Tabatha Takes Over (My Life)

I admit it. I'm totally obsessed with Tabatha Coffey – that bossy, brassy and bitchy star of Bravo TV's Tabatha Takes Over. I never miss a new episode. And when there's a marathon on, well, the rest of the world will just have to wait.

Now in its fourth season, the reality show (formerly called Tabatha's Salon Takeover) has expanded its format, so now Tabatha not only helps troubled hair salons, she's using the harsh truth and her no-BS attitude to help bars, cafés and doggie daycares too.

In each episode, Tabatha "takes over" a struggling business for one week where she assesses the management, staff and environment before making her recommendations to reverse the business's decline. This often means helping the owners re-discover their passion for their business, weeding out bad employees and giving the business a design makeover. Her direct style and sharp tongue often make her advice a bitter pill to swallow, but the owners that listen invariably end up with a stronger, happier and more profitable business.

What I love about Tabatha (a breakout star from the first season of Bravo's Sheer Genius) is her stone-cold honesty when discussing the issues that are leading to a business's decline. She never holds back. And as far as I can see, she's never wrong. She gets called a bitch on her own show a lot. Does she care? Not a lick. Because she knows the truth sometimes hurts, but somebody's got to have the nerve to say it. The smart people see that she really is trying to build them up and make them stronger, so most folks learn to appreciate her style in short order. But business owners that fail to take her advice (and there are some) do so at their own peril. Those stories usually end with employees walk outs, fewer customers or even closed businesses.

After she's made her final recommendations, Tabatha hands the keys back and heads off to her next adventure. But lest the the owner and the employees fall back into their old ways, Tabatha returns after six weeks to make sure they're still walking the walk. It's nice to see that almost all are happier and more profitable than ever.

Now, if only we could get her to take over a few city councils or even congress. Then we'd really see some action.

New episodes of Tabatha Takes Over air on Bravo TV, Tuesdays at 10/9c.