “We’ve become a part of American culture!” is the way Degrassi creator and executive producer Linda Schuyler puts it. She’s reacting to a phrase coined in yesterday’s mighty New York Times referring to teens and tweens supporting certain Broadway musicals (like Legally Blonde). “For a while now the `Degrassi’ set has been the talk of Broadway,” wrote Times critic Campbell Robertson. “The Degrassi set?” enthuses Schuyler. “They’ve coined a new phrase all about us. As we talk four Degrassi stars are being interviewed in Times Square live on MTV. I love that phrase. Too bad I couldn’t copyright it!”

Quick Now: Name the U.S. series that is the most expensive for advertisers. According to an Advertising Age survey, it’s Grey’s Anatomy, which charges $419,000 (U.S.) for every 30-second spot. Last year Desperate Housewives was the priciest at $394,000, but this season costs only $270,000.

Celebrity road trip: Gwyneth Paltrow and Food Network chef Mario Batali set off today for Spain, where they will spend several months filming a new 13-part PBS series about the country’s food, wine, culture and nightlife. The pair will have two travelling companions on Spain … On the Road Again: Spanish actress Claudia Bassols and New York Times food writer Mark Bittman.

Crossing Nowhere: Diehard fans of Crossing Jordan are refusing to let their favourite series die, and have started a virtual seventh season at crossingjordanencyclopedia.com. The show was cancelled last May, but the last episode left the cast awaiting rescue on a mountain following a plane crash. A team of fan-fiction writers will pen 31 shows.