It's a brighter day for superstar chef Gordon Ramsay since his long, painful legal battle with his father-in-law was resolved. In fact, he tells us, "I feel so much better now than I ever have in the last 10 years. If anything, I feel more creative. And I totally understand the business top to bottom."

The chef and his wife's father — his former business partner and close friend Chris Hutcheson, whose scandalous double life with a secret second family has provided years of fodder for the British tabloids — reached a settlement worth in excess of $3.24 million in February. "I don't sit and dwell and start crying over spilled milk. Coming to terms with an awkward position, my father-in-law squandering money after working so hard. If you can't trust family, who can you trust? But, we're over that hurdle now. I'm in complete control. We've repositioned, restructured," Ramsay says. And, he adds, "I'll never put myself in the position again."

The dashing, famously volcanic chef-restaurateur-entrepreneur-producer-TV star has his time booked two years into the future. He is all over Fox's schedule this summer, with three prime-time shows: Premiering May 29 are new seasons of his popular "Hell's Kitchen" and "Masterchef" shows, and, come June 4, his new "Hotel Hell." As for the inevitable questions about over-exposure, he notes, "I've had those questions for the last 10 years, to be honest. No one ever gets tired of quality." The shows are diverse, he stresses. "'Hell's Kitchen' is a professional format, giving aspiring wannabe chefs with a unique opportunity for success. This year's prize is just out of this world. 'Masterchef' is completely amateur — a domestic theme. The format is something quite unique. And 'Hotel Hell' is, in many ways, the next step on from 'Kitchen Nightmares.' I always, you

know — before anything gets canceled I want to move it up a notch and take it forward."

HOT TIMES: With ABC Family's "The Lying Game" green-lighted for a second season to debut this Winter, Adrian Pasdar (that's Madeline and Thayer's Dad, to "Lying Game" fans) is girding himself for a sweltering shoot. "We'll be spending the dog days of summer in Austin, Texas. When we were shooting the first season there, it was more than 100 degrees every day — really brutal." Hence, Pasdar will stay on his own while production is underway, while his two sons and wife Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks) remain at home. They will come down and visit, however. And Natalie has family members in Austin. "So when I have a free night, I can go spend it with them."

Other than the heat, Pasdar says that making "The Lying Game" is "really fun. And this is a show my kids can watch."

WHAT YOUR BETTY SAYS ABOUT YOU: "Mad Men's" January Jones tells us she's experienced decidedly different reactions to her Betty Francis character — formerly Betty Draper — by gender. "Women and men have different ideas of her. And different generations see Betty differently," she says of the cool, emotionally immature beauty who last season had especially contentious relations with ex Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and daughter Sally (Kiernan Shipka) — and this season, so far, has been living a quieter life as the wife of politico Henry Francis. "I'm really excited for everyone to see what's ahead," she says. January is aware that Betty has been the brunt of, um, less than positive remarks on the Internet. She says, "I try not to look online and read blogs and things like that. There's so much negativity and silliness there."

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.