2285 replies to this topic

[Sterling Blue]

If you watched the first season of "Shear Genius," you may remember Tabatha Coffey, the sharp-tongued blonde Australian who looked like she moonlighted as a dominatrix. She was voted the Fan Favorite that season. Anyway, she's getting her own reality show on Bravo. It sounds like a hair salon version of Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares."

If anyone is a client of the salons listed below, please let us know anything that might relate to "Tabatha's Salon Takeover."

Here are excerpts from Bravo's press release:

TABATHA COFFEY MAKES OVER AMERICA ONE SALON AT A TIME IN THE NEW BRAVO SERIES "TABATHA'S SALON TAKEOVER," PREMIERING THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 AT 10 PM ET/PT

The straight-talking, perfectly coifed Tabatha Coffey lends her sound advice and styling expertise to help desperate salon owners turn their struggling businesses around in the new Bravo series, "Tabatha's Salon Takeover," premiering Thursday, August 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

"Tabatha's Takeover" will follow Coffey, the charismatic former "Shear Genius" contestant and Australian native, as she visits struggling salons in the Los Angeles and New York areas and literally takes over the establishments to whip them into shape. Coffey brings her no-nonsense approach to the salon owners and stylists, all teetering on the verge of collapse and in dire need of her skilled business direction. With just a week to work her magic, can she put these salons back on their feet or is it time for the shops to put up the closed sign for good?

At first meeting, Coffey's distinct personality and wicked comments are jarring, but soon the owners and stylists figure out that in order to be a success in the competitive high-end beauty business, they need to take the savvy and fearless approach that has helped Coffey's own career flourish. Since her start as a salon assistant at the age of 14 in her homeland of Surfer's Paradise, Australia, she instantly fell in love with the field. At 15, she started a four-year apprenticeship program in Australia, and her love for hairdressing grew. Next she moved to London for eight years to continue her training, and has since been working in the beauty field in the U.S. for 19 years.

Coffey takes her training and the training of other hairdressers very seriously, and this passion drives her sincere quest to turn these salons around. Coffey's intensity for the business is clear in her unswerving dealings with the salon owners and stylists, sometimes driving them to tears as her critical eye probes the salons' customer service, cleanliness, professionalism, and overall styling techniques. She will also make her recommendations for which stylists should raise their rates, and which ones should be let go in order for the businesses to get to the next level as high-end establishments. The end results are often dramatic and inspire all those who have come in contact with Coffey to strive for only the best.

The salons Coffey will makeover in the Los Angeles and New York areas include:

Ten Salon – Long Beach, CA
De Cielo Salon – Burbank, CA
Martino-Giovanni & Pileggi – Sewell, NJ
Images Hair Salon – Oyster Bay, NY
Tika Salon – Rockville Centre, NY

"Tabatha's Salon Takeover" is produced by Reveille for Bravo. Mark Koops and Jonas Larsen are the executive producers.

[nouseforaname]

After reading online reviews for those places they don't seem to be in any kind of mis-management or in danger of closing. My guess is that they just wanted free airtime.

[chainey]

Sounds like Peter Perfect on Style. He does small business makeovers including the staff. I thought I'd hate him but the makeovers make sense, look good and all have a warm and fuzzy ending. He has his own salon too.

[editorgrrl]

Over in the Shear Genius forum, someone posted a link to a blog post accusing Tabatha of identity theft.

[littlechloe]

I don't know if this is true, but Tabitha does seem cpapble of some nasty stuff. I never found her "witty". I found her to be a mean bitch. I still don't get the fascination with her. She's scary looking with a scarier personality. I think this show is all about the reaction to Her Bitchiness, not because she's actually got any cred in the styling world.

Word to all of this. I can't believe they are giving her a say in who should be fired from a salon. Is Tabitha actually "high-end" herself? I never thought so - her behavior alone screams "low-end". Is Bravo automatically giving shows to anyone who generates forum controversy? Jo/Slade? Tabitha? Talk about scraping bottom....

[DiamondDot]

Why would Bravo put all this money into these shows, without checking the backgrounds of these people?

I don't see how Bravo can be held liable, but they sure are spending a lot of money taping and promoting this show.

ETA---- I like Peter Perfect, too. Found it by accident.

