Channel 4 announces new slate of populist investigative series

8 August 2016

Dorothy Byrne, Head of News and Current Affairs for Channel 4, has commissioned a new slate of populist investigative and consumer-related series. The raft of commissions include a new two part series Secrets of Our Favourite Foods, a new health pilot Be Your Own Doctor, and recommissions for Supershoppers and Tricks of the Restaurant Trade. These series will focus on bringing strong journalism and accessible investigation to features in engaging manners.

 

Secrets of Our Favourite Foods (w/t) examines and celebrates Britain's best- loved brands, telling the stories of the iconic dishes that defined our meal times and changed the way we eat forever.  Chef, restaurateur and presenter Simon Rimmer revisits our favourite foods from the past, from Angel Delight to Smash, Lyons Maid ice cream to Babycham, examining what was in them, how they were sold to us, and why we loved them. The 2 x 60 series is a new commission from Firecrest Films.

 

Be Your Own Doctor has been commissioned as a pilot from Love Productions, a compelling and provocative health show to reflect the new ways we approach keeping healthy. Nowadays, a huge percentage of us don’t go to the doctor as our first port of call for medical advice, we go to Dr Google. There really is a lot we can do to stop ourselves getting ill and to treat ourselves.. Be Your Own Doctor will help us to navigate a 'health-mad' world where we are overloaded with information, led by Kate Quilton and Dr Tamal Ray, known for his time on The Great British Bake-Off, the pair will hunt down solutions to problems which will empower viewers.

 

Channel 4 have recommissioned betty to make a new four part series on the inside realm of the restaurant trade, Tricks of the Restaurant Trade, presented by Simon Rimmer and Kate Quilton, with roving reporter Adam Pearson. This series lifts the lid on the things consumers should be aware of when they eat out. There are over a quarter of a million places to eat out in the UK and we’ve become a nation of foodies. Tricks of the Restaurant Trade sets out to find out how customers can ensure they get the best quality food at the best price and reveals some of the techniques that restaurants use to make customers spend more.

 

Consumer series Supershoppers has been recommissioned for a 6 part series and 1x 60 Christmas special from Firecrest Films. Supershoppers is a new kind of consumer programme, combining features and investigative journalism. The Supershoppers are looking at retailing, marketing, branding, and how and why we buy what we buy - everything from clothes to food to travel, what goes in to them, how they are sold to us. Presenters Anna Richardson and Andi Osho bring wit and humour to their investigations and once again will be revealing the secrets behind big brands and retailers, plus how to really get value for money.

 

Commissioning Editor Dorothy Byrne says "All four of these series concepts bring together the best of populist investigative journalism and features programmes which reflect people’s everyday lives."