Designed and built according to Bravo's standard blueprint for reality programming, "Shear Genius" TV show pits hairstylists against one another in cut-throat competition for reputation and glamorous prizes. In its first season, "Shear Genius" series steadily gained loyal viewers by word-of-mouth, and the original coterie of just over one million fans has made the program just popular and just profitable enough that Bravo programmers have stayed with it. For the first two seasons, "Charlie's Angels" mega-star Jacklyn Smith came out of retirement to host "Shear Genius"; in the third season Brazilian super-model Camila Alves took over hosting and refereeing the competitions. Like the top chefs and the aspiring fashion designers, the hair stylists on "Shear Genius" compete against the clock, arbitrary constraints, and one another, submitting their work for celebrity judges' approval. In some of the most intense challenges, the shear wizards work on mannequins' hair; in some of the eliminations, they work on aspiring models' locks. Winning styles are displayed on the Wall of Fame at Allure magazine, and the best stylist is celebrated with the signature expression, "Your work is shear genius!"

The first of two spin-offs from Bravo's phenomenally popular "Top Chef" TV show, the masters edition focuses on accomplished chefs competing more for acclaim as the best of the best than for cash and glamorous prizes. Competition starts with twenty-four prominent masters of haute cuisine, who face unusual challenges from celebrity judges, who then evaluate their fare and determine which kitchen-kings stay and which pack-up their blades and hit the road. For example, one episode of "Top Chef Masters" challenged the chefs to prepare satisfying and flavorful lactose-free and gluten-free meals for Hollywood stars with food allergies. Rising to the occasion, the chefs showed dazzling inventiveness without hyper-drama. "Top Chef Masters" show breaks the reality television rules by showing chefs behaving with dignity, professionalism, collegiality, and even some plain old courtesy. No ego. No tantrums. Despite the absence of super-sensation, "Top Chef Masters" TV show has scored well in ratings, because it focuses more on the food than the cooks' foolishness.

Aired in over eighty countries, and boasting well over 11 million American viewers, "The Dog Whisperer" proves that people love their dogs and Cesar Milan. Each week, self-taught professional dog trainer Cesar Milan shows how dog owners can and must become "pack leaders" for their dogs. He emphasizes exercise, discipline, and affection, and he stresses that the majority of canine misbehavior originates in owners' failure to assert their leadership with their dogs. The disclaimers insist that "The Dog Whisperer" documents only how Milan rehabilitates problem dogs and is not intended as instruction in how to train a pet. Despite the caution, legions of viewers attest to the power and wisdom of Milan's techniques. All three of Milan's books have become New York Times best-sellers with worldwide sales totaling more than two million copies.

Remember PBS? They bring you "Sesame Street" and "Antiques Roadshow," and they are the guys who allegedly have no commercials. Remember them? Struggling to keep its tenuous hold on the margins of viewers' consciousness, holding at least a place discernible with peripheral vision, PBS now adds some spice for foodies. Starring on "Made in Spain," real chef of DC Jose Andres "brings the exciting flavors of his native Spain to the American audience with easy and informative recipes created in his Washington, DC, kitchen using products found here in the U.S." According to the PBS website, each episode presents an easy-to-follow recipe for a great Spanish dish, which would-be Spaniards can whip up in their own heartland kitchens. In addition to whetting your appetite for something spicy and savory, "Made in Spain" may trigger episodes of wanderlust, because it shows "treasured Spanish locations," where each episode's dishes originated. For a nation still convinced Taco Bell serves "authentic" Mexican food, "Made in Spain" may seem just a little too piquant for the palette, but Jose Andres himself may become one of America's favorite ethnic dishes.

If you are lucky enough to reside in one of the cities that experience the rush of adrenalin that happens when the foodie race with huge trucks rolls through you may want to get out of the way for them! Each city that finds the competitive show stopping off to serve up some savory foods gets to experience how frantic and frenetic the competition actually is. The teams must come up with a menu, then shop for what they will make, then serve it out and hope they can make some profit when it's all through. The truck that earns the least in cash is the one to be eliminated that week. Season one had an extra challenge provided by stopping off at a Truck stop at each city and season two finds a Speed Bump of some sort that creates unexpected circumstances (like running out of propane or needing to relocate after setting up for their day's business). Tyler Florence (Food Network star of How to Boil Water and Food 911) is host and each food truck team has their own unique theme for the food they serve. It's fast and fun viewing!

Most foodies guide their viewers down the garden path to gluttony"”so much butter and so many fantastic flavors. On "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," celebrity chef Jamie Oliver beards the challenge of making a whole town eat healthier and lose weight. In this ground-breaking and controversial series, Oliver heads to Huntington, West Virginia, "the unhealthiest city in America." In Huntington, obesity rates soar beyond the top of the charts, so that diabetes and heart disease rates similarly skyrocket. "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" goes right to the problem's source, taking on generations-old cooking traditions that rely on fats, starches, and salts, steering away from vegetables and lean meats. Firing the opening salvo in his revolution, Oliver explained, "Jamie says, "The time is right for people to rediscover the sense of pride, satisfaction and fun you can get from cooking for the people you love. There's an incredible community in Huntington, and I want this experience to be a celebration of what we can achieve when people come together. I want to prove that turning around the epidemic of obesity and bad health doesn't have to be boring or dull in the slightest. " "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" won endorsement from First Lady Michelle Obama, whose personal crusade against childhood obesity has brought attention to the seriousness of America's obesity epidemic. At the end of his first season, Huntington residents and television critics agreed he had made significant progress, concluding, "He's"¦helping people of all ages eat more balanced meals and cook with fresh ingredients, not only at schools, but also homes, workplaces and even restaurants."