Channel 4 commissions new Ruth Watson series

Channel 4 has commissioned RDF Television West, a Zodiak Media Company, to make a 15x60 series fronted by restaurateur and hotelier Ruth Watson, which will see her travelling the country to visit pubs, restaurants, tourist attractions and hotels that have suffered from negative reviews posted on the internet.

It seems everyone’s a critic these days, but bad reviews can ruin livelihoods and the service industry is struggling to satisfy an increasingly picky public. Ruth Watson will talk to the reviewers who have directly criticised the featured businesses and those who enjoy posting reviews on a regular basis, good and bad. 

Acting as adjudicator, she will get the business owner and reviewers together to discuss the problems and find out whether the reviews were justified - and will return after a few weeks to see if the business has improved and resolved its issues. 

Ruth, who previously presented Country House Rescue, will use her 30 years experience in the industry to deliver a final verdict following a carefully balanced assessment of the business’ strengths and weaknesses and settle the issue once and for all.

Judgement Day (w/t) was ordered by Channel 4 Head of Formats, Dominic Bird, and Commissioning Editor, David Sayer. It will be executive produced by Andrew Anderson at RDF Television West and air on Channel 4 later this year.

Ruth Watson said: "Customers have taken to online reviewing - or simply complaining - like wasps to jam. For business owners, like me, the stings can sometimes feel viciously unfair. So this new series is a fantastic opportunity for me to challenge both sides and find out who's right and who's wrong."

David Sayer said: “Ruth, with her expertise and no-nonsense style, is the perfect person to decide who’s right and who’s wrong in the battle between businesses and their reviewers.”

ENDS.