Restaurant Stakeout Returns & Thieves Inc. Premieres Tonight

Photo - Food Network

The 4th season of Restaurant Stakeout is beginning tonight on the Food Network at 9pm.  Somehow, this show continues to draw good enough ratings for it to be renewed for more seasons.  Despite the show having a lot of 'fake reality', it consistently draws over 1 million viewers.

Regarding the fake-ness of the show, many restaurant owners have come out after their show aired to tell their story about how fake the filming was and that many of the situations are set up and there were also paid actors working.  A lot of times, the show actually reaches out to the restaurants to see if they want to be on the show, rather than the other way around.

A NorthJersey.com article earlier this week had the owner of Michael's Roscommon House saying "even the fake was fake," and he revealed things such as:

• The show depicting their restaurant as failing, which it was not.  The failure premise of the show with Willie coming in to save the day was scripted.
• The owner's friend actually works for the crew of Restaurant Stakeout, and asked him if he wanted to be on the show.  
• The owner did it for publicity, and because he knew a crew member, didn't want to be portrayed badly.
• The revisit that was supposedly 6 weeks later was actually 2 days later.

Also premiering tonight at 10:30 is the series premiere of Thieves Inc, which is a hidden camera show that deals with theft in the food industry.  More information about the show is here if you are interested.   I wonder how believable the incidents will be on the show, but I doubt they will be very believable.

Throw in Mystery Diners in between these 2 shows, and you have 2 hours worth of fake hidden camera shows on the Food Network tonight.....