Dispatches

Dispatches

Continuing First aired 30/Oct/1987 United Kingdom English 80 season(s) 2060 episode(s)
Long-running Channel 4 documentary series covering issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment. Known for featuring a mole inside organisations under journalistic investigation.

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Seasons & Episodes

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Season 2026 · Season 2026
6 episode(s) · Air date: 22/Jan/2026
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S2026E6
Hunting the Debt Predators
Air date: 12/Jun/2026 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

With the cost of living leaving many people struggling to stay afloat, Dispatches meets the everyday people pushed into exploitative and dangerous situations. Last year, almost two million people in Britain turned to illegal money lenders for help. And some are resorting to taking out unregulated loans offered on social media. Reporter Ellie Flynn goes undercover to meet the men exploiting cash-strapped and vulnerable people, uncovering sexual predators who prey on women who are struggling to make ends meet and organised criminals recruiting unknowing victims. She also hears from the people forced into tough choices to pay the bills - from a nurse who has become a 'full-service escort' to a police officer who is postponing thoughts of retirement to work two jobs.

Summary

With the cost of living leaving many people struggling to stay afloat, Dispatches meets the everyday people pushed into exploitative and dangerous situations. Last year, almost two million people in Britain turned to illegal money lenders for help. And some are resorting to taking out unregulated loans offered on social media. Reporter Ellie Flynn goes undercover to meet the men exploiting cash-strapped and vulnerable people, uncovering sexual predators who prey on women who are struggling to make ends meet and organised criminals recruiting unknowing victims. She also hears from the people forced into tough choices to pay the bills - from a nurse who has become a 'full-service escort' to a police officer who is postponing thoughts of retirement to work two jobs.

S2026E5
Will My Summer Holiday Be Cancelled?
Air date: 05/Jun/2026 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Kate Quilton investigates the uncertainty over summer holidays, ever since the Iran War sent jet fuel prices soaring and caused thousands of flights to be cancelled. She finds out whether foreign holidays are now out of the question or if the opposite is true, with bargains to be had. She also explores whether holidaying in the UK could be a smarter alternative.

Summary

Kate Quilton investigates the uncertainty over summer holidays, ever since the Iran War sent jet fuel prices soaring and caused thousands of flights to be cancelled. She finds out whether foreign holidays are now out of the question or if the opposite is true, with bargains to be had. She also explores whether holidaying in the UK could be a smarter alternative.

S2026E4
Hunting Britain's Fugitives
Air date: 29/May/2026 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Matt Shea sets out on the trail of wanted criminals evading justice in an attempt to reveal the shocking scale of this country's hidden fugitive crisis. His journey leads him from safehouses in London to an underground network in Thailand, as he uncovers a shocking new mentality among criminals, where justice is optional. What does this mean for victims of crime and for confidence in the criminal justice system?

Summary

Matt Shea sets out on the trail of wanted criminals evading justice in an attempt to reveal the shocking scale of this country's hidden fugitive crisis. His journey leads him from safehouses in London to an underground network in Thailand, as he uncovers a shocking new mentality among criminals, where justice is optional. What does this mean for victims of crime and for confidence in the criminal justice system?

S2026E3
Click to Kill: The AI War Machine
Air date: 02/Apr/2026 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

With unique access in Ukraine, with the US army, and from within Israel, Dispatches charts the new technological arms race and asks whether these tools will make warfare more precise and reduce civilian casualties; or will they lead to more wars that are ever more brutal?

Summary

With unique access in Ukraine, with the US army, and from within Israel, Dispatches charts the new technological arms race and asks whether these tools will make warfare more precise and reduce civilian casualties; or will they lead to more wars that are ever more brutal?

S2026E2
Keir Starmer: Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Air date: 27/Mar/2026 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Political journalist Lewis Goodall assesses the origins of the downfall in popularity of the Labour government, from party infighting to policy U-turns, courting Donald Trump, the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, high-profile ministerial resignations and a by-election battleground. Lewis speaks to MPs, advisors and pollsters, as well as celebrity critics and journalists, and follows the unfolding story as the police make arrests, opposition closes in, and the clamour for information intensifies over what Keir Starmer and his top team knew about Mandelson and Epstein.

Summary

Political journalist Lewis Goodall assesses the origins of the downfall in popularity of the Labour government, from party infighting to policy U-turns, courting Donald Trump, the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, high-profile ministerial resignations and a by-election battleground. Lewis speaks to MPs, advisors and pollsters, as well as celebrity critics and journalists, and follows the unfolding story as the police make arrests, opposition closes in, and the clamour for information intensifies over what Keir Starmer and his top team knew about Mandelson and Epstein.

S2026E1
Palestine Action: The Truth Behind the Ban: Dispatches
Air date: 22/Jan/2026 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

The Government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation has been met with waves of controversy, and thousands have taken to the streets to protest. Over 2,000 people who expressed public support for the group have been arrested, threatening to overwhelm the police and the justice system. Reporter Matt Shea investigates the truth about Palestine Action and why the Government felt the need to proscribe them alongside ISIS and neo-Nazis.

Summary

The Government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation has been met with waves of controversy, and thousands have taken to the streets to protest. Over 2,000 people who expressed public support for the group have been arrested, threatening to overwhelm the police and the justice system. Reporter Matt Shea investigates the truth about Palestine Action and why the Government felt the need to proscribe them alongside ISIS and neo-Nazis.

Season 2025 · Season 2025
10 episode(s) · Air date: 04/Mar/2025
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S2025E10
Hunting Britain's Parcel Thieves
Air date: 19/Dec/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Every seven seconds a parcel is stolen in Britain. With Christmas just around the corner, Dispatches goes on a mission to catch the crooks behind the escalating crime wave. The eye-opening film reveals the stark reality of Britain's disappearing doorstep deliveries, showing how it's become big business for criminal gangs. Reporter Tir Dhondy meets victims frustrated that their parcels keep going missing, even though they have doorbell footage of the criminals at work.To investigate what happens with stolen deliveries, Tir hides tiny tracking devices in parcels and leaves them on doorsteps. When they're stolen, the thieves have no idea that Tir is secretly following on their tail, ready to challenge them. Tir finds out how one doorstep thief susses out which homes offer the prime pickings, and learns that parcel theft is no longer just a petty crime for opportunist thieves but a lucrative business model for criminal gangs, costing more than an estimated £650m a year. Tir also discovers the shocking reality of how violent organised gangs are hijacking delivery vans, sometimes with deadly consequences. And how stressed-out delivery drivers are frightened in their daily work. With exclusive access to a major police operation, Tir sees first-hand how the cops are tracking and tackling the organised gangs who are determined to pinch our festive purchases. 

Summary

Every seven seconds a parcel is stolen in Britain. With Christmas just around the corner, Dispatches goes on a mission to catch the crooks behind the escalating crime wave. The eye-opening film reveals the stark reality of Britain's disappearing doorstep deliveries, showing how it's become big business for criminal gangs. Reporter Tir Dhondy meets victims frustrated that their parcels keep going missing, even though they have doorbell footage of the criminals at work.To investigate what happens with stolen deliveries, Tir hides tiny tracking devices in parcels and leaves them on doorsteps. When they're stolen, the thieves have no idea that Tir is secretly following on their tail, ready to challenge them. Tir finds out how one doorstep thief susses out which homes offer the prime pickings, and learns that parcel theft is no longer just a petty crime for opportunist thieves but a lucrative business model for criminal gangs, costing more than an estimated £650m a year. Tir also discovers the shocking reality of how violent organised gangs are hijacking delivery vans, sometimes with deadly consequences. And how stressed-out delivery drivers are frightened in their daily work. With exclusive access to a major police operation, Tir sees first-hand how the cops are tracking and tackling the organised gangs who are determined to pinch our festive purchases. 

S2025E9
The Prince Vs The Paper: Harry, Hacking & The Mail
Air date: 11/Dec/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

It's been reported that a key witness in Prince Harry's high-stakes case against the publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday has dramatically claimed that an earlier witness statement in his name was made up. Prince Harry and six other high-profile public figures, including Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, accuse the papers of law-breaking, including phone hacking and bugging, to obtain stories. Associated Newspapers says the allegations are 'preposterous smears'. With the trial due to start in the new year, Dispatches examines what's been going on - and what the case means for Harry's wider war with the press and his relationship with his family.

Summary

It's been reported that a key witness in Prince Harry's high-stakes case against the publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday has dramatically claimed that an earlier witness statement in his name was made up. Prince Harry and six other high-profile public figures, including Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, accuse the papers of law-breaking, including phone hacking and bugging, to obtain stories. Associated Newspapers says the allegations are 'preposterous smears'. With the trial due to start in the new year, Dispatches examines what's been going on - and what the case means for Harry's wider war with the press and his relationship with his family.

S2025E8
Will AI Take My Job?
Air date: 20/Oct/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Millions of workers in the UK could lose their jobs because of the artificial intelligence revolution. According to experts the impact on a range of industries could be dramatic, with skilled work particularly affected. As AI develops rapidly, with claims it can outperform humans in most tasks, Dispatches undertakes a bold and unique experiment that pitches human against machine to find out how true that is. Four professionals are invited into a specially-created test centre to compete in a set of identical tasks against their AI counterparts: a GP; a fashion photographer; a trainee solicitor; and a composer. With reputations as well as jobs at stake, who comes out on top - humans or AI?

Summary

Millions of workers in the UK could lose their jobs because of the artificial intelligence revolution. According to experts the impact on a range of industries could be dramatic, with skilled work particularly affected. As AI develops rapidly, with claims it can outperform humans in most tasks, Dispatches undertakes a bold and unique experiment that pitches human against machine to find out how true that is. Four professionals are invited into a specially-created test centre to compete in a set of identical tasks against their AI counterparts: a GP; a fashion photographer; a trainee solicitor; and a composer. With reputations as well as jobs at stake, who comes out on top - humans or AI?

S2025E7
999 Undercover: NHS in Crisis
Air date: 13/Oct/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Undercover report from an overstretched 999 control room. With services facing a record level of demand, the programme reveals how patients face dangerous delays and having to choose between waiting for an ambulance or risking making their own way to hospital. Some callers are told an ambulance is being arranged when staff are actually deciding whether they need one. Targets are routinely missed. As winter approaches, Dispatches asks whether the Government is doing enough to fix the crisis in emergency care.

Summary

Undercover report from an overstretched 999 control room. With services facing a record level of demand, the programme reveals how patients face dangerous delays and having to choose between waiting for an ambulance or risking making their own way to hospital. Some callers are told an ambulance is being arranged when staff are actually deciding whether they need one. Targets are routinely missed. As winter approaches, Dispatches asks whether the Government is doing enough to fix the crisis in emergency care.

S2025E6
Trump: Moscow's Man in the White House
Air date: 17/Jul/2025 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Drawing upon interviews from former US intelligence officials and White House insiders, this documentary highlights the factors apparently underpinning Donald Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin. Is it unchecked admiration for a fellow authoritarian, a bold geopolitical gambit to divide Russia and China - or could the American president really be a recruited Russian asset?

Summary

Drawing upon interviews from former US intelligence officials and White House insiders, this documentary highlights the factors apparently underpinning Donald Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin. Is it unchecked admiration for a fellow authoritarian, a bold geopolitical gambit to divide Russia and China - or could the American president really be a recruited Russian asset?

S2025E5
Will Nigel Farage Be Prime Minister?
Air date: 26/Jun/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Political journalist Fraser Nelson goes beyond the headlines to explore the rise of Reform, assessing the impact of Nigel Farage and his young party on the existing political infrastructure. As Reform builds momentum, Nelson examines the deeper forces behind its support - disillusionment, identity and a hunger for disruption - and assesses whether Britain might be on the verge of a political earthquake. Is Reform merely the nation's biggest ever protest vote to date - or is it the start of a surge that will eventually see Farage become prime minister?

Summary

Political journalist Fraser Nelson goes beyond the headlines to explore the rise of Reform, assessing the impact of Nigel Farage and his young party on the existing political infrastructure. As Reform builds momentum, Nelson examines the deeper forces behind its support - disillusionment, identity and a hunger for disruption - and assesses whether Britain might be on the verge of a political earthquake. Is Reform merely the nation's biggest ever protest vote to date - or is it the start of a surge that will eventually see Farage become prime minister?

S2025E4
Britain's Car Theft Gangs Exposed
Air date: 19/Jun/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Reporter Matt Shea goes on the trail of stolen cars to track down the thieves and recover the vehicles, meeting whistleblowers and criminals, and going undercover to expose the truth about Britain's car crime epidemic.

Summary

Reporter Matt Shea goes on the trail of stolen cars to track down the thieves and recover the vehicles, meeting whistleblowers and criminals, and going undercover to expose the truth about Britain's car crime epidemic.

S2025E3
Undercover: The Great Tagging Scandal: Dispatches
Air date: 14/Apr/2025 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

As the Government releases thousands of offenders early, to ease prison overcrowding - one of its most controversial policies - Dispatches is undercover inside Britain's biggest tagging company, Serco, which is supposed to monitor offenders in the community. Dispatches finds a system in disarray and serious failures that put the public at risk. 

Summary

As the Government releases thousands of offenders early, to ease prison overcrowding - one of its most controversial policies - Dispatches is undercover inside Britain's biggest tagging company, Serco, which is supposed to monitor offenders in the community. Dispatches finds a system in disarray and serious failures that put the public at risk. 

S2025E2
Delivered To A Predator: Al Fayed's Fixer: Dispatches
Air date: 03/Apr/2025 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

For the first time, Dispatches investigates and tracks down the woman who facilitated Mohamed Al Fayed's sexual abuse of women at Harrods. Reporter Cathy Newman hears testimony from victims of the former Harrods owner who allege that a former senior employee of Harrods was instrumental in enabling and covering up their rape and abuse by the notorious billionaire over more than a decade. Newman hears how the woman would recruit young girls inside the world-famous store and even out on London's streets, then deliver them to Fayed. Afterwards, she would threaten and persuade the women to keep quiet about what happened to them. 

Summary

For the first time, Dispatches investigates and tracks down the woman who facilitated Mohamed Al Fayed's sexual abuse of women at Harrods. Reporter Cathy Newman hears testimony from victims of the former Harrods owner who allege that a former senior employee of Harrods was instrumental in enabling and covering up their rape and abuse by the notorious billionaire over more than a decade. Newman hears how the woman would recruit young girls inside the world-famous store and even out on London's streets, then deliver them to Fayed. Afterwards, she would threaten and persuade the women to keep quiet about what happened to them. 

S2025E1
Skinny Jab Scandal: Dispatches
Air date: 04/Mar/2025 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Dispatches reporter Ellie Flynn investigates Britain's obsession with skinny jabs and asks whether profits are being prioritised over patient safety. Undercover filming exposes the drugs being sold by a major high street chain to an under-age patient; and exposes registered NHS nurses prescribing the jabs without proper checks on patients. With an estimated half a million Britons currently being prescribed these drugs, Ellie talks to experts, who are concerned about the lack of oversight. 'Where there are huge profits to be made, unfortunately,' says one, 'that can lead to cutting of corners'. Ellie asks why there are so many patients living with obesity who are unable to get these jabs on the NHS, and reveals for the first time entire areas of the country where the NHS is not prescribing the drugs. 

Summary

Dispatches reporter Ellie Flynn investigates Britain's obsession with skinny jabs and asks whether profits are being prioritised over patient safety. Undercover filming exposes the drugs being sold by a major high street chain to an under-age patient; and exposes registered NHS nurses prescribing the jabs without proper checks on patients. With an estimated half a million Britons currently being prescribed these drugs, Ellie talks to experts, who are concerned about the lack of oversight. 'Where there are huge profits to be made, unfortunately,' says one, 'that can lead to cutting of corners'. Ellie asks why there are so many patients living with obesity who are unable to get these jabs on the NHS, and reveals for the first time entire areas of the country where the NHS is not prescribing the drugs. 

Season 2024 · Season 2024
12 episode(s) · Air date: 16/May/2024
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S2024E12
Britain's Benefits Scandal
Air date: 02/Dec/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Fraser Nelson investigates the sharp rise in working-age people on sickness benefits, up a million in just five years. Over the course of three months Fraser has been filming with people living on benefits, as well as with top experts and politicians. He finds a broken system that can drive people towards benefits rather than work, with costs that threaten to derail the government's hopes of economic growth.

Summary

Fraser Nelson investigates the sharp rise in working-age people on sickness benefits, up a million in just five years. Over the course of three months Fraser has been filming with people living on benefits, as well as with top experts and politicians. He finds a broken system that can drive people towards benefits rather than work, with costs that threaten to derail the government's hopes of economic growth.

S2024E11
Britain's Shoplifting Gangs Exposed
Air date: 25/Nov/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Matt Shea goes undercover to expose the organised criminal networks behind a shoplifting epidemic. The UK's rate of shoplifting is currently at the highest level since records began. Police estimate that a quarter of these incidents are down to organised gangs, who work across the country to steal an unprecedented volume of stock from retailers.

Summary

Matt Shea goes undercover to expose the organised criminal networks behind a shoplifting epidemic. The UK's rate of shoplifting is currently at the highest level since records began. Police estimate that a quarter of these incidents are down to organised gangs, who work across the country to steal an unprecedented volume of stock from retailers.

S2024E10
The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions
Air date: 02/Nov/2024 · Time: 20:10 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

For years, the royals have tried to keep details of some of their wealth secret. Now Dispatches has found what they've not wanted you to know. With exclusive analysis of documents not seen in public before, the programme reveals who is paying them, and for what.

Summary

For years, the royals have tried to keep details of some of their wealth secret. Now Dispatches has found what they've not wanted you to know. With exclusive analysis of documents not seen in public before, the programme reveals who is paying them, and for what.

S2024E9
Vinted's Dirty Laundry
Air date: 18/Oct/2024 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With the cost of living crisis still biting, Vinted, the online second-hand market-place app, is offering an alternative to fast fashion, allowing users to recycle their wardrobes and bag a bargain. It's proving very popular with the number of Vinted UK users rising from 2.5 million users in 2023 to over 16 million in 2024. It's now the first secondhand clothing app to turn a profit. Ellie Flynn travels across the UK to meet Vinted shoppers, to determine whether the boom is too good to be true and uncover the truth behind some of the products being sold on the platform.

Summary

With the cost of living crisis still biting, Vinted, the online second-hand market-place app, is offering an alternative to fast fashion, allowing users to recycle their wardrobes and bag a bargain. It's proving very popular with the number of Vinted UK users rising from 2.5 million users in 2023 to over 16 million in 2024. It's now the first secondhand clothing app to turn a profit. Ellie Flynn travels across the UK to meet Vinted shoppers, to determine whether the boom is too good to be true and uncover the truth behind some of the products being sold on the platform.

S2024E8
Barbie's Dirty Secrets
Air date: 11/Oct/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

Journalist Isobel Yeung investigates one of the world's most iconic brands and its owner Mattel. The toy maker has profited from global 'Barbiemania' through giving Barbie a makeover as a 21st-century feminist, though filming undercover in one of Mattel's factories for the first time, Yeung exposes the daily reality for workers producing the famous dolls and other products.

Summary

Journalist Isobel Yeung investigates one of the world's most iconic brands and its owner Mattel. The toy maker has profited from global 'Barbiemania' through giving Barbie a makeover as a 21st-century feminist, though filming undercover in one of Mattel's factories for the first time, Yeung exposes the daily reality for workers producing the famous dolls and other products.

S2024E7
Britain's Unsolved Crimewave
Air date: 16/Jul/2024 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

Revealing local hotspots across England and Wales where 100% of neighbourhood crimes can go unsolved, using exclusive analysis of police data. Isobel Yeung talks to criminals who rob with no fear of the police, victims with little faith in law enforcement and insiders from a global criminal network raking in thousands of pounds a month.

Summary

Revealing local hotspots across England and Wales where 100% of neighbourhood crimes can go unsolved, using exclusive analysis of police data. Isobel Yeung talks to criminals who rob with no fear of the police, victims with little faith in law enforcement and insiders from a global criminal network raking in thousands of pounds a month.

S2024E6
Can AI Steal Your Vote?
Air date: 27/Jun/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Election campaigners and experts have warned that artificial intelligence tools could risk politically motivated disinformation flooding social media feeds in ways that recently seemed unimaginable. The fear is that deepfakes and other AI-generated material could influence votes. Cathy Newman reports on the issue, illustrating the effect that AI could have on 12 households of undecided voters. The homes are fed AI-generated material advised by political experts, with the residents none the wiser. Will the experiment succeed? If so, what does it say about the power of AI to influence the vote?

Summary

Election campaigners and experts have warned that artificial intelligence tools could risk politically motivated disinformation flooding social media feeds in ways that recently seemed unimaginable. The fear is that deepfakes and other AI-generated material could influence votes. Cathy Newman reports on the issue, illustrating the effect that AI could have on 12 households of undecided voters. The homes are fed AI-generated material advised by political experts, with the residents none the wiser. Will the experiment succeed? If so, what does it say about the power of AI to influence the vote?

S2024E5
Undercover A&E: NHS in Crisis
Air date: 24/Jun/2024 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Undercover report filmed over two months at an NHS Accident and Emergency Department, which exposes the suffering and dangers patients face on a daily basis. The programme features footage of seriously ill patients forced to sleep on chairs for up to two days because there are no beds, and a dangerous superbug outbreak linked to overcrowding and falling hygiene standards.

Summary

Undercover report filmed over two months at an NHS Accident and Emergency Department, which exposes the suffering and dangers patients face on a daily basis. The programme features footage of seriously ill patients forced to sleep on chairs for up to two days because there are no beds, and a dangerous superbug outbreak linked to overcrowding and falling hygiene standards.

S2024E4
The Truth About Temu
Air date: 30/May/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Ellie Flynn investigates the Chinese shopping app with prices too good to be true, Temu. She finds out whether some of their products are made with high levels of harmful materials and if their safety products are accurately advertised as holding recognised safety certificates. The journalist travels across the UK revealing how Temu has reeled in so many customers and how addictive the app can be.

Summary

Ellie Flynn investigates the Chinese shopping app with prices too good to be true, Temu. She finds out whether some of their products are made with high levels of harmful materials and if their safety products are accurately advertised as holding recognised safety certificates. The journalist travels across the UK revealing how Temu has reeled in so many customers and how addictive the app can be.

S2024E3
Kill Zone: Inside Gaza
Air date: 27/May/2024 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 75 min
Summary

A raw and unflinching look at how the lives of millions have been uprooted and destroyed since the events of October 7th 2023 - seen and told through the eyes of children, journalists and doctors as they experience and witness breathtaking horrors. Filmed over 200 days by a team of Palestinian journalists and filmmakers across Gaza, this documentary hears heart-breaking testimony: from children, as they recount inconceivable horrors; from doctors at work in overcrowded hospitals that are barely able to cope with the huge number of injured people; and from civilians as they are forcibly displaced from north to south Gaza. As vital services break down in Gaza and food is scarce, this film examines the toll of Israel's military campaign.

Summary

A raw and unflinching look at how the lives of millions have been uprooted and destroyed since the events of October 7th 2023 - seen and told through the eyes of children, journalists and doctors as they experience and witness breathtaking horrors. Filmed over 200 days by a team of Palestinian journalists and filmmakers across Gaza, this documentary hears heart-breaking testimony: from children, as they recount inconceivable horrors; from doctors at work in overcrowded hospitals that are barely able to cope with the huge number of injured people; and from civilians as they are forcibly displaced from north to south Gaza. As vital services break down in Gaza and food is scarce, this film examines the toll of Israel's military campaign.

S2024E2
The War on Britain's Motorists
Air date: 23/May/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Reporter and motoring journalist Ginny Buckley talks to drivers badly affected by potholes. She asks whether councils are really doing all they can to fix them, and how much the damage they cause is costing the taxpayer. Ginny also explores controversial low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes and reveals the money they're bringing in from fining motorists.

Summary

Reporter and motoring journalist Ginny Buckley talks to drivers badly affected by potholes. She asks whether councils are really doing all they can to fix them, and how much the damage they cause is costing the taxpayer. Ginny also explores controversial low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes and reveals the money they're bringing in from fining motorists.

S2024E1
Coca-Cola's Dirty Secret
Air date: 16/May/2024 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Coca-Cola is the biggest soft drinks producer in the world and stands accused of being its biggest polluter. Reporter Ellie Flynn - herself a big Coca-Cola lover - looks at what Coke says its doing and investigates the reality - from uncovering what happens to used bottles to Coke's claims about recycled plastic and water sustainability. Flynn examines the impact of her thirst for Coke in the UK and globally.

Summary

Coca-Cola is the biggest soft drinks producer in the world and stands accused of being its biggest polluter. Reporter Ellie Flynn - herself a big Coca-Cola lover - looks at what Coke says its doing and investigates the reality - from uncovering what happens to used bottles to Coke's claims about recycled plastic and water sustainability. Flynn examines the impact of her thirst for Coke in the UK and globally.

Season 2023 · Season 2023
11 episode(s) · Air date: 12/Feb/2023
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Season Overview

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S2023E11
Less for More: The Truth About Food Prices
Air date: 12/Dec/2023 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Harry Wallop investigates Britain's soaring food prices as Christmas quickly approaches and discovers how some products have been secretly reformulated with cheaper ingredients. Plus, how some big brands have managed to sustain and even increase profit margins despite their rising costs and how loyalty-card discounts are really funded.

Summary

Harry Wallop investigates Britain's soaring food prices as Christmas quickly approaches and discovers how some products have been secretly reformulated with cheaper ingredients. Plus, how some big brands have managed to sustain and even increase profit margins despite their rising costs and how loyalty-card discounts are really funded.

S2023E10
How Safe Is Your Turkey?
Air date: 08/Dec/2023 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In the run-up to Christmas, nine million turkeys will be sold across Britain. Dispatches investigates food safety concerns at one producer.

Summary

In the run-up to Christmas, nine million turkeys will be sold across Britain. Dispatches investigates food safety concerns at one producer.

S2023E9
Secrets and Power: China in the UK
Air date: 29/Nov/2023 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

An investigation of China's relationships with the UK and its institutions, including allegations about treatment of dissidents and critics on UK soil.

Summary

An investigation of China's relationships with the UK and its institutions, including allegations about treatment of dissidents and critics on UK soil.

S2023E8
The Hunt for Ukraine's Stolen Children
Air date: 13/Nov/2023 · Time: 23:05 · Runtime: 75 min
Summary

A team of investigators search for evidence to prosecute Russian President Putin for the deportation and brainwashing of thousands of Ukrainian children. Dispatches has exclusive access to the team as they travel the dangerous borderlands of Ukraine, speaking to newly rescued children and trying to trace others who've disappeared from orphanages and schools during the Russian occupation.

Summary

A team of investigators search for evidence to prosecute Russian President Putin for the deportation and brainwashing of thousands of Ukrainian children. Dispatches has exclusive access to the team as they travel the dangerous borderlands of Ukraine, speaking to newly rescued children and trying to trace others who've disappeared from orphanages and schools during the Russian occupation.

S2023E7
Sri Lanka's Easter Bombings
Air date: 05/Sep/2023 · Time: 23:05 · Runtime: 55 min
Summary

An investigation into Sri Lanka's Easter bombing attacks in 2019 that killed 269 people including more than 40 foreign nationals and eight British tourists. Including testimony from high-placed whistle blowers who present evidence alleging top-level complicity in the bombings by Sri Lankan government officials.

Summary

An investigation into Sri Lanka's Easter bombing attacks in 2019 that killed 269 people including more than 40 foreign nationals and eight British tourists. Including testimony from high-placed whistle blowers who present evidence alleging top-level complicity in the bombings by Sri Lankan government officials.

S2023E6
Special
Air date: 15/Aug/2023 · Time: 23:05 · Runtime: 55 min
Summary

Investigating one of the biggest atrocities in recent history, with exclusive access to the testimony of three whistle blowers and what they say about who was behind the huge attack.

Summary

Investigating one of the biggest atrocities in recent history, with exclusive access to the testimony of three whistle blowers and what they say about who was behind the huge attack.

S2023E5
Boris, the Lord and the Russian Spy: Dispatches
Air date: 27/Jun/2023 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

The full story of Boris Johnson's friendship with press baron Evgeny Lebedev and his former KGB spy father, Alexander Lebedev. Including exclusive interviews with intelligence officials and senior political figures who warned the former Prime Minister against the friendship, knowing it would put him `in a direct line of being able to be influenced and compromised". Despite being told by both Britain's security services and the House of Lords Appointments Commission that the friendship was dangerous, Johnson ignored this advice and became the first Prime Minister to over-rule intelligence advice related to national security for a parliamentary nomination.

