Idea for new parenting advice TV show based on Mumsnet Talk - your thoughts/input needed

I like (some) of the pieces in the Grauniad Weekend's Family section - particularly the real people rather than sleb stuff. I think some of those could translate nicely onto a TV programme.

Not Russell Brand. Oh god not Russell Brand - that creature is revolting!

Ooh like carrots idea bit like when Russell Brand did Big Brother's Big Mouth, all random & shouty and big wanger-like microphones [cgrin]

Definitely not a male presenter or anchor!

I meant Loose Women in the sense that there's no defined leader or director, and no one expert with a particular agenda. All panelists can give their opinion or bring up a subject.

Which reminds me, featured parents should also be panelists, participating in supporting other featured parents.

Actually does anyone remember that programme from the 70s? I think it was actually called "Coffe Morning". You could watch it when you were off school. It was supposedly set in someone's house and had a bunch of gasbags blahing on about recipes and stuff.

No? Just me then..

I can't help thinking that it's not going to appeal to primetime programme execs without some element of jeopardy or conflict. So you'll end up with something like that awful programme that pitted two different techniques against each other (the one that Daisy Goodwin got slated for on her webchat).

How are you going to avoid that Justine? While also not being some horrible, twee ghetto-ised "coffee morning" style sub-This Morning boke-fest?

Would it work if you filled a studio with Mums with relevant experience in the topics to be raised in that episode and then allowed a whole studio debate? It could be a bit like the Wright Stuff but with much more audience participation.

It would have to be late at night so that the mums could speak almost as freely as they do on here.

It could be interspersed with footage of various techniques being demonstrated or Jackie style photo stories of how the various methods might pan out (I am picturing Voldemort and her dd's bedroom being played out in various ways ).

more 'launching' the brand than 'lancing' tbh oops

you are launcing the MN brand....for world-takeover...
Boden will want a brand-piggy-back

definately in a debate show format, or like Question time... spanking vs non spanking etc would be v amusing tv.
(DH's that is...not DCs)

Russell Brand and Gyles Brandreth to present PUR-LEEEASE

I want them to commentate on the royal wedding too

Shit no not like Loose women! Irreverent in style, a la Caitlin Moran & Grace Dent please.

please don't make it like loose women

I love the idea of discussing stuff outside of parenting too - that is what I think a lot of people love about mumsnet - that you can flick between cloth nappies, bumsex, feminism, breastfeeding, legal, education and so on - just because we are mums doesn't mean we only think about kids.

Please, please, please make it intelligent. There is already too much simplified talking down to women on the tv as it is. MN is our haven of brain food and debate.

I like the idea of kids being visable though - kind of like meeting up with your friends for a brew with the kids and talking about real things. Of course we talk about kids, for most mums the kids are one of thier main concerns, but we also talk about politics, books and so on.

Like loose women, only less whoopy and a bit cleverer. With more lentil weaving and Boden...

I thought Loose Women too, Candles. But with fewer twats are far more swearing.

Otherwise, I think Lis might be on to something with the Embarrassing Bodies format. Or a format similar to the Sex Education Show maybe? I think it needs to incorporate a roadshow element.

I see it more as a kind of One Show, rather than Loose Women - a real magazine of all kinds of issues, and not restricted to conceiving/pregnancy/giving birth/babies - with visits from slebs/politicians, just like we do here. (But word of advice - don't book Kate [cwink])

Stories/articles would range from the trivial to the truly serious.

Parenting advice is barely a fraction of what MN is about.

Loose Women immediately springs to mind, but with a larger group of women, a larger range of personalities, and a mix of ordinary people and knowledgeable people. No slebs for the sake of slebs - only slebs who have relevant experience or expertise. No guiding expert.

The panel should be free-flowing, with members wandering on and off as they fancy, and the numbers varying. Perhaps set it in several different locations: a coffee shop, a playground, a private house, an office, a shopping centre, etc, and panel members with LOs can bring them along. Certainly let panel members multitask while discussing things. Breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, nappy-changing, interacting with toddlers, they should all be visible during the show, as part of the panel members' day-to-day lives.

It should also be a show aimed at adults, so that language and subject matter don't have to be excessively sanitised.

The show should not restrict itself to parenting, but should be wide-ranging, just like the real MN. Issues should vary in seriousness, and there should be some pride, joy, and laughter as well.

Otherwise it just becomes another variation on Supernanny.

This is how I got into MN in the first place! Didn't you and Carrie do a show together a number of years ago? Is it going to be an extension of that ?

I saw this in Broadcast magazine - are you planning to present it Justine?

Will watch this with interest

How about doing it chronologically?
Starting with conceiving and then going on to
Pregnancy
Birth
Babies
Toddlers
Teens
Being a grandparent
and picking out one key issue for each stage with a debate and other viewpointa so that parents don't feel lectured or made to feel like failures.

I think it could work if you avoid all the cliched 'woman on the sofa' type formats, and have it as more of a 'Rough guide to .....'. Keep it irreverant, with witty stories mixed in with good advice, tips etc.

Some topics could include..

A balanced BF/FF debate (don't know if you'd be allowed to do this with current ridiculous rules)
What equipment you need for a baby
Weaning
Eco-friendly parenting
Playing with your child
Babies and children with special needs
Dealing with bad behaviour

It could include short sections with more heated debates (lighthearted) about ear piercing, parent & child parking, fruit shoots, Boden etc.

Can't see an appropriate place to slot in the bumsex, dragonbutter etc though

Agree with above, worry that it would be dry and a bit Myleene