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What are your views on the channel 5 show cowboy builders?
guttridge
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What are your views on the channel 5 show cowboy builders? The bold bloke goes a bit over the top sometimes. But good show. Just a shame there are some nasty builders out there.
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I kind of like cowboy builders but does anyone else get annoyed with the predictability of it all? the budget won't stretch (for a job they've already agreed to take on and therefore know how much it will probably cost), Melinda Messenger has a strop because her builder will only make the building watertight (because the budget wont stretch), she then 'begs' local companies and workmen to help out....
why cant c5 just stump up the cash and get on with doing the job in hand instead of Melinda calling round Ikea and bagging a new kitchen? also why does Dom Littlewood wear skinny jeans? he looks an idiot
Often on these shows this guy who seems to act like some sort of smug public avenger seems to bully people who don't seem to be that bad or don't appear to have done that much wrong.
There's been one or two occasions where the guy getting accused may even be innocent of what he's being accused of.
But these shows have made their mind up at the start that they are judge and jury and that someone is a 'bad 'un' from the start.
This is Channel 5 for gods sake. LOL
I remember one episode of The Cook Report where Colin Stagg took a lie detector test, passed, and Robin Cook went on to say that meant nothing 'blah blah blah'
That poor guy.
I like the way he confronts them - I don't think he is aggressive at all, indeed quite a few times the people he is questioning get angry with him and start insulting him, but he always keeps it under wraps. The people he questions are scum - I see no harm in his approach at all and I don't think he goes over the top.
Melinda on the other hand does go over the top with her blithering about "can't afford it" etc
one guy on cowboy traders had gone bankrupt and was saying I aint a bad bloke but I've gone bankrupt - I haven't got the money to give to clients etc. his game was caravans. he eventually lost it and started calling dom a midget etc. I'm sure one day a builder will smash him
Melinda and Dom meet a *lovely* (they have to be lovely) family, (even better if one is ill, disabled)
They play nice background music and say what the *lovely family* paid for, followed by satanic music showing three bricks and a wonky floor
Dom gets irate and arses off
Melinda has a argument with John the builder
*but john, i need the spare bedroom doing for the poorly child*
*Melinda, with the budget and time it just cant be done*
*but john, ....*
voiceover of Melinda
*i wanted to give the *lovely* family the bedroom they deserved so i went on a charm offensive*
(followed by melinda asking struggling businesses for free stuff)
THEN
*Melinda, the joists need redoing, there isnt enough in the budget for the dining room* (from john per usual)
Melinda looks shocked but is *determined this lovely family will have a dining room too*
Meanwhile Dom is sat, alone, with his laptop and glasses on *discovering* that Mr Arsewipe Builders has 56 county court judgements against them. Dom gets very angry and tells the camera he is *very angry* and *will get this weasel*.
Melinda and john argue, then make up, then lots of various companies say they will do the work for free.
Dom, after spending hours over his laptop (the researchers do this bit but shh), decides to visit other *victims* of mr Arsehole builder.
lots of Dom shaking his head whilst victims say how he ruined their lives etc etc.
Dom tells the camera he will find the man responsible.
Melinda runs about lots of other places getting freebies.
Dom *stakes out* the nasty builder then runs after him fearlessly (with security) and tells them theyre *scum and spineless* and builder runs off fed up.
Lovely family see finished house, cry a bit, and then mel and dom say how nice its all worked out.
To be fair yes i do watch it and yes we do take bets how long before john the builder tells Melinda there isnt enough in the budget. x
I am surprised the cowboys featured in this new series now agree to being slated in a room by Littlewood for some minutes on screen. Particularly so bearing in mind the typical reactions from their predecessors in previous series. Is there now a fee paid for their time this time around?
The rest of it remains more or less the same: MM having pretend rows with the C5 builder about pretend deadlines that they pretend they can't extend until they extend them, MM blagging freebies 'off the cuff' in an emotional blackmail styleee as if it all hasn't been set-up and arranged beforehand and the show ultimately getting nowhere with bringing the rogue trader concerned to proper justice - i.e. paying back the customers they've cheated. Still, I suppose getting the work done for free courtesy of C5 is recompense enough for most.
Not sure the show can stand another series. In fact, I don't think the first series could stand a second one.
Yes and the last 2 or 3 shows have been the
rehashed, repeated:
New [88% or more Old]: Cowboy Builders variety
As discussed elsewhere many times
Second hand camper van, second hand show.
All the best to Dom and the makers of the show. ;-)
Basically, If you are not a scrounger or have been ripped off, you are a Saint.
How pathetic.
He's still doing Cowboy Builders but with a new sidekick. I assumed Melinds Messenger simply got a bit bored of the whole thing but she's back now in "Cowboy Builders and Bodge Jobs" which is effectively the same show but with a number of presenters, Dom not being one of them.
" Please can we have this for free " says Melinda
" No chance Love " says shop owner
" We will put your business name at end of credits, and we may even show the outside of your shop, about £20k worth of advertising " says Melinda
" Deal " says the shop owner
Plus, it takes John the builder about 5 minutes to sh*t on Melinda's parade
also, Dom doesn't investigate them, he googles them.. and his surveillance team with the faces blurred, really?
The show might seem samey but it still entertains me
It seems that anyone can call themselves a builder then rip off a number of customers, then go into liquidation and start up a different company and do the same thing again.
But I always get a compulsion to face palm; this program has been on for years, and other consumer programs before that. And people still employ cowboys.
If the builder want's cash up front, give him the finger and walk away; if he hasn't got a trade account he is either dodgy or in financial straits. Fair enough make stage payments, but only to cover what's been done.
It's not beyond the wit of man to watch a building project in the neighbourhood, see how long it takes and knock on the door of the householder to see if they were happy with the work.
If the builder can start tomorrow, alarm bells should ring, ok the economy is a bit dicey at the mo, but a good (busy) builder is looking for work to move onto in the near future, not the next day. The phrase the best things are worth waiting for comes to mind.
Programs like this have a bit of a purpose, not just entertainment value.
It's the same every week with the tense moment when John tells Melinda the shocking message that they don't have enough money or time and then Melinda buys room after room's furniture for free and everything's okay.
None of them should be blurred out. We the public have a right to know who they are. Some stuff they do is terrible push into peoples homes because they arent strong enough. If they are that big and tough why dont they pull that s**t with someone the same age as them who would fight back.
WIMPS!