Summary

The full story of Boris Johnson's friendship with press baron Evgeny Lebedev and his former KGB spy father, Alexander Lebedev. Including exclusive interviews with intelligence officials and senior political figures who warned the former Prime Minister against the friendship, knowing it would put him `in a direct line of being able to be influenced and compromised". Despite being told by both Britain's security services and the House of Lords Appointments Commission that the friendship was dangerous, Johnson ignored this advice and became the first Prime Minister to over-rule intelligence advice related to national security for a parliamentary nomination.

S2023E4
Britain's Forgotten Pensioners
Air date: 07/Jun/2023 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

Dispatches follows four pensioners through winter as they struggle to make ends meet with the exceedingly high price of energy and soaring inflation. John, 76, lives alone in Sunderland in the home he used to share with his parents and siblings and spends his nights sat in darkness, afraid his energy bills are too high to turn the lights on. Sixty eight-year-old Doreen has had only two visitors in the 38 years she has lived in her home and goes to bed early to stay warm. In rural Leicestershire, 82-year-old Harry and his wife 77-year-old Christine skip dinner as a desperate attempt at cutting costs.

Summary

Dispatches follows four pensioners through winter as they struggle to make ends meet with the exceedingly high price of energy and soaring inflation. John, 76, lives alone in Sunderland in the home he used to share with his parents and siblings and spends his nights sat in darkness, afraid his energy bills are too high to turn the lights on. Sixty eight-year-old Doreen has had only two visitors in the 38 years she has lived in her home and goes to bed early to stay warm. In rural Leicestershire, 82-year-old Harry and his wife 77-year-old Christine skip dinner as a desperate attempt at cutting costs.

Season 2022 · Season 2022
19 episode(s) · Air date: 30/Jan/2022
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Season Overview

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S2022E19
Cops in Crisis: Dispatches
Air date: 07/Dec/2022 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

An investigation into the crisis facing British policing due to lack of resources, accusations of serious misconduct and toxic culture. Police forces are experiencing increasing demands with fewer resources leaving victims of crime asking: where are the police? Thousands of crimes in the UK are receiving little or no investigation and cuts to other services are exacerbating the problem leaving pressure on officers continuously rising, impacting mental health and morale within the force. Dispatches also speaks to members of the public who feel let down by the police and feel they're no longer protected by them, asking the question: is the British policing system fit for purpose?

Summary

An investigation into the crisis facing British policing due to lack of resources, accusations of serious misconduct and toxic culture. Police forces are experiencing increasing demands with fewer resources leaving victims of crime asking: where are the police? Thousands of crimes in the UK are receiving little or no investigation and cuts to other services are exacerbating the problem leaving pressure on officers continuously rising, impacting mental health and morale within the force. Dispatches also speaks to members of the public who feel let down by the police and feel they're no longer protected by them, asking the question: is the British policing system fit for purpose?

S2022E18
Trapped, Disabled & Abused: Dispatches
Air date: 07/Nov/2022 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Sophie Morgan reports on domestic abuse against disabled people, revealing shocking lack of services for survivors and the huge challenges they face with accessing support. Sophie visits the only refuge run by and for disabled survivors, and talks to frontline professionals, including healthcare workers and police, revealing that more than half wouldn't know which specialist service to refer a disabled person to.

Summary

Sophie Morgan reports on domestic abuse against disabled people, revealing shocking lack of services for survivors and the huge challenges they face with accessing support. Sophie visits the only refuge run by and for disabled survivors, and talks to frontline professionals, including healthcare workers and police, revealing that more than half wouldn't know which specialist service to refer a disabled person to.

S2022E17
Britain's Evicted Kids - Dispatches
Air date: 07/Oct/2022 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

How, with record-high rents and no social housing available, many parents with young children are facing an uphill battle to find a new place to call home. Bella, aged seven, and her two younger sisters, Nylah and Macie, are being evicted from their two-bed flat in Birmingham - the only home they have ever known. Soon to be homeless, mother Clarissa and partner Theo have no choice but to turn to their local council for help. Over the course of six months, Dispatches follows Bella and her family as they move and move again - spending week after week cooped up in a hotel room. Narrated by Sheridan Smith.

Summary

How, with record-high rents and no social housing available, many parents with young children are facing an uphill battle to find a new place to call home. Bella, aged seven, and her two younger sisters, Nylah and Macie, are being evicted from their two-bed flat in Birmingham - the only home they have ever known. Soon to be homeless, mother Clarissa and partner Theo have no choice but to turn to their local council for help. Over the course of six months, Dispatches follows Bella and her family as they move and move again - spending week after week cooped up in a hotel room. Narrated by Sheridan Smith.

S2022E16
Broke: Britain's Debt Emergency - Dispatches
Air date: 21/Sep/2022 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

As Britain suffers the worst cost of living crisis in 70 years, Citizens Advice opens its doors, offering rare access to the work of its debt advisors. The film follows three stories, including that of a Southend mother-of-two who is coping with a spiralling £20,000 debt accrued from one pay-day loan on top of another, and a single father living with the daily threat of the bailiffs calling.

Summary

As Britain suffers the worst cost of living crisis in 70 years, Citizens Advice opens its doors, offering rare access to the work of its debt advisors. The film follows three stories, including that of a Southend mother-of-two who is coping with a spiralling £20,000 debt accrued from one pay-day loan on top of another, and a single father living with the daily threat of the bailiffs calling.

S2022E15
Britain's Water Scandal: Dispatches
Air date: 29/Aug/2022 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Jimmy Doherty investigates why companies have been allowed to get away with dumping untreated sewage into Britain's rivers and seas for so long, and who is really to blame. Jimmy finds companies breaking the law, a sewerage system that's too small to cope, and thousands of sewage spills at some of Britain's best beaches. An insider reveals why the Environment Agency regulator is failing to hold privatised water companies to account.

Summary

Jimmy Doherty investigates why companies have been allowed to get away with dumping untreated sewage into Britain's rivers and seas for so long, and who is really to blame. Jimmy finds companies breaking the law, a sewerage system that's too small to cope, and thousands of sewage spills at some of Britain's best beaches. An insider reveals why the Environment Agency regulator is failing to hold privatised water companies to account.

S2022E14
Why Is My Car So Expensive?: Dispatches
Air date: 15/Aug/2022 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Ginny Buckley investigates the soaring cost of both new and second-hand cars, discovering an auto industry that is making huge profits and has some questions to answer. She also looks at the knock-on effects, such as rising car crime, and crashed cars with a hidden history being sold for a premium, as she advises how to avoid getting ripped off.

Summary

Ginny Buckley investigates the soaring cost of both new and second-hand cars, discovering an auto industry that is making huge profits and has some questions to answer. She also looks at the knock-on effects, such as rising car crime, and crashed cars with a hidden history being sold for a premium, as she advises how to avoid getting ripped off.

S2022E13
Airport Chaos Undercover: Dispatches
Air date: 01/Aug/2022 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Earlier this year, Britain's airports were beset with cancellations, baggage chaos and delays. Jane Moore reports from behind the scenes at one of Britain's busiest airports, meeting travellers whose holidays have been ruined by the meltdown at British airports, and speaking to insiders and experts to investigate the cause of the chaos.

Summary

Earlier this year, Britain's airports were beset with cancellations, baggage chaos and delays. Jane Moore reports from behind the scenes at one of Britain's busiest airports, meeting travellers whose holidays have been ruined by the meltdown at British airports, and speaking to insiders and experts to investigate the cause of the chaos.

S2022E12
Myanmar: The Forgotten Revolution - Dispatches
Air date: 25/Jul/2022 · Time: 23:05 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Investigation into three major mass killings by Myanmar's army, revealing evidence of soldiers systematically targeting peaceful protestors and those trying to help the wounded. The film was made by a group of young Burmese activists over more than a year and includes interviews with army defectors who reveal, for the first time, the orders issued by their commanders to unleash lethal force against civilians, as well as questioning why the international community has failed to intervene.

Summary

Investigation into three major mass killings by Myanmar's army, revealing evidence of soldiers systematically targeting peaceful protestors and those trying to help the wounded. The film was made by a group of young Burmese activists over more than a year and includes interviews with army defectors who reveal, for the first time, the orders issued by their commanders to unleash lethal force against civilians, as well as questioning why the international community has failed to intervene.

S2022E11
Ukraine: Life Under Attack - Dispatches
Air date: 27/Jun/2022 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

The story of the battle for Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, told through the eyes of the civilians and emergency workers who bore the brunt of the Russian onslaught. For 10 weeks, a documentary crew followed fireman Roman, as he and his team tried to put out the relentless fires, and paramedics Tatjana and Irina, who attempt to save civilian casualties. Narrated by Cate Blanchett.

Summary

The story of the battle for Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, told through the eyes of the civilians and emergency workers who bore the brunt of the Russian onslaught. For 10 weeks, a documentary crew followed fireman Roman, as he and his team tried to put out the relentless fires, and paramedics Tatjana and Irina, who attempt to save civilian casualties. Narrated by Cate Blanchett.

S2022E10
Corrupt Cops: What the Met Knew - Dispatches
Air date: 03/Jun/2022 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

An investigation into concerns that senior Metropolitan Police officers were linked to organised crime and that murders were going unsolved because of corruption, in a bid to address claims that the Met is institutionally corrupt.

Summary

An investigation into concerns that senior Metropolitan Police officers were linked to organised crime and that murders were going unsolved because of corruption, in a bid to address claims that the Met is institutionally corrupt.

S2022E9
MPs Under Threat: Dispatches
Air date: 23/May/2022 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Newly-elected MP Kim Leadbeater investigates the threats and abuse faced by MPs, and the terrible impact it can have on them, their staff and their families. Dispatches reveals new data on the scale of the problem, including powerful testimony from those on the receiving end.

Summary

Newly-elected MP Kim Leadbeater investigates the threats and abuse faced by MPs, and the terrible impact it can have on them, their staff and their families. Dispatches reveals new data on the scale of the problem, including powerful testimony from those on the receiving end.

S2022E8
The Truth about Nike and Adidas: Dispatches
Air date: 16/May/2022 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

If the trainer industry was a country, it would be the world's 17th largest polluter - yet major manufacturers all make claims of sustainability. Darcy Thomas travels to the Maldives to assess the ecological impact of the industry, putting the big brands' green credentials to the test.

Summary

If the trainer industry was a country, it would be the world's 17th largest polluter - yet major manufacturers all make claims of sustainability. Darcy Thomas travels to the Maldives to assess the ecological impact of the industry, putting the big brands' green credentials to the test.

S2022E7
The Enemy Within: Inside Britain's Far Right - Dispatches
Air date: 09/May/2022 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Undercover reporters investigate the far right's current tactics to gain support in some of the most deprived parts of the country. The programme examines how one organisation has been operating through the pandemic, and whether they interfered in a hard-fought by-election. The programme examines the group's plans for home-schooling, and how they are possibly luring a new generation into their membership.

Summary

Undercover reporters investigate the far right's current tactics to gain support in some of the most deprived parts of the country. The programme examines how one organisation has been operating through the pandemic, and whether they interfered in a hard-fought by-election. The programme examines the group's plans for home-schooling, and how they are possibly luring a new generation into their membership.

S2022E6
Inside the Metaverse: Are You Safe? Dispatches
Air date: 25/Apr/2022 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Yinka Bokinni goes undercover to investigate a new frontier in cyberspace. The big tech companies say the future of the internet is one where, via an avatar, we can all interact in a parallel universe. But as well as a thrilling new world, she also finds a dangerous one in which some apps expose users to racism, sexually explicit behaviour and even sexual assault.

Summary

Yinka Bokinni goes undercover to investigate a new frontier in cyberspace. The big tech companies say the future of the internet is one where, via an avatar, we can all interact in a parallel universe. But as well as a thrilling new world, she also finds a dangerous one in which some apps expose users to racism, sexually explicit behaviour and even sexual assault.

S2022E5
Are We Losing the War on Terror? Dispatches
Air date: 18/Apr/2022 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

An investigation into the Government's de-radicalisation programme, which is supposed to tackle extremism and engage with those believed to be at risk of radicalisation. Reporter Darshna Soni hears how in some cases obvious warning signs are being missed, and insiders blow the whistle on the failings that have enabled some extremists to carry out terrorist attacks.

Summary

An investigation into the Government's de-radicalisation programme, which is supposed to tackle extremism and engage with those believed to be at risk of radicalisation. Reporter Darshna Soni hears how in some cases obvious warning signs are being missed, and insiders blow the whistle on the failings that have enabled some extremists to carry out terrorist attacks.

S2022E4
Why Are Your Energy Bills So High? Dispatches
Air date: 11/Apr/2022 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Morland Sanders reports on the impact of rising gas and electricity bills on households in Britain. The programme examines the reason for the spike in prices, a string of failures among energy companies, and whether the organisation set up to protect consumers has been up to the job.

Summary

Morland Sanders reports on the impact of rising gas and electricity bills on households in Britain. The programme examines the reason for the spike in prices, a string of failures among energy companies, and whether the organisation set up to protect consumers has been up to the job.

S2022E3
Cadbury Exposed: Dispatches
Air date: 04/Apr/2022 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover in Ghana to investigate the truth about Britain's best-loved chocolate brand, and the use of child labour in the Cadbury supply chain. He hears from farmers who earn less than £2 a day and children who have been injured harvesting beans while working long hours in the searing heat.

Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover in Ghana to investigate the truth about Britain's best-loved chocolate brand, and the use of child labour in the Cadbury supply chain. He hears from farmers who earn less than £2 a day and children who have been injured harvesting beans while working long hours in the searing heat.

Season 2021 · Season 2021
22 episode(s) · Air date: 22/Feb/2021
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Season Overview

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S2021E22
The Truth About Disability Benefits
Air date: 17/Dec/2021 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Investigating a series of deaths, including suicide, by disabled benefits claimants - examining how failings by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) may have contributed. The programme includes findings from the first-ever survey into the devastating impact on the mental health of claimants. Reporter Richard Butchins, who has his own personal experience of dealing with the DWP, meets relatives who say they have lost loved ones as a result of the way the system is run.

Summary

Investigating a series of deaths, including suicide, by disabled benefits claimants - examining how failings by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) may have contributed. The programme includes findings from the first-ever survey into the devastating impact on the mental health of claimants. Reporter Richard Butchins, who has his own personal experience of dealing with the DWP, meets relatives who say they have lost loved ones as a result of the way the system is run.

S2021E20
The Truth about Your Chicken
Air date: 29/Nov/2021 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the health and environmental impact of industrial chicken production. This undercover investigation asks serious questions about supermarket chicken, animal welfare, environmental standards, and the impact that these farming techniques may be having on the British countryside.

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the health and environmental impact of industrial chicken production. This undercover investigation asks serious questions about supermarket chicken, animal welfare, environmental standards, and the impact that these farming techniques may be having on the British countryside.

S2021E18
The Truth About Electric Cars
Air date: 22/Nov/2021 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As Britain frets over diesel and petrol shortages, and the Government advises the public to consider going green in all ways possible, electric cars have never been a more popular purchase. But is right now a good time to sink tens of thousands of pounds of hard-earned cash into buying an electric vehicle? Reporter and electric car owner Morland Sanders asks if Britain's charging network is good enough to keep drivers going flat-out, or set to leave them as flat as a pancake. He also looks at whether hybrid electric cars are as green as believed and considers the reliability and likely longevity of electric cars.

Summary

As Britain frets over diesel and petrol shortages, and the Government advises the public to consider going green in all ways possible, electric cars have never been a more popular purchase. But is right now a good time to sink tens of thousands of pounds of hard-earned cash into buying an electric vehicle? Reporter and electric car owner Morland Sanders asks if Britain's charging network is good enough to keep drivers going flat-out, or set to leave them as flat as a pancake. He also looks at whether hybrid electric cars are as green as believed and considers the reliability and likely longevity of electric cars.

S2021E17
Did Brexit Work for Business?
Air date: 15/Nov/2021 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Harry Wallop reports on the impact that leaving the EU has had on Britain's import and export businesses, many of whom are struggling with increased costs, new tariffs and dwindling profits. The programme examines the evidence for whether the rising costs of EU trade are here to stay or simply bumps along the road.

Summary

Harry Wallop reports on the impact that leaving the EU has had on Britain's import and export businesses, many of whom are struggling with increased costs, new tariffs and dwindling profits. The programme examines the evidence for whether the rising costs of EU trade are here to stay or simply bumps along the road.

S2021E13
Cops on Trial
Air date: 11/Oct/2021 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Ellie Flynn reports on the true scale of sexual misconduct by serving British police officers, including personal accounts from those who presented themselves to the police as the victim of a crime, and long term partners of serving officers who have endured domestic violence and abuse.

Summary

Ellie Flynn reports on the true scale of sexual misconduct by serving British police officers, including personal accounts from those who presented themselves to the police as the victim of a crime, and long term partners of serving officers who have endured domestic violence and abuse.

S2021E9
Second Wave: Did the Government Get it Wrong
Air date: 17/May/2021 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

With two thirds of all British Covid deaths coming after September 2020, Dispatches investigates why, and examines what role the Prime Minister's decisions of last Autumn played in there being a massive second surge in infections that saw tens of thousands of people die. As Boris Johnson's former chief advisor Dominic Cummings threatens to reveal all, reporter Antony Barnett hears from some at the heart of Downing Street discussions, and learns why the Prime Minister ignored government scientific advice and continued to battle against another lockdown. Dispatches also probes the Prime Minister's border plans to stop virus variants coming into the UK and hears from a whistleblower who fears they've failed to do the job.

Summary

With two thirds of all British Covid deaths coming after September 2020, Dispatches investigates why, and examines what role the Prime Minister's decisions of last Autumn played in there being a massive second surge in infections that saw tens of thousands of people die. As Boris Johnson's former chief advisor Dominic Cummings threatens to reveal all, reporter Antony Barnett hears from some at the heart of Downing Street discussions, and learns why the Prime Minister ignored government scientific advice and continued to battle against another lockdown. Dispatches also probes the Prime Minister's border plans to stop virus variants coming into the UK and hears from a whistleblower who fears they've failed to do the job.

S2021E8
Royals for Hire
Air date: 10/May/2021 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover to see what some of the Queen's family might be prepared to do for money, including offers of privileged access to Kensington Palace and Vladimir Putin

Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover to see what some of the Queen's family might be prepared to do for money, including offers of privileged access to Kensington Palace and Vladimir Putin

S2021E7
Low Pay Britain: About Your Job
Air date: 12/Apr/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As Britain's economy feels the impact of coronavirus, lockdowns and Brexit, Dispatches examines the future of work, wages and safety in the gig economy.Dispatches reporter Morland Sanders investigates the reality of gig work and its growing influence in the job market over the last 12 months. Meeting current and former gig workers, Dispatches uncovers new evidence showing delivery workers feeling overworked, unsafe and under pressure to break the law, and meets NHS workers on zero hours contracts who lost all work in spite of the pressures of the pandemic.

Summary

As Britain's economy feels the impact of coronavirus, lockdowns and Brexit, Dispatches examines the future of work, wages and safety in the gig economy.Dispatches reporter Morland Sanders investigates the reality of gig work and its growing influence in the job market over the last 12 months. Meeting current and former gig workers, Dispatches uncovers new evidence showing delivery workers feeling overworked, unsafe and under pressure to break the law, and meets NHS workers on zero hours contracts who lost all work in spite of the pressures of the pandemic.

S2021E6
The Black Maternity Scandal
Air date: 29/Mar/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Presenter and mother Rochelle Humes explores the shocking fact that Black women are four times more likely than White women to die during pregnancy and childbirth. 

Summary

Presenter and mother Rochelle Humes explores the shocking fact that Black women are four times more likely than White women to die during pregnancy and childbirth. 

S2021E5
The High Street Cash Crisis
Air date: 22/Mar/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Antony Barnett reports on the collapse of several of Britain's best-known brands, examining the influence of the internet and the pandemic on the decline of high street shopping. Barnett asks how much are these firms to blame for the problems on our high street, and questions whether it's fair that their owners still earned millions while tens of thousands of shopworkers lost their jobs.

Summary

Antony Barnett reports on the collapse of several of Britain's best-known brands, examining the influence of the internet and the pandemic on the decline of high street shopping. Barnett asks how much are these firms to blame for the problems on our high street, and questions whether it's fair that their owners still earned millions while tens of thousands of shopworkers lost their jobs.

S2021E4
The Truth About Long Covid
Air date: 15/Mar/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches reports from Bradford, one of the UK's worst-hit communities during the pandemic. It's predicted that up to half a million people in the UK are now living with Long Covid. Dispatches asks if the NHS will be able to cope with the lasting legacy of the virus. Narrated by Fatima Manji.

Summary

Dispatches reports from Bradford, one of the UK's worst-hit communities during the pandemic. It's predicted that up to half a million people in the UK are now living with Long Covid. Dispatches asks if the NHS will be able to cope with the lasting legacy of the virus. Narrated by Fatima Manji.

S2021E3
The Dirty Truth About Your Rubbish
Air date: 08/Mar/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

A look at how millions of tonnes of household recycling end up incinerated, hiking carbon emissions, with councils locked into long and expensive waste contracts.

Summary

A look at how millions of tonnes of household recycling end up incinerated, hiking carbon emissions, with councils locked into long and expensive waste contracts.

S2021E2
Condition Critical: One Doctor's Story
Air date: 01/Mar/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Filmed over four months, this edition of the programme gives a unique perspective on life on the NHS frontline. Dr Saleyha Ahsan filmed her own journey through the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, capturing the pressure and personal tragedies she faced with the surge in patients, which included her own father. This special Dispatches film also shows the emotional and physical burden faced by friends and colleagues, and how they came close to breaking point with the psychological toll of fighting to keep people alive.

Summary

Filmed over four months, this edition of the programme gives a unique perspective on life on the NHS frontline. Dr Saleyha Ahsan filmed her own journey through the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, capturing the pressure and personal tragedies she faced with the surge in patients, which included her own father. This special Dispatches film also shows the emotional and physical burden faced by friends and colleagues, and how they came close to breaking point with the psychological toll of fighting to keep people alive.

S2021E1
Britain's £400bn Covid Bill: Who Will Pay?
Air date: 22/Feb/2021 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Lockdown Britain is enduring the sharpest economic nosedive for 300 years, with jobs and companies disappearing fast, government debt spiralling, and the Bank of England printing hundreds of billions of pounds to help make ends meet. Reporter Liam Halligan investigates the economic costs of the pandemic and what it could mean for our futures, revealing new figures on the scale of the damage and the shocking levels of joblessness the nation may soon face. He investigates the hard choices confronting the Chancellor and Prime Minister in the March Budget and the impact they could have on everyone. Will they gamble and borrow even more, hoping to boost jobs and generate economic growth to pay the Covid bill, or take the UK into austerity, with tax rises and spending cuts? As Halligan reveals, both options are fraught with danger.

Summary

Lockdown Britain is enduring the sharpest economic nosedive for 300 years, with jobs and companies disappearing fast, government debt spiralling, and the Bank of England printing hundreds of billions of pounds to help make ends meet. Reporter Liam Halligan investigates the economic costs of the pandemic and what it could mean for our futures, revealing new figures on the scale of the damage and the shocking levels of joblessness the nation may soon face. He investigates the hard choices confronting the Chancellor and Prime Minister in the March Budget and the impact they could have on everyone. Will they gamble and borrow even more, hoping to boost jobs and generate economic growth to pay the Covid bill, or take the UK into austerity, with tax rises and spending cuts? As Halligan reveals, both options are fraught with danger.

Season 2020 · Season 2020
18 episode(s) · Air date: 24/Feb/2020
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Season Overview

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S2020E16
Is Your Online Habit Killing the Planet?
Air date: 16/Nov/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In the month when the worlds' leaders should have been gathering in Glasgow to tackle global warming, Sophie Morgan investigates the carbon footprint of the technology industry and tests some of the environmental claims of some of the biggest names in the tech world. She also recruits two families to keep a diary of their online habits and together they discover some shocking truths about the hidden cost of their online habits.

Summary

In the month when the worlds' leaders should have been gathering in Glasgow to tackle global warming, Sophie Morgan investigates the carbon footprint of the technology industry and tests some of the environmental claims of some of the biggest names in the tech world. She also recruits two families to keep a diary of their online habits and together they discover some shocking truths about the hidden cost of their online habits.

S2020E15
Divided States of America
Air date: 09/Nov/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

After a presidential campaign like no other, the programme assesses the result and asks what happens next for America and its people.

Summary

After a presidential campaign like no other, the programme assesses the result and asks what happens next for America and its people.

S2020E14
Britain's Covid Job Crisis
Air date: 02/Nov/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As the furlough scheme comes to an end, the programme follows the response to a job advert for a minimum-wage server role at a Manchester restaurant. Almost 1,000 people apply, including Katie, a cabin services attendant; Faye, a cruise ship dancer; Jake, a hotel manager; and John, a ticket inspector. We get to know them, as well as Abi, the recruitment consultant in charge of narrowing down the field; and Kerry, a mum-of-two who lost her job at Bentley and is desperate to find a new position to avoid the family losing their home. Through the lens of this one position, Dispatches explores the jobs crisis brought on by Covid that is threatening to push unemployment over three million by Christmas.

Summary

As the furlough scheme comes to an end, the programme follows the response to a job advert for a minimum-wage server role at a Manchester restaurant. Almost 1,000 people apply, including Katie, a cabin services attendant; Faye, a cruise ship dancer; Jake, a hotel manager; and John, a ticket inspector. We get to know them, as well as Abi, the recruitment consultant in charge of narrowing down the field; and Kerry, a mum-of-two who lost her job at Bentley and is desperate to find a new position to avoid the family losing their home. Through the lens of this one position, Dispatches explores the jobs crisis brought on by Covid that is threatening to push unemployment over three million by Christmas.

S2020E13
How Safe Is Going Out?
Air date: 26/Oct/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Britain's service industry is battling for customers, but the public need to be convinced the big names are doing all they can to limit risk to exposure. Many hotel chains, transport companies, restaurants and pubs are making big promises of `deep cleans" and ``enhanced hygiene practices", but with the resurgence of Covid-19, Morland Sanders puts them to test and asks just how safe is it when we go out. Government public health guidance says regular cleaning of surfaces plays a vital role in limiting the transmission of Covid-19 in public settings. In a national experiment, the programme tests the cleanliness of the surfaces people might encounter on a commute, or going for a drink, a meal or a mini staycation? It also examines emerging research concerning airborne transmission of Covid, as well as meeting people whose wellbeing is reliant on the hygiene standards of the service industry.

Summary

Britain's service industry is battling for customers, but the public need to be convinced the big names are doing all they can to limit risk to exposure. Many hotel chains, transport companies, restaurants and pubs are making big promises of `deep cleans" and ``enhanced hygiene practices", but with the resurgence of Covid-19, Morland Sanders puts them to test and asks just how safe is it when we go out. Government public health guidance says regular cleaning of surfaces plays a vital role in limiting the transmission of Covid-19 in public settings. In a national experiment, the programme tests the cleanliness of the surfaces people might encounter on a commute, or going for a drink, a meal or a mini staycation? It also examines emerging research concerning airborne transmission of Covid, as well as meeting people whose wellbeing is reliant on the hygiene standards of the service industry.

S2020E12
Trump's Coronavirus Catastrophe
Air date: 19/Oct/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Matt Frei investigates the president's policies, actions and decisions during the pandemic, which has cost more than 200,000 American lives. There are revelations gathered from months of conversations with White House advisers and insiders, whistle-blowers, politicians who have worked with Trump and leading US scientists, as well as loyal Trump supporters.

Summary

Matt Frei investigates the president's policies, actions and decisions during the pandemic, which has cost more than 200,000 American lives. There are revelations gathered from months of conversations with White House advisers and insiders, whistle-blowers, politicians who have worked with Trump and leading US scientists, as well as loyal Trump supporters.

