Cost of Living season for the BBC

As the cost of living continues to rise faster than pay packets, BBC One has announced The Cost Of Living – a season of programmes looking at the impact of the recession in Britain.

In a diverse range of series, one-off specials and observational documentaries, The Cost Of Living will look at how the country is faring – and adapting – to life in the downturn.

From rising food prices, cooking on a tiny budget and super-low-cost voucher holidays, to benefits, ‘generation rent’, and the shifting fortunes of dealers at auction houses, the season will offer different perspectives on British life when money is tight.

Featuring names including Gregg Wallace, Mary Berry, Nick Hewer, Margaret Mountford, Oliver Peyton, Prue Leith, Matthew Fort, Nicky Campbell, Sian Williams and Rebecca Wilcox, the season is expected to air across two weeks this summer and will include a range of documentaries at 9pm and 10.35pm.

The season will see the launch of Your Money Their Tricks – a new consumer series which aims to fight back at the companies and industries determined to rip us off and relieve us of our cash. The series will tackle industry heavyweights across motor, travel, entertainment and retail, stripping them bare to reveal their tricks – and showing consumers how to spot them and how to avoid being caught out.

“I’m really proud of BBC One’s commitment to, and pedigree for, consumer programmes. Your Money Their Tricks is an exciting new addition from the Watchdog team, aimed at giving viewers the inside knowledge they need to stop them getting ripped off. If you’ve ever wondered if your car really needed that expensive work doing, keep watching,” said Alison Kirkham, Commissioning Editor, Factual Features & Formats.

In a supersized BBC One version of the hit food programme, Great British Budget Menu will see three of Britain’s top chefs take on the issue of rising food prices. James Martin, Richard Corrigan and Angela Hartnett will live with households who are struggling to get food on the table – experiencing first-hand the reality of life on Britain’s breadline. They’ll then use what they’ve learnt to take part in a special banquet, competing to impress the usual trio of judges alongside special guest judge Mary Berry. The twist is they’ll have to rustle up a two-course meal on the same food budget their host family lives on.

Presented by Masterchef host Gregg Wallace and brand new talent, Grocer Chris Bavin, Eat Well for Less? is a tale of two fish and chip dinners – one expensive and one cheap. At a time when food prices are soaring, the programme asks the question faced by millions of us as we food shop: when should we spend more and when should we spend less? Challenging received wisdom and exploding myths en route, the show asks key questions about food production and tackles essential consumer issues. All three programmes were commissioned by Alison Kirkham, Commissioning Editor, Factual Features and Formats.

In a year that has seen the biggest changes to the welfare state in its 70 year history, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford will launch an ambitious experiment to discover how much benefit is enough to live on. In Nick & Margaret – Benefits: How Much Is Enough? Four claimants and four taxpayers will come face to face to explore each other’s lives and speak their minds. Their aim: to agree what level of benefit is fair.

Landlords will look at the sharp end of renting for both landlords and tenants as the increasing cost of buying a house creates a new “generation rent”. My £9.50 Holiday gets to grips with the growing phenomenon of the newspaper voucher holiday, and the British families from all walks of life and all over the country who are taking advantage of these super-low cost breaks. As consumers look for ways to adapt to the recession, the film joins families who have paid just £9.50 to holiday in caravan parks across the country.

Auctioneers And Dealers will examine the poignant and potentially lucrative profusion of lost and relinquished goods as they turn up at auction. From unclaimed baggage and repossessed goods, to treasure and trash from house clearances, this film shows where it all ends up and follows a variety of dealers and their shifting fortunes.