Edited by DiamondDot, Jul 29, 2008 @ 5:33 PM.

[ElviraGulch]

I never found Tabitha at all witty, nor did I think she was that much of a stylist to warrant her own show. She seemed mean spirited, and very much her own fan. That said, many salons I have worked in, in over 25 years of styling, were run by people with these same attributes. Especially in So Cal, where snottiness is considered an admirable trait in the salon biz.

[Vetasimmons]

Apparently, some people seem to think that the more abusive, the more talented the stylist, and the better their hair looks. I stopped a long time ago putting up with condescending people in any service industry -- and that includes doctors, lawyers, contractors and anybody else I hire to do a job.

I don't see where Tabatha brings the goods the way someone like Gordon Ramsay does. She has a salon, and has been on a reality show. Ramsay has tons of experience starting up restaurants that haven't depend on his own hands-on cooking to be successful. What are her credentials to be a business consultant? That she can cut and style hair, has a sharp tongue and a good TV presence?

Edited by Vetasimmons, Aug 19, 2008 @ 10:05 PM.

[CrumbyButtons]

I never found her "witty". I found her to be a mean bitch. I still don't get the fascination with her.

Me neither. The only thing I remember about her is that her long black clothes and short haircut made her head look reeeeally tiny, and she hated a blonde headed kid on the show. So.... even her bitchiness wasn't clever enough for me to remember. Hope this show folds quickly, her head is most likely big enough without her having her own show.

[martinocartier]

Martino Cartier at giovanni and pileggi....We love Tabatha she is women with flair and talent and after our show airs we will post pictures of her making over the salon be sure to watch Bravo aug 21 @ 10 pm then watch us Sep. 4th... Taby Cat you ROCK

[jayarseeny]

As much as I love hair shows, I -- for one -- will NOT be tuning in to see more Tabatha. Couldn't bear her mean, cold, tiny little eyes on SG1 and don't recall having much respect for her as a stylist. She won Fans' Favorite? Ewwwww...!

[JessieQ]

Not sure if I will watch this show, but IMO Tabatha looks an awful lot like Lord Voldemort.

Edited by JessieQ, Aug 17, 2008 @ 8:08 PM.

[RichieRoman]

Hello all, I can tell you that my salon was chosen to be the pilot episode of this show and while we cannot reveal much until it airs....I can tell you that the designer that makes the salon over really likes sweedish furniture stores. Thats all...Richie

I should have said the salon that i rent from, it is defenetely not my salon!

[Melancholiac]

Add me to the list of those with no intention of watching this show. I saw enough of Tabatha on SG to last a lifetime. And it's not as if we don't already know each episode will feature Tabatha looking all severe while insulting the salon staffs and decor. It's past time for her to take her tired ass back Down Under.

[evillager]

Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this but I really enjoyed this show--it was infinitely better than I'd thought it would be, and Tabitha is so very much better that I'd thought. She was funny and biting, like Gordon Ramsay with wit and self-awareness. I was suspicious because I'd really hated her on Shear Genius, and because SG really left me with the impression that it was impossible for hairdressing to be interesting--I'm still not sure I'm wrong on that, but there was more business-building and makeover stuff than hair-cutting. Not an amazing show, of course, but definitely entertaining.

[DeMoTV]

I was impressed by the alien impersonating a human and behaving in a way that was humane. But from the previews for the next episode, looks like she returns to the ways of her planet.

[reckless]

I really liked the first episode. The producers used the formula from the British Kitchen Nightmares more than the US version, which included a lot of interviews with Tabatha explaining things. That is a successful way of humanizing her and downplaying her abrasiveness. I have to say that I liked her changes for the salon, and she really demonstrated that she knew what she was talking about.

I'll be interested in seeing what happens when the owner is very antagonistic. In Ramsey's US shows, the arguments dominate and the episodes seem to focus on the obnoxious owners. In his UK show, that is a role and he argues with the owners, but there is more emphasis on what he is trying to accomplish. As a result, the arguments are less of a focal point and the shows more interesting.