S2020E10
Britain's Coronavirus Catastrophe: Did the Government Get it Wrong?
Air date: 03/Jun/2020 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Examining the the British government's approach to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. With Britain's confirmed death rate from coronavirus now one of the highest in the world, and the Government's strategy to get the economy restarted and prevent a second spike still developing, Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett begins asking questions that may shed a light on how to beat the virus in the future. With the input of people at the heart of events, Barnett investigates the eight astonishing weeks that saw the UK move into lockdown, and reveals the key decisions and moments that led to the UK shutting down and that have determined what has happened since.

Summary

Examining the the British government's approach to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. With Britain's confirmed death rate from coronavirus now one of the highest in the world, and the Government's strategy to get the economy restarted and prevent a second spike still developing, Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett begins asking questions that may shed a light on how to beat the virus in the future. With the input of people at the heart of events, Barnett investigates the eight astonishing weeks that saw the UK move into lockdown, and reveals the key decisions and moments that led to the UK shutting down and that have determined what has happened since.

S2020E8
Coronavirus: How Britain Is Changing
Air date: 08/Apr/2020 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

As coronavirus takes hold of Britain, Dispatches investigates the long-term effects of the outbreak and asks how the deadly Covid-19 is changing Britain in the long term. As the death toll rises, the programme looks at everything from seismic changes in economic policy to shifts in the way we view and treat other people, and from a drop in pollution to the widening of the gaps between rich and poor, young and old. The programme asks what a post-Covid 19 Britain, torn apart by the disease, might look like, and the potential changes to the way people live their lives for years to come.

Summary

As coronavirus takes hold of Britain, Dispatches investigates the long-term effects of the outbreak and asks how the deadly Covid-19 is changing Britain in the long term. As the death toll rises, the programme looks at everything from seismic changes in economic policy to shifts in the way we view and treat other people, and from a drop in pollution to the widening of the gaps between rich and poor, young and old. The programme asks what a post-Covid 19 Britain, torn apart by the disease, might look like, and the potential changes to the way people live their lives for years to come.

S2020E7
Coronavirus: Can Our NHS Cope?
Air date: 30/Mar/2020 · Time: 20:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

A&E doctor Saleyha Ahsan looks at the pressing questions many are now asking about the health service, inlcuding bed capacity, vital equipment such as ventilators, the number of nurses and protection of NHS workers. Dr Ahsan also examines the impact on the many thousands across the country who now face delays in receiving regular treatment and operations.

Summary

A&E doctor Saleyha Ahsan looks at the pressing questions many are now asking about the health service, inlcuding bed capacity, vital equipment such as ventilators, the number of nurses and protection of NHS workers. Dr Ahsan also examines the impact on the many thousands across the country who now face delays in receiving regular treatment and operations.

S2020E6
Sex, Money & Power: The Dirty Secrets of Davos
Air date: 23/Mar/2020 · Time: 23:00 · Runtime: 35 min
Summary

The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, likes to think of itself as the premier global event for politicians, business leaders and celebrities to put the world to rights. It proudly boasts of a commitment to the empowerment of women. But what's the reality? Cate Brown investigates allegations of sexism, harassment and even sex workers operating during the WEF, with undercover reporters infiltrating the event, as well as testimonies from female visitors who are fed up of their treatment by men.

Summary

The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, likes to think of itself as the premier global event for politicians, business leaders and celebrities to put the world to rights. It proudly boasts of a commitment to the empowerment of women. But what's the reality? Cate Brown investigates allegations of sexism, harassment and even sex workers operating during the WEF, with undercover reporters infiltrating the event, as well as testimonies from female visitors who are fed up of their treatment by men.

S2020E5
Coronavirus: Can Our Supermarkets Cope?
Air date: 22/Mar/2020 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With panic-buying stripping the shelves bare, Harry Wallop investigates whether the nation's supermarkets can cope with the current Covid-19 crisis. There has been an unprecedented demand for some household items and calls for shoppers to stay calm, but how will manufacturers, suppliers and big stores deal with it?

Summary

With panic-buying stripping the shelves bare, Harry Wallop investigates whether the nation's supermarkets can cope with the current Covid-19 crisis. There has been an unprecedented demand for some household items and calls for shoppers to stay calm, but how will manufacturers, suppliers and big stores deal with it?

S2020E4
Britain's Train Hell
Air date: 16/Mar/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Despite rising fares, millions of rail commuters suffer daily from delays and overcrowding. The Government wants to spend billions on new infrastructure, particularly in the north of England with HS2, but the new high-speed supertrain won't arrive until 2040. In the meantime, Liam Halligan asks how the rail network can be fixed.

Summary

Despite rising fares, millions of rail commuters suffer daily from delays and overcrowding. The Government wants to spend billions on new infrastructure, particularly in the north of England with HS2, but the new high-speed supertrain won't arrive until 2040. In the meantime, Liam Halligan asks how the rail network can be fixed.

S2020E3
Celebs for Sale: The Great Charity Scandal
Air date: 09/Mar/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Reporter Antony Barnett sets up a fake charity and goes undercover to reveal how some of the most famous people in Britain are profiting from the fundraising work they do, such as posting on social media and appearing at events. Big-name stars from the worlds of reality TV, sport and entertainment, and one of the most famous women in the world, all agree to back the fake charity in return for cash.

Summary

Reporter Antony Barnett sets up a fake charity and goes undercover to reveal how some of the most famous people in Britain are profiting from the fundraising work they do, such as posting on social media and appearing at events. Big-name stars from the worlds of reality TV, sport and entertainment, and one of the most famous women in the world, all agree to back the fake charity in return for cash.

S2020E2
Starbucks & Nespresso: The Truth About Your Coffee
Air date: 02/Mar/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As Britain has grown into a nation of coffee lovers, Starbucks and Nespresso have become two of the world's biggest coffee brands. They have revolutionised what people drink and how they consume it. On the back of their success, both firms make bold claims about how their beans are ethically sourced and, in particular, that child labour is not used in their supply chains. But in this investigation, Dispatches travelled to Guatemala and discovered young children working long hours in gruelling conditions to pick coffee beans that supply these two coffee giants. Reporter Antony Barnett hears how a day's work can earn the children little more than the price of a Starbucks latte or a pack of Nespresso pods.

Summary

As Britain has grown into a nation of coffee lovers, Starbucks and Nespresso have become two of the world's biggest coffee brands. They have revolutionised what people drink and how they consume it. On the back of their success, both firms make bold claims about how their beans are ethically sourced and, in particular, that child labour is not used in their supply chains. But in this investigation, Dispatches travelled to Guatemala and discovered young children working long hours in gruelling conditions to pick coffee beans that supply these two coffee giants. Reporter Antony Barnett hears how a day's work can earn the children little more than the price of a Starbucks latte or a pack of Nespresso pods.

S2020E1
The Secrets of Big Tobacco: Has Philip Morris International Really Given Up Smoking?
Air date: 24/Feb/2020 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

More than a decade has passed since major tobacco companies were found to have misled the public over the dangers of smoking. Now, one of the largest firms has said it wants a smoke-free future and offers so-called reduced-risk alternatives. Jane Moore examines Philip Morris International's campaign and investigates attempts to promote the brand in the UK, while billions of cigarettes continue to be sold across the world.

Summary

More than a decade has passed since major tobacco companies were found to have misled the public over the dangers of smoking. Now, one of the largest firms has said it wants a smoke-free future and offers so-called reduced-risk alternatives. Jane Moore examines Philip Morris International's campaign and investigates attempts to promote the brand in the UK, while billions of cigarettes continue to be sold across the world.

Season 2019 · Season 2019
29 episode(s) · Air date: 02/Jan/2019
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S2019E29
Growing Up Poor: Britain's Breadline Kids
Air date: 02/Dec/2019 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

In Britain today, 4.1 million children are growing up in poverty. Dispatches spent a year with three children and their families to show what life is really like if there's just not enough money for life's essentials of food, warmth and a place to call home.

Summary

In Britain today, 4.1 million children are growing up in poverty. Dispatches spent a year with three children and their families to show what life is really like if there's just not enough money for life's essentials of food, warmth and a place to call home.

S2019E28
Homeless and Pregnant
Air date: 18/Nov/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Homelessness is on the rise in the UK, but nobody knows how many pregnant women face the possibility of having their baby without a home to go back to. This programme explores the issue of expectant mothers who find themselves with no place to call home, and conducts a survey of midwives in collaboration with the Royal College of Midwives to try to get a sense of the scale of the problem. Ninety-five per cent of the midwives asked strongly felt that homelessness puts the health of the women and their unborn babies at risk. The report follows three women - two of whom are heavily pregnant - experiencing evictions, overcrowding and the reality of living in temporary accommodation for years on end.

Summary

Homelessness is on the rise in the UK, but nobody knows how many pregnant women face the possibility of having their baby without a home to go back to. This programme explores the issue of expectant mothers who find themselves with no place to call home, and conducts a survey of midwives in collaboration with the Royal College of Midwives to try to get a sense of the scale of the problem. Ninety-five per cent of the midwives asked strongly felt that homelessness puts the health of the women and their unborn babies at risk. The report follows three women - two of whom are heavily pregnant - experiencing evictions, overcrowding and the reality of living in temporary accommodation for years on end.

S2019E27
The Secrets of Amazon
Air date: 11/Nov/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

An investigation into the retailer's seemingly unstoppable growth, with one in three online purchases being made through its site.

Summary

An investigation into the retailer's seemingly unstoppable growth, with one in three online purchases being made through its site.

S2019E26
Puppet Masters: The Men Who Really Run Britain
Air date: 04/Nov/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

A look at the roles of Boris Johnson's special adviser Dominic Cummings and Jeremy Corbyn's communications and strategy director Seumas Milne, with both seen as disruptors who appear to sit outside the mainstream of their parties. Dispatches investigates concerns about the power they wield, looking at ways in which they have been instrumental in the attempts to deliver Brexit and how these unelected officials are looking to shape Britain's future?

Summary

A look at the roles of Boris Johnson's special adviser Dominic Cummings and Jeremy Corbyn's communications and strategy director Seumas Milne, with both seen as disruptors who appear to sit outside the mainstream of their parties. Dispatches investigates concerns about the power they wield, looking at ways in which they have been instrumental in the attempts to deliver Brexit and how these unelected officials are looking to shape Britain's future?

S2019E23
Sex Drugs and Murder
Air date: 08/Sep/2019 · Time: 23:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Following the convictions of serial killer Stephen Port and murderer Gerald Matovu, who both used GHB as their weapon, Dispatches has conducted an eight-month investigation with BuzzFeed News into the use of the drug among gay men. With the largest ever survey of GHB users, Dispatches reveals for the first time the human cost of the epidemic scale of abuse, with over a quarter of users reporting being sexually assaulted, almost half having overdosed, thousands of hospital admissions, and a hidden crime spree: rape, murder, and the live-streaming of sexual abuse. The law allows GBL to be sold for cleaning purposes, which enables easy access to industrial quantities of it online, which can then be used/sold as GHB to users. Dispatches interviews men who have been deliberately overdosed, raped, and those including Lord Brian Paddick who have lost partners and family members.

Summary

Following the convictions of serial killer Stephen Port and murderer Gerald Matovu, who both used GHB as their weapon, Dispatches has conducted an eight-month investigation with BuzzFeed News into the use of the drug among gay men. With the largest ever survey of GHB users, Dispatches reveals for the first time the human cost of the epidemic scale of abuse, with over a quarter of users reporting being sexually assaulted, almost half having overdosed, thousands of hospital admissions, and a hidden crime spree: rape, murder, and the live-streaming of sexual abuse. The law allows GBL to be sold for cleaning purposes, which enables easy access to industrial quantities of it online, which can then be used/sold as GHB to users. Dispatches interviews men who have been deliberately overdosed, raped, and those including Lord Brian Paddick who have lost partners and family members.

S2019E22
Young, British and Depressed
Air date: 29/Jul/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With one in eight young people aged five to nineteen having a mental disorder, demand for access to mental health services is at an all-time high and antidepressant use is on the increase. Sanah Ahsan investigates what is fuelling the crisis and what treatment is available for young people, and whether it is over-reliant on antidepressants. She also asks if medical solutions are being offered for emotional problems and whether destigmatisation campaigns have had unintended consequences.

Summary

With one in eight young people aged five to nineteen having a mental disorder, demand for access to mental health services is at an all-time high and antidepressant use is on the increase. Sanah Ahsan investigates what is fuelling the crisis and what treatment is available for young people, and whether it is over-reliant on antidepressants. She also asks if medical solutions are being offered for emotional problems and whether destigmatisation campaigns have had unintended consequences.

S2019E21
£2 Million Passport: Welcome to Britain
Air date: 22/Jul/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Immigration to Britain is under the spotlight like never before and while many people trying to settle in the UK face personal risks and a hostile reception, this programme reveals an altogether different welcome if you happen to have £2 million to spare. Reporter Antony Barnett investigates the so-called 'golden' visa scheme that offers British residency to wealthy foreign nationals who are willing to invest £2 million into the country. Since the Skripal poisonings last year, concern has focused on the hundreds of Russians that have been given such visas, with critics claiming that the scheme is open to potential abuse. Dispatches discovers what's on offer for people with the money and the know-how who hope to buy themselves British citizenship.

Summary

Immigration to Britain is under the spotlight like never before and while many people trying to settle in the UK face personal risks and a hostile reception, this programme reveals an altogether different welcome if you happen to have £2 million to spare. Reporter Antony Barnett investigates the so-called 'golden' visa scheme that offers British residency to wealthy foreign nationals who are willing to invest £2 million into the country. Since the Skripal poisonings last year, concern has focused on the hundreds of Russians that have been given such visas, with critics claiming that the scheme is open to potential abuse. Dispatches discovers what's on offer for people with the money and the know-how who hope to buy themselves British citizenship.

S2019E17
Officer Down - Police Under Attack
Air date: 01/Jul/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Former policeman Dan Clark-Neal investigates what is behind the rise in assaults on police officers serving on the frontline, featuring shocking footage captured on police bodycam, on CCTV and by the public. New research reveals an escalating problem across the country, with mounting numbers of assaults causing a devastating impact on the mental health of officers. Clark-Neal asks if government cuts to police numbers have put officers in more danger and eroded public trust in law enforcement and asks if respect for the police is at an all-time low, questioning what this means for the future of maintaining law and order.

Summary

Former policeman Dan Clark-Neal investigates what is behind the rise in assaults on police officers serving on the frontline, featuring shocking footage captured on police bodycam, on CCTV and by the public. New research reveals an escalating problem across the country, with mounting numbers of assaults causing a devastating impact on the mental health of officers. Clark-Neal asks if government cuts to police numbers have put officers in more danger and eroded public trust in law enforcement and asks if respect for the police is at an all-time low, questioning what this means for the future of maintaining law and order.

S2019E15
How Safe Are Your Medicines?
Air date: 17/Jun/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

A major investigation for Dispatches reveals how thousands of unsafe medicines used to treat conditions like prostate cancer, schizophrenia and epilepsy were dispensed to NHS patients

Summary

A major investigation for Dispatches reveals how thousands of unsafe medicines used to treat conditions like prostate cancer, schizophrenia and epilepsy were dispensed to NHS patients

S2019E14
Britain's Toxic Air Scandal
Air date: 10/Jun/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches runs a world-first experiment to reduce hundreds of primary school children's exposure to toxic air, and discovers that unidentified toxins are coming off every vehicle, even electric ones

Summary

Dispatches runs a world-first experiment to reduce hundreds of primary school children's exposure to toxic air, and discovers that unidentified toxins are coming off every vehicle, even electric ones

S2019E13
The Truth About Chlorinated Chicken
Air date: 03/Jun/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As President Trump touches down in the UK, a post-Brexit trade deal is top of the agenda. And one of the most controversial issues is whether we will have to accept chemically washed American chicken as part of a deal. It's been banned in the EU for more than 20 years because of concerns that it masks poor hygiene practices in other parts of the supply chain, but now that we are leaving the EU, should we be worried? Dispatches goes undercover in a major US poultry processing plant to investigate. Reporter Kate Quilton meets whistle-blowers and industry insiders who claim that the Trump administration's close relationship with the industry may mean that the worst is yet to come.

Summary

As President Trump touches down in the UK, a post-Brexit trade deal is top of the agenda. And one of the most controversial issues is whether we will have to accept chemically washed American chicken as part of a deal. It's been banned in the EU for more than 20 years because of concerns that it masks poor hygiene practices in other parts of the supply chain, but now that we are leaving the EU, should we be worried? Dispatches goes undercover in a major US poultry processing plant to investigate. Reporter Kate Quilton meets whistle-blowers and industry insiders who claim that the Trump administration's close relationship with the industry may mean that the worst is yet to come.

S2019E12
Jeremy Kyle: TV on Trial
Air date: 27/May/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In the wake of the Jeremy Kyle Show's cancellation after the death of a guest on the programme, Dispatches investigates what lies behind the headlines, what went wrong and who might be to blame. Talking to insiders and former guests, Morland Sanders examines the culture of Kyle's show and others and asks what its abrupt end might mean for the future of reality television.

Summary

In the wake of the Jeremy Kyle Show's cancellation after the death of a guest on the programme, Dispatches investigates what lies behind the headlines, what went wrong and who might be to blame. Talking to insiders and former guests, Morland Sanders examines the culture of Kyle's show and others and asks what its abrupt end might mean for the future of reality television.

S2019E11
When the Immigrants Leave
Air date: 08/Apr/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In Britain today, there are 3.7 million EU workers. But in the wake of the Brexit vote, the number of new arrivals has plunged, giving us a taste of what life without migrants might be like. Reporter Seyi Rhodes travels across the UK in the run-up to Brexit to find out what's happening in key sectors of the economy: agriculture, social care and healthcare. The Leave campaign painted a lurid picture of a land swamped by cheap migrant labour.

Summary

In Britain today, there are 3.7 million EU workers. But in the wake of the Brexit vote, the number of new arrivals has plunged, giving us a taste of what life without migrants might be like. Reporter Seyi Rhodes travels across the UK in the run-up to Brexit to find out what's happening in key sectors of the economy: agriculture, social care and healthcare. The Leave campaign painted a lurid picture of a land swamped by cheap migrant labour.

S2019E10
Britain's Hidden War
Air date: 01/Apr/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Thousands of British personnel employed by the UK defence company BAE help keep fighter jets sold to the Saudi air force flying so that they can launch air strikes on Yemen, in a bombing campaign that's killed an estimated 4000 civilians, and helped create a famine in which perhaps 80,000 children have died from starvation. British military officers also work in the Saudi Air Operations Centre from where bombing is directed. Dispatches investigates the extent to which the war in Yemen is made in Britain.

Summary

Thousands of British personnel employed by the UK defence company BAE help keep fighter jets sold to the Saudi air force flying so that they can launch air strikes on Yemen, in a bombing campaign that's killed an estimated 4000 civilians, and helped create a famine in which perhaps 80,000 children have died from starvation. British military officers also work in the Saudi Air Operations Centre from where bombing is directed. Dispatches investigates the extent to which the war in Yemen is made in Britain.

S2019E9
New Landlords From Hell
Air date: 25/Mar/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches reveals the shocking conditions that tenants of one of Britain's biggest social landlords are being forced to live in. A year-long investigation finds that Sanctuary Housing left family homes in disrepair. The programme uncovers evidence that this had a critical impact on the health of some of their most vulnerable tenants. As the housing association has grown, official channels of complaint have failed to force it to act reasonably, leaving residents feeling voiceless. In desperation they've turned to social media to share their experiences and offer support. Dispatches asks: are housing associations the new landlords from hell?

Summary

Dispatches reveals the shocking conditions that tenants of one of Britain's biggest social landlords are being forced to live in. A year-long investigation finds that Sanctuary Housing left family homes in disrepair. The programme uncovers evidence that this had a critical impact on the health of some of their most vulnerable tenants. As the housing association has grown, official channels of complaint have failed to force it to act reasonably, leaving residents feeling voiceless. In desperation they've turned to social media to share their experiences and offer support. Dispatches asks: are housing associations the new landlords from hell?

S2019E8
Great Formula Milk Scandal
Air date: 18/Mar/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Kate Quilton asks if formula milk is being priced fairly, and whether claims made for it are unbiased and scientifically proven

Summary

Kate Quilton asks if formula milk is being priced fairly, and whether claims made for it are unbiased and scientifically proven

S2019E7
The Brexit Millionaires
Air date: 11/Mar/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates those who have got rich since the referendum, capitalising on the almost unprecedented political uncertainty around Britain's exit from the EU. Entering the world of the super-rich, the programme looks at those who have reportedly made millions by 'shorting', or betting against Britain. Reporter Antony Barnett also examines other financial winners post-referendum, from the politicians paid for speeches and advisory roles to the consultancy firms brought in to help government in this turbulent time. The reality is that most will not be able to profit on the scale of the political and business elite. Barnett also explores the other side of the story, meeting the people who don't have the means to Brexit-proof their livelihoods.

Summary

Dispatches investigates those who have got rich since the referendum, capitalising on the almost unprecedented political uncertainty around Britain's exit from the EU. Entering the world of the super-rich, the programme looks at those who have reportedly made millions by 'shorting', or betting against Britain. Reporter Antony Barnett also examines other financial winners post-referendum, from the politicians paid for speeches and advisory roles to the consultancy firms brought in to help government in this turbulent time. The reality is that most will not be able to profit on the scale of the political and business elite. Barnett also explores the other side of the story, meeting the people who don't have the means to Brexit-proof their livelihoods.

S2019E6
Britain's Knife Crisis: Young, Armed and Dangerous
Air date: 04/Mar/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Former Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe examines why there has been a rise in knife crime and asks what Britain needs to do to get the problem under control.

Summary

Former Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe examines why there has been a rise in knife crime and asks what Britain needs to do to get the problem under control.

S2019E5
Safe At Last: Inside A Women's Refuge
Air date: 26/Feb/2019 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In a television first, cameras are allowed inside a women's refuge to follow the stories of women who are fleeing from violent partners, and who have agreed to be identified.

Summary

In a television first, cameras are allowed inside a women's refuge to follow the stories of women who are fleeing from violent partners, and who have agreed to be identified.

S2019E4
Grenfell: Did the Fire Brigade Fail?
Air date: 18/Feb/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates the response of the London Fire Brigade to the Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people, and asks whether the brigade's decision to tell residents to stay put contributed to the high death toll. Through interviews with survivors and firefighters, and using critical new evidence released by the public inquiry, this programme explores if a lack of training meant that firefighters were ill-equipped to cope with a fire of this kind. The LFB commissioner Dany Cotton says she 'wouldn't change anything' about her brigade's response on the night. But could more have been done?

Summary

Dispatches investigates the response of the London Fire Brigade to the Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people, and asks whether the brigade's decision to tell residents to stay put contributed to the high death toll. Through interviews with survivors and firefighters, and using critical new evidence released by the public inquiry, this programme explores if a lack of training meant that firefighters were ill-equipped to cope with a fire of this kind. The LFB commissioner Dany Cotton says she 'wouldn't change anything' about her brigade's response on the night. But could more have been done?

S2019E3
HS2: The Great Train Robbery
Air date: 11/Feb/2019 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With promised speeds of 250mph, the HS2 high-speed train line from London to Birmingham will be one of the world's fastest passenger trains. From April, the government will plough over ?ú4 billion a year into this single railway, for the next ten years: equivalent to two-thirds of state spending on the entire national rail network. But how much demand is there for a multi-billion-pound high-speed line connecting London to Birmingham, and then Manchester and Leeds, when the capital is already connected to these cities? As the construction of HS2 begins in earnest, Dispatches hears from those calling for HS2 to be cancelled and from northern commuters furious that it will siphon off cash needed to improve the state of their local rail services. The boss of HS2 defends the project but political insiders tell Dispatches that the HS2 line may stop in the Midlands, ignoring the north altogether.

Summary

With promised speeds of 250mph, the HS2 high-speed train line from London to Birmingham will be one of the world's fastest passenger trains. From April, the government will plough over ?ú4 billion a year into this single railway, for the next ten years: equivalent to two-thirds of state spending on the entire national rail network. But how much demand is there for a multi-billion-pound high-speed line connecting London to Birmingham, and then Manchester and Leeds, when the capital is already connected to these cities? As the construction of HS2 begins in earnest, Dispatches hears from those calling for HS2 to be cancelled and from northern commuters furious that it will siphon off cash needed to improve the state of their local rail services. The boss of HS2 defends the project but political insiders tell Dispatches that the HS2 line may stop in the Midlands, ignoring the north altogether.

S2019E2
Skipping School: Britain's Invisible Kids
Air date: 04/Feb/2019 · Time: 22:15 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

As the number of children leaving mainstream education in favour of home education doubles, Dispatches investigates the reasons behind this dramatic rise and the impact it is having on the young people who are now learning at home in the UK. Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield considers whether the rights of parents to remove their child from school are coming before the education, and even the safety, of children.

Summary

As the number of children leaving mainstream education in favour of home education doubles, Dispatches investigates the reasons behind this dramatic rise and the impact it is having on the young people who are now learning at home in the UK. Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield considers whether the rights of parents to remove their child from school are coming before the education, and even the safety, of children.

S2019E1
The Truth About Vegans
Air date: 02/Jan/2019 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 35 min
Summary

New year, new diet? Dispatches investigates the rising popularity of veganism. It's better for your health, the environment and animals but why do some activists resort to such extreme tactics to promote it? Reporter Morland Sanders meets farmers who feel increasingly worried about some vegan protests, and looks into the ideology behind the diet, speciesism.

Summary

New year, new diet? Dispatches investigates the rising popularity of veganism. It's better for your health, the environment and animals but why do some activists resort to such extreme tactics to promote it? Reporter Morland Sanders meets farmers who feel increasingly worried about some vegan protests, and looks into the ideology behind the diet, speciesism.

Season 2018 · Season 2018
26 episode(s) · Air date: 28/Jan/2018
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Season Overview

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S2018E26
Brexit: What the Nation Really Thinks
Air date: 05/Nov/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

As the Prime Minster tries to deliver a Brexit that works for the country as whole, we reveal what the British people think of the likely deal on offer. Channel 4 has commissioned the largest independent survey of attitudes across the whole of the UK conducted since the referendum. We asked 20,000 people drawn from every UK constituency for their views and put the results to politicians and those who stand to gain, or lose, most from the outcome; all before a live studio audience in Birmingham. Krishnan Guru-Murthy hosts.

Summary

As the Prime Minster tries to deliver a Brexit that works for the country as whole, we reveal what the British people think of the likely deal on offer. Channel 4 has commissioned the largest independent survey of attitudes across the whole of the UK conducted since the referendum. We asked 20,000 people drawn from every UK constituency for their views and put the results to politicians and those who stand to gain, or lose, most from the outcome; all before a live studio audience in Birmingham. Krishnan Guru-Murthy hosts.

S2018E25
Born on the Breadline
Air date: 29/Oct/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As Prime Minister Theresa May declares that 'austerity is over', Dispatches can reveal that more than 35,000 parents are now using baby banks to provide their young children with nappies, clothes, toys and cots. Dispatches has discovered that there are now more than 100 baby banks in the UK, the vast majority of which have been set up since the austerity programme began. For the first time, Dispatches has surveyed these baby banks, to get a sense of who they're serving and the services they're providing. The results of this ground-breaking survey show that demand has increased significantly. We meet working parents who can't afford the most basic essentials and have to rely on baby banks to provide for their children.

Summary

As Prime Minister Theresa May declares that 'austerity is over', Dispatches can reveal that more than 35,000 parents are now using baby banks to provide their young children with nappies, clothes, toys and cots. Dispatches has discovered that there are now more than 100 baby banks in the UK, the vast majority of which have been set up since the austerity programme began. For the first time, Dispatches has surveyed these baby banks, to get a sense of who they're serving and the services they're providing. The results of this ground-breaking survey show that demand has increased significantly. We meet working parents who can't afford the most basic essentials and have to rely on baby banks to provide for their children.

S2018E24
Cannabis: Time to End the Ban?
Air date: 22/Oct/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Two point four million people smoke cannabis in the UK. Some police forces don't prosecute for possession any more, and doctors can now apply for licences to prescribe the cannabis to treat patients with certain medical conditions. Canada has just legalised it, as have several American States. So is it time to look at the evidence and assess whether UK policy needs to change? Former Met Police chief Lord Hogan-Howe, who has always supported tough laws on cannabis, investigates for Dispatches. He visits Colorado - one of the first states in the US to legalise - and sees first-hand how the cannabis business is booming, how the state is using its quarter-of-a-billion-dollar tax dividend and discovers that some strains of cannabis on sale are six times stronger than skunk. Will he change his mind about legalisation?

