Bravo's 2012 Lineup - Part 1: Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis

   The Bravo network has certainly become a leading cable network over the past several years, boasting some of the most popular shows on recent television including the likes of Top Chef, America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, The Real Housewives series' and I would be remiss to leave out the show that many would argue was the catalyst in boosting the network's popularity and rise to what it is today; Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton. I can't say that I've watched all of those shows, and to me some of the programming on this network is just unwatchable but that's for another post, and hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion and whether you like it or hate it, Bravo is a major player in the cable television circuit and they're claiming that 2012 is going to be their biggest and best year yet. 

That remains to be seen, but since everyone is entitled to their opinions, here is part one of my initial reactions to Bravo's 2012 lineup of shows that includes the classics, some new series' and even some old show concepts with a new twist.

NEW SERIES (Old Show Concept With A Twist)

Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis (premieres Wednesday, March 14 at 9pm)

   Anyone familiar with Jeff Lewis has probably seen or heard of his original show, Flipping Out. Flipping Out is a clever play on Jeff's profession and his personality. He is a quirky, obsessive and demanding interior designer / project manager, often for celebrities or high end clientele. His personality at times seems like it would be hard to tolerate, let alone work for, but he does get the job done and as they say, "you can't argue with success". However, arguing is a fairly regular element of the show because he tends to melt down or 'flip out' during the process of 'flipping' or renovating a home or living space. 

   The people that work for him know how to deal with his attitude, his wants, needs and sometimes ridiculous demands, which is what makes the show somewhat entertaining. He is certainly an amplified version of most bosses and even borders on comparisons to rock stars that require a bowl of m&m's with all the brown ones removed in their dressing rooms. That being said, there are moments where the audience gets to see that deep down inside, Jeff Lewis seems like a good guy at heart and is if nothing else, loyal to those that help him maintain his success. All of that describes his original Bravo show, not his new upcoming series. I just felt that a proper back story and brief description of the reality star that is Jeff Lewis was necessary before talking about what we may see in the new show, Interior Therapy.

   According to Bravo's description, Interior Therapy follows Jeff Lewis as he 'takes over someone's home to redesign not only their space, but their lives. Jeff will observe the homeowners and diagnose their problems with the goal of improving them inside and out.' To this I say: RRrright. So in other words, it is more or less the same show as Flipping Out except this time, the man that seems to need the therapy himself is now for some reason qualified to observe and judge other people so that he can advise them on how they can improve their quality of life. Maybe he is a good mediator of problems amongst friends, colleagues or employees, but I am curious as to how he is going to find the time to counsel and advise people while still at the same time fully immersing himself in a home redesign project. Not to mention, it will definitely cut into the time he usually sets aside for sending his assistant out for food. In an early episode of Flipping Out he sent his assistant to pick up some lunch with these specific instructions for his beverage: "Ideally, 70% lemonade, 20% punch, 10% Sprite. If they don't have fruit punch, do like 85% lemonade and 15% Sprite. If they don't have lemonade, do 85% punch and 15% Sprite... or 7UP." With requests such as these, Jeff Lewis would be wise to provide all of his staff with custom note jotters to help keep track of the detailed and often ridiculous direction that he dictates to them. As far as I am concerned, this show will probably end up ranking slightly higher than most other reality shows (which isn't saying much) simply because the shock value of Jeff's behavior and his obsessive, perfectionist demands can be mildly entertaining as it is, but with the additional task of now also playing therapist to his clients can only add additional stress, which will likely result in more melt downs or 'flip outs'. But if you're not into watching employees get tormented by a borderline crazy person, you might just want to check out the show to see what Daniel Tosh will look and sound like in twenty years. I know it sounds weird but trust me, anytime I've seen Jeff Lewis on television, it feels like I am looking into the future.