An Insight Into ITV Wales
by I spent two days working with Wales this week. Here are the results.
Bruce arrives to have a look at it with “fresh eyes”; because we have been watching it all yesterday and all morning there is something we may have missed so new eyes is vital just to be sure the story makes sense. Bruce realises it isn’t in the script where “Coral Fishing” takes place, a silly mistake!
Next I move on to work on the Ferret for the rest of the day, friendly worker Greg introduces me to everyone and then gives me a couple of numbers to call. These people have left messages telling us about “dirty dealings” that they have been victims of.
The first phone call I make I speak to quite the character – an aging biker man with a death-wish against a main Vauxhall car dealer. I ask him the details of his victim status and he tells me the very long version of his son being sold a dodgy car, the worries with this piece is will the son actually speak? Another serious factor in this is that they get so many “dodgy car deals” they have to be really good to put them into the show and although this man certainly has spirit I’m not sure the story does.
After the call I researched this car dealer on line and sent the information in an email to the producers for them to see if they think it’s useful.
The next call is from a man whose father has been caught out by a dubious double glazing company, after hearing how his father gave a cheque of £500 and then heard nothing from them I give him the “consumer direct” number so they can give him some free legal advice. Again, double glazing stories are very common and so I leave it again to the producers. I tried to find the double glazing company, Alpha Window Systems, online but no luck – according to Google they don’t exist!
Marvin, head of the Ferret, talks me through the up and coming series and what stories they have so far. I learn that the most problematic objects are BT, Sofas, Conservatories and cars, BT shocks me – I thought they were fairly reliable!
I have spent two days in ITV Wales and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it has to be said I do not agree with the way they film their documentaries, I feel irritation at the fact that all the presenter does is look pretty. This is not a company I would like to work for, I like to jump head first in a sewer of research and find out all the dirty secrets for myself.
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