NBC’s newest entry in the Reality TV sweepstakes is called The Restaurant, and it chronicles the inner workings of an actual Manhattan eatery, from the chef to the busboys to the customers. The network wasn’t wild about the concept initially, but when the show’s creator pitched it to ad execs, he found more support than he ever could have dreamed of. “Product placement is hardly a new phenomenon on TV — think Coca-Cola’s imprint on Fox’s American Idol — but Restaurant represents what could be a new breed of TV program built around marketing messages.”