Summary

Two point four million people smoke cannabis in the UK. Some police forces don't prosecute for possession any more, and doctors can now apply for licences to prescribe the cannabis to treat patients with certain medical conditions. Canada has just legalised it, as have several American States. So is it time to look at the evidence and assess whether UK policy needs to change? Former Met Police chief Lord Hogan-Howe, who has always supported tough laws on cannabis, investigates for Dispatches. He visits Colorado - one of the first states in the US to legalise - and sees first-hand how the cannabis business is booming, how the state is using its quarter-of-a-billion-dollar tax dividend and discovers that some strains of cannabis on sale are six times stronger than skunk. Will he change his mind about legalisation?

S2018E23
Witness Intimidation Revealed: Stitches for Snitches
Air date: 15/Oct/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Knife and gun crime is on the rise but prosecutions are falling. Key witnesses are terrified of giving evidence - with good reason. Livvy Haydock explores the dark world of witness intimidation, and finds a sophisticated and highly effective system of menacing violence amplified and driven by social media. She meets the gangsters who threaten 'stitches for snitches' and families of witnesses who paid the price of telling the truth in court.

Summary

Knife and gun crime is on the rise but prosecutions are falling. Key witnesses are terrified of giving evidence - with good reason. Livvy Haydock explores the dark world of witness intimidation, and finds a sophisticated and highly effective system of menacing violence amplified and driven by social media. She meets the gangsters who threaten 'stitches for snitches' and families of witnesses who paid the price of telling the truth in court.

S2018E22
Lawless Britain: Where are the Police?
Air date: 08/Oct/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Have you been burgled, robbed or assaulted but feel that the police brushed you off? You're not alone. Dispatches hears from victims of crime who claim that the police have failed to investigate their cases fully, if at all. These are stories of violent attacks, homes broken into, property vandalised and family businesses left to fend for themselves against thieves. Exclusive research featured in the programme raises concerns that Britain is now sliding into a new era of policing. One of the most comprehensive analyses to date reveals the levels of crimes that many forces are choosing not to investigate. Dispatches also examines the wider impact of the policy of 'screening out' and other practices by the police. Some victims are being left to investigate and seek justice themselves, others feel that law and order is slipping away from their community.

Summary

Have you been burgled, robbed or assaulted but feel that the police brushed you off? You're not alone. Dispatches hears from victims of crime who claim that the police have failed to investigate their cases fully, if at all. These are stories of violent attacks, homes broken into, property vandalised and family businesses left to fend for themselves against thieves. Exclusive research featured in the programme raises concerns that Britain is now sliding into a new era of policing. One of the most comprehensive analyses to date reveals the levels of crimes that many forces are choosing not to investigate. Dispatches also examines the wider impact of the policy of 'screening out' and other practices by the police. Some victims are being left to investigate and seek justice themselves, others feel that law and order is slipping away from their community.

S2018E19
Breastfeeding Uncovered
Air date: 30/Jul/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Britain has some of the worst breastfeeding rates in the world and new mum Kate Quilton wants to find out why. Food Unwrapped presenter Kate gave birth to her son in May and found breastfeeding a challenge. At one point she said she felt like a 'leper' when she was feeding in public. So she investigates the obstacles to breastfeeding, to find out why Britain has some of the worst rates in the world and whether more support is needed. A survey by Swansea University, exclusive to Dispatches, suggests that 67% of us think that there's no biological difference between breast milk and formula. Kate meets scientists at Imperial College who have measured the presence of hundreds of vital living components in breast milk that make it so much better for babies than formula. These include natural pain killers, aids to sleep and immune support. She also explores how cuts in public health funding have led to breastfeeding support services closing down.

Summary

Britain has some of the worst breastfeeding rates in the world and new mum Kate Quilton wants to find out why. Food Unwrapped presenter Kate gave birth to her son in May and found breastfeeding a challenge. At one point she said she felt like a 'leper' when she was feeding in public. So she investigates the obstacles to breastfeeding, to find out why Britain has some of the worst rates in the world and whether more support is needed. A survey by Swansea University, exclusive to Dispatches, suggests that 67% of us think that there's no biological difference between breast milk and formula. Kate meets scientists at Imperial College who have measured the presence of hundreds of vital living components in breast milk that make it so much better for babies than formula. These include natural pain killers, aids to sleep and immune support. She also explores how cuts in public health funding have led to breastfeeding support services closing down.

S2018E18
Homeless and Working
Air date: 23/Jul/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Hundreds of thousands of people are officially homeless. Now, with unique access, reporter Datshiane Navanayagam goes behind the scenes inside two homeless hostels in London to reveal the increasing number of people who are in work and homeless, unable to afford expensive inner-city private rents. She draws on her own experience of being homeless and uncovers how a low-wage economy based on zero hour contracts is leaving some people with no alternative other than to sleep on the streets. Datshiane talks to housing charity Shelter about new statistics that lay bare the intense personal anguish and embarrassment felt by those who are working but homeless.

Summary

Hundreds of thousands of people are officially homeless. Now, with unique access, reporter Datshiane Navanayagam goes behind the scenes inside two homeless hostels in London to reveal the increasing number of people who are in work and homeless, unable to afford expensive inner-city private rents. She draws on her own experience of being homeless and uncovers how a low-wage economy based on zero hour contracts is leaving some people with no alternative other than to sleep on the streets. Datshiane talks to housing charity Shelter about new statistics that lay bare the intense personal anguish and embarrassment felt by those who are working but homeless.

S2018E17
Plot to Kill: Britain's Neo-Nazi Terrorists
Air date: 18/Jul/2018 · Time: 22:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

On the day when a far-right terrorist is convicted of preparing to murder an MP, and two others are jailed for membership of banned neo-Nazi group National Action, Dispatches tells the inside story of how the killing was planned, and how that plan was betrayed to the police. Given exclusive access to the far-right activist who blew the whistle on the plot, the programme penetrates the secretive world of Britain's new neo-Nazis.

Summary

On the day when a far-right terrorist is convicted of preparing to murder an MP, and two others are jailed for membership of banned neo-Nazi group National Action, Dispatches tells the inside story of how the killing was planned, and how that plan was betrayed to the police. Given exclusive access to the far-right activist who blew the whistle on the plot, the programme penetrates the secretive world of Britain's new neo-Nazis.

S2018E16
Inside Facebook: Secrets of the Social Network
Air date: 17/Jul/2018 · Time: 21:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover in the secretive world of the people who decide what can and can't be posted on the world's biggest social media site. The investigation looks at how those decisions are made and explores the impact that they have on the millions of people who use Facebook.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover in the secretive world of the people who decide what can and can't be posted on the world's biggest social media site. The investigation looks at how those decisions are made and explores the impact that they have on the millions of people who use Facebook.

S2018E15
Getting Rich From the Housing Crisis
Air date: 16/Jul/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As Britain faces a major housing shortage, how is it that some of those responsible for providing the social housing that we so desperately need seem to be doing so well out of the crisis? Reporter Anthony Barnett travels the country to hear from communities under threat at a time when the pay of social housing bosses has hit record levels, while the provision of housing for social rent has hit an all-time low. Among his discoveries is that an executive of a housing association in one of the poorest parts of the country received a pay-out of more than a million pounds.

Summary

As Britain faces a major housing shortage, how is it that some of those responsible for providing the social housing that we so desperately need seem to be doing so well out of the crisis? Reporter Anthony Barnett travels the country to hear from communities under threat at a time when the pay of social housing bosses has hit record levels, while the provision of housing for social rent has hit an all-time low. Among his discoveries is that an executive of a housing association in one of the poorest parts of the country received a pay-out of more than a million pounds.

S2018E14
After Grenfell: How Safe are We?
Air date: 08/Jun/2018 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Grenfell Tower was Britain's worst fire for a century. A year on from the disaster, Ed Howker investigates claims that even after the Hackitt Review of building regulations, Britain's tower blocks are still not safe. He looks at recommendations from experts that combustible cladding should be banned and sprinkler systems introduced, and examines new evidence of risks in hundreds of other blocks.

Summary

Grenfell Tower was Britain's worst fire for a century. A year on from the disaster, Ed Howker investigates claims that even after the Hackitt Review of building regulations, Britain's tower blocks are still not safe. He looks at recommendations from experts that combustible cladding should be banned and sprinkler systems introduced, and examines new evidence of risks in hundreds of other blocks.

S2018E13
Myanmar's Killing Fields
Air date: 14/May/2018 · Time: 22:20 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

A Dispatches special edition from a multi-award-winning team of producer/reporter Evan Williams and director Patrick Wells. For the past five years an undercover network of Rohingya activists have been risking their lives to secretly film evidence of years of repression, violence and mass murder by the Myanmar authorities. Dispatches has been given exclusive access to hundreds of their videos and the first ever interview with the network to provide the most complete account of how ethnic tension degenerated into what some are calling state-sanctioned genocide, and ask whether Myanmar's leaders - including Nobel Prize-winning Aung San Suu Kyi - could be held accountable for the atrocities committed in Myanmar's killing fields.

Summary

A Dispatches special edition from a multi-award-winning team of producer/reporter Evan Williams and director Patrick Wells. For the past five years an undercover network of Rohingya activists have been risking their lives to secretly film evidence of years of repression, violence and mass murder by the Myanmar authorities. Dispatches has been given exclusive access to hundreds of their videos and the first ever interview with the network to provide the most complete account of how ethnic tension degenerated into what some are calling state-sanctioned genocide, and ask whether Myanmar's leaders - including Nobel Prize-winning Aung San Suu Kyi - could be held accountable for the atrocities committed in Myanmar's killing fields.

S2018E12
Britain's Benefits Crisis
Air date: 07/May/2018 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Universal Credit is the government's big idea for the seven million people who receive benefits. But the new welfare changes have been mired in controversy, with claims that they are forcing people to use food banks and making some people homeless. Hansard reported last November that the government had announced what they called a balanced package of improvements to put more money into claimants' hands earlier. Reporter Morland Sanders speaks to people who rely on the benefit to see what difference the changes are making to their lives. And an exclusive poll of the staff employed to administer the new system reveals widespread discontent at the Department of Work and Pensions.

Summary

Universal Credit is the government's big idea for the seven million people who receive benefits. But the new welfare changes have been mired in controversy, with claims that they are forcing people to use food banks and making some people homeless. Hansard reported last November that the government had announced what they called a balanced package of improvements to put more money into claimants' hands earlier. Reporter Morland Sanders speaks to people who rely on the benefit to see what difference the changes are making to their lives. And an exclusive poll of the staff employed to administer the new system reveals widespread discontent at the Department of Work and Pensions.

S2018E11
The True Cost of Green Energy
Air date: 16/Apr/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates a subsidised renewable energy industry that turns trees into fuel to keep the lights on in Britain, and in your home. But is burning wood instead of coal really an environmentally friendly answer to climate change? Reporter Antony Barnett travels to the forestlands of the south-eastern United States to find one source of this controversial 'carbon-neutral' fuel. Britain's households spend at least £500 million a year on biomass, which by 2020 will provide up to 30% of our renewable energy. But is there a wider cost to the environment? Barnett visits the biodiverse wetlands of Virginia and North Carolina where millions of tonnes of wood are harvested and processed into pellets, which are burnt in one of Britain's largest power stations.

Summary

Dispatches investigates a subsidised renewable energy industry that turns trees into fuel to keep the lights on in Britain, and in your home. But is burning wood instead of coal really an environmentally friendly answer to climate change? Reporter Antony Barnett travels to the forestlands of the south-eastern United States to find one source of this controversial 'carbon-neutral' fuel. Britain's households spend at least £500 million a year on biomass, which by 2020 will provide up to 30% of our renewable energy. But is there a wider cost to the environment? Barnett visits the biodiverse wetlands of Virginia and North Carolina where millions of tonnes of wood are harvested and processed into pellets, which are burnt in one of Britain's largest power stations.

S2018E10
Britain's Diesel Scandal
Air date: 09/Apr/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches reveals a new vehicle emissions scandal. Going undercover, the programme investigates how British hauliers are using high-tech 'cheat' devices and computerised hacking to disable the emissions controls on their vehicles, which worsens our air quality, all to save themselves money. A former Government chief scientist has described the hauliers involved as having 'blood on their hands' as experts say the premature deaths of 23,000 people each year in the UK are linked to the types of dangerous gases produced by HGV diesel engines - gases that should be controlled by their emissions systems. Dispatches demonstrates how HGVs that have had their emissions systems modified by hauliers produce far higher levels of dangerous pollutants, by conducting the first ever scientifically controlled test to assess the impact of the 'cheat' devices on the air we all breathe.

Summary

Dispatches reveals a new vehicle emissions scandal. Going undercover, the programme investigates how British hauliers are using high-tech 'cheat' devices and computerised hacking to disable the emissions controls on their vehicles, which worsens our air quality, all to save themselves money. A former Government chief scientist has described the hauliers involved as having 'blood on their hands' as experts say the premature deaths of 23,000 people each year in the UK are linked to the types of dangerous gases produced by HGV diesel engines - gases that should be controlled by their emissions systems. Dispatches demonstrates how HGVs that have had their emissions systems modified by hauliers produce far higher levels of dangerous pollutants, by conducting the first ever scientifically controlled test to assess the impact of the 'cheat' devices on the air we all breathe.

S2018E9
Who Speaks for British Muslims?
Air date: 26/Mar/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Across Britain, the police, local authorities and other public bodies are reaching out to Muslim groups in the fight against terrorism and extremism. But how much do they know about some of the Muslim groups they are talking to? John Ware investigates.

Summary

Across Britain, the police, local authorities and other public bodies are reaching out to Muslim groups in the fight against terrorism and extremism. But how much do they know about some of the Muslim groups they are talking to? John Ware investigates.

S2018E8
The Truth About Your Pay
Air date: 19/Mar/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates how companies could artificially close their gender pay gap. Reporter Tazeen Ahmad reveals how the figures companies present to the government may not always be what they seem, as the deadline for disclosing the average difference between the pay of male and female employees fast approaches. Undercover reporters meet the 'gender pay gap consultants' who offer advice that could allow firms to exploit loopholes in the law in order to protect their own reputations, instead of tackling differences in pay. Dispatches looks at whether this flagship policy will be enforced and asks if this new law aimed at promoting pay equality and adding billions of pounds to the economy is fit for purpose.

Summary

Dispatches investigates how companies could artificially close their gender pay gap. Reporter Tazeen Ahmad reveals how the figures companies present to the government may not always be what they seem, as the deadline for disclosing the average difference between the pay of male and female employees fast approaches. Undercover reporters meet the 'gender pay gap consultants' who offer advice that could allow firms to exploit loopholes in the law in order to protect their own reputations, instead of tackling differences in pay. Dispatches looks at whether this flagship policy will be enforced and asks if this new law aimed at promoting pay equality and adding billions of pounds to the economy is fit for purpose.

S2018E7
Undercover: Who's Policing Your Bank?.
Air date: 05/Mar/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

The Financial Ombudsman is meant to investigate when customers have unresolved complaints against financial institutions. But is there a bias against customers in favour of the banks? Dispatches goes undercover to investigate allegations that staff with little or no training are judging cases, and that some are reaching decisions in favour of the banks without even properly reading case files.

Summary

The Financial Ombudsman is meant to investigate when customers have unresolved complaints against financial institutions. But is there a bias against customers in favour of the banks? Dispatches goes undercover to investigate allegations that staff with little or no training are judging cases, and that some are reaching decisions in favour of the banks without even properly reading case files.

S2018E6
The Fgm Detectives
Air date: 27/Feb/2018 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

This exclusive documentary filmed over two years examines the problem of female genital mutilation, or FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia. It's estimated that some 137,000 women and girls are affected by FGM in England and Wales, and in any given year it's thought that 20,000 girls in the UK are at risk of FGM. Reporter Cathy Newman investigates.

Summary

This exclusive documentary filmed over two years examines the problem of female genital mutilation, or FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia. It's estimated that some 137,000 women and girls are affected by FGM in England and Wales, and in any given year it's thought that 20,000 girls in the UK are at risk of FGM. Reporter Cathy Newman investigates.

S2018E5
Britain's University Spending Scandal
Air date: 26/Feb/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates the expenses of Britain's top universities, revealing over £7 million of spending by the institutions' senior leadership teams. Amid the national debate over university vice chancellors' large pay packets, Dispatches shines a light on the opaque area of spending on luxury hotels, executive travel, fine dining around the world, and other creature comforts. Britain has some of the best universities in the world, but does what they spend always represent value for money for students, and the taxpayer? Since fees tripled in 2012, vice chancellor pay has increased by at least 7 per cent, prompting the government to bring in a new regulator to keep pay 'under control'. But will the new body be tough enough? Reporter Antony Barnett lives the life of a vice chancellor as he interrogates receipts and credit card statements obtained by Dispatches under freedom of information laws.

Summary

Dispatches investigates the expenses of Britain's top universities, revealing over £7 million of spending by the institutions' senior leadership teams. Amid the national debate over university vice chancellors' large pay packets, Dispatches shines a light on the opaque area of spending on luxury hotels, executive travel, fine dining around the world, and other creature comforts. Britain has some of the best universities in the world, but does what they spend always represent value for money for students, and the taxpayer? Since fees tripled in 2012, vice chancellor pay has increased by at least 7 per cent, prompting the government to bring in a new regulator to keep pay 'under control'. But will the new body be tough enough? Reporter Antony Barnett lives the life of a vice chancellor as he interrogates receipts and credit card statements obtained by Dispatches under freedom of information laws.

S2018E4
Undercover: Inside the Priory
Air date: 19/Feb/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In the grip of a funding crisis and with the number of mental health beds plummeting, the NHS is placing thousands of patients in private hospitals. The American-owned Priory Group is the biggest beneficiary receiving hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money over the last year. Dispatches goes undercover in one of the group's hospitals to investigate the care these patients are receiving and discovers a worrying picture.

Summary

In the grip of a funding crisis and with the number of mental health beds plummeting, the NHS is placing thousands of patients in private hospitals. The American-owned Priory Group is the biggest beneficiary receiving hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money over the last year. Dispatches goes undercover in one of the group's hospitals to investigate the care these patients are receiving and discovers a worrying picture.

S2018E3
Football's Wall of Silence
Air date: 15/Feb/2018 · Time: 23:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Former youth football coach Barry Bennell, whose trial ended today, was found guilty of a total of 43 offences relating to 11 victims, following years of abuse against young boys he coached. In an Al Jazeera investigation for Channel 4 Dispatches, Deborah Davies reveals how one of the top talent spotters in Britain with ties to major clubs like Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra spent his days coaching children, and his nights abusing them. Davies first reported on Barry Bennell's crimes 20 years ago for Dispatches. In a powerful and heart-breaking documentary, she describes how some of his victims have turned to substance abuse and even attempted suicide.

Summary

Former youth football coach Barry Bennell, whose trial ended today, was found guilty of a total of 43 offences relating to 11 victims, following years of abuse against young boys he coached. In an Al Jazeera investigation for Channel 4 Dispatches, Deborah Davies reveals how one of the top talent spotters in Britain with ties to major clubs like Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra spent his days coaching children, and his nights abusing them. Davies first reported on Barry Bennell's crimes 20 years ago for Dispatches. In a powerful and heart-breaking documentary, she describes how some of his victims have turned to substance abuse and even attempted suicide.

S2018E2
Undercover in Premier Inn
Air date: 12/Feb/2018 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

It's Britain's biggest and fastest growing hotel chain, but when a Dispatches reporter goes undercover as an agency housekeeper at a central London Premier Inn to make those comfy beds and clean the rooms, she finds some less-than-comfortable truths about what it can be like for some of the people working there.

Summary

It's Britain's biggest and fastest growing hotel chain, but when a Dispatches reporter goes undercover as an agency housekeeper at a central London Premier Inn to make those comfy beds and clean the rooms, she finds some less-than-comfortable truths about what it can be like for some of the people working there.

S2018E1
Politicians for Hire: Cashing in on Brexit
Air date: 28/Jan/2018 · Time: 19:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate how former cabinet ministers might be looking to make money from Brexit. Antony Barnett discovers how, with Brexit causing ever more confusion and uncertainty, this presents an opportunity for those with the right knowledge to cash in on their experience.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate how former cabinet ministers might be looking to make money from Brexit. Antony Barnett discovers how, with Brexit causing ever more confusion and uncertainty, this presents an opportunity for those with the right knowledge to cash in on their experience.

Season 2017 · Season 2017
28 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Jan/2017
Improve Season
Season Overview

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S2017E27
How to Avoid the Dementia Tax
Air date: 20/Nov/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Is demand for long-term nursing care about to push the NHS over the edge? Ahead of the Budget, the Chancellor is coming under increasing pressure to raise more money to fund long-term social care. As local authorities struggle to meet these huge costs, reporter Tazeen Ahmad reports on the so-called 'dementia tax'. Ahmad investigates why some dementia sufferers have to sell their family homes to pay for care while others gain access to NHS funds. And Dispatches goes undercover to reveal the advice financial experts give to potential sufferers. Dispatches asks whether the system providing care for thousands is really fit for purpose.

Summary

Is demand for long-term nursing care about to push the NHS over the edge? Ahead of the Budget, the Chancellor is coming under increasing pressure to raise more money to fund long-term social care. As local authorities struggle to meet these huge costs, reporter Tazeen Ahmad reports on the so-called 'dementia tax'. Ahmad investigates why some dementia sufferers have to sell their family homes to pay for care while others gain access to NHS funds. And Dispatches goes undercover to reveal the advice financial experts give to potential sufferers. Dispatches asks whether the system providing care for thousands is really fit for purpose.

S2017E26
The Great Housing Scandal
Air date: 13/Nov/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Following the Grenfell fire, Theresa May dedicated her premiership to fixing Britain's broken housing market. But do the government's actions contradict her pledge?

Summary

Following the Grenfell fire, Theresa May dedicated her premiership to fixing Britain's broken housing market. But do the government's actions contradict her pledge?

S2017E24
Trouble on the Trains
Air date: 06/Nov/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches gains exclusive access to go undercover with the British Transport Police's crime unit to expose racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism by football fans on Britain's trains. Reporter Morland Sanders investigates as ordinary passengers are subjected to shocking abuse. One youth sings anti-Semitic songs, and another group of fans subject travellers to their racism - all caught on secret cameras. The cops try to track them down and put them away. Paul Crowther, the BTP's most senior police officer, discloses that anti-social and abusive behaviour on Britain's trains by football supporters is under-reported by the public because it is tolerated as part of 'football culture'.

Summary

Dispatches gains exclusive access to go undercover with the British Transport Police's crime unit to expose racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism by football fans on Britain's trains. Reporter Morland Sanders investigates as ordinary passengers are subjected to shocking abuse. One youth sings anti-Semitic songs, and another group of fans subject travellers to their racism - all caught on secret cameras. The cops try to track them down and put them away. Paul Crowther, the BTP's most senior police officer, discloses that anti-social and abusive behaviour on Britain's trains by football supporters is under-reported by the public because it is tolerated as part of 'football culture'.

S2017E23
Is Britain Full?
Air date: 30/Oct/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Is the country at breaking point? For many, high levels of immigration have caused real issues and arguably led directly to the Brexit vote. But is Britain really full? For Dispatches, Michael Buerk investigates the story behind the numbers and the impact of internal migration. New research reveals the true scale of massive movement within the UK and its impact on both overpopulated and underpopulated areas. Buerk travels to a northern English city that has almost halved in size over the years, meeting young people forming the exodus of migrants heading south for opportunity and better pay. Here he finds forgotten streets full of empty homes. The North-South divide is not just about wealth but also about numbers. Buerk asks whether we ignore the issue of internal migration at our peril and whether, with Brexit on the horizon, this issue will finally be discussed.

Summary

Is the country at breaking point? For many, high levels of immigration have caused real issues and arguably led directly to the Brexit vote. But is Britain really full? For Dispatches, Michael Buerk investigates the story behind the numbers and the impact of internal migration. New research reveals the true scale of massive movement within the UK and its impact on both overpopulated and underpopulated areas. Buerk travels to a northern English city that has almost halved in size over the years, meeting young people forming the exodus of migrants heading south for opportunity and better pay. Here he finds forgotten streets full of empty homes. The North-South divide is not just about wealth but also about numbers. Buerk asks whether we ignore the issue of internal migration at our peril and whether, with Brexit on the horizon, this issue will finally be discussed.

S2017E22
Who Deserves a Pay Rise?
Air date: 23/Oct/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates what life's like for police officers, nurses and other public sector workers following seven years of pay freezes and pay caps.

Summary

Dispatches investigates what life's like for police officers, nurses and other public sector workers following seven years of pay freezes and pay caps.

S2017E21
Trump and Russia: Sex, Spies and Scandal
Air date: 18/Oct/2017 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 65 min
Summary

Did the Trump campaign collude with the Russians? Matt Frei investigates this epic tale of mystery and intrigue, which reads like a thriller featuring spies, models and notorious political players.

Summary

Did the Trump campaign collude with the Russians? Matt Frei investigates this epic tale of mystery and intrigue, which reads like a thriller featuring spies, models and notorious political players.

S2017E20
How to Get a Pay Rise
Air date: 16/Oct/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

This is an era of stagnant wages: British workers are going through 15 years without any real-term pay rise. Morland Sanders investigates who's responsible and whether we can turn the tables on our bosses. Sanders reveals how much British workers have suffered from low wage growth and how we fail to properly negotiate pay rises with our employers. In this Dispatches with a difference, master negotiator Dan Hughes - the expert who's training the civil servants who are representing the UK at Brexit negotiations - reveals his top tips on how to prepare for that all-important pay discussion. Dan coaches two employees, who haven't had a rise for years, on tactics and negotiating skills to help them find the confidence to ask for more. They then approach their employers to discuss their pay; can they confidently negotiate their terms? And can Dan's masterclass teach us all how to get a pay rise?

Summary

This is an era of stagnant wages: British workers are going through 15 years without any real-term pay rise. Morland Sanders investigates who's responsible and whether we can turn the tables on our bosses. Sanders reveals how much British workers have suffered from low wage growth and how we fail to properly negotiate pay rises with our employers. In this Dispatches with a difference, master negotiator Dan Hughes - the expert who's training the civil servants who are representing the UK at Brexit negotiations - reveals his top tips on how to prepare for that all-important pay discussion. Dan coaches two employees, who haven't had a rise for years, on tactics and negotiating skills to help them find the confidence to ask for more. They then approach their employers to discuss their pay; can they confidently negotiate their terms? And can Dan's masterclass teach us all how to get a pay rise?

S2017E19
Secrets of Your New Car
Air date: 28/Aug/2017 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With new forms of finance driving Britain's thriving new car market, Morland Sanders investigates whether the bargains on offer in the showroom are all they seem. Finance schemes are making cars more affordable to more drivers than ever before. But as concern grows around household debt levels Dispatches asks whether the deals on offer are making the second biggest purchase you'll ever make a liability for your bank balance. Sanders asks if the car industry is being entirely straight with customers. Undercover filming exposes questionable sales patter and confusing advice. Sanders also talks to one driver who says she was caught out by the small print in her car finance deal. And the programme reveals one little-known way to get the car of your dreams at a lower price than the one quoted by most sales staff.

Summary

With new forms of finance driving Britain's thriving new car market, Morland Sanders investigates whether the bargains on offer in the showroom are all they seem. Finance schemes are making cars more affordable to more drivers than ever before. But as concern grows around household debt levels Dispatches asks whether the deals on offer are making the second biggest purchase you'll ever make a liability for your bank balance. Sanders asks if the car industry is being entirely straight with customers. Undercover filming exposes questionable sales patter and confusing advice. Sanders also talks to one driver who says she was caught out by the small print in her car finance deal. And the programme reveals one little-known way to get the car of your dreams at a lower price than the one quoted by most sales staff.

S2017E18
Secrets of Britain's New Homes
Air date: 10/Jul/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As the national spotlight falls on the need for Britain to build more high-quality affordable homes, a Dispatches investigation asks why so few affordable properties are being built at a time when housebuilders have been making record profits. Reporter Antony Barnett travels across the country revealing how property companies have failed to deliver new affordable homes and asks questions about the links between the government and the property industry. Airing in a week of programmes on Channel 4 and More4 exploring issues of housing and homelessness.

