Watchdog (TV series)

Watchdog is a BBC television series that investigates viewers' reports of problematic experiences with traders, retailers, and other companies around the UK. It has had great success in changing the awareness consumers have of their purchasing rights and in changing policies of companies, closing down businesses, and pushing for law changes. It has the longstanding slogan "the programme you cannot afford to miss". The show has seen a variety of hosts and spin-off shows. It is currently presented by Sophie Raworth, Matt Allwright, Michelle Ackerley, Nikki Fox and Steph McGovern.

It is shown on BBC One and is available for online viewing or download via BBC iPlayer.

History

Logo used from September 2009 to December 2015

Watchdog was first shown on 8 September 1980^[1] as a weekly slot on BBC1's news magazine programme Nationwide. Hugh Scully, best known for presenting the Antiques Roadshow, was the original host. Nationwide ended in 1983, but Watchdog continued with its successor, Sixty Minutes. Sixty Minutes lasted only nine months, and Scully left the programme at the end of the 1984 series.

Watchdog returned on 14 July 1985 as a stand-alone weekly programme, presented by Nick Ross with Lynn Faulds Wood, on a Sunday evening.^[2] On 24 November 1986, Watchdog become part of the new BBC daytime schedules, broadcast daily at 8.40 on Mondays to Fridays. Ross was replaced by Faulds Wood's husband, John Stapleton, as co-presenter.^[3] The new husband and wife team was the first married team of presenters on UK television. BBC1 Programme Controller Michael Grade said the show defied the laws of television gravity boosting audiences for the launch of BBC Daytime.

On 15 November 1987, Watchdog became a weekly show once again, broadcasting on a Sunday teatime with a repeat the following day during the daytime. Lynn Faulds Wood won a Consumer Journalist of the Decade award.

On 4 January 1988, the series was moved to Monday, with a daytime and a peaktime broadcast,^[4] the show become even more forceful, investigating big businesses and conducting more investigative journalism. By January 1989 the daytime broadcast was dropped as the show was delivering audiences of up to 6 million in peaktime. The show achieved many multimillion-pound recalls (cars, vans, ovens, puchairs, microwaves, computers etc.), recovered £19 million in overpaid fuel surchages on package holidays and regularly featured major name companies. As she was recovering from advanced bowel cancer, Lynn Faulds Wood left to make medical investigations for ITV's World in Action programme (e.g. "Doctor Knows Best" - 10.2 million & "Bobby Moore & Me" - 6.5 million) ^[5][6]

When the 1993 series was taken over by Anne Robinson, Watchdog shifted focus slightly. Robinson was teamed with Simon Walton and Alice Beer, an assistant producer who was brought on as a link person between the consumers (on the phone in earlier years and e-mail in later years) and the main presenter. Beer left in 1999 and was replaced by Charlotte Hudson. Robinson followed in 2001 when she went on to front the British and American versions of The Weakest Link, to be replaced by Nicky Campbell and Kate Sanderson. In 2005, the presenters were Campbell and Julia Bradbury, with assistance from Paul Heiney and Saima Mohsin. Nick Lawrence replaced Saima Mohsin as reporter in 2005.

Julia Bradbury briefly departed the programme on 16 February 2009, returning on 20 April 2009.^[7] During her absence, she was replaced by Anita Rani.^[8] Rani continued as a reporter with the programme in place of Saima Mohsin.

On 10 May 2009, a plan to relaunch Watchdog was announced.^[9] The new series began on 10 September 2009, with presenters Nicky Campbell and Julia Bradbury replaced by returning host Anne Robinson, Anita Rani, and Matt Allwright, whose show Rogue Traders was incorporated into the new programme, which increased from a 30-minute slot to a full hour. In 2010, Rani left the programme and was replaced by Chris Hollins.

On 30 October 2012, it was announced that a new daytime series would launch on Monday 12 November 2012 on BBC One.^[10] Watchdog Daily ran every weekday morning at 11:00am for 4 weeks.^[11]

In March 2014, a daytime series called Watchdog Test House aired in a daytime slot. The show was presented by Sophie Raworth and former Watchdog host Lynn Faulds Wood as reporter.

On 10 September 2015, it was announced that Robinson would step down as host once again; this time in order to film a new series of Britain's Spending Secrets for the channel. Robinson presented Watchdog for a total of 15 years.^[12] Raworth and Ackerley were later announced as her replacements.

On 22 June 2016, it was announced that Chris Hollins would step down as co-host. The new series sees the addition of Nikki Fox and Steph McGovern on the show.

Presenters

Current reporters

Methods

Along with attempts to interview business people in the streets, which were often met with a great deal of animosity, the presenters often invite company representatives into the studio to discuss viewers' consumer problems. While those were frequently turned down, many companies used the opportunity to turn the situation around to their advantage, offering full apologies and refunds.

