The morally questionable drama and meltdowns of the 00’s pop-culture phenomenon gets an expose, while Gordon Ramsey serves up a feast of swearing
There’s now a secondary industry around huge, morally questionable shows from the gold-rush era of post-millennial reality TV. After last year’s Netflix expose of fat-shaming behemoth The Biggest Loser comes this series exploring the chequered story of America’s Next Top Model. It’s a depressing insight into the values of the times, tracing the trajectory of a show which began as a source of Black and LGBTQ+ empowerment but lost its ethical bearings. Many former contestants contribute (the story of Shandi Sullivan is particularly grotesque) as does creator Tyra Banks, who seems alternately sheepish and weirdly accusatory. “You guys were demanding it,” she claims. “So we kept pushing.”
Netflix, from Monday 16 February
This six-parter follows Gordon Ramsay as he attempts to open several floors of foodie heaven at the top of 22 Bishopsgate in London. “This thing is going to take balls of steel,” Ramsay remarks. In his professional life, he’s the polar opposite of self-effacing – but a slightly less abrasive Ramsay emerges via glimpses of his family life and biographical excerpts in which he recalls his council estate upbringing. He also describes an intense, sink-or-swim kitchen apprenticeship under Marco Pierre White. It’s a feast of swearing and theatrical jeopardy, none of which will change anyone’s opinions about the chef.