Summary

As the national spotlight falls on the need for Britain to build more high-quality affordable homes, a Dispatches investigation asks why so few affordable properties are being built at a time when housebuilders have been making record profits. Reporter Antony Barnett travels across the country revealing how property companies have failed to deliver new affordable homes and asks questions about the links between the government and the property industry. Airing in a week of programmes on Channel 4 and More4 exploring issues of housing and homelessness.

S2017E17
Secrets of Your Cruise
Air date: 03/Jul/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Almost two million Brits took a cruise last year, fleeing our polluted cities and towns for amazing scenery and fresh sea air. But how clean is the air you breathe on these holidays of a lifetime? Dispatches goes undercover to investigate deep concerns about the impact some cruise ships could be having on the environment and public health. Travelling as a passenger on a European cruise, reporter Tazeen Ahmad discovers more about the pollution levels some customers could be exposed to and investigates the wider impact of cruising holidays, from waste flushed straight into the sea to on-shore pollution.

Summary

Almost two million Brits took a cruise last year, fleeing our polluted cities and towns for amazing scenery and fresh sea air. But how clean is the air you breathe on these holidays of a lifetime? Dispatches goes undercover to investigate deep concerns about the impact some cruise ships could be having on the environment and public health. Travelling as a passenger on a European cruise, reporter Tazeen Ahmad discovers more about the pollution levels some customers could be exposed to and investigates the wider impact of cruising holidays, from waste flushed straight into the sea to on-shore pollution.

S2017E16
Brexit - How to Get a British Passport
Air date: 26/Jun/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

A year on from the referendum the Brexit talks are just starting. Top of the agenda will be the status of three million Europeans living here. Many of them and their children were born in the UK or have lived here most of their lives. You may have thought that being born here would immediately guarantee them a British passport, but that's not the case. For Dispatches, Datshiane Navanayagam investigates just how hard it can be to get a British passport and the real impact that the lack of a passport has on many people's lives. Navanayagam reveals that there are already 120,000 children and young people born or raised in the UK who think that they are British but will not automatically gain citizenship. She reveals some of the huge costs involved in applying for citizenship, examines how the Home Office assesses claims and asks whether Brexit will make the situation worse.

Summary

A year on from the referendum the Brexit talks are just starting. Top of the agenda will be the status of three million Europeans living here. Many of them and their children were born in the UK or have lived here most of their lives. You may have thought that being born here would immediately guarantee them a British passport, but that's not the case. For Dispatches, Datshiane Navanayagam investigates just how hard it can be to get a British passport and the real impact that the lack of a passport has on many people's lives. Navanayagam reveals that there are already 120,000 children and young people born or raised in the UK who think that they are British but will not automatically gain citizenship. She reveals some of the huge costs involved in applying for citizenship, examines how the Home Office assesses claims and asks whether Brexit will make the situation worse.

S2017E15
Bupa Care Homes Undercover
Air date: 19/Jun/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As the way we care for our ageing relatives becomes an increasingly hot topic, Dispatches goes undercover to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect at specialist dementia care homes run by Bupa, the UK's biggest name in healthcare. Bupa promises to provide person-centred, high quality care but covert footage captured in one home over three months by a Dispatches reporter raises serious questions about that commitment. Jackie Long investigates evidence of over-stretched and under-resourced care staff, questionable treatment of residents and safety worries. It's a picture that raises serious questions about how society should look after an ageing population and the quality of care provided by one of Britain's biggest brands.

Summary

As the way we care for our ageing relatives becomes an increasingly hot topic, Dispatches goes undercover to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect at specialist dementia care homes run by Bupa, the UK's biggest name in healthcare. Bupa promises to provide person-centred, high quality care but covert footage captured in one home over three months by a Dispatches reporter raises serious questions about that commitment. Jackie Long investigates evidence of over-stretched and under-resourced care staff, questionable treatment of residents and safety worries. It's a picture that raises serious questions about how society should look after an ageing population and the quality of care provided by one of Britain's biggest brands.

S2017E14
Trump, the Doctor and the Vaccine Scandal
Air date: 08/May/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Donald Trump is worried about vaccines. He thinks 'big' shots like MMR may cause autism, but there's no scientific evidence for that. So who's he been listening to? In this investigation, Cathy Newman reveals the role played by the disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield, struck off by the GMC seven years ago, but now astonishingly resurgent in Trump's America.

Summary

Donald Trump is worried about vaccines. He thinks 'big' shots like MMR may cause autism, but there's no scientific evidence for that. So who's he been listening to? In this investigation, Cathy Newman reveals the role played by the disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield, struck off by the GMC seven years ago, but now astonishingly resurgent in Trump's America.

S2017E13
Isis and the Battle for Iraq
Air date: 06/Apr/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As Sunni refugees flee from Isis in Iraq, they face a new threat from Shia militia fighters. Dispatches investigates allegations of torture, execution and sectarian cleansing.

Summary

As Sunni refugees flee from Isis in Iraq, they face a new threat from Shia militia fighters. Dispatches investigates allegations of torture, execution and sectarian cleansing.

S2017E12
President Trump: How Scared Should We Be?
Air date: 03/Apr/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

President Trump has said that his foreign policy will be based on the principle of 'America First'. He's surrounded in the Oval Office by people who dispute the notion that the US has an obligation to maintain a stable international order. Some are hostile to the EU and attach little value to international institutions such as Nato and the United Nations. And now Donald Trump has his finger on the trigger of nearly 7000 nuclear warheads. Abi Austen travels to the US to find out what the Age of Trump means in practice for the rest of the world and asks: just how worried should we be?

Summary

President Trump has said that his foreign policy will be based on the principle of 'America First'. He's surrounded in the Oval Office by people who dispute the notion that the US has an obligation to maintain a stable international order. Some are hostile to the EU and attach little value to international institutions such as Nato and the United Nations. And now Donald Trump has his finger on the trigger of nearly 7000 nuclear warheads. Abi Austen travels to the US to find out what the Age of Trump means in practice for the rest of the world and asks: just how worried should we be?

S2017E9
Britain's Benefit Families
Air date: 20/Mar/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Seyi Rhodes investigates the impact of the government's latest benefit cap and learns that its unintended consequences may push the benefits bill up in other ways.

Summary

Seyi Rhodes investigates the impact of the government's latest benefit cap and learns that its unintended consequences may push the benefits bill up in other ways.

S2017E8
Brexit: Crisis on the Wards
Air date: 13/Mar/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the impact that Brexit is having on the NHS, as it faces the largest nursing shortage in recent times.

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the impact that Brexit is having on the NHS, as it faces the largest nursing shortage in recent times.

S2017E7
Under Lock and Key
Air date: 01/Mar/2017 · Time: 22:00 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Thousands of young people with severe learning disabilities and autism are still locked up in hospitals, despite promises made by the government in its Transforming Care Policy. NHS commissioners continue to send these vulnerable young people to big institutions, instead of providing more bespoke care packages to meet their complex needs. This Dispatches Special from Bafta Award-winning director Alison Millar tells the stories of families whose loved ones have been locked away in one of the biggest institutions in the country, subject to restraint, seclusion and frequent sedation. The programme also shows what good care looks like, and the dramatic improvements it can make to people's quality of life. With mental health services facing a rise in demand at the same time as public spending is being squeezed, the programme asks how best to provide appropriate care for those in desperate need.

Summary

Thousands of young people with severe learning disabilities and autism are still locked up in hospitals, despite promises made by the government in its Transforming Care Policy. NHS commissioners continue to send these vulnerable young people to big institutions, instead of providing more bespoke care packages to meet their complex needs. This Dispatches Special from Bafta Award-winning director Alison Millar tells the stories of families whose loved ones have been locked away in one of the biggest institutions in the country, subject to restraint, seclusion and frequent sedation. The programme also shows what good care looks like, and the dramatic improvements it can make to people's quality of life. With mental health services facing a rise in demand at the same time as public spending is being squeezed, the programme asks how best to provide appropriate care for those in desperate need.

S2017E6
Inside Britain's Airports
Air date: 27/Feb/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Each year Britain's airports make roughly £2 billion from shops in their terminals. Harry Wallop goes undercover to investigate the secrets of airport shops.

Summary

Each year Britain's airports make roughly £2 billion from shops in their terminals. Harry Wallop goes undercover to investigate the secrets of airport shops.

S2017E5
Supermarkets: Brexit and Your Shrinking Shop
Air date: 20/Feb/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

From shrinking Toblerones to a Marmite price row, Dispatches investigates Brexit's impact on the prices, and sizes, of some of our favourite brands.

Summary

From shrinking Toblerones to a Marmite price row, Dispatches investigates Brexit's impact on the prices, and sizes, of some of our favourite brands.

S2017E4
Undercover: Britain's Homeless Scandal
Air date: 13/Feb/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With councils struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing, Dispatches investigates the impact on homeless women attempting to get off the streets.

Summary

With councils struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing, Dispatches investigates the impact on homeless women attempting to get off the streets.

S2017E3
Undercover: Britain's Cheap Clothes - Part 2
Air date: 30/Jan/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In a second investigation into Britain's clothing industry, Dispatches investigates working conditions in the warehouses that service our online orders.

Summary

In a second investigation into Britain's clothing industry, Dispatches investigates working conditions in the warehouses that service our online orders.

S2017E2
Undercover: Britain's Cheap Clothes - Part 1
Air date: 23/Jan/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate the textile factories in the UK making clothes for some of the biggest brands, and discovers what Made in Britain really means. In 2010 reporter Tazeen Ahmad exposed poor conditions in clothes factories located in the heart of Britain. Now she returns to find out if things have improved. She discovers workers being paid less than half the national living wage and working conditions that pose a serious fire risk. Secret cameras capture one textile boss revealing that he considers he's in direct competition with Bangladesh to meet the orders. Tazeen also meets a new breed of shopper who never leave their homes to get the latest designs quickly. The booming industry labelled Fast Fashion has changed the face of the textile market, and Dispatches discovers what it means for the workers who make the clothes.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate the textile factories in the UK making clothes for some of the biggest brands, and discovers what Made in Britain really means. In 2010 reporter Tazeen Ahmad exposed poor conditions in clothes factories located in the heart of Britain. Now she returns to find out if things have improved. She discovers workers being paid less than half the national living wage and working conditions that pose a serious fire risk. Secret cameras capture one textile boss revealing that he considers he's in direct competition with Bangladesh to meet the orders. Tazeen also meets a new breed of shopper who never leave their homes to get the latest designs quickly. The booming industry labelled Fast Fashion has changed the face of the textile market, and Dispatches discovers what it means for the workers who make the clothes.

S2017E1
President Trump's Dirty Secrets
Air date: 16/Jan/2017 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In the week of Donald Trump's inauguration, Dispatches investigates the controversial figures now surrounding him and their ties to powerful corporations that could have far-reaching consequences beyond America. Following promises to 'drain the swamp' of outside interests in Washington, team Trump is now stacked with 'Big Oil' and gas company favourites. While the president-elect remains unpredictable, many of these key players have made it clear exactly what they want. Antony Barnett travels to the US to discover more about Trump and his administration's funding and commercial ties to the fossil fuel industry. Examining the threats to America's Clean Air Act and the Paris Agreement on climate change, he also speaks to one prominent advisor who has helped shaped Trump's energy strategy. Among the rhetoric, ongoing drama and controversy, could this be the issue that ends up defining Donald Trump's presidency?

Summary

In the week of Donald Trump's inauguration, Dispatches investigates the controversial figures now surrounding him and their ties to powerful corporations that could have far-reaching consequences beyond America. Following promises to 'drain the swamp' of outside interests in Washington, team Trump is now stacked with 'Big Oil' and gas company favourites. While the president-elect remains unpredictable, many of these key players have made it clear exactly what they want. Antony Barnett travels to the US to discover more about Trump and his administration's funding and commercial ties to the fossil fuel industry. Examining the threats to America's Clean Air Act and the Paris Agreement on climate change, he also speaks to one prominent advisor who has helped shaped Trump's energy strategy. Among the rhetoric, ongoing drama and controversy, could this be the issue that ends up defining Donald Trump's presidency?

Season 2016 · Season 2016
28 episode(s) · Air date: 01/Feb/2016
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S2016E27
Britain's Homebuilding Scandal
Air date: 07/Nov/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Many are struggling to find a home; a reason why is too few houses are being built. Liam Halligan probes developers deliberately holding back land to maximise profits.

Summary

Many are struggling to find a home; a reason why is too few houses are being built. Liam Halligan probes developers deliberately holding back land to maximise profits.

S2016E26
The Secret Plan to Save Fat Britain
Air date: 31/Oct/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

British men are Europe's fattest, our women the second fattest. Millions of children are overweight. So why's Downing Street diluted its obesity strategy?

Summary

British men are Europe's fattest, our women the second fattest. Millions of children are overweight. So why's Downing Street diluted its obesity strategy?

S2016E25
Addicted to Spending
Air date: 24/Oct/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

With personal debt at an all-time high, Morland Sanders asks if more could be done to help families kick the spending addiction.

Summary

With personal debt at an all-time high, Morland Sanders asks if more could be done to help families kick the spending addiction.

S2016E24
Living with Nightmare Neighbours
Air date: 17/Oct/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

The government promised to fix so-called neighbours from hell with its Troubled Families Programme, but Dispatches meets families who say it has had no real impact

Summary

The government promised to fix so-called neighbours from hell with its Troubled Families Programme, but Dispatches meets families who say it has had no real impact

S2016E23
Britain's Wealth Gap
Air date: 10/Oct/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Can't afford a house? Haven't got a pension? Don't expect a pay rise? If so, you're probably part of Britain's younger, struggling generations. The wealth gap between young and old has become a defining feature of our times; in this special Dispatches, Spectator Editor Fraser Nelson investigates just how divided our country has become. Nelson reveals new figures showing the extent of the gap and investigates its causes. He speaks to leading politicians and hears fears from the top of Government that older voters have effectively been kept sweet at the expense of the young.

Summary

Can't afford a house? Haven't got a pension? Don't expect a pay rise? If so, you're probably part of Britain's younger, struggling generations. The wealth gap between young and old has become a defining feature of our times; in this special Dispatches, Spectator Editor Fraser Nelson investigates just how divided our country has become. Nelson reveals new figures showing the extent of the gap and investigates its causes. He speaks to leading politicians and hears fears from the top of Government that older voters have effectively been kept sweet at the expense of the young.

S2016E21
The Battle for the Labour Party
Air date: 19/Sep/2016 · Time: 19:30 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Antony Barnett investigates the Labour Party, just days before the declaration of whether Jeremy Corbyn has retained his leadership.

Summary

Antony Barnett investigates the Labour Party, just days before the declaration of whether Jeremy Corbyn has retained his leadership.

S2016E20
The Great Housing Scandal
Air date: 15/Aug/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Many people in Britain dream of owning their own home, but the reality is many of them never will. Harry Wallop investigates the failure to build enough houses in the UK. He finds out what happened to a much-heralded government plan to sell off enough public land to build 100,000 new homes, and discovers deals done with big developers at a potential loss to the taxpayer: plans for luxury hotels and high end apartments. Harry also finds large areas of sold-off land sitting empty, while millions of people can't find an affordable home to buy. With home ownership in England at a 30-year low, just how committed are the government to easing the housing crisis? And what plans are actively in place to solve the problem?

Summary

Many people in Britain dream of owning their own home, but the reality is many of them never will. Harry Wallop investigates the failure to build enough houses in the UK. He finds out what happened to a much-heralded government plan to sell off enough public land to build 100,000 new homes, and discovers deals done with big developers at a potential loss to the taxpayer: plans for luxury hotels and high end apartments. Harry also finds large areas of sold-off land sitting empty, while millions of people can't find an affordable home to buy. With home ownership in England at a 30-year low, just how committed are the government to easing the housing crisis? And what plans are actively in place to solve the problem?

S2016E19
Brexit: Who'll Do Your Job Now?
Air date: 08/Aug/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Picking our food, cleaning our toilets and packing our parcels... With Brexit a reality, Dispatches looks at who will now work in Britain's low paid jobs if cheap EU workers are no longer in plentiful supply. Could the answer be found in mainland Europe? Reporter Morland Sanders finds a shadowy workforce which is helping to fund one of the world's most repressive regimes: North Korea. He investigates claims that North Koreans are already working to supply British companies from the continent. He also asks if they could end up working here in our fields and factories when no more cheap European labour is available.

Summary

Picking our food, cleaning our toilets and packing our parcels... With Brexit a reality, Dispatches looks at who will now work in Britain's low paid jobs if cheap EU workers are no longer in plentiful supply. Could the answer be found in mainland Europe? Reporter Morland Sanders finds a shadowy workforce which is helping to fund one of the world's most repressive regimes: North Korea. He investigates claims that North Koreans are already working to supply British companies from the continent. He also asks if they could end up working here in our fields and factories when no more cheap European labour is available.

S2016E18
How Safe is Your Car?
Air date: 01/Aug/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Following the car emissions scandal last year when some manufacturers admitted they manipulated the results of exhaust tests, reporter Morland Sanders investigates if we can trust manufacturers and testers with car safety. With new evidence that some cars might not perform as well in real crashes as their safety rating suggests, Dispatches asks: could more be done to protect drivers and passengers? He also looks at the recall system and finds that the discovery of a fault doesn't always mean an immediate recall.

Summary

Following the car emissions scandal last year when some manufacturers admitted they manipulated the results of exhaust tests, reporter Morland Sanders investigates if we can trust manufacturers and testers with car safety. With new evidence that some cars might not perform as well in real crashes as their safety rating suggests, Dispatches asks: could more be done to protect drivers and passengers? He also looks at the recall system and finds that the discovery of a fault doesn't always mean an immediate recall.

S2016E17
How School Bosses Spend Your Millions
Air date: 25/Jul/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

David Cameron says the expansion of the academy school system is one of the greatest achievements of his time as Prime Minister. Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money now flow directly into academy trusts. Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett investigates the finances behind these schools and discovers big salaries and generous expenses. From the American consultant on sky-high rates, to the cost of your new school uniform, Dispatches reveals the secrets of the academy expansion.

Summary

David Cameron says the expansion of the academy school system is one of the greatest achievements of his time as Prime Minister. Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money now flow directly into academy trusts. Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett investigates the finances behind these schools and discovers big salaries and generous expenses. From the American consultant on sky-high rates, to the cost of your new school uniform, Dispatches reveals the secrets of the academy expansion.

S2016E16
Is Your Pension Safe?
Air date: 18/Jul/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Post-Brexit it's been a scary few weeks for the UK economy. Many company pension schemes are already in deficit and falling long-term interest rates are now adding further pressure. Will there be more companies like BHS who struggle to meet their pension commitments? Former accountant Shaunagh Connaire investigates the implications for your retirement.

Summary

Post-Brexit it's been a scary few weeks for the UK economy. Many company pension schemes are already in deficit and falling long-term interest rates are now adding further pressure. Will there be more companies like BHS who struggle to meet their pension commitments? Former accountant Shaunagh Connaire investigates the implications for your retirement.

S2016E15
Racist Britain
Air date: 11/Jul/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Racist abuse is on the rise in post-Brexit Britain and increasingly it's being caught on camera. In particular, Muslims are bearing the brunt of the xenophobia, in person and online. Seyi Rhodes investigates this rising tide of racism, revealing the scale of the abuse, and uncovers dramatic recordings of physical and verbal attacks.

Summary

Racist abuse is on the rise in post-Brexit Britain and increasingly it's being caught on camera. In particular, Muslims are bearing the brunt of the xenophobia, in person and online. Seyi Rhodes investigates this rising tide of racism, revealing the scale of the abuse, and uncovers dramatic recordings of physical and verbal attacks.

S2016E14
Are You Owed a Pay Rise?
Air date: 04/Jul/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates the impact of the National Living Wage. Introduced earlier this year, it was supposed to mean a pay increase for some of Britain's poorest workers, but is everyone really getting richer? Morland Sanders meets the staff who have been threatened with the sack if they don't sign new contracts which would make them poorer. Dispatches finds some of Britain's biggest companies cutting perks and privileges and goes undercover to investigate the businesses offering wages far lower than the new ú7.20 an hour minimum.

Summary

Dispatches investigates the impact of the National Living Wage. Introduced earlier this year, it was supposed to mean a pay increase for some of Britain's poorest workers, but is everyone really getting richer? Morland Sanders meets the staff who have been threatened with the sack if they don't sign new contracts which would make them poorer. Dispatches finds some of Britain's biggest companies cutting perks and privileges and goes undercover to investigate the businesses offering wages far lower than the new ú7.20 an hour minimum.

S2016E13
Inside Britain's Children's Services
Air date: 26/May/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

In a unique and important investigation, Dispatches has gone undercover inside one of Britain's largest and worst performing children's services departments, where social workers are battling to keep vulnerable children safe. For several years, Birmingham City Council's Children's Services has been criticised for failing children, and in 2013 was described by Ofsted's Chief Inspector as a 'national disgrace'. Birmingham has faced 27 serious case reviews over the last 10 years. Earlier this month, a woman was found guilty of brutally murdering 18-month old baby Keegan Downer, who Birmingham's Children's Services had placed with her after Keegan was removed from her drug-addicted birth mother. Keegan is just the latest of several children killed in the city in recent years by those supposed to be caring for them. Birmingham City Council has insisted that sorting out its Children's Services is a top priority, and claims that substantial improvements have been made.

Summary

In a unique and important investigation, Dispatches has gone undercover inside one of Britain's largest and worst performing children's services departments, where social workers are battling to keep vulnerable children safe. For several years, Birmingham City Council's Children's Services has been criticised for failing children, and in 2013 was described by Ofsted's Chief Inspector as a 'national disgrace'. Birmingham has faced 27 serious case reviews over the last 10 years. Earlier this month, a woman was found guilty of brutally murdering 18-month old baby Keegan Downer, who Birmingham's Children's Services had placed with her after Keegan was removed from her drug-addicted birth mother. Keegan is just the latest of several children killed in the city in recent years by those supposed to be caring for them. Birmingham City Council has insisted that sorting out its Children's Services is a top priority, and claims that substantial improvements have been made.

S2016E12
The Truth About Cheap Flights
Air date: 25/Apr/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

It's that time of year, when dreams of a summer escape will soon be just an air ticket away, if only you can find the best price. Dispatches goes undercover to learn the secrets of a major player in the travel trade. Are the lowest fares all that they seem? Are you getting the best deal? And if your plans need to change, how will you be treated? Harry Wallop uses secret camera footage to test the promises of the travel business.

Summary

It's that time of year, when dreams of a summer escape will soon be just an air ticket away, if only you can find the best price. Dispatches goes undercover to learn the secrets of a major player in the travel trade. Are the lowest fares all that they seem? Are you getting the best deal? And if your plans need to change, how will you be treated? Harry Wallop uses secret camera footage to test the promises of the travel business.

S2016E11
Isis and the Missing Treasures
Air date: 18/Apr/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

As the war against Isis intensifies and Syrian troops retake Palmyra, here in the UK the battle to stop the terrorist group cashing in on looted antiquities is being waged on the streets of the capital and beyond. Dispatches investigates how easy it is for terrorists to exploit this trade. Investigative journalist Simon Cox has been tracking the antiquities business in Britain for the last eight months. Together with a group of leading archaeologists, Cox has gone undercover to investigate this lucrative business and test the rules designed to regulate it. He finds a world of dubious provenance and questionable deals in the heart of London and on the Internet. He also looks at what Isis is doing to World Heritage Sites in territory it holds. How much are the two be linked? Cox examines how much of what is looted might be being sold in the UK, and what the authorities are doing to stop it.

Summary

As the war against Isis intensifies and Syrian troops retake Palmyra, here in the UK the battle to stop the terrorist group cashing in on looted antiquities is being waged on the streets of the capital and beyond. Dispatches investigates how easy it is for terrorists to exploit this trade. Investigative journalist Simon Cox has been tracking the antiquities business in Britain for the last eight months. Together with a group of leading archaeologists, Cox has gone undercover to investigate this lucrative business and test the rules designed to regulate it. He finds a world of dubious provenance and questionable deals in the heart of London and on the Internet. He also looks at what Isis is doing to World Heritage Sites in territory it holds. How much are the two be linked? Cox examines how much of what is looted might be being sold in the UK, and what the authorities are doing to stop it.

S2016E10
The Great Benefits Row
Air date: 11/Apr/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

The row over cuts to welfare benefits has rocked the Government to its core. Iain Duncan Smith resigned, attacking his own department's plans to cut disability benefits as balancing the books on the back of the poor and vulnerable. George Osborne has backed down; the cuts have now been put on ice. But the new benefit that prompted the row - Personal Independence Payment - is still going ahead. Hundreds of thousands of disabled people are now having to apply for this new benefit and many claim it is deeply unfair. Former Paralympian Ade Adepitan investigates and, using secretly recorded material, reveals some disturbing sides to the new benefit.

Summary

The row over cuts to welfare benefits has rocked the Government to its core. Iain Duncan Smith resigned, attacking his own department's plans to cut disability benefits as balancing the books on the back of the poor and vulnerable. George Osborne has backed down; the cuts have now been put on ice. But the new benefit that prompted the row - Personal Independence Payment - is still going ahead. Hundreds of thousands of disabled people are now having to apply for this new benefit and many claim it is deeply unfair. Former Paralympian Ade Adepitan investigates and, using secretly recorded material, reveals some disturbing sides to the new benefit.

S2016E9
Britain's Pensioner Care Scandal
Air date: 04/Apr/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Missed visits, not being washed or dressed for days, waiting hours for your dinner and mistakes made with medication. Many older people in this country are facing serious problems with their home care. For Dispatches, Jackie Long investigates the fate of some of Britain's most vulnerable pensioners, who rely on council-funded home care. Working as a frontline carer, an undercover reporter discovers an overstretched service, concerns about pay not meeting the minimum wage and workers cutting short appointments and falsifying log books. Dispatches sets up hidden cameras in one pensioner's home to find out more about the standard of care she receives. The introduction of the living wage means care costs could soar, at the same time as care budgets have been slashed. The industry body, representing care companies, now warns that the market is increasingly unviable.

Summary

Missed visits, not being washed or dressed for days, waiting hours for your dinner and mistakes made with medication. Many older people in this country are facing serious problems with their home care. For Dispatches, Jackie Long investigates the fate of some of Britain's most vulnerable pensioners, who rely on council-funded home care. Working as a frontline carer, an undercover reporter discovers an overstretched service, concerns about pay not meeting the minimum wage and workers cutting short appointments and falsifying log books. Dispatches sets up hidden cameras in one pensioner's home to find out more about the standard of care she receives. The introduction of the living wage means care costs could soar, at the same time as care budgets have been slashed. The industry body, representing care companies, now warns that the market is increasingly unviable.

S2016E8
Secrets of Cadbury
Air date: 21/Mar/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

It's six year since Britain's beloved Cadbury was bought by American giant Kraft. As the Easter chocolate indulgence approaches, the episode will explore what's been happening to one of our favourite brands.

Summary

It's six year since Britain's beloved Cadbury was bought by American giant Kraft. As the Easter chocolate indulgence approaches, the episode will explore what's been happening to one of our favourite brands.

S2016E7
Housing Benefit Millionaires
Air date: 14/Mar/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

This episode explores the housing crisis and homelessness, and how it is on the rise in Britain. The episode will reveal the numbers and scale of rogue landlords, confronting those exploiting the benefit system to make millions from supplying poor accomdatation.

Summary

This episode explores the housing crisis and homelessness, and how it is on the rise in Britain. The episode will reveal the numbers and scale of rogue landlords, confronting those exploiting the benefit system to make millions from supplying poor accomdatation.

S2016E6
How To Be A Council House Millionaire
Air date: 07/Mar/2016 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

The episodes explores who are the ones who are winning and losing in one of the most controversial housing poliices in decades.

Summary

The episodes explores who are the ones who are winning and losing in one of the most controversial housing poliices in decades.

Season 2015 · Season 2015
26 episode(s) · Air date: 12/Jan/2015
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S2015E5
Politicians for Hire
Air date: 23/Feb/2015 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate how former cabinet ministers are offering themselves to private companies as Brexit advisers. Antony Barnett discovers how, with Brexit causing ever more confusion and uncertainty, this presents an opportunity for those with the right knowledge to cash in on their experience.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate how former cabinet ministers are offering themselves to private companies as Brexit advisers. Antony Barnett discovers how, with Brexit causing ever more confusion and uncertainty, this presents an opportunity for those with the right knowledge to cash in on their experience.

