WATCHING . . . The Apprentice; READING . . . Karlology
If TV3 had messed with the BBC's brilliant format for The ApprenticeI was going to set Suralan Sugar on them.
But hurray! Not before time, someone in Irish television has figured out how to produce high-quality reality TV - which I know for some will sound like a bit of an oxymoron.
All the vital ingredients are contained in the Irish version, with grocery-boy-turned-gazillionaire-turned-bait-for-Today FM's Gift Grub, Bill Cullen, as the boss man. There's the jaunty music. The cold-as-ice receptionist. The aerial views of Dublin, which looks very pretty from up there. And, of course, the contestants who you can just tell are good for a few daycent rows over the next 11 weeks.
Standing out already is Wicklow woman Joanna Murphy, whose favourite things appear to be animal print blouses, animal print scarves and bossing people around. The mother of three is my top tip.
To win? Maybe. To wreck the other contestants' heads? Absoflippinlutely. The Apprentice, Mondays, TV3
READING . . . Karlology: What I've Learnt So Farby Karl Pilkington. Ricky Gervais' endearingly hapless podcasting partner goes on a mission to "learn more stuff". Surprisingly, he doesn't get into Mensa.