In the 2000s, it became common for company interviewees to be advised by media advisers. Watchdog has also made use of hidden cameras and recording equipment, in the manner of investigative journalist Roger Cook.

Notable investigations

Fitted plugs

In the late 1980s, Watchdog investigations showed that numerous accidents were caused when the electrical plugs on new electrical appliances were incorrectly wired.^[13] At the time, all new electrical goods were sold with bare wires and customers were expected to fit plugs themselves. These investigations led to a British law forcing all manufacturers selling electrical products in the UK to supply them with fitted plugs.^[14]

Hoover free flights

In 1992 and 1993, The Hoover Company introduced a "free flights" offer whereby any customer spending over £100 would receive two free flights to New York City. Due to an overwhelming response, many people did not receive their tickets and were denied the opportunity to take their free flights. After hundreds of complaints to Watchdog, an investigation by reporter Simon Walton revealed that the company in charge of processing applications was trying to deny customers their free flights in an effort to stem the rising costs. This quickly became headline news and Hoover were forced to give all customers the flights, costing them an estimated £40 million and the jobs of all the board members.^[15]

Auction World.tv

Television sales channel Auction World.tv failed to deliver goods or offer refunds to over 27,000 customers in the early 2000s, and were fined £450,000 by the regulatory body OFCOM.^[16] Investigations by Watchdog forced refunds and the closure of the channel, and traced the owner to Cyprus, where he refused to answer questions.^[17]

The Accident Group

This company was exposed by Watchdog after secret filming revealed it was encouraging members of the public to make bogus claims for personal injury compensation. As a result, The Accident Group went out of business, sacking its staff by sending them text messages.^[18]

Direct Kitchens, Kitchens and Maple Industries

Direct Kitchens, Kitchens and Maple Industries are all companies that are or have been based at Maple Mill, in Oldham, Greater Manchester and headed by controversial entrepreneur Vance Miller. The companies have been investigated by Watchdog on several occasions. Miller, who has a string of convictions in several countries,^[19] has been branded by the media as the "Kitchen Gangster", became the first person in Britain to be handed a ‘Stop Now’ order by the Office of Fair Trading after consistently supplying kitchens which were not sold as advertised.

Dan Penteado

On 17 July 2012, Dan Penteado, the co-host of Matt Allwright in the Rogue Traders section on Watchdog, was jailed for 12 weeks for benefit fraud.^[20] Magistrates at Bournemouth heard how Penteado, the leather clad biker who accompanied Matt Allwright in the ambushing of Rogue Traders had claimed £25,000 in benefits whilst appearing in the show that paid him £56,000 over the four-year period from 2008 to 2011 that the benefits were claimed for. It was announced after the case that Penteado had been sacked from the show.^[20]

Transmissions

Editions broadcast prior to 1985 were broadcast as part of Nationwide and Sixty Minutes and hosted by Hugh Scully.

Spin-offs

• Watchdog Healthcheck – 1995 to 2002, about health matters

• Weekend Watchdog – 1997 to 2001, presented by Robinson (Allwright and Hudson for the final series)

• Value for Money – 1995 to 2000, mainly about shopping, presented by Vanessa Feltz and Charlotte Hudson

• Face Value – about the fashion industry, presented by Alice Beer

• The Big Dinner – about the food industry, presented by Jonathan Maitland

• On the House – first presented by Sankha Guha and Anne McKevitt, later Adrian Chiles

• Watchdog: Are You Being Served? – 15 April 1999, presented by Alice Beer
• Watchdog Daily – live and interactive series aired in 2012 in which Sophie Raworth takes on the big household-names, getting results and showing viewers how they can fight back
• Watchdog Test House – testing of household products, presented by Sophie Raworth; aired in 2014 and 2015

Specials

• How To Save £1000 (15 January 2015) – BBC One
• Pension Special (5 November 2015) – BBC Red Button

Related programmes

• Short Change – about consumer affairs aimed at children between 7-16 year-olds, originally presented by Zoë Ball, then Andi Peters, Tim Vincent, and up until 2003, Angellica Bell. It was then presented by Thalia Pellegrini, Rhodri Owen and Ortis. Many complaints included problems with service, bad deals, and being generally ripped-off. Finished in 2005.
• Rogue Traders – undercover series examining con artists and cowboy workers
• Rogue Restaurants – spin-off series to Rogue Traders, examining restaurants

See also

• Rogue Traders
• Points of View
• That's Life!
• Rip Off Britain
• Don't Get Done, Get Dom
• Crimewatch
• Marketplace
• Fair Go

References

External links

• Watchdog at BBC Programmes
• Watchdog Daily at BBC Programmes