Season 2014 · Season 2014
30 episode(s) · Air date: 20/Jan/2014
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Season 2013 · Season 2013
38 episode(s) · Air date: 07/Jan/2013
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Season 2012 · Season 2012
30 episode(s) · Air date: 13/Feb/2012
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Season 2011 · Season 2011
29 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Jan/2011
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Season 2010 · Season 2010
32 episode(s) · Air date: 11/Jan/2010
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Season 2009 · Season 2009
38 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Jan/2009
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Season 2008 · Season 2008
41 episode(s) · Air date: 10/Jan/2008
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Season 2007 · Season 2007
40 episode(s) · Air date: 08/Jan/2007
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Season 2006 · Season 2006
31 episode(s) · Air date: 13/Feb/2006
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Season 2005 · Season 2005
29 episode(s) · Air date: 24/Jan/2005
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Season 2004 · Season 2004
10 episode(s) · Air date: 23/Jan/2001
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Season 2003 · Season 2003
10 episode(s) · Air date: 18/Dec/2003
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Season 2002 · Season 2002
10 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Mar/2002
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Season 2001 · Season 2001
9 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Feb/2001
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Season 2000 · Season 2000
19 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Feb/2000
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Season 1999 · Season 1999
28 episode(s) · Air date: 07/Jan/1999
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Season 1998 · Season 1998
28 episode(s) · Air date: 15/Jan/1998
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Season 1997 · Season 1997
27 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Jan/1997
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Season 1996 · Season 1996
31 episode(s) · Air date: 10/Jan/1996
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Season 1995 · Season 1995
27 episode(s) · Air date: 11/Jan/1995
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Season 1994 · Season 1994
36 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Jan/1994
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Season 1993 · Season 1993
34 episode(s) · Air date: 06/Jan/1993
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Season 1992 · Season 1992
34 episode(s) · Air date: 08/Jan/1992
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Season 1991 · Season 1991
35 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Jan/1991
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Season 1990 · Season 1990
39 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Jan/1990
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Season 1989 · Season 1989
39 episode(s) · Air date: 04/Jan/1989
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Season 1988 · Season 1988
34 episode(s) · Air date: 08/Jan/1988
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Season 1987 · Season 1987
8 episode(s) · Air date: 30/Oct/1987
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Season 40 · 2026
4 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Feb/2026
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S40E4
Hunting Britain's Fugitives
Air date: 29/May/2026
Summary

Thousands of criminals, many of whom are accused of serious, violent crimes, are currently on the run in a hidden criminal justice crisis. From UK safe-houses to Thailand, Matt Shea is on their trail.

Summary

Thousands of criminals, many of whom are accused of serious, violent crimes, are currently on the run in a hidden criminal justice crisis. From UK safe-houses to Thailand, Matt Shea is on their trail.

S40E3
Click to Kill: The AI War Machine
Air date: 02/Apr/2026 · Runtime: 48 min
Summary

With unique access in Ukraine, in Israel and with the US army, this documentary charts the new technological arms race, from AI to drones. Will warfare become less destructive or even more brutal?

Summary

With unique access in Ukraine, in Israel and with the US army, this documentary charts the new technological arms race, from AI to drones. Will warfare become less destructive or even more brutal?

S40E2
Keir Starmer: Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Air date: 27/Mar/2026
Summary

Lewis Goodall looks back at a torrid first two years as prime minister for Sir Keir Starmer, and asks how he went from winning a 174-seat majority to becoming the most unpopular PM since records began.

Summary

Lewis Goodall looks back at a torrid first two years as prime minister for Sir Keir Starmer, and asks how he went from winning a 174-seat majority to becoming the most unpopular PM since records began.

S40E1
Palestine Action: The Truth Behind the Ban
Air date: 09/Feb/2026 · Runtime: 53 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates why the government banned direct action group Palestine Action, a decision that has sparked intense debate and led to thousands of arrests.

Summary

Dispatches investigates why the government banned direct action group Palestine Action, a decision that has sparked intense debate and led to thousands of arrests.

Season 39 · 2025
10 episode(s) · Air date: 04/Mar/2025
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S39E10
Hunting Britain's Parcel Thieves
Air date: 19/Dec/2025
Summary

Every seven seconds a parcel is stolen in Britain. With Christmas just around the corner, Dispatches is on a mission to catch the crooks behind the escalating doormat deliveries crime wave.

Summary

Every seven seconds a parcel is stolen in Britain. With Christmas just around the corner, Dispatches is on a mission to catch the crooks behind the escalating doormat deliveries crime wave.

S39E9
The Prince vs. The Paper: Harry, Hacking & The Mail
Air date: 11/Dec/2025
Summary

As a trial date approaches, the latest on Prince Harry's case against the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday - who Harry accuses of phone hacking and bugging.

Summary

As a trial date approaches, the latest on Prince Harry's case against the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday - who Harry accuses of phone hacking and bugging.

S39E8
Will AI Take My Job?
Air date: 20/Oct/2025
Summary

Will AI leave millions of Britain's skilled work force without a job? From health care to the law and more, Dispatches investigates, pitting human versus machine to find out who's the best worker.

Summary

Will AI leave millions of Britain's skilled work force without a job? From health care to the law and more, Dispatches investigates, pitting human versus machine to find out who's the best worker.

S39E6
Trump: Moscow's Man in the White House?
Air date: 17/Jul/2025
Summary

What's the truth about Trump's relationship with Putin? Insiders share a unique behind-the-scenes view on the greatest political story of the decade.

Summary

What's the truth about Trump's relationship with Putin? Insiders share a unique behind-the-scenes view on the greatest political story of the decade.

S39E5
Will Nigel Farage Be Prime Minister?
Air date: 26/Jun/2025
Summary

With Reform UK topping polls and running councils, are we on the verge of a political earthquake? And do Reform UK have what it takes to govern?

Summary

With Reform UK topping polls and running councils, are we on the verge of a political earthquake? And do Reform UK have what it takes to govern?

S39E3
Undercover: The Great Tagging Scandal
Air date: 14/Apr/2025
Summary

As the government release thousands to ease prison numbers, Dispatches is undercover inside the company paid millions to monitor offenders and keep us all safe.

Summary

As the government release thousands to ease prison numbers, Dispatches is undercover inside the company paid millions to monitor offenders and keep us all safe.

S39E2
Delivered to a Predator: Al Fayed's Fixer
Air date: 03/Apr/2025 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

Reporter Cathy Newman investigates and tracks down the woman who facilitated Mohamed Al Fayed's rape and sexual abuse of women at Harrods for over a decade.

Summary

Reporter Cathy Newman investigates and tracks down the woman who facilitated Mohamed Al Fayed's rape and sexual abuse of women at Harrods for over a decade.

S39E1
Skinny Jab Scandal
Air date: 04/Mar/2025 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

Undercover reporting reveals major flaws in how skinny jabs are sold at Boots and finds registered NHS nurses prescribing jabs to patients who aren't overweight.

Summary

Undercover reporting reveals major flaws in how skinny jabs are sold at Boots and finds registered NHS nurses prescribing jabs to patients who aren't overweight.

Season 38 · 2024
13 episode(s) · Air date: 16/May/2024
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S38E12
Britain's Shoplifting Gangs Exposed
Air date: 25/Nov/2024 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

In this high-stakes true crime investigation, Dispatches goes undercover to expose the organised criminal networks behind the UK's shoplifting epidemic.

Summary

In this high-stakes true crime investigation, Dispatches goes undercover to expose the organised criminal networks behind the UK's shoplifting epidemic.

S38E11
The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions
Air date: 02/Nov/2024 · Runtime: 48 min
Summary

For years, the royals kept details of some of their wealth secret. Dispatches reveals what they have kept under wraps - about who is paying them, and for what.

Summary

For years, the royals kept details of some of their wealth secret. Dispatches reveals what they have kept under wraps - about who is paying them, and for what.

S38E10
Vinted's Dirty Laundry
Air date: 18/Oct/2024 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

The online secondhand clothes app Vinted is booming. Is its soar-away success too good to be true? Dispatches uncovers the truth behind some of the products sold on the platform.

Summary

The online secondhand clothes app Vinted is booming. Is its soar-away success too good to be true? Dispatches uncovers the truth behind some of the products sold on the platform.

S38E9
Barbie's Dirty Secrets
Air date: 11/Oct/2024 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

With Barbiemania putting toy maker Mattel back in the limelight, Dispatches goes undercover in one of Mattel's factories, exposing the reality for workers making the famous dolls

Summary

With Barbiemania putting toy maker Mattel back in the limelight, Dispatches goes undercover in one of Mattel's factories, exposing the reality for workers making the famous dolls

S38E8
Britain's Unsolved Crimewave
Air date: 16/Jul/2024 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

Analysing police data, Dispatches reveals local hotspots where 100% of neighbourhood crimes go unsolved. The team watch a theft in action and go on the trail of the criminals.

Summary

Analysing police data, Dispatches reveals local hotspots where 100% of neighbourhood crimes go unsolved. The team watch a theft in action and go on the trail of the criminals.

S38E7
Can AI Steal Your Vote?
Air date: 27/Jun/2024 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Election campaigners and experts have warned that artificial intelligence tools could risk politically motivated disinformation flooding social media feeds in ways that recently seemed unimaginable. The fear is that deepfakes and other AI-generated material could influence votes. Cathy Newman reports on the issue, illustrating the effect that AI could have on 12 households of undecided voters. The homes are fed AI-generated material advised by political experts, with the residents none the wiser. Will the experiment succeed? If so, what does it say about the power of AI to influence the vote?

Summary

Election campaigners and experts have warned that artificial intelligence tools could risk politically motivated disinformation flooding social media feeds in ways that recently seemed unimaginable. The fear is that deepfakes and other AI-generated material could influence votes. Cathy Newman reports on the issue, illustrating the effect that AI could have on 12 households of undecided voters. The homes are fed AI-generated material advised by political experts, with the residents none the wiser. Will the experiment succeed? If so, what does it say about the power of AI to influence the vote?

S38E6
Undercover A&E: NHS in Crisis
Air date: 24/Jun/2024 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Undercover report filmed over two months at an NHS Accident and Emergency Department, which exposes the suffering and dangers patients face on a daily basis. The programme features footage of seriously ill patients forced to sleep on chairs for up to two days because there are no beds, and a dangerous superbug outbreak linked to overcrowding and falling hygiene standards.

Summary

Undercover report filmed over two months at an NHS Accident and Emergency Department, which exposes the suffering and dangers patients face on a daily basis. The programme features footage of seriously ill patients forced to sleep on chairs for up to two days because there are no beds, and a dangerous superbug outbreak linked to overcrowding and falling hygiene standards.

S38E5
Rubbish Tip Britain
Air date: 21/Jun/2024 · Runtime: 46 min
Summary

A look inside the lucrative world of waste crime with video, surveillance footage and interviews from insiders. Exposing how banned waste has been dumped for years in a major landfill site, seemingly unnoticed by the authorities, while posing a risk to human health. This documentary reveals new satellite data suggesting hundreds of unregulated waste dumps are being operated in plain sight and investigates evidence of the growing role of organisations engaging in illegal fly-tipping, with little fear of action against them.

Summary

A look inside the lucrative world of waste crime with video, surveillance footage and interviews from insiders. Exposing how banned waste has been dumped for years in a major landfill site, seemingly unnoticed by the authorities, while posing a risk to human health. This documentary reveals new satellite data suggesting hundreds of unregulated waste dumps are being operated in plain sight and investigates evidence of the growing role of organisations engaging in illegal fly-tipping, with little fear of action against them.

S38E4
The Truth About Temu
Air date: 30/May/2024 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

What's the story behind the runaway success of the addictive Chinese shopping app? With half a billion downloads worldwide, are some of Temu's rock-bottom prices and products too good to be true?

Summary

What's the story behind the runaway success of the addictive Chinese shopping app? With half a billion downloads worldwide, are some of Temu's rock-bottom prices and products too good to be true?

S38E3
Kill Zone: Inside Gaza
Air date: 30/May/2024 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

The story of the Israeli military assault on Gaza. Seen through the eyes of children, journalists and doctors, Dispatches takes an unflinching look at the horrific challenges and heartbreaking loss.

Summary

The story of the Israeli military assault on Gaza. Seen through the eyes of children, journalists and doctors, Dispatches takes an unflinching look at the horrific challenges and heartbreaking loss.

S38E2
The War on Britain's Motorists
Air date: 23/May/2024 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

Potholes everywhere. Controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and electric vehicle confusion too. Car journalist Ginny Buckley asks is this the worst time ever to be a motorist in the UK?

Summary

Potholes everywhere. Controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and electric vehicle confusion too. Car journalist Ginny Buckley asks is this the worst time ever to be a motorist in the UK?

S38E1
Coca-Cola's Dirty Secret
Air date: 16/May/2024 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

What's the environmental impact of the UK's huge soft drink habit? With a thirsty nation getting through two billion plastic bottles a year, and the same for cans, do Coke's recycling claims stand up?

Summary

What's the environmental impact of the UK's huge soft drink habit? With a thirsty nation getting through two billion plastic bottles a year, and the same for cans, do Coke's recycling claims stand up?

Season 37 · 2023
12 episode(s) · Air date: 12/Feb/2023
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S37E12
Less for More: The Truth About Food Prices
Air date: 12/Dec/2023
Summary

Harry Wallop investigates Britain's soaring food prices, and how some supermarkets have reacted to protect profits. He discovers how some products have secretly been reformulated, with cheaper ingredients replacing more expensive items.

Summary

Harry Wallop investigates Britain's soaring food prices, and how some supermarkets have reacted to protect profits. He discovers how some products have secretly been reformulated, with cheaper ingredients replacing more expensive items.

S37E10
Secrets & Power: China in the UK
Air date: 29/Nov/2023
Summary

Dispatches investigates Chinese state interference with UK institutions and repression of dissidents on UK soil. Undercover filming reveals a suspected Chinese spy engaging with a UK-based activist.

Summary

Dispatches investigates Chinese state interference with UK institutions and repression of dissidents on UK soil. Undercover filming reveals a suspected Chinese spy engaging with a UK-based activist.

S37E9
Hunt for Ukraine's Stolen Children
Air date: 13/Nov/2023
Summary

Along the dangerous borderlands of war-torn Ukraine, Dispatches follows investigators searching for evidence of the abduction and deportation of thousands of Ukrainian kids.

Summary

Along the dangerous borderlands of war-torn Ukraine, Dispatches follows investigators searching for evidence of the abduction and deportation of thousands of Ukrainian kids.

S37E8
Hunting Russia's Lost Boys
Air date: 12/Nov/2023 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

The intimate, emotional story of the Russian women taking huge risks fighting for the truth about their sons, husbands and brothers missing in Ukraine.

Summary

The intimate, emotional story of the Russian women taking huge risks fighting for the truth about their sons, husbands and brothers missing in Ukraine.

S37E7
Russell Brand: In Plain Sight
Air date: 16/Sep/2023 · Runtime: 78 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates Russell Brand's treatment of women. The British comedian, television personality and radio talker Russell Brand is accused of abusing women close to him for several years. An investigation by Channel4.

Summary

Dispatches investigates Russell Brand's treatment of women. The British comedian, television personality and radio talker Russell Brand is accused of abusing women close to him for several years. An investigation by Channel4.

S37E6
Sri Lanka's Easter Bombings
Air date: 05/Sep/2023 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

A Dispatches special reveals shocking new evidence on Sri Lanka's deadly Easter bombings of 2019. High-placed whistle blowers allege top-level complicity by officials inside the Sri Lankan government.

Summary

A Dispatches special reveals shocking new evidence on Sri Lanka's deadly Easter bombings of 2019. High-placed whistle blowers allege top-level complicity by officials inside the Sri Lankan government.

S37E5
Boris, the Lord & the Russian Spy
Air date: 27/Jun/2023 · Runtime: 48 min
Summary

The full story of Boris Johnson's friendship with press baron Evgeny Lebedev and his dad Alexander, an ex-KGB spy, revealing the secret fears of security services

Summary

The full story of Boris Johnson's friendship with press baron Evgeny Lebedev and his dad Alexander, an ex-KGB spy, revealing the secret fears of security services

S37E4
Britain's Forgotten Pensioners
Air date: 07/Jun/2023 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

More than two million pensioners are living in poverty in the UK. Dispatches follows four older people through the winter as they struggle to make ends meet.

Summary

More than two million pensioners are living in poverty in the UK. Dispatches follows four older people through the winter as they struggle to make ends meet.

S37E3
Locked Away: Our Autism Scandal
Air date: 24/Mar/2023 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

Autistic patients trapped in mental health units tell their stories, revealing a system of poor treatment, abuse and long stretches inside with their symptoms only getting worse.

Summary

Autistic patients trapped in mental health units tell their stories, revealing a system of poor treatment, abuse and long stretches inside with their symptoms only getting worse.

S37E2
Undercover Ambulance: NHS Chaos
Air date: 09/Mar/2023 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

Secret footage filmed over the winter reveals ambulance workers battling the odds and A&E departments overwhelmed as patients suffer needless harm and death.

Summary

Secret footage filmed over the winter reveals ambulance workers battling the odds and A&E departments overwhelmed as patients suffer needless harm and death.

S37E1
Strippers, Spies & Russian Money
Air date: 12/Feb/2023 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

The extraordinary story of Russia's covert efforts to corrupt British democracy and politics in the years before invading Ukraine. MI5 declined to comment on the programme for operational reasons.

Summary

The extraordinary story of Russia's covert efforts to corrupt British democracy and politics in the years before invading Ukraine. MI5 declined to comment on the programme for operational reasons.

Season 36 · 2022
21 episode(s) · Air date: 30/Jan/2022
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S36E21
Cops in Crisis
Air date: 07/Dec/2022
Summary

Is British policing fit for purpose? Dispatches reports on forces in special measures, talk of a toxic culture, funding cuts, and crimes receiving little or no investigation.

Summary

Is British policing fit for purpose? Dispatches reports on forces in special measures, talk of a toxic culture, funding cuts, and crimes receiving little or no investigation.

S36E20
Trapped, Disabled & Abused
Air date: 07/Nov/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

Disabled people are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse than non-disabled people. Dispatches reveals a shocking lack of awareness and support for survivors.

Summary

Disabled people are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse than non-disabled people. Dispatches reveals a shocking lack of awareness and support for survivors.

S36E19
Hospital Undercover Are They Safe?
Air date: 10/Oct/2022 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

On World Mental Health Day, a year-long investigation reveals that an NHS trust responsible for serious failures resulting in multiple deaths, still isn't keeping patients safe.

Summary

On World Mental Health Day, a year-long investigation reveals that an NHS trust responsible for serious failures resulting in multiple deaths, still isn't keeping patients safe.

S36E18
Britain's Evicted Kids
Air date: 07/Oct/2022
Summary

Dispatches lifts the lid on the reality of life for thousands of families across the country at risk of eviction, and how losing a home impacts the youngest members of our society.

Summary

Dispatches lifts the lid on the reality of life for thousands of families across the country at risk of eviction, and how losing a home impacts the youngest members of our society.

S36E17
Broke: Britain's Debt Emergency
Air date: 21/Sep/2022 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

With Britain in the worst cost of living crisis in decades, Dispatches follows Citizens Advice Bureau debt advisors and three stories of extreme hardship and poverty.

Summary

With Britain in the worst cost of living crisis in decades, Dispatches follows Citizens Advice Bureau debt advisors and three stories of extreme hardship and poverty.

S36E16
Britain's Water Scandal
Air date: 29/Aug/2022
Summary

Jimmy Doherty investigates Britain's water companies dumping untreated sewage into our rivers and seas. Why have companies been getting away with it for so long?

Summary

Jimmy Doherty investigates Britain's water companies dumping untreated sewage into our rivers and seas. Why have companies been getting away with it for so long?

S36E15
Why Is My Car So Expensive?
Air date: 15/Aug/2022
Summary

What's the real story behind the soaring cost of new and second-hand cars? As the car industry pulls in huge profits, Dispatches has top tips on how not to get ripped off.

Summary

What's the real story behind the soaring cost of new and second-hand cars? As the car industry pulls in huge profits, Dispatches has top tips on how not to get ripped off.

S36E14
Airport Chaos Undercover
Air date: 01/Aug/2022 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

With the summer holidays in full swing, reporter Jane Moore goes undercover in one of Britain's busiest airports, with the truth about delays, cancellations and baggage chaos.

Summary

With the summer holidays in full swing, reporter Jane Moore goes undercover in one of Britain's busiest airports, with the truth about delays, cancellations and baggage chaos.

S36E13
Myanmar: The Forgotten Revolution
Air date: 25/Jul/2022 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

A look at the world's forgotten civil war, where over 20,000 people have been reported dead, and thousands are fighting against a military coup that has removed elected government.

Summary

A look at the world's forgotten civil war, where over 20,000 people have been reported dead, and thousands are fighting against a military coup that has removed elected government.

S36E12
Ukraine: Life Under Attack
Air date: 27/Jun/2022 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

Cate Blanchett narrates the up-close story of the Battle for Kharkiv, told through the eyes of the civilians and emergency workers who bore the brunt of the Russian onslaught.

Summary

Cate Blanchett narrates the up-close story of the Battle for Kharkiv, told through the eyes of the civilians and emergency workers who bore the brunt of the Russian onslaught.

S36E10
MPs Under Threat
Air date: 23/May/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

Kim Leadbeater MP, investigates threats and abuse faced by MPs. With polarized politics, and social media making it easier to target politicians, is enough being done to protect them?

Summary

Kim Leadbeater MP, investigates threats and abuse faced by MPs. With polarized politics, and social media making it easier to target politicians, is enough being done to protect them?

S36E9
The Truth About Nike and Adidas
Air date: 16/May/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

With 25 billion pairs of trainers made annually, the industry is the world's 17th largest polluter. Dispatches heads to the Maldives to see what's really going on with our favourite sneakers.

Summary

With 25 billion pairs of trainers made annually, the industry is the world's 17th largest polluter. Dispatches heads to the Maldives to see what's really going on with our favourite sneakers.

S36E8
The Enemy Within: The Far Right
Air date: 09/May/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

A year-long investigation deep undercover reveals the concerning new tactics of Britain's far right - from meddling in by-elections to home schooling.

Summary

A year-long investigation deep undercover reveals the concerning new tactics of Britain's far right - from meddling in by-elections to home schooling.

S36E7
Inside the Metaverse: Are You Safe?
Air date: 25/Apr/2022
Summary

Is the next frontier in cyberspace a thrilling alternative world or the new Wild West? Yinka Bokinni goes undercover in virtual reality and is shocked by what she finds.

Summary

Is the next frontier in cyberspace a thrilling alternative world or the new Wild West? Yinka Bokinni goes undercover in virtual reality and is shocked by what she finds.

S36E6
Are We Losing the War on Terror?
Air date: 18/Apr/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

The shocking truth about the Government's de-radicalization programme - a broken system where obvious warning signs of extremism are being missed.

Summary

The shocking truth about the Government's de-radicalization programme - a broken system where obvious warning signs of extremism are being missed.

S36E5
Why Are Your Energy Bills So High?
Air date: 11/Apr/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

As gas and electricity costs soar, what's the reason for the price hikes? What's the impact on households, and are consumers being properly protected?

Summary

As gas and electricity costs soar, what's the reason for the price hikes? What's the impact on households, and are consumers being properly protected?

S36E4
Cadbury Exposed
Air date: 04/Apr/2022 · Runtime: 26 min
Summary

Undercover in Ghana, Antony Barnett investigates Britain's best-loved chocolate brand and reveals for the first time child labour in its supply chain.

Summary

Undercover in Ghana, Antony Barnett investigates Britain's best-loved chocolate brand and reveals for the first time child labour in its supply chain.

S36E3
Ukraine: On the Front Line with Johnny Mercer
Air date: 03/Apr/2022
Summary

Former soldier and MP Johnny Mercer meets his Ukrainian political counterparts and heads to the focus of the conflict in Kyiv with explorer Levison Wood.

Summary

Former soldier and MP Johnny Mercer meets his Ukrainian political counterparts and heads to the focus of the conflict in Kyiv with explorer Levison Wood.

S36E2
China: The Search for the Missing
Air date: 02/Feb/2022 · Runtime: 47 min
Summary

On the eve of the Winter Olympics, Dispatches investigates allegations of mass surveillance, detention and forced labour in China's north-west.

Summary

On the eve of the Winter Olympics, Dispatches investigates allegations of mass surveillance, detention and forced labour in China's north-west.

S36E1
Boris Johnson: Has He Run Out of Road?
Air date: 30/Jan/2022
Summary

Is Boris Johnson, the great political survivor, finished? Britain's top political interviewer Andrew Neil has the inside track on the Tories in turmoil.

Summary

Is Boris Johnson, the great political survivor, finished? Britain's top political interviewer Andrew Neil has the inside track on the Tories in turmoil.

Season 35 · 2021
23 episode(s) · Air date: 22/Feb/2021
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Season Overview

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S35E23
The Truth About Disability Benefits
Air date: 17/Dec/2021
Summary

An investigation into a series of deaths, including suicide, by disabled benefits claimants. What impact did government failings have on those who died?

Summary

An investigation into a series of deaths, including suicide, by disabled benefits claimants. What impact did government failings have on those who died?

S35E22
Vaccine Wars: Truth About Pfizer
Air date: 10/Dec/2021
Summary

Pfizer's Covid vaccine has saved millions of lives around the world. But with rising prices and record profits, is the drug firm profiteering from the pandemic?

Summary

Pfizer's Covid vaccine has saved millions of lives around the world. But with rising prices and record profits, is the drug firm profiteering from the pandemic?

S35E21
The Truth About Your Chicken: Dispatches
Air date: 29/Nov/2021
Summary

With over a billion chickens eaten each year in the UK, Dispatches investigates supermarket chicken, animal welfare, and what industrial farming means for our countryside.

Summary

With over a billion chickens eaten each year in the UK, Dispatches investigates supermarket chicken, animal welfare, and what industrial farming means for our countryside.

S35E20
Escape from the Taliban
Air date: 27/Nov/2021
Summary

In the immediate aftermath of the Taliban taking Kabul, local journalists film terrified Afghans trying to escape abroad - among them noted female rights activist Zoya Faizi.

Summary

In the immediate aftermath of the Taliban taking Kabul, local journalists film terrified Afghans trying to escape abroad - among them noted female rights activist Zoya Faizi.

S35E19
The Truth About Electric Cars
Air date: 22/Nov/2021
Summary

As Britain frets over climate change and fuel shortages, is now a good time to sink tens of thousands of your hard-earned pounds into buying an electric car?

Summary

As Britain frets over climate change and fuel shortages, is now a good time to sink tens of thousands of your hard-earned pounds into buying an electric car?

S35E18
Did Brexit Work for Business?
Air date: 15/Nov/2021
Summary

Is Brexit, and the new free trade deal with the EU, the huge success the Government said it would be? Dispatches meets firms struggling with increased costs and dwindling profits.

Summary

Is Brexit, and the new free trade deal with the EU, the huge success the Government said it would be? Dispatches meets firms struggling with increased costs and dwindling profits.

S35E17
How Green Is the Government?
Air date: 01/Nov/2021
Summary

Is Britain really one of the world leaders in fighting against climate change? Dispatches investigates as the COP26 summit is held in Glasgow.

Summary

Is Britain really one of the world leaders in fighting against climate change? Dispatches investigates as the COP26 summit is held in Glasgow.

S35E16
Growing Up Poor: Britain's Hidden Homeless Kids
Air date: 25/Oct/2021
Summary

As lock-down ended and kids went back to school, in Luton, Dispatches examines the devastating impact of overcrowded, unsuitable housing on young lives.

Summary

As lock-down ended and kids went back to school, in Luton, Dispatches examines the devastating impact of overcrowded, unsuitable housing on young lives.

S35E15
Clapped Out: Is the NHS Broken?
Air date: 18/Oct/2021
Summary

Eighteen months into the worst pandemic in a century, this hard-hitting special travels the country asking some tough questions about the performance of our much-loved NHS.

Summary

Eighteen months into the worst pandemic in a century, this hard-hitting special travels the country asking some tough questions about the performance of our much-loved NHS.

