My, how times have changed. Remember how, just a year ago, the cable channels were flooded with shows about how to do a few quick renovations and sell your house for $100,000 more? Well, "Real Estate Intervention" reflects the sea change that's occurred in the months since. No one is interested in those swat teams of chirpy professionals armed with throw pillows, plants and new appliances, intent on jacking up your asking price. Instead, we're left with Aubrey, a tough-talking bruiser of a man who has a rather unfortunate habit of referring to his male clients as "buddy."

That said, Aubrey seems sensible, pragmatic and almost completely devoid of the usual "everything's coming up roses" bull[$h*t] that so many agents seem to serve up shamelessly throughout even the worst housing slumps. He tries to demonstrate to the show's guests a sense of the declining housing market by showing them comparable homes that sold for a lot less than they're asking for theirs. But as it turns out, nothing sends most people into a folding-chair-hurling state of rage faster than implying that their house is less welcoming or less spacious or less special than someone else's.