Man v. Food: Season 2

The surprise Travel Channel hit Man v. Food just wrapped up its third season, but its much-improved second season is just getting released in a DVD box set. Essentially a good version of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Man v. Food follows Andy Serkis-esque host Adam Richman, an energetic camera hog who visits the “greatest pig-out spots” in various American cities. The irresistible hook is that the last restaurant that he visits presents him with a brutal “eating challenge”—from chili-pepper-doused burgers in San Antonio to baby-sized burritos in Las Vegas to an eight-scoop milkshake in San Francisco—which the nonprofessional host attacks with impressive enthusiasm and ever-increasing tactical skill. The “high personality” Richman would be unbearable in almost any other format, but his enthused goofiness fits Man v. Food to a T.