Watchdog

Watchdog is back on Thursday 22nd April still with Anne Robinson. However they've obviously had a rethink in the right direction and now it's going to be completely live again! That's according to the Watchdog website that is.

Let's hope Watchdog can come up trumps again unlike the last series which was just a shambles.

I believe it'll be back in TV Centre, after its time in White City and the Media Centre.

Let's hope:

a) there is a legally qualified researcher/advisor on the team this time around, as the standard of advice given to viewers on the last series was abominable (who can forget: "if your PS3 breaks down the day after the one year warranty expires, you'll have to buy a new one off Sony or throw it in the bin" , and their complete lack of awareness of unit pricing legislation which made for a totally flawed report about supermarket multibuy deals).

b) they drop their newfound obsession with 'celebrities' - Watchdog isn't the right arena for Beverley Knight to chat about her upcoming album and tour.

Well they did that when they had Weekend Watchdog and it was bloody awful, they even had live bands. In fact I remember one episode finishing with a performance from, I think, Steps, followed by Top of the Pops - with the first act being Steps! Indeed, one week, as an "experiment", it was also rebranded as Weekend Live and had no consumer content whatsoever.

Weekend Watchdog was a dreadful programme. I was so pleased when it was axed.

Last week's show was a return to form I think. Still a bit long though.

Remember Watchdog: Value For Money? A vehicle for Vanessa Feltz.

Was it a HGV?

Watchdog lost all credibility the moment they bought Anne Robinson back.

Boom boom.

I like how it is now. Hated the last series but they have made it feel like it did before Anne left the first time.

It's still at White City.

Programme is coming out of a studio at TV Centre though, is it not? To me it seemed a bit dated the other night, but much better than the last attempt.

No - it's coming from a TV Centre studio now. The previous couple of series came as an OB from the Media Centre, after Watchdog moved out from the White City building, which was also done as an OB.

The last series with Nicky Campbell presenting came live from an office-based set in The Media Centre, the following series with Anne Robinson was pre-recorded from a more "studio-style" set, though it was still in the Media Centre using similar OB facilities.

The show also has a new editor, Jeff Anderson, who was the launch editor of ITV's Tonight I beleve.

Heading back to a spare studio at TVC is a backward step. At least having it in in a makeshift studio either at 201 Wood Lane, or the media centre made the programme have a feel of urgency and seeing the production team working in the background made you feel they were working to sort out the issues brought about in the programme.

Now, it's in a studio with series of awkward looking people purched on uncomfortable looking stools, gazing into laptops surfing the internet. Plus, the chatter from the background was distracting, and for most of the show, it appeared the only reason to go back to into a studio was so they could find a space big enough to park a car to the left of the main presentation area.