Nightmare under the sun

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Ramsay’s Costa Del Nightmares
Channel 7, Tuesdays, 9pm

GORDON Ramsay’s tried-and-true recipe for television success hasn’t changed a bit – only the venue has.
This time, he takes his weapons-grade anger to sunny Spain, and applies the same blistering, white-hot rage that has made the man what he is to some hapless restauranteurs.
Ramsay’s colourful, to say the least. He’s smart as a whip, with a wicked tongue.
You know the drill. Ramsay rides into town like a hired gunslinger, trains his six-shooters on a failing restauraunt, and lets fly.
His modus operandi remains unchanged – lighten the decor, simplify the menu, add fresher ingredients.
But what is different here is the relentless focus on the – usually mad – proprietors.
Some want to make money, some are taking on a vanity project, some just always wanted to run a restaurant. All face the wrath of Ramsay.
Ramsay’s skill is his laser-like ability to cut through multiple layers of bulldust to the solid core of bulldust beneath. It makes for edifying viewing.
Arms flail, words are weapons and things get sweary. Very, very sweary indeed.
Ramsay reminds us that true genius lies in simplicity; in spirit; in the heart of things. In the steak itself, not the sizzle.
This show is a triumph of simple storytelling. It’s as if Ramsay’s cut-through persona has been applied to the very show itself.
And for those of us who suffer through the occasional restaurant meal – thank God he’s out there.
– Jason Beck