[Karennz]

I was prepared to turn the channel like other post-ers if this series were nothing but Tabatha-snark. I'm glad we saw more of what appears to be the real Tabatha in the actual show. She made good points, she allowed the others to express their opinions, she truly made a difference. I'm in. Especially after previews for the next show. That guy is truly delusional. I hope she tears him apart! :o)

[LogCabinPat]

Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this but I really enjoyed this show--it was infinitely better than I'd thought it would be

I totally agree. It's a terrible night for a premier, almost everyone is watching the Olympics. I started to watch with remote in hand ready to switch the channel - but I didn't. It can't be denied that she's abrasive, but the show was interesting.

My favorite line: 'My God, I thought he was going to hug me.'

ETA: Also, 'You don't manage people, you manage systems.' Seriously, WTF? Nothing like corporate gobbledegook.

Edited by LogCabinPat, Aug 21, 2008 @ 10:34 PM.

[BitchySmurf]

I liked the pilot. I only watched the occasional episode of 'Shear Genius' so I don't really know about Tabatha particularly well. I did vaguely find her amusing on the show, but then I'm not an expert.

I was hoping this would be like the UK 'Kitchen Nightmares.' Whenever I see that on BBC America I am amazed at how the US version f-ed it all up. And Tabatha was the only person on Shear Genius with the personality to carry off the Ramsay role. You have to be someone that people don't want to mess with, but also someone who honestly wants to help. I was afraid she would just be mean to everyone but she wasn't. Glad she seized on the potential of the front desk worker-guy. He seemed like a lot of fun.

I liked the new layout better but wasn't fond of the decor. What was with the tacky Buddha statue? (I mean, if they were going for an Asian and/or New Age them... okay, but it didn't seem that way to me). Maybe they need Ty Pennington AND Tabatha.

... No wait. I take that back.

[Ganymedeone]

I thought it was interesting and informative. I've worked in a LOT of restaurants/bars since high school, and seeing salons as service-oriented businesses I could definitely see where the same advice works in both settings. Of course, it helped that I LIKED Tabatha on Shear Genius (anyone that doesn't buy into the 'reality show' staple of the friends and family sobfest each season gets kudos from me), and didn't find her at all grating until she let her rivalry with Tyson overwhelm all reason and she lost focus on the larger competition. If any salon owner pushes those same buttons, I assume we'll see an entirely different episode.

[zelmia]

I actually do like her and I did like the show. I, too, was happy to see that they stuck really close to the Ramsey UK format.

I admit that I did laugh at the owner's sobbing exits. Could she have been any more dramatic? And also when we saw Tabatha saying to the sobbing owner, "I know this is all really overwhelming" and then ABRUPT CUT TO: owner, still teary, saying, "It was overwhelming". Ha!

I also thought it was funny when Tab said, "Oh thank god! I thought he was going to try to hug me!" As someone who is not overly fond of gratuitous hugging myself, I was right with her on that.

What I thought was so ironic, though, is that Tabatha didn't really tell these people anything that wasn't mostly just plain old common sense and could have applied to any kind of business.

Edited by zelmia, Aug 21, 2008 @ 10:36 PM.

[lanter]

My favorite line: 'My God, I thought he was going to hug me.

I am not a touchy-feely kind of person so when she said that I laughed my ass off. I also agreed with what Tabatha said about those who have a tendancy to cry a lot.

I liked Tabatha on SG so I was sort of looking forward to this but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the actual series is decent. The show runners made a smart decision in modeling it after Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (UK). I hope that each episode ends with a revisit to the salons a few months down the line. This was certainly more interesting than the increasingly tedious SG.

[isiscloud]

ETA: Also, 'You don't manage people, you manage systems.' Seriously, WTF? Nothing like corporate gobbledegook.

I think that was the point. Kwanna (huh?) was so strict about following the rules she forgot that she had people working for her, not robots. Once those rulebooks were gone, the staff was able to relax and Kwanna could relinquish some of her control to David (?).

Loved the line about hugs. I have a friend who has to hug when she comes in the door and leaves and that just is not me.

Didn't care for the red pebbly things around the front, but the before was so boring. Loved the little rooms that were created for each stylist.

Next week just looks disgusting.

[DeMoTV]

My major concern about the makeover is that color has a huge impact on what streaks and color look like. Sure, it looked more colorful, but how does it impact how the customer sees their hair?

