'Why don’t I do TV money makeovers on those in horrible debt?' blog discussion

MSE_Martin

On the ongoing debt programme - my production company pitched it two years ago to every broadcaster called "debt diaries" - no one was interested.

As for small business money saving there's a guide on the site already - sadly not that popular so we're not planning to put too much resource into it.

Martin

Pisces

Thanks Martin. I'm a big fan of yours and appreciate the fact that you aim to save money for all, and not just those in debt. To outside appearances my family is very well off, double income, no debt outside our mortgage, but we work hard to ensure our overheads are low and save where ever we can on essentials. Your site, books, tips and programmes allow us to do this, and spend money where we choose to make our lives enjoyable and comfortable. I realise how privileged we are to have this choice, as many don't.

Power to you for picking a 'normal' family. I wish my in-laws would take notice and finally switch from British Gas!

timmmers

It's as I have always assumed, TV is not aimed at educating or informing, just attracting advertisers.

Maybe ITV won't do decent factual and helpful shows...but the BBC is public funded and should be able to be swayed into doing so. Commercial telly tends towards the trashier type of programmig anyway not documantaries.

I think a documentary by the Beeb on the lines of helping a pensioner or two over a longer period of time would be useful, entertaining (pensioners are witty old !!!!!!s at times), and would get some good feedback and viewing figures. Heirhunters manages to stay on air after all and that's hardly rivetting is it?

I understand 100% how people are sick of seeing people with few problems being helped when others who could use help far more never get a look in. When did you last see a house makeover in a house that needed one owned by someone who was poor?

I disagree completely about there noit being any interest in poor people being helped by the viewing public...Secret Millionaire is a huge hit and does ONLY that. ITV simply can't be arsed to try it....sad really when you consider how cheap it would be to produce, and the good it could do not only for the people involved but for many others watching.
Anything that works on a poor struggling person will also work fine for someone "normal", and may even prevent that situation happening to them in future.

Keep at them...maybe they can be shamed into doing the right thing if we all tell them it's what we'd like to see?

t

MSE_Martin

timmmers wrote: »

It's as I have always assumed, TV is not aimed at educating or informing, just attracting advertisers.

Maybe ITV won't do decent factual and helpful shows...but the BBC is public funded and should be able to be swayed into doing so. Commercial telly tends towards the trashier type of programmig anyway not documantaries.

I think a documentary by the Beeb on the lines of helping a pensioner or two over a longer period of time would be useful, entertaining (pensioners are witty old !!!!!!s at times), and would get some good feedback and viewing figures. Heirhunters manages to stay on air after all and that's hardly rivetting is it?

I understand 100% how people are sick of seeing people with few problems being helped when others who could use help far more never get a look in. When did you last see a house makeover in a house that needed one owned by someone who was poor?

I disagree completely about there noit being any interest in poor people being helped by the viewing public...Secret Millionaire is a huge hit and does ONLY that. ITV simply can't be arsed to try it....sad really when you consider how cheap it would be to produce, and the good it could do not only for the people involved but for many others watching.
Anything that works on a poor struggling person will also work fine for someone "normal", and may even prevent that situation happening to them in future.

Keep at them...maybe they can be shamed into doing the right thing if we all tell them it's what we'd like to see?

t

I think that's a wee bit unfair to ITV - they have always been the one that lets me on air and I'm grateful to them for it. WE did the first ever bank charges and council tax reclaiming programmes on ITV - and have broken many other stories and they still let me.

As for the BBC - if its on TV and they do it, but it wouldn't be a MoneySaving version they don't work like that (and dont use me )

hayleythedaisy

MSE_Martin wrote: »

On the ongoing debt programme - my production company pitched it two years ago to every broadcaster called "debt diaries" - no one was interested.

As for small business money saving there's a guide on the site already - sadly not that popular so we're not planning to put too much resource into it.

Martin

Perhaps this would fly more now with the fact there is so much more awareness around money saving now? :mad:(THE CREDIT CRUNCH!!!):mad:

Gorgeous_George

I guess that when you are totally broke, you can't save a grand in a year never mind in a day or 30 minute TV show. Most people are neither totally broke nor rolling in it so the show will have appealed to the masses.

What would raise an uproar among the viewers would be a progamme on how people run up debt and go bankrupt then start again. Or one on how much USwitch make each year and how much this adds to pensioners' utility bills.

GG

Edinburghlass_2

timmmers wrote: »

It's as I have always assumed, TV is not aimed at educating or informing, just attracting advertisers.

Maybe ITV won't do decent factual and helpful shows...but the BBC is public funded and should be able to be swayed into doing so. Commercial telly tends towards the trashier type of programmig anyway not documantaries.

I think a documentary by the Beeb on the lines of helping a pensioner or two over a longer period of time would be useful, entertaining (pensioners are witty old !!!!!!s at times), and would get some good feedback and viewing figures. Heirhunters manages to stay on air after all and that's hardly rivetting is it?

I understand 100% how people are sick of seeing people with few problems being helped when others who could use help far more never get a look in. When did you last see a house makeover in a house that needed one owned by someone who was poor?

I disagree completely about there noit being any interest in poor people being helped by the viewing public...Secret Millionaire is a huge hit and does ONLY that. ITV simply can't be arsed to try it....sad really when you consider how cheap it would be to produce, and the good it could do not only for the people involved but for many others watching.
Anything that works on a poor struggling person will also work fine for someone "normal", and may even prevent that situation happening to them in future.

Keep at them...maybe they can be shamed into doing the right thing if we all tell them it's what we'd like to see?

t

Some are witty all the time

grey_lady

'I think that's a wee bit unfair to ITV - they have always been the one that lets me on air'

Actually, it wasnt on ITV or the Internet that I first heard of you, it was Moneybox, I remember there was all the usual monotone and a bloke shouting constantly 'banks are not your friend' I remember that at the time thinking I didnt understand what that meant. I do now :-)

ps - if you're looking for program ideas, what about nursing home fees?

RobertoMoir

I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a show like this at all. If prevention is better than cure for your health then there's no reason why it shouldn't be true for financial health too, and maybe programs like this will stop some people sinking into serious problems in the first place.

Nothing wrong with that at all.

JDPower

I think the programme shot itself in the foot with the choice of family, regardless of whose choice they were. My instant reaction too was also of the "How many bikes/cars..." and no matter how good the content matter of the program is, that automatically dropped your interest in watching the programme, even more-so when you did the budget checker and found they weren't overspending. The concept (how much can you save in a day) grabbed your interest and pulled you in, then the family situation lost all that interest. From a TV entertainment point of view that was a failing IMO.

But I suppose some programme is better than no programme, at least for your profile if nothing else, and hopefully you will have more commissioned in future.