Watchdog | |
---|---|
Also known as | 'Watchdog Daily (Series 2 & 32) |
Genre | Investigative Journalism |
Directed by | Jaco Smith Mark Harrison Keir MacKenzie |
Presented by |
Sophie Raworth Matt Allwright Michelle Ackerley Nikki Fox Steph McGovern (See full list) |
Theme music composer | Music 4 |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 39 (inc. daytime) |
No. of episodes | 1064 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Lisa Ausden |
Producer(s) | Helen Collins Michelle Cox Emma Jay |
Location(s) |
BBC Television Centre (1980–2012) The Hospital Club (2013—2015) Broadcasting House (2016—) |
Editor(s) | Jeff Anderson |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Release | |
Original network |
BBC One BBC One HD |
Picture format | |
Original release | 14 July 1985 | – present
Chronology | |
Related shows |
Rogue Traders Watchdog Test House |
External links | |
Website |
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.
Watchdog was first shown on 8 September 1980 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. 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. 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.