S35E14
Cops on Trial
Air date: 11/Oct/2021
Summary

Ellie Flynn reports on the scale of sexual misconduct by serving British police officers, including personal accounts from victims and long term partners of serving officers who have endured domestic violence and abuse.

Summary

Ellie Flynn reports on the scale of sexual misconduct by serving British police officers, including personal accounts from victims and long term partners of serving officers who have endured domestic violence and abuse.

S35E13
India's Rape Scandal
Air date: 27/Jun/2021
Summary

With over 70 Indian politicians facing charges of crimes against women, Ramita Navai investigates two rape cases that have sparked allegations of a cover-up.

Summary

With over 70 Indian politicians facing charges of crimes against women, Ramita Navai investigates two rape cases that have sparked allegations of a cover-up.

S35E11
Undercover in Africa's Secret State
Air date: 16/Jun/2021
Summary

A gripping, eye-opening investigation of Eritrea, one of the world's most secretive regimes, with shocking allegations of torture, detention and forced conscription.

Summary

A gripping, eye-opening investigation of Eritrea, one of the world's most secretive regimes, with shocking allegations of torture, detention and forced conscription.

S35E10
Football's Gambling Addiction
Air date: 07/Jun/2021
Summary

Ruth Davidson examines the uncomfortable relationship between gambling and football. Why is football so dependent on money from gambling, and what harm might it be causing, particularly to young fans?

Summary

Ruth Davidson examines the uncomfortable relationship between gambling and football. Why is football so dependent on money from gambling, and what harm might it be causing, particularly to young fans?

S35E9
Second Wave: Did the Government Get It Wrong?
Air date: 17/May/2021
Summary

Why did two thirds of Britain's Covid deaths come after September 2020? Dispatches examines the role that the Prime Minister's decisions played in the second wave.

Summary

Why did two thirds of Britain's Covid deaths come after September 2020? Dispatches examines the role that the Prime Minister's decisions played in the second wave.

S35E8
Royals for Hire
Air date: 10/May/2021
Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover to see what some of the Queen's family might be prepared to do for cash, including offering access to Kensington Palace and to Vladimir Putin

Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover to see what some of the Queen's family might be prepared to do for cash, including offering access to Kensington Palace and to Vladimir Putin

S35E7
Low Pay Britain: About Your Job
Air date: 12/Apr/2021
Summary

As Britain emerges from lockdown and Brexit, Dispatches examines the future of work, wages and safety, and the emerging gig economy of brands like Amazon and Deliveroo.

Summary

As Britain emerges from lockdown and Brexit, Dispatches examines the future of work, wages and safety, and the emerging gig economy of brands like Amazon and Deliveroo.

S35E5
The High Street Cash Crisis
Air date: 22/Mar/2021
Summary

Britain's high streets are in turmoil. Antony Barnett digs into the collapse of several chains - from Debenhams to Poundworld - owned by private equity firms. How much are these firms to blame?

Summary

Britain's high streets are in turmoil. Antony Barnett digs into the collapse of several chains - from Debenhams to Poundworld - owned by private equity firms. How much are these firms to blame?

S35E4
The Truth About Long Covid
Air date: 15/Mar/2021
Summary

It is now estimated that as many as 500,000 people have long Covid in the UK. In Bradford, one of our worst hit cities, Dispatches asks can the National Health Service cope with the virus's lasting legacy?

Summary

It is now estimated that as many as 500,000 people have long Covid in the UK. In Bradford, one of our worst hit cities, Dispatches asks can the National Health Service cope with the virus's lasting legacy?

S35E3
The Dirty Truth About Your Rubbish
Air date: 08/Mar/2021
Summary

A look at how millions of tonnes of household recycling end up incinerated, hiking carbon emissions, with councils locked into long and expensive waste contracts.

Summary

A look at how millions of tonnes of household recycling end up incinerated, hiking carbon emissions, with councils locked into long and expensive waste contracts.

S35E2
Condition Critical - One Doctor's Story
Air date: 01/Mar/2021
Summary

A powerful, intimate story of life on the NHS frontline as Dr Saleyha Ahsan films her own journey through four months of the second wave of Covid, fighting to keep patients alive.

Summary

A powerful, intimate story of life on the NHS frontline as Dr Saleyha Ahsan films her own journey through four months of the second wave of Covid, fighting to keep patients alive.

S35E1
Britain's £400bn COVID Bill: Who Will Pay?
Air date: 22/Feb/2021
Summary

Britain in lockdown faces the worst economic nosedive in 300 years. Liam Halligan looks at the financial cost of the pandemic and what it could mean for our futures.

Summary

Britain in lockdown faces the worst economic nosedive in 300 years. Liam Halligan looks at the financial cost of the pandemic and what it could mean for our futures.

Season 34 · 2020
18 episode(s) · Air date: 24/Feb/2020
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Season Overview

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S34E18
Coronavirus Vaccine: Is It Safe?
Air date: 18/Dec/2020
Summary

With the UK the first to approve and roll-out a coronavirus vaccine, Matt Frei asks how have we managed so quickly and just how safe is it? Is it the shot in the arm to get Britain moving again?

Summary

With the UK the first to approve and roll-out a coronavirus vaccine, Matt Frei asks how have we managed so quickly and just how safe is it? Is it the shot in the arm to get Britain moving again?

S34E17
Lockdown Chaos: How the Government Lost Control
Air date: 16/Nov/2020
Summary

As most of the UK goes back into lockdown, Antony Barnett reveals what went wrong, how the government lost control, and the companies making millions from the pandemic.

Summary

As most of the UK goes back into lockdown, Antony Barnett reveals what went wrong, how the government lost control, and the companies making millions from the pandemic.

S34E16
Is Your Online Habit Killing the Planet?
Air date: 16/Nov/2020
Summary

Sophie Morgan investigates the carbon footprint of the tech industry, as she discovers some shocking truths about the hidden cost of our online habits.

Summary

Sophie Morgan investigates the carbon footprint of the tech industry, as she discovers some shocking truths about the hidden cost of our online habits.

S34E14
Britain's Covid Job Crisis
Air date: 02/Nov/2020
Summary

As the furlough scheme ends, cameras follow a minimum-wage paying job vacancy at a Manchester restaurant, which attracts almost 1000 applicants as unemployment rates spiral.

Summary

As the furlough scheme ends, cameras follow a minimum-wage paying job vacancy at a Manchester restaurant, which attracts almost 1000 applicants as unemployment rates spiral.

S34E13
American Nightmare: Trump's Breadline Kids
Air date: 01/Nov/2020
Summary

On the eve of the US Presidential election, with the backdrop of Covid-19 and racial tension, this documentary examines the experience of poverty through the eyes of three children in the battleground state of Ohio.

Summary

On the eve of the US Presidential election, with the backdrop of Covid-19 and racial tension, this documentary examines the experience of poverty through the eyes of three children in the battleground state of Ohio.

S34E12
How Safe Is Going Out?
Air date: 26/Oct/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

As Britain's service industry battles to survive Covid-19, Morland Sanders investigates the promises made by hotels, trains and pubs of 'deep cleans' and 'enhanced hygiene practices'.

Summary

As Britain's service industry battles to survive Covid-19, Morland Sanders investigates the promises made by hotels, trains and pubs of 'deep cleans' and 'enhanced hygiene practices'.

S34E11
Trump's Coronavirus Catastrophe
Air date: 19/Oct/2020
Summary

After months of conversations with White House advisors insiders, whistleblowers, politicians, scientists, and Trump supporters, Matt Frei investigates the President's performance during the pandemic.

Summary

After months of conversations with White House advisors insiders, whistleblowers, politicians, scientists, and Trump supporters, Matt Frei investigates the President's performance during the pandemic.

S34E10
Dirty Secrets of American Food: Coming to a Supermarket Near You?
Air date: 12/Oct/2020 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the American food that could be coming to Britain soon as part of a post-Brexit trade deal. with exclusive lab results revealing levels of dangerous bacteria on US supermarket meat. He looks at the widespread use of pesticides and hormones currently banned in the UK, and uncovers animal welfare concerns and declining hygiene standards in American food production, as well as fears the deal could harm the British farming industry.

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the American food that could be coming to Britain soon as part of a post-Brexit trade deal. with exclusive lab results revealing levels of dangerous bacteria on US supermarket meat. He looks at the widespread use of pesticides and hormones currently banned in the UK, and uncovers animal welfare concerns and declining hygiene standards in American food production, as well as fears the deal could harm the British farming industry.

S34E9
Britain's Coronavirus Catastrophe: Did the Government Get it Wrong?
Air date: 03/Jun/2020 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

With Britain's Covid death rate one of the world's highest, Antony Barnett examines the evidence and asks did the government get it wrong?

Summary

With Britain's Covid death rate one of the world's highest, Antony Barnett examines the evidence and asks did the government get it wrong?

S34E7
The Truth About Traveller Crime
Air date: 16/Apr/2020 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Anja Popp goes in search of the truth about crimes linked to traveller sites. She talks to members of the public who have experienced crime waves and intimidation, goes out on patrol with police dealing with rural incidents and hears from travellers and their advocates, who say they suffer prejudice and attack.

Summary

Anja Popp goes in search of the truth about crimes linked to traveller sites. She talks to members of the public who have experienced crime waves and intimidation, goes out on patrol with police dealing with rural incidents and hears from travellers and their advocates, who say they suffer prejudice and attack.

S34E6
Coronavirus: How Britain Is Changing
Air date: 08/Apr/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A look at how the coronavirus outbreak is changing Britain in the long term, for better or worse, from a reduction in pollution to economic policy.

Summary

A look at how the coronavirus outbreak is changing Britain in the long term, for better or worse, from a reduction in pollution to economic policy.

S34E5
Sex, Money & Power: The Dirty Secrets of Davos
Air date: 23/Mar/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Caitlin Brown investigates allegations of sexism and harassment in Davos at the annual summit of world leaders and businessmen, hearing from women who are fed up with their treatment by men.

Summary

Caitlin Brown investigates allegations of sexism and harassment in Davos at the annual summit of world leaders and businessmen, hearing from women who are fed up with their treatment by men.

S34E4
Britain's Train Hell
Air date: 16/Mar/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

As Britain's rail commuters face rising fares, delays and overcrowding, the Government plans a high speed train that won't run until 2040. How do we fix our railways now?

Summary

As Britain's rail commuters face rising fares, delays and overcrowding, the Government plans a high speed train that won't run until 2040. How do we fix our railways now?

S34E3
Celebs for Sale: The Great Charity Scandal
Air date: 09/Mar/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover to reveal how some of the most famous people in Britain are profiting from the work they do for charity

Summary

Antony Barnett goes undercover to reveal how some of the most famous people in Britain are profiting from the work they do for charity

S34E2
Starbucks & Nespresso: The Truth About Your Coffee
Air date: 02/Mar/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett travels to Guatemala where he learns that young children are working long hours in gruelling conditions picking coffee beans that supply Starbucks and Nespresso.

Summary

Antony Barnett travels to Guatemala where he learns that young children are working long hours in gruelling conditions picking coffee beans that supply Starbucks and Nespresso.

S34E1
The Secrets of Big Tobacco: Has Philip Morris International Really Given Up Smoking?
Air date: 24/Feb/2020 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Philip Morris International has said it wants a smoke-free future and offers so-called reduced-risk alternatives. But at the same as its campaign promotes this in the UK it continues to sell billions of cigarettes across the world.

Summary

Philip Morris International has said it wants a smoke-free future and offers so-called reduced-risk alternatives. But at the same as its campaign promotes this in the UK it continues to sell billions of cigarettes across the world.

Season 33 · 2019
29 episode(s) · Air date: 02/Jan/2019
Improve Season
Season Overview

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S33E29
Britain's Child Drug Runners
Air date: 13/Dec/2019
Summary

Children as young as seven are being groomed to sell drugs for 'county lines' drugs gangs in towns and villages all over the UK. This documentary follows four young people trapped in this world.

Summary

Children as young as seven are being groomed to sell drugs for 'county lines' drugs gangs in towns and villages all over the UK. This documentary follows four young people trapped in this world.

S33E28
Growing Up Poor: Britain's Breadline Kids
Air date: 02/Dec/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In Britain, 4.1 million children are growing up in poverty. This special report follows three families to show what life is like if there's not enough money for life's essentials.

Summary

In Britain, 4.1 million children are growing up in poverty. This special report follows three families to show what life is like if there's not enough money for life's essentials.

S33E27
Born Homeless
Air date: 18/Nov/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Explores the issue of pregnant women who find themselves with no place to call home, and conducts an exclusive survey of midwives to get a sense of the scale of the problem.

Summary

Explores the issue of pregnant women who find themselves with no place to call home, and conducts an exclusive survey of midwives to get a sense of the scale of the problem.

S33E26
The Secrets of Amazon
Air date: 11/Nov/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Sophie Morgan explores some of the complaints about the global company, including working conditions, selling toxic toys and pro-anorexia books, tax avoidance and selling on personal data.

Summary

Sophie Morgan explores some of the complaints about the global company, including working conditions, selling toxic toys and pro-anorexia books, tax avoidance and selling on personal data.

S33E25
Puppet Masters: The Men Who Really Run Britain
Air date: 04/Nov/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Gary Gibbon examines the role played by Dominic Cummings and Seumas Milne the controversial political advisors to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.

Summary

Gary Gibbon examines the role played by Dominic Cummings and Seumas Milne the controversial political advisors to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.

S33E23
The Prince and the Paedophile
Air date: 21/Oct/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Cathy Newman investigates the friendship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein amid accusations that the Prince slept with a 17-year-old girl supplied by Epstein.

Summary

Cathy Newman investigates the friendship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein amid accusations that the Prince slept with a 17-year-old girl supplied by Epstein.

S33E22
Sex, Drugs and Murder
Air date: 08/Sep/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A special investigation into the epidemic use of the drug GHB in the gay community, where users are vulnerable to overdosing and sexual abuse.

Summary

A special investigation into the epidemic use of the drug GHB in the gay community, where users are vulnerable to overdosing and sexual abuse.

S33E21
Young, British and Depressed
Air date: 29/Jul/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

"We're promoting the idea that it's ok to have a mental health problem - but it's made us afraid of our emotions." Dispatches investigates claims that de-stigmatisation campaigns are having unintended negative consequences, leading some to wrongly believe they have problems with their mental health.

Summary

"We're promoting the idea that it's ok to have a mental health problem - but it's made us afraid of our emotions." Dispatches investigates claims that de-stigmatisation campaigns are having unintended negative consequences, leading some to wrongly believe they have problems with their mental health.

S33E20
£2 Million Passport: Welcome to Britain
Air date: 22/Jul/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates the 'golden visa' scheme, which offers British residency to wealthy foreign nationals who are willing to invest two million pounds in the UK.

Summary

Dispatches investigates the 'golden visa' scheme, which offers British residency to wealthy foreign nationals who are willing to invest two million pounds in the UK.

S33E19
Britain's New Build Scandal
Air date: 15/Jul/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Liam Halligan investigates claims of shoddy standards, poor customer care and excessive profits at Britain's second biggest - and most profitable - house-builder, Persimmon.

Summary

Liam Halligan investigates claims of shoddy standards, poor customer care and excessive profits at Britain's second biggest - and most profitable - house-builder, Persimmon.

S33E17
Officer Down - Police Under Attack
Air date: 01/Jul/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Former police officer Dan Neal investigates the worrying rise in the number of assaults on police officers as they go about their job.

Summary

Former police officer Dan Neal investigates the worrying rise in the number of assaults on police officers as they go about their job.

S33E15
How Safe Are Your Medicines?
Air date: 17/Jun/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In 2014 millions of pounds worth of medicines were stolen from Italian hospitals then sold by bogus drugs wholesalers - some of which ended up in the NHS supply chain. Antony Barnett investigates.

Summary

In 2014 millions of pounds worth of medicines were stolen from Italian hospitals then sold by bogus drugs wholesalers - some of which ended up in the NHS supply chain. Antony Barnett investigates.

S33E14
Britain's Toxic Air Scandal
Air date: 10/Jun/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

1 in 3 children in the UK is growing up inhaling unsafe levels of air pollution. Reporter Morland Sanders reveals it's not just exhausts producing dangerous emissions with toxins coming off every vehicle - even electric ones.

Summary

1 in 3 children in the UK is growing up inhaling unsafe levels of air pollution. Reporter Morland Sanders reveals it's not just exhausts producing dangerous emissions with toxins coming off every vehicle - even electric ones.

S33E13
The Truth About Chlorinated Chicken
Air date: 03/Jun/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

With chemically-washed chicken being pushed as part of a post-Brexit Anglo-American trade deal this undercover report goes inside an American poultry processing plant to investigate the practice.

Summary

With chemically-washed chicken being pushed as part of a post-Brexit Anglo-American trade deal this undercover report goes inside an American poultry processing plant to investigate the practice.

S33E12
Jeremy Kyle: TV on Trial
Air date: 27/May/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In the wake of the cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show following the death of a guest who appeared on the programme, Morland Sanders investigates what lies behind the headlines, what went wrong and who might be to blame.

Summary

In the wake of the cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show following the death of a guest who appeared on the programme, Morland Sanders investigates what lies behind the headlines, what went wrong and who might be to blame.

S33E11
When the Immigrants Leave
Air date: 08/Apr/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Ahead of Brexit, reporter Seyi Rhodes explores how a lack of migrant workers from the European Union could affect agriculture, social care and health-care in Britain.

Summary

Ahead of Brexit, reporter Seyi Rhodes explores how a lack of migrant workers from the European Union could affect agriculture, social care and health-care in Britain.

S33E10
Britain's Hidden War
Air date: 01/Apr/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

With BAE Systems keeping Saudi jets in the air and British military officers working in the Saudi Air Operations Centre, Sue Turton investigates the extent to which the war in Yemen is made in Britian.

Summary

With BAE Systems keeping Saudi jets in the air and British military officers working in the Saudi Air Operations Centre, Sue Turton investigates the extent to which the war in Yemen is made in Britian.

S33E9
New Landlords From Hell
Air date: 25/Mar/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A year-long investigation by Datshiane Navanayagam reveals the shocking conditions endured by tenants of one of the UK's largest housing associations, Sanctuary Housing, and the effect on vulnerable people's health.

Summary

A year-long investigation by Datshiane Navanayagam reveals the shocking conditions endured by tenants of one of the UK's largest housing associations, Sanctuary Housing, and the effect on vulnerable people's health.

S33E8
Great Formula Milk Scandal
Air date: 18/Mar/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

New mum Kate Quilton investigates if formula milk is being fairly priced and if claims made for its benefits are unbiased and scientifically proven.

Summary

New mum Kate Quilton investigates if formula milk is being fairly priced and if claims made for its benefits are unbiased and scientifically proven.

S33E7
The Brexit Millionaires
Air date: 11/Mar/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett investigates those who have profited from the uncertainty since the UK's referendum on membership of the EU, including politicians, consultancy firms and those who 'shorted' against Britain.

Summary

Antony Barnett investigates those who have profited from the uncertainty since the UK's referendum on membership of the EU, including politicians, consultancy firms and those who 'shorted' against Britain.

S33E6
Britain's Knife Crisis: Young, Armed and Dangerous
Air date: 04/Mar/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe examines why there has been a rise in knife crime and asks what Britain needs to do to get the problem under control.

Summary

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe examines why there has been a rise in knife crime and asks what Britain needs to do to get the problem under control.

S33E5
Safe at Last: Inside a Women's Refuge
Air date: 26/Feb/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In a television first, cameras are allowed inside a women's refuge to follow the stories of women who are fleeing from violent partners, and who have agreed to be identified.

Summary

In a television first, cameras are allowed inside a women's refuge to follow the stories of women who are fleeing from violent partners, and who have agreed to be identified.

S33E4
Grenfell: Did the Fire Brigade Fail?
Air date: 18/Feb/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

An examination of the London Fire Brigade's response to the Grenfell Tower fire in light of new evidence from the public inquiry and interviews with firefighters and survivors.

Summary

An examination of the London Fire Brigade's response to the Grenfell Tower fire in light of new evidence from the public inquiry and interviews with firefighters and survivors.

S33E3
HS2: The Great Train Robbery
Air date: 11/Feb/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Liam Halligan reports on the multi-billion-pound high-speed rail line. With costs soaring should it be scrapped and the money spent on improving local rail networks instead.

Summary

Liam Halligan reports on the multi-billion-pound high-speed rail line. With costs soaring should it be scrapped and the money spent on improving local rail networks instead.

S33E2
Skipping School: Britain's Invisible Kids
Air date: 04/Feb/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A report on the increasing number of children being educated at home in the UK, investigating the reasons behind this dramatic rise and the impact it is having on young people.

Summary

A report on the increasing number of children being educated at home in the UK, investigating the reasons behind this dramatic rise and the impact it is having on young people.

S33E1
The Truth About Vegans
Air date: 02/Jan/2019 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the increasing popularity of veganism. It's better for your health, the environment and animals but why do some activists resort to extreme tactics to promote it?

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the increasing popularity of veganism. It's better for your health, the environment and animals but why do some activists resort to extreme tactics to promote it?

Season 32 · 2018
26 episode(s) · Air date: 28/Jan/2018
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Season Overview

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S32E26
North Korea: Life Inside the Secret State
Air date: 05/Nov/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

North Korean citizens reveal what life is like for the 24 million people who live in the world's most secretive country, where the state controls every aspect of their life.

Summary

North Korean citizens reveal what life is like for the 24 million people who live in the world's most secretive country, where the state controls every aspect of their life.

S32E25
Born on the Breadline
Air date: 29/Oct/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Examines the growing need for baby banks in the UK and meets the working parents who are turning to them to provide their young children with nappies, clothes, toys and cots.

Summary

Examines the growing need for baby banks in the UK and meets the working parents who are turning to them to provide their young children with nappies, clothes, toys and cots.

S32E24
Cannabis: Time to End the Ban?
Air date: 22/Oct/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Over 2 million people smoke cannabis in the UK. Some police forces no longer prosecute for possession. Canada and several American States have legalised it. So should the UK follow suit?

Summary

Over 2 million people smoke cannabis in the UK. Some police forces no longer prosecute for possession. Canada and several American States have legalised it. So should the UK follow suit?

S32E23
Witness Intimidation Revealed: Stitches For Snitches
Air date: 15/Oct/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Livvy Haydock explores the dark world of online witness intimidation, meeting those who threaten 'snitches' and the families of witnesses who paid the price for telling the truth in court.

Summary

Livvy Haydock explores the dark world of online witness intimidation, meeting those who threaten 'snitches' and the families of witnesses who paid the price for telling the truth in court.

S32E22
Lawless Britain: Where are the Police?
Air date: 08/Oct/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

An increasing number of victims of crime are claiming that the police are not fully investigating their cases, while police cite a lack of resources. Are we entering a new era of policing?

Summary

An increasing number of victims of crime are claiming that the police are not fully investigating their cases, while police cite a lack of resources. Are we entering a new era of policing?

S32E21
How to lose Seven Billion Pounds
Air date: 23/Aug/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Liam Halligan reveals the story behind the collapse of Carillion, the vast British company built on billions of pounds of public money and that imploded in January 2018.

Summary

Liam Halligan reveals the story behind the collapse of Carillion, the vast British company built on billions of pounds of public money and that imploded in January 2018.

S32E20
Breastfeeding Uncovered
Air date: 30/Jul/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Journalist and television presenter Kate Quilton investigates why Britain has some of the worst breastfeeding rates in the world and also explores some of the scientific evidence for the benefits of breast milk.

Summary

Journalist and television presenter Kate Quilton investigates why Britain has some of the worst breastfeeding rates in the world and also explores some of the scientific evidence for the benefits of breast milk.

S32E19
Homeless and Working
Air date: 23/Jul/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Datshiane Navanayagam goes behind the scenes at two homeless shelters in London to reveal the growing number of people who are in work but are unable to afford high private rents in a low wage economy.

Summary

Datshiane Navanayagam goes behind the scenes at two homeless shelters in London to reveal the growing number of people who are in work but are unable to afford high private rents in a low wage economy.

S32E18
Plot to Kill: Britain's Neo-Nazi Terrorists
Air date: 18/Jul/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

With exclusive access to the secretive world of Britain's new neo-Nazis, Dispatches tells the inside story of a far-right terrorist plot to murder an MP, and how the plan was betrayed to the police.

Summary

With exclusive access to the secretive world of Britain's new neo-Nazis, Dispatches tells the inside story of a far-right terrorist plot to murder an MP, and how the plan was betrayed to the police.

S32E17
Inside Facebook: Secrets of the Social Network
Air date: 17/Jul/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover in the secretive world of the people who decide what can and can't be posted on Facebook, exploring how their decisions are made and the impact they have on users.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover in the secretive world of the people who decide what can and can't be posted on Facebook, exploring how their decisions are made and the impact they have on users.

S32E16
Getting Rich From the Housing Crisis
Air date: 16/Jul/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Britain faces a major housing shortage so how is it that some of those who are responsible for providing the social housing that is so desperately needed seem to be doing so well out of the crisis?

Summary

Britain faces a major housing shortage so how is it that some of those who are responsible for providing the social housing that is so desperately needed seem to be doing so well out of the crisis?

S32E15
After Grenfell, How Safe Are We?
Air date: 08/Jun/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A year on from the Grenfell Tower disaster Ed Howker investigates claims that even after the Hackitt Review of building regulations Britain's tower blocks are still not safe.

Summary

A year on from the Grenfell Tower disaster Ed Howker investigates claims that even after the Hackitt Review of building regulations Britain's tower blocks are still not safe.

S32E14
Myanmar's Killing Fields
Air date: 14/May/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

For the past five years an undercover network of Rohingya activists have been risking their lives to secretly film evidence of years of repression, violence and mass murder by the authorities in Myanmar.

Summary

For the past five years an undercover network of Rohingya activists have been risking their lives to secretly film evidence of years of repression, violence and mass murder by the authorities in Myanmar.

S32E13
Britain's Benefits Crisis
Air date: 07/May/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders asks if the changes made to the Universal Credit system have forced some people to become homeless and to turn to food banks for support and if the nationwide roll-out of the changes should be halted.

Summary

Morland Sanders asks if the changes made to the Universal Credit system have forced some people to become homeless and to turn to food banks for support and if the nationwide roll-out of the changes should be halted.

S32E12
The True Cost of Green Energy
Air date: 16/Apr/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

An investigation of the government-subsidised renewable energy industry turning trees into fuel, asking whether burning wood is really a more environmentally friendly alternative to burning coal.

Summary

An investigation of the government-subsidised renewable energy industry turning trees into fuel, asking whether burning wood is really a more environmentally friendly alternative to burning coal.

S32E11
Britain's Diesel Scandal
Air date: 09/Apr/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

An undercover investigation into how British hauliers are using hi-tech cheat devices and computer hacking to disable the emissions controls on their lorries saving them money but worsening air quality.

Summary

An undercover investigation into how British hauliers are using hi-tech cheat devices and computer hacking to disable the emissions controls on their lorries saving them money but worsening air quality.

S32E10
Russian Spy Assassins: The Salisbury Attack
Air date: 26/Mar/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Matt Frei examines former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal's past - and the murky world of espionage, politics and crime - to find potential motives for his poisoning in Salisbury.

Summary

Matt Frei examines former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal's past - and the murky world of espionage, politics and crime - to find potential motives for his poisoning in Salisbury.

S32E9
Who Speaks for British Muslims?
Air date: 26/Mar/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Across Britain the police, government agencies and other public bodies have been reaching out to Muslim groups in the fight against extremism - but how much do they know about some of these groups?

Summary

Across Britain the police, government agencies and other public bodies have been reaching out to Muslim groups in the fight against extremism - but how much do they know about some of these groups?

S32E8
The Truth About Your Pay
Air date: 19/Mar/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

With the deadline for companies to disclose their gender pay gap approaching, reporter Tazeen Ahmad reveals how the figures presented may not be all that they seem.

Summary

With the deadline for companies to disclose their gender pay gap approaching, reporter Tazeen Ahmad reveals how the figures presented may not be all that they seem.

S32E6
The Week Britain Froze
Air date: 05/Mar/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The Week Britain Froze examines the causes of the Beast from the East, tells extraordinary stories of human courage, and asks if this freezing weather is a sign of things to come.

Summary

The Week Britain Froze examines the causes of the Beast from the East, tells extraordinary stories of human courage, and asks if this freezing weather is a sign of things to come.

