Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (UK)

Viewers familiar with Ramsay's fiery brand of criticism will expect nothing less than the brutal honesty he brings to his consulting gig; tensions rise quickly as he lashes out at everyone he feels is coming up short. No one's feelings are spared as Ramsay hurls red-letter insults for inefficiency, lack of skill, and sloppy work habits. But when he turns his efforts to teaching, he shows a bit more patience -- and it's here that his true expertise shows through. Ramsay helps owners simplify their business plan, honing in on a customer base and designing menu choices to match their needs. He teaches chefs how to cut costs and increase efficiency -- and, in some extreme cases, how to cook.

If you like your entertainment brimming with confrontation and tense moments, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is right up your alley; if not, you might want to pass. It feels more like a soap box from which the foul-mouthed chef can unleash his fury of insults and four-letter words than anything else, and by the end of each hour, the process of weeding through bleeps (which replace his favorite word, "f--k") to cobble together the actual dialogue becomes tiresome. There's so little actual substance here that there's no reason to think you'll be missing anything by turning it off.