BBC bosses axe consumer rights series Watchdog after 40 years to become a segment on The One Show
Probably inevitable after Crimewatch, and the fact people can moan at a company on Twitter or quickly spread the news of a Rogue Trader on Facebook I suppose...
The Sun and Fail both adamant it has been axed. Mirror and Express "set to axe".
Anyway if true it means Watchdog goes full circle. It started off as life as a segment in the Nationwide programme, which is what effectively the One Show sometimes thinks it is...
Funny the press release says it gives the show the benefit of a "year round presence" which is more or less what it used to have before they started cutting it down into short runs.
The thing is you aren’t going to get Alex Jones interviewing the CEO of some Washing Machine manufacturer to challenge them on why their products catch fire.
It would benefit from being interspersed with a working journalist holding the companies to account. Though it’s something the show failed to do in recent years in really holding the companies to account.
Watchdog is dead... Rogue Traders is dead... but both would definitely have a purpose if it was the proper investigative show it used to be in the Lynn Faulds-Woods, Anne Robinson and even Nicky Campbell days.
The thing is you aren’t going to get Alex Jones interviewing the CEO of some Washing Machine manufacturer to challenge them on why their products catch fire..
I suppose the idea being it’ll be packages on The One Show but they’ll be available on the website and social media too.
If they’re keeping dedicated presenters for it, wouldn’t it make sense to use 1 whole 7-7:30pm slot once a week for “Watchdog” maybe a Monday or whatever- in the One Show studio using One Show crew for the live show
Funny really. I used to argue about how the BBC shouldn't be commercialised by saying "how do you expect them to make proper public service shows like Watchdog and Crimewatch?"