
1 9 6 2 – 1 9 6 7 (UK)
A popular consumer affairs “watchdog” programme presented by Canadian Bernard Braden, who championed the cause of the British consumer for five years.
Jock Watson and Francis Coleman produced this 25-minute Saturday late-night programme which also examined current political issues affecting (afflicting?) the British public, usually in a satirical way.
The unique mixture of entertainment and investigations into consumer complaints won Braden a Guild of Television Producers and Directors’ award for performances in factual programmes in 1963.
Peter Cook also appeared as a character called E.L. Wisty, who specialised in rather surreal monologues delivered in a deadpan monotone.
In 1968 Bernard returned to the BBC with Braden’s Week, which had a similar format to On The Braden Beat series but with more concentration on consumer championing.