SP
It's not even recorded as-live - there was a very conspicuous edit before Darshini David answered her first question.
ED
EDITOR
brilliant first show
NJ
There was also a rather sudden crash into Rogue Traders after talking to Gaby Logan.
Is Watchdog now in HD? I hope that BBC One picture wasn't a downsample from HD since it looked awful.
Neil Jones
Founding member
It's not even recorded as-live - there was a very conspicuous edit before Darshini David answered her first question.
There was also a rather sudden crash into Rogue Traders after talking to Gaby Logan.
Is Watchdog now in HD? I hope that BBC One picture wasn't a downsample from HD since it looked awful.
DE
I didn't catch a huge amount of the show, but the filmic effect looked pretty rough to me and masked some nice lighting and decent camerwork. All a bit overdone really. Shame it's not live anymore, that always added a nice edge to the show IMO. At the end of the day, it's all about putting people on the spot so grilling them live always worked well.
PT
The picture was awful. It should be live imo and Rogue Traders should be a separate show like it used to be.
CH
Oh dear. What a tragedy that turned out to be. Why the film effect? Watchdog isn't a drama, it's meant to be a serious consumer affairs programme. Also didn't like the guests all huddled together, looking like a bunch of gormless spare parts who didn't know what to do with themselves, or even why they were there.
Here's the complaint I've just emailed in which covers everything else:
Here's the complaint I've just emailed in which covers everything else:
Quote:
Dear Watchdog,
Here's a bullet pointed critique of last night's episode of 'Watchdog':
Opening titles and theme tune - Cheap and nasty.
The studio - Looks very bare.
Film effect - Should only be reserved for drama programmes.
Mixing Watchdog with Rogue Traders - We got half an hour of one, and half an hour of the other! It kind of defeats the point of making Watchdog an hour long, does it not?
Ian Beale's daughter - Despite what you may think, teenage girls would merely be jealous of Ian Beale's daughter for being a pretty young actress - they would not look up to her and listen to what she had to say at all.
The audience - Watchdog is not Top of The Pops, nor is it TFI Friday.
Quizzes - It's not a public information film either.
Virgin Media song - Very bad taste.
Dolls flying out of a pushchair - Also bad taste.
Gabby Logan - Says she spent £700 on one pushchair! I don't think that'll go down well with viewers during a recession, do you?
Other ways to improve - Please give Anne a stool to sit on and broadcast the show live.
I can't believe Anne Robinson agreed to put her name to this lowest common denominator atrocity masquerading under the banner of a serious consumer affairs programme. It's pathetic. If you really must do a show like this, then by all means make it and call it something else - but don't replace Watchdog with it.
Here's a bullet pointed critique of last night's episode of 'Watchdog':
Opening titles and theme tune - Cheap and nasty.
The studio - Looks very bare.
Film effect - Should only be reserved for drama programmes.
Mixing Watchdog with Rogue Traders - We got half an hour of one, and half an hour of the other! It kind of defeats the point of making Watchdog an hour long, does it not?
Ian Beale's daughter - Despite what you may think, teenage girls would merely be jealous of Ian Beale's daughter for being a pretty young actress - they would not look up to her and listen to what she had to say at all.
The audience - Watchdog is not Top of The Pops, nor is it TFI Friday.
Quizzes - It's not a public information film either.
Virgin Media song - Very bad taste.
Dolls flying out of a pushchair - Also bad taste.
Gabby Logan - Says she spent £700 on one pushchair! I don't think that'll go down well with viewers during a recession, do you?
Other ways to improve - Please give Anne a stool to sit on and broadcast the show live.
I can't believe Anne Robinson agreed to put her name to this lowest common denominator atrocity masquerading under the banner of a serious consumer affairs programme. It's pathetic. If you really must do a show like this, then by all means make it and call it something else - but don't replace Watchdog with it.
Last edited by Chie on 11 September 2009 4:49am
IS
I hope that the iffy picture quality is a fault rather than intentional. I wonder if they've moved back into a proper studio rather than 'the office'?
It's surprising that it's now recorded as Anne was on The One Show the other day saying how things had changed in terms of audience interaction, it does lose the immediacy being recorded.
Putting Rogue Traders into Watchdog is a good idea as it was originally a spin off of Watchdog and there is a considerable overlap in their remits
It's surprising that it's now recorded as Anne was on The One Show the other day saying how things had changed in terms of audience interaction, it does lose the immediacy being recorded.
Putting Rogue Traders into Watchdog is a good idea as it was originally a spin off of Watchdog and there is a considerable overlap in their remits
BU
I'm told by my other half who works in the media village it's in exactly the same space as before, but the working office part of the Watchdog studio has gone elsewhere. So now they're just filming a show in office space, which is a shame given there are a few decent studios down the road (no doubt more expensive though). Apparently it was recorded on Tuesday. Seems a very odd move as the show always used to close with a few email comments bringing things up to date, although no doubt it's to accommodate Anne's schedule which will presumably be very hectic indeed once Weakest Link moves to Scotland.
The first new look Nicky Campbell show in Sep 2001 was awful, music stings all over the place and wonky camera angles, they toned it down considerably after a few shows so I imagine they'll do the same here. Alistair McGowan did a superb parody of those early Campbell shows on his 2002 series ISTR...
The first new look Nicky Campbell show in Sep 2001 was awful, music stings all over the place and wonky camera angles, they toned it down considerably after a few shows so I imagine they'll do the same here. Alistair McGowan did a superb parody of those early Campbell shows on his 2002 series ISTR...