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

[JustineMumsnet]

You may have clocked a wee announcement last week that Channel 4 are interested in making a TV show featuring real mums sharing their best support and advice to others in need of it, a sort of TV version of Mumsnet Talk. We have been approached by the production company - Studio Lambert - to work together to come up with a pilot for the show.

If it's commissioned it's likely to be 6-8 programmes of 1 hour length (48 mins without the ads). The (very rough) idea is to have 4 or so featured families per show, each with a specific parenting problem and a range of mums who've been there and done that or just have some insight, giving their help, support and advice in an attempt to help them through the problem, a la Mumsnet.

We're at a very early stage but we wanted to ask for any thoughts about format, participation, whether/how you'd like to be approached - a panel, a sticky thread? - what you think the pitfalls are, what the opportunities are, what subject matter you'd like to see covered and indeed anything else that springs to mind on the subject.

Many thanks in advance for your input.

I suspect though, that SL will not be hugely changing their planned format, style and content for this show, although comments on here may result in the odd tweak. They know what will get commissioned. They know what will get viewing figures. And such shows tend to follow trends (ho-ho, naughty mums swigging the chardonnay as per countless media columnists of the last few years) rather than set the agenda.

Those of us wanting something entirely different shouldn't expect to see a probing series on womanhood/motherhood - that would be a different commission, if there was actually any tv call for it at all.

Yes. But. First SL have to cast it. Any takers?

Sorry I haven't been able to get back here until now - it's been one of those days. Thank God it's the weekend!

I wish we did always know exactly what programmes will get commissioned and what will get viewing figures, Katisha - unfortunately, as illustrated in the examples that a couple of people here have chosen to represent SL, that isn't always the case! Though I would like to point out that we have made some very successful programmes too. Every company has hits and misses, we're constantly looking for new ways to approach things and we do change the format, style and content of our shows constantly as we develop them.

No need to apologise for your question BecauseImWorthIt - I wasn't offended by it at all and I thought your feedback was very helpful so thank you. I totally agree that if I'm not lucky enough to have children I will never be able to fully understand what motherhood is like, and I think your suggestion that we should be thinking about covering more than just the obvious topics was a really important and very useful one. But if you were also suggesting that my childlessness means I am not capable of overseeing a programme about parenting I will have to respectfully disagree. Journalists report every day on topics that they have no background in and the team working on this series will involve lots of different people - including mums and dads.

Good luck with your book swallowedAfly - it sounds really interesting and something that i would read too.

i'd be really interested to know if anything you have seen here has altered your plans for the programme in any meaningful way.

such as the fucking awful title, for starters?

Bad mums club

they want to call us bad mums club?

erm. won't Bad Mothers' Club have a little something to say about that? (I bet loads of you have already pointed that out )

I don't think there's anything good or funny or 'edgy' about making out people are 'bad mums'. oh yeah, here's a group of really crap folks giving advice.

Now you could call us the 'bad language club' because of what we now think of you

make it real. with real concerns and worries, that we often feel too silly to ask.

i love the roadshow idea.

roadshows v en vogue at the moment with commissioning eds i believe. i loathe them, personally.