(My colorist comes to my apt. and warns me each time that after blowing my hair in my bathroom, I need to look at myself in a different mirror. There are purple hues in my bathroom and it hugely influences how my color looks.)

Maybe because it's such a big issue for me, I was surprised that Tabatha didn't address the colors that now surround the stations. Red can be horrific for people with red undertones in their skin. I wouldn't want to sit at that station.

Wondering if there will come a time that Tabatha will recommend the firing of a stylist. Wouldn't surprise me.

[bbcookin]

And God knows, salons in SoCal could use a clean-up. I used to go to an Aveeda salon in Encinitas until I realized the stylist was using a used brush to blow dry my hair. Just yuck! Tabitha may be snarky but at least she favors sanitary practices. Too many hair and nail salons are getting way to skanky. And then the nerve of charging $200 for a h/c and a 1/2 weave.

[headhurt]

I admit that I did laugh at the owner's sobbing exits. Could she have been any more dramatic? And also when we saw Tabatha saying to the sobbing owner, "I know this is all really overwhelming" and then ABRUPT CUT TO: owner, still teary, saying, "It was overwhelming". Ha!

This part also caused me to snort.

I didn't watch the first season fo SG, so I really don't know a great deal about Tabitha, but I liked the show. I think I will watch again. Next week looks particularly interesting.

[AmazonGoddess]

I liked Tabatha last year on SG but wasn't sure that I'd actually watch her own show. But I figured, what the heck, I'd give it a try. I really enjoyed it. I found it fun and interesting.

What I thought was so ironic, though, is that Tabatha didn't really tell these people anything that wasn't mostly just plain old common sense and could have applied to any kind of business.

It's so sad that common sense has gone by the wayside. People get so caught up in their "vision" and "dream" that they can't step back, take a look, and realize that they're strangling it to death. All the advice was common sense. That fact that it took someone coming in from outside to show that to them is sad, but kind of typical.

Oh, and while the new interior may not be perfect, it's miles better than the hamster wheel that was in there to begin with. Who was the designer that looked at the huge space and said,"Let's put a giant plexi donut in the center and make everyone walk round and round to get anywhere." ? That person needs to go back to design school. Yuck.

[sleekandchic]

So. I'm reading the comments and observations here, and I see that Tabatha is well-liked and her show is being received well.

I need somebody (anybody) to grab my shoulders, give me a little shake, and tell me to "snap out of it" or some such. I don't get it. I mean, I don't get this show, I don't get Tabatha. God help me, I really don't get Bravo some times (but we'll put that one on hold).

Can someone tell me what Tabatha's background, experience, knowledge-base are all about, please? Why is she uniquely qualified to critique and dismantle and reorganize a salon or a zoo or a Burger King?

I'm lost. Tabatha was an amusing and interesting character on the first season of Shear Genius. She was/is a hairstylist, working from a Ridgewood, New Jersey, salon. Am I right? Maybe I'm confused. Anyway, yes, I remember that she won the Viewers' Fave award, but she lost the overall competition. She's a hairstylist, I think, yes? Where does this superior kind of managerial, organizational skill come from? Her ability to say what works or doesn't work? Why am I so confused about Tabatha's bona fides?

Is Tabatha really an independent agent, surveying and critiquing and trying to help the down and out? Or is she simply a mouthpiece for Bravo types, hired to pretend to assess and to manage and to emote?

Bottom line question: Why is Tabatha qualified to observe and to reassess a business's practices and employees? What are her qualifications and experience and just plain know-how? I'm not talking about her abilities as a hairdresser. What are her abilities as a business woman with a knack for finding weaknesses and strengthening them; or finding strengths and buttressing them?

I want to be fair; so help me out. I just don't get this show.

[Imbaack]

Over in the Shear Genius forum, someone posted a link to a blog post accusing Tabatha of identity theft.

Whoa, having been a victim of ID theft myself I know how devastating it can be. Now I hope Tabatha gets cancelled.

Hello all, I can tell you that my salon was chosen to be the pilot episode of this show and while we cannot reveal much until it airs....I can tell you that the designer that makes the salon over really likes sweedish furniture stores. Thats all...Richie

lol, from viewing the pilot episode I see what you mean. :-)

No one's mentioned Chris, the salon owner's husband. Glad he's started working on a career.