Shop Well... For Less? TV review: Good premise, but the execution was patronising and self-serving

The BBC's consumer-focussed TV show was aimed at getting us to change our more wasteful retail habits

Patronising and self-serving: 'Shop Well... For Less?' (BBC)

Featuring The One Show's Alex Jones and BBC Breakfast's Steph McGovern, this was a consumer-focussed TV show aimed at getting us to change our more wasteful retail habits. I completely agreed with the premise – especially when they introduced us to brand-addicted shopaholics the Allens – but the execution was patronising and self-serving.

Jones mostly talked about how much she too loved shopping while asking inane questions such as "why do stores move the bras and knickers section around?"

The Allens clearly had a problem. Husband and wife Naomi and Richard were so easily distracted by anything branded they compulsively bought it. Daughter Dolly, aged under 18 months, had a designer wardrobe – with most of it apparently paid for on plastic.

They agreed to take part in an experiment which saw Jones and McGovern strip them of all their branded goods – from kitchen cleaner to clothing – and live a label-less life for a few weeks. The twist was that some of the items remained branded while others were switched for high street alternatives. Predictably, they were shocked by some of the results and did seem to learn (a few) valuable lessons. But at an hour long, this was at least 40 minutes too many.