S32E5
Britain's University Spending Scandal
Air date: 26/Feb/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

At a time when students are graduating up to 58,000 pounds in debt and university staff are protesting about cuts to their pensions, Dispatches investigates the expenses of Britain's top universities.

Summary

At a time when students are graduating up to 58,000 pounds in debt and university staff are protesting about cuts to their pensions, Dispatches investigates the expenses of Britain's top universities.

S32E4
Undercover: Inside the Priory
Air date: 19/Feb/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Faced with a shortage of places to treat mental health patients, the NHS is placing patients in private hospitals. Dispatches goes undercover inside one of the American-owned Priory Group's hospitals to investigate.

Summary

Faced with a shortage of places to treat mental health patients, the NHS is placing patients in private hospitals. Dispatches goes undercover inside one of the American-owned Priory Group's hospitals to investigate.

S32E3
Football's Wall of Silence
Air date: 15/Feb/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In an Al Jazeera investigation, Reporter Deboarah Davies reveals how former youth football coach Barry Bennell spent his days coaching children and nights abusing them.

Summary

In an Al Jazeera investigation, Reporter Deboarah Davies reveals how former youth football coach Barry Bennell spent his days coaching children and nights abusing them.

S32E2
Undercover in Premier Inn
Air date: 12/Feb/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A reporter goes undercover as an agency housekeeper working at a Premier Inn hotel in central London and discovers some uncomfortable truths about what it is like for some of the people working there.

Summary

A reporter goes undercover as an agency housekeeper working at a Premier Inn hotel in central London and discovers some uncomfortable truths about what it is like for some of the people working there.

S32E1
Politicians for Hire: Cashing in on Brexit
Air date: 28/Jan/2018 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover posing as representatives of a Chinese company to investigate how politicians, including former cabinet ministers, are looking to make money by advising businesses about Brexit.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover posing as representatives of a Chinese company to investigate how politicians, including former cabinet ministers, are looking to make money by advising businesses about Brexit.

Season 31 · 2017
29 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Jan/2017
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Season Overview

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S31E28
How to Avoid the Dementia Tax
Air date: 20/Nov/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Tazeen Ahmad investigates the so-called "dementia tax". Why do some dementia sufferers have to sell their home to pay for care, while others gain access to NHS funding?

Summary

Tazeen Ahmad investigates the so-called "dementia tax". Why do some dementia sufferers have to sell their home to pay for care, while others gain access to NHS funding?

S31E27
The Great Housing Scandal
Air date: 13/Nov/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the Prime Minister dedicated her premiership to fixing Britain's broken housing market. Do some of her government's actions contradict that pledge?

Summary

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the Prime Minister dedicated her premiership to fixing Britain's broken housing market. Do some of her government's actions contradict that pledge?

S31E26
The Fight For Mosul
Air date: 07/Nov/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Follows the experiences of five young Iraqi Special Forces soldiers tasked with fighting ISIS in Mosul who are haunted by what they've seen and what they've done.

Summary

Follows the experiences of five young Iraqi Special Forces soldiers tasked with fighting ISIS in Mosul who are haunted by what they've seen and what they've done.

S31E25
Trouble on the Trains
Air date: 06/Nov/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders gains access to undercover footage from British Transport Police that exposes the bad behaviour of football-fans on the UK's rail network as they bring offensive chants from the stadiums to the carriages.

Summary

Morland Sanders gains access to undercover footage from British Transport Police that exposes the bad behaviour of football-fans on the UK's rail network as they bring offensive chants from the stadiums to the carriages.

S31E24
Is Britain Full?
Air date: 30/Oct/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Michael Buerk investigates whether the country can cope with current levels of immigration and the impact of internal migration on over and under populated areas.

Summary

Michael Buerk investigates whether the country can cope with current levels of immigration and the impact of internal migration on over and under populated areas.

S31E23
Who Deserves a Pay Rise?
Air date: 23/Oct/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates what life is like for front-line public sector workers following seven years of pay freezes and pay caps, revealing how far salaries have fallen in real terms.

Summary

Dispatches investigates what life is like for front-line public sector workers following seven years of pay freezes and pay caps, revealing how far salaries have fallen in real terms.

S31E22
Trump & Russia: Sex, Spies and Scandal
Air date: 18/Oct/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A year after one of the greatest political upsets of all time, Matt Frei travels to Moscow and Washington to find out more about the alleged conspiracy between Donald Trump and Russia.

Summary

A year after one of the greatest political upsets of all time, Matt Frei travels to Moscow and Washington to find out more about the alleged conspiracy between Donald Trump and Russia.

S31E21
How to Get a Pay Rise
Air date: 16/Oct/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates low wage growth, asking who is responsible for wage stagnation and provides a masterclass on how to get a pay rise.

Summary

Dispatches investigates low wage growth, asking who is responsible for wage stagnation and provides a masterclass on how to get a pay rise.

S31E20
Secrets of Your New Car
Air date: 28/Aug/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

As concern once again grows around household debt, Dispatches investigates car finance. Undercover filming exposes questionable sales tactics and confusing advice given to customers.

Summary

As concern once again grows around household debt, Dispatches investigates car finance. Undercover filming exposes questionable sales tactics and confusing advice given to customers.

S31E19
Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia
Air date: 24/Aug/2017
Summary

Mark Austin and his daughter Maddy explore the devastating effects of eating disorders, the availability of suitable care and talk to patients, their families, Prince William of Wales and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Summary

Mark Austin and his daughter Maddy explore the devastating effects of eating disorders, the availability of suitable care and talk to patients, their families, Prince William of Wales and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

S31E18
Secrets of Britain's New Homes
Air date: 10/Jul/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett investigates why so few new homes are being built across Britain and examines links between the property industry and the Government.

Summary

Antony Barnett investigates why so few new homes are being built across Britain and examines links between the property industry and the Government.

S31E17
Secrets of Your Cruise
Air date: 03/Jul/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Tazeen Ahmad goes undercover as a passenger to investigate the impact that some cruise ships could be having on the environment and public health

Summary

Tazeen Ahmad goes undercover as a passenger to investigate the impact that some cruise ships could be having on the environment and public health

S31E16
Brexit - How to Get a British Passport
Air date: 26/Jun/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Reporter Datshiane Navanayagam investigates the many hurdles and costs that people face applying for British citizenship and passports - including large numbers of children born and raised in Britain.

Summary

Reporter Datshiane Navanayagam investigates the many hurdles and costs that people face applying for British citizenship and passports - including large numbers of children born and raised in Britain.

S31E15
Bupa Care Homes Undercover
Air date: 19/Jun/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Undercover filming uncovers the specialist dementia care homes for the elderly operated by the UK's largest private medical business BUPA amid allegations of neglect and abuse of patients

Summary

Undercover filming uncovers the specialist dementia care homes for the elderly operated by the UK's largest private medical business BUPA amid allegations of neglect and abuse of patients

S31E14
Trump, The Doctor and The Vaccine Scandal
Air date: 08/May/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

With fear of vaccination resurgent in the United States, Cathy Newman reveals the role played by disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield in the Trump administration.

Summary

With fear of vaccination resurgent in the United States, Cathy Newman reveals the role played by disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield in the Trump administration.

S31E13
Isis and the Battle for Iraq
Air date: 06/Apr/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Emmy-award winning journalist Ramita Navai reveals the other side of the war against ISIS in Iraq, looking at allegations of torture, execution and sectarian cleansing of Sunni refugees by Shia militias.

Summary

Emmy-award winning journalist Ramita Navai reveals the other side of the war against ISIS in Iraq, looking at allegations of torture, execution and sectarian cleansing of Sunni refugees by Shia militias.

S31E12
President Trump: How Scared Should We Be?
Air date: 03/Apr/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Abigail Austen travels to the US to assess what the age of Trump means for the rest of the world, and how serious a threat some of his policies pose to peace and stability around the globe.

Summary

Abigail Austen travels to the US to assess what the age of Trump means for the rest of the world, and how serious a threat some of his policies pose to peace and stability around the globe.

S31E11
Secrets of Coca-Cola
Air date: 27/Mar/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett reveals the response of the global soft drinks giant to the UK Government's sugar-tax and leaked e-mails which show the corporation is gathering scientists and academics to challenge the legislation.

Summary

Antony Barnett reveals the response of the global soft drinks giant to the UK Government's sugar-tax and leaked e-mails which show the corporation is gathering scientists and academics to challenge the legislation.

S31E10
Syria's Disappeared: The Case Against Assad
Air date: 23/Mar/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary investigating how tens of thousands of men, women and children have been disappeared by the Assad regime into a network of clandestine detention centers.

Summary

Documentary investigating how tens of thousands of men, women and children have been disappeared by the Assad regime into a network of clandestine detention centers.

S31E9
Britain's Benefit Families
Air date: 20/Mar/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Seyi Rhodes investigates benefit reforms by speaking to claimants who have had their housing benefit capped, landlords who can no longer accept claimants as tenants and local councils left to pick up the pieces.

Summary

Seyi Rhodes investigates benefit reforms by speaking to claimants who have had their housing benefit capped, landlords who can no longer accept claimants as tenants and local councils left to pick up the pieces.

S31E8
Brexit: Crisis on the Wards
Air date: 13/Mar/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

This winter, the NHS has suffered one of the most challenging periods in its history. Morland Sanders investigates if the Brexit vote is going to deliver an even bigger problem as staff from EU countries leave.

Summary

This winter, the NHS has suffered one of the most challenging periods in its history. Morland Sanders investigates if the Brexit vote is going to deliver an even bigger problem as staff from EU countries leave.

S31E7
Under Lock and Key
Air date: 01/Mar/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Thousands of young people with learning disabilities and autism are still being locked up in hospital despite promises made by the government. This special report highlights the lack of bespoke care to meet their needs.

Summary

Thousands of young people with learning disabilities and autism are still being locked up in hospital despite promises made by the government. This special report highlights the lack of bespoke care to meet their needs.

S31E6
Inside Britain's Airports
Air date: 27/Feb/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Each year Britain's airports rake in more than 4 billion pounds, mostly from the plethora of shops in their terminals. Reporter Harry Wallop investigates if passengers are getting a good deal.

Summary

Each year Britain's airports rake in more than 4 billion pounds, mostly from the plethora of shops in their terminals. Reporter Harry Wallop investigates if passengers are getting a good deal.

S31E5
Supermarkets: Brexit and Your Shrinking Shop
Air date: 20/Feb/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Harry Wallop reveals which of Britain's favourite brands have been affected by the Brexit vote and looks at how the imposition of European import taxes cold affect the cost of shopping in the UK.

Summary

Harry Wallop reveals which of Britain's favourite brands have been affected by the Brexit vote and looks at how the imposition of European import taxes cold affect the cost of shopping in the UK.

S31E4
Undercover: Britain's Homeless Scandal
Air date: 13/Feb/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

With councils across England and Wales struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing, Jackie Long investigates the impact on homeless women trying to escape life on the streets.

Summary

With councils across England and Wales struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing, Jackie Long investigates the impact on homeless women trying to escape life on the streets.

S31E3
Undercover: Britain's Cheap Clothes (2)
Air date: 30/Jan/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In the second documentary investigating the resurgent UK textile industry, Dispatches goes undercover to follow the next stage of the industry - inside the vast distribution warehouses servicing our online orders.

Summary

In the second documentary investigating the resurgent UK textile industry, Dispatches goes undercover to follow the next stage of the industry - inside the vast distribution warehouses servicing our online orders.

S31E2
Undercover: Britain's Cheap Clothes (1)
Air date: 23/Jan/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Tazeen Ahmad follows up her 2010 report into working conditions inside factories which are making clothing for major brand labels to see if life has improved for the workers making our clothes.

Summary

Tazeen Ahmad follows up her 2010 report into working conditions inside factories which are making clothing for major brand labels to see if life has improved for the workers making our clothes.

S31E1
President Trump's Dirty Secrets
Air date: 16/Jan/2017 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Reporter Antony Barnett investigates some of the controversial figures surrounding Donald Trump and how their links to powerful corporations could have far-reaching consequences beyond America.

Summary

Reporter Antony Barnett investigates some of the controversial figures surrounding Donald Trump and how their links to powerful corporations could have far-reaching consequences beyond America.

Season 30 · 2016
28 episode(s) · Air date: 01/Feb/2016
Improve Season
Season Overview

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S30E28
The World According to President Trump
Air date: 14/Nov/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Channel 4 Dispatches Editor George Waldrum has commissioned a Dispatches special from ITN Productions in response to the results of the US General Election - The World According to President Trump. What will a President Trump really do? Will he really ban all Muslims? Build a wall? Pal up to Putin? Smash Isis? How scared should we be? Will he back down from his campaign pledges? In this special film, Matt Frei speaks to those who know and attempts to get to the bottom of Trump's policies and future agenda as President of the United States. Commissioning editor George Waldrum says, "We have never seen anything like it before, or possibly ever will again. The controversy surrounding the election has been remarkable and it is a great opportunity to continue the coverage and analysis on Channel 4. Matt Frei has been at the heart of the election coverage and can provide great insight into the aftermath of the election."

Summary

Channel 4 Dispatches Editor George Waldrum has commissioned a Dispatches special from ITN Productions in response to the results of the US General Election - The World According to President Trump. What will a President Trump really do? Will he really ban all Muslims? Build a wall? Pal up to Putin? Smash Isis? How scared should we be? Will he back down from his campaign pledges? In this special film, Matt Frei speaks to those who know and attempts to get to the bottom of Trump's policies and future agenda as President of the United States. Commissioning editor George Waldrum says, "We have never seen anything like it before, or possibly ever will again. The controversy surrounding the election has been remarkable and it is a great opportunity to continue the coverage and analysis on Channel 4. Matt Frei has been at the heart of the election coverage and can provide great insight into the aftermath of the election."

S30E27
Britain's Homebuilding Scandal
Air date: 07/Nov/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A shortage of housing in Britain has left many struggling to get onto the property ladder. Councils have granted planning permission to big building companies, so why are so few new houses being built? Dispatches investigates.

Summary

A shortage of housing in Britain has left many struggling to get onto the property ladder. Councils have granted planning permission to big building companies, so why are so few new houses being built? Dispatches investigates.

S30E26
The Secret Plan to Save Fat Britain
Air date: 31/Oct/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

British men are the fattest in Europe, British women the second fattest and our children are getting fatter, younger. Antony Barnett investigates why the Government's plans to tackle childhood obesity seem to have been watered down.

Summary

British men are the fattest in Europe, British women the second fattest and our children are getting fatter, younger. Antony Barnett investigates why the Government's plans to tackle childhood obesity seem to have been watered down.

S30E25
Addicted to Spending
Air date: 24/Oct/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

From online shopping to contactless payment, it has never been easier to spend money. Reporter Morland Sanders meets those struggling to control their spending habits and the companies profiting from those debts.

Summary

From online shopping to contactless payment, it has never been easier to spend money. Reporter Morland Sanders meets those struggling to control their spending habits and the companies profiting from those debts.

S30E24
Living With Nightmare Neighbours
Air date: 17/Oct/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The Government promised to fix so-called "Neighbours From Hell" with it's new Troubled Families Programme. Morland Sanders investigates if the scheme has really worked, meeting families that say it has had little impact.

Summary

The Government promised to fix so-called "Neighbours From Hell" with it's new Troubled Families Programme. Morland Sanders investigates if the scheme has really worked, meeting families that say it has had little impact.

S30E23
Britain's Wealth Gap
Air date: 10/Oct/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The increasing wealth gap between the young and the old has become one of the defining features of our times. Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator magazine, reveals the extent of the gap and its causes.

Summary

The increasing wealth gap between the young and the old has become one of the defining features of our times. Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator magazine, reveals the extent of the gap and its causes.

S30E21
The Battle for the Labour Party
Air date: 19/Sep/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett investigates the current state of the Labour Party in the run-up to the result of the leadership contest. He also investigates Momentum and those seeking to influence the party.

Summary

Antony Barnett investigates the current state of the Labour Party in the run-up to the result of the leadership contest. He also investigates Momentum and those seeking to influence the party.

S30E20
The Great Housing Scandal
Air date: 15/Aug/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Harry Wallop investigates the housing shortage in Britain and in particular the Government sell-off of state-owned land to build housing on. He discovers that the land was undersold and few houses built on it.

Summary

Harry Wallop investigates the housing shortage in Britain and in particular the Government sell-off of state-owned land to build housing on. He discovers that the land was undersold and few houses built on it.

S30E19
Brexit: Who'll Do Your Job Now?
Air date: 01/Aug/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders asks who will take Britain's low-skilled jobs - picking food, cleaning toilets and packing parcels if EU workers are no longer plentiful and looks into reports of a shadowy North Korean workforce in Europe.

Summary

Morland Sanders asks who will take Britain's low-skilled jobs - picking food, cleaning toilets and packing parcels if EU workers are no longer plentiful and looks into reports of a shadowy North Korean workforce in Europe.

S30E18
How Safe Is Your Car?
Air date: 01/Aug/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates whether manufacturers and testers can be trusted over car safety and examines if more could be done to protect drivers and passengers.

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates whether manufacturers and testers can be trusted over car safety and examines if more could be done to protect drivers and passengers.

S30E17
How School Bosses Spend Your Millions
Air date: 25/Jul/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett investigates the Government push to massively expand the academy school system, discovering the large salaries and extremely generous expenses and perks some staff receive.

Summary

Antony Barnett investigates the Government push to massively expand the academy school system, discovering the large salaries and extremely generous expenses and perks some staff receive.

S30E16
Is Your Pension Safe?
Air date: 18/Jul/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Reporter Shaunagh Connaire investigates the increasing pressures on the UK pension industry post-Brexit and asks if more companies will find themselves struggling to meet their pension commitments.

Summary

Reporter Shaunagh Connaire investigates the increasing pressures on the UK pension industry post-Brexit and asks if more companies will find themselves struggling to meet their pension commitments.

S30E15
Racist Britain
Air date: 11/Jul/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Seyi Rhodes investigates the alarming rise in the number of hate crimes being reported in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, containing shocking footage of abuse and attacks.

Summary

Seyi Rhodes investigates the alarming rise in the number of hate crimes being reported in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, containing shocking footage of abuse and attacks.

S30E14
Are You Owed a Pay Rise?
Air date: 04/Jul/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the new National Living Wage. Despite only being introduced in April 2016 it has already caused controversy amid reports that employers are cutting other staff benefits.

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the new National Living Wage. Despite only being introduced in April 2016 it has already caused controversy amid reports that employers are cutting other staff benefits.

S30E13
Undercover: Inside Britain's Children's Services
Air date: 26/May/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover inside Birmingham City Council's Children's Services Department, Britain's largest, which was described in 2013 by Ofsted's Chief Inspector as a national disgrace.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover inside Birmingham City Council's Children's Services Department, Britain's largest, which was described in 2013 by Ofsted's Chief Inspector as a national disgrace.

S30E12
The Truth About Cheap Flights
Air date: 25/Apr/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Harry Wallop presents an undercover report revealing the secrets of one of the major players in the travel industry. Dispatches asks if really low fares are all that they seem and the best deal for passengers.

Summary

Harry Wallop presents an undercover report revealing the secrets of one of the major players in the travel industry. Dispatches asks if really low fares are all that they seem and the best deal for passengers.

S30E11
Isis and the Missing Treasures
Air date: 18/Apr/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Simon Cox investigates the UK trade in antiquities that have been looted from areas under the control of ISIS, examining this lucrative business and testing the laws designed to regulate it.

Summary

Simon Cox investigates the UK trade in antiquities that have been looted from areas under the control of ISIS, examining this lucrative business and testing the laws designed to regulate it.

S30E10
The Great Benefits Row
Air date: 11/Apr/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Former Paralympian Ade Adepitan reports on the row over welfare cuts that has rocked the Government and prompted Iain Duncan Smith to resign as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Summary

Former Paralympian Ade Adepitan reports on the row over welfare cuts that has rocked the Government and prompted Iain Duncan Smith to resign as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

S30E9
Britain's Pensioner Care Scandal
Air date: 04/Apr/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to examine the level of care that some of Britain's most vulnerable pensioners receive from a home care industry under pressure from rising costs and cuts to budgets.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to examine the level of care that some of Britain's most vulnerable pensioners receive from a home care industry under pressure from rising costs and cuts to budgets.

S30E8
Secrets of Cadbury
Air date: 21/Mar/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

6 years ago British confectioner Cadbury was taken over by the U.S. food giant Kraft in one of the most talked about takeovers of recent years. Harry Wallop reports on the controversies that have plagued the company since then.

Summary

6 years ago British confectioner Cadbury was taken over by the U.S. food giant Kraft in one of the most talked about takeovers of recent years. Harry Wallop reports on the controversies that have plagued the company since then.

S30E7
Housing Benefit Millionaires
Air date: 14/Mar/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Antony Barnett reports on the rogue private landlords who are exploiting the housing benefit system by renting out sub-standard accommodation to tenants in receipt of the benefit, often putting lives at risk.

Summary

Antony Barnett reports on the rogue private landlords who are exploiting the housing benefit system by renting out sub-standard accommodation to tenants in receipt of the benefit, often putting lives at risk.

S30E6
How To Be A Council House Millionaire
Air date: 07/Mar/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The Government plans to extend the right-to-buy scheme to housing association tenants, Antony Barnett looks at who will be the winners and losers. Includes undercover filming at one of the property companies hoping to benefit.

Summary

The Government plans to extend the right-to-buy scheme to housing association tenants, Antony Barnett looks at who will be the winners and losers. Includes undercover filming at one of the property companies hoping to benefit.

S30E4
Dirty Secrets: What's Really in Our Air?
Air date: 22/Feb/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

People are breathing in more harmful pollutants than official figures suggest. Morland Sanders uses high-tech monitoring equipment to identify hidden pollution hot-spots and talks to experts about the effect this is having.

Summary

People are breathing in more harmful pollutants than official figures suggest. Morland Sanders uses high-tech monitoring equipment to identify hidden pollution hot-spots and talks to experts about the effect this is having.

S30E3
999: Where's My Ambulance?
Air date: 15/Feb/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Demand for ambulance services are at an all-time high and many trusts are struggling to meet response time targets. Morland Sanders investigates why there is such a demand and what can be done to meet it.

Summary

Demand for ambulance services are at an all-time high and many trusts are struggling to meet response time targets. Morland Sanders investigates why there is such a demand and what can be done to meet it.

S30E2
How the Rich Avoid Tax
Air date: 08/Feb/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Actor Greg Wise secretly records his meetings with tax planners, who reveal to him a range of legal tax avoidance schemes that are available to the rich and famous.

Summary

Actor Greg Wise secretly records his meetings with tax planners, who reveal to him a range of legal tax avoidance schemes that are available to the rich and famous.

S30E1
Where's My Missing Mail?
Air date: 01/Feb/2016 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Morland Sanders presents an undercover report into parcel delivery companies where missing items, broken gifts and late deliveries are all becoming a growing problem.

Summary

Morland Sanders presents an undercover report into parcel delivery companies where missing items, broken gifts and late deliveries are all becoming a growing problem.

Season 29 · 2015
28 episode(s) · Air date: 12/Jan/2015
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Season Overview

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S29E28
The Children Who Beat Ebola
Air date: 22/Dec/2015
Summary

The remarkable story of five extraordinary children in Sierra Leone who fought off the deadly Ebola virus and overcame loss and social stigma to rebuild their lives.

Summary

The remarkable story of five extraordinary children in Sierra Leone who fought off the deadly Ebola virus and overcame loss and social stigma to rebuild their lives.

S29E27
How the Monarchy Can Make You Millions
Air date: 14/Dec/2015
Summary

Around 800 companies hold royal warrants and it is thought that they make an extra £4 billion a year because of it. With the stakes so high, Antony Barnett examines the system of granting royal approval.

Summary

Around 800 companies hold royal warrants and it is thought that they make an extra £4 billion a year because of it. With the stakes so high, Antony Barnett examines the system of granting royal approval.

S29E26
Low Pay Britain II
Air date: 07/Dec/2015
Summary

The Government has promised to help create 3 million apprenticeships alongside a new national living wage. Dispatches investigates claims that some employers are wasting public money and abusing the trust placed in them.

Summary

The Government has promised to help create 3 million apprenticeships alongside a new national living wage. Dispatches investigates claims that some employers are wasting public money and abusing the trust placed in them.

S29E25
Britain's Nightmare New Homes
Air date: 16/Nov/2015
Summary

With the Government pledging to build a million new homes across Britain by 2020, Seyi Rhodes investigates if the rush to build so many new houses is having an impact on the quality these homes.

Summary

With the Government pledging to build a million new homes across Britain by 2020, Seyi Rhodes investigates if the rush to build so many new houses is having an impact on the quality these homes.

S29E24
How to Stop Your Nuisance Calls II
Air date: 16/Nov/2015
Summary

Millions of people are plagued by nuisance callers trying to sell them things that they don't want, Dispatches goes undercover to investigate the cold calling industry and meets the people fighting back.

Summary

Millions of people are plagued by nuisance callers trying to sell them things that they don't want, Dispatches goes undercover to investigate the cold calling industry and meets the people fighting back.

S29E23
Aldi's Supermarket Secrets
Air date: 09/Nov/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Discount supermarket chain Aldi continues to go from strength to strength, recently overtaking Waitrose as Britain's sixth biggest supermarket. Morland Sanders goes undercover to see if quality and service are suffering.

Summary

Discount supermarket chain Aldi continues to go from strength to strength, recently overtaking Waitrose as Britain's sixth biggest supermarket. Morland Sanders goes undercover to see if quality and service are suffering.

S29E21
Hunted: Gay and Afraid
Air date: 23/Jul/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches investigates the well-funded global network of groups that are supporting a new wave of anti-gay legislation around the world including America's "World Congress of Families".

Summary

Dispatches investigates the well-funded global network of groups that are supporting a new wave of anti-gay legislation around the world including America's "World Congress of Families".

S29E20
Escape from Isis
Air date: 15/Jul/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In this one-hour special report Dispatches reveals the brutal regime millions of women face when living under the control of the so-called Islamic State and meets a dedicated team of men risking their lives to free them.

Summary

In this one-hour special report Dispatches reveals the brutal regime millions of women face when living under the control of the so-called Islamic State and meets a dedicated team of men risking their lives to free them.

S29E18
How Councils Blow Your Millions
Air date: 06/Jul/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett investigates the secretive deals that British local authorities have done with banks around the world that are costing the UK taxpayer millions of pounds.

Summary

Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett investigates the secretive deals that British local authorities have done with banks around the world that are costing the UK taxpayer millions of pounds.

S29E17
Kids in Crisis
Air date: 01/Jul/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In this hour-long special report Dispatches meets with four families who all have children who suffer from mental illness. The lack of local residential care means these youngsters have to be separated from their loved ones to seek help.

Summary

In this hour-long special report Dispatches meets with four families who all have children who suffer from mental illness. The lack of local residential care means these youngsters have to be separated from their loved ones to seek help.

S29E16
Salt: Are You Eating Too Much?
Air date: 29/Jun/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Amidst calls to reduce the amount of salt consumed in our diets, reporter Tazeen Ahmad uncovers disturbing evidence that the labelling of salt content on our food is far from always accurate

Summary

Amidst calls to reduce the amount of salt consumed in our diets, reporter Tazeen Ahmad uncovers disturbing evidence that the labelling of salt content on our food is far from always accurate

S29E15
The Great British Property Divide
Air date: 22/Jun/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

From million-pound flats to so-called "poor doors", Morland Sanders investigates how rising house prices can transform communities and the impact the right-to-buy law will have on the property divide.

Summary

From million-pound flats to so-called "poor doors", Morland Sanders investigates how rising house prices can transform communities and the impact the right-to-buy law will have on the property divide.

S29E14
Exams: Cheating the System?
Air date: 15/Jun/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Seyi Rhodes examines how some schools and pupils are coping with the stresses and strains of the exam system by bending the rules. He speaks to 'whistleblowers' within the education sector who reveal some of the tactics used.

Summary

Seyi Rhodes examines how some schools and pupils are coping with the stresses and strains of the exam system by bending the rules. He speaks to 'whistleblowers' within the education sector who reveal some of the tactics used.

S29E13
Where to Save Your Money
Air date: 08/Jun/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Interest rates are at their lowest in 300 years, Channel 4 News Business Editor Siobhan Kennedy reports on the problems facing savers and examines some of the options available to them in a confusing market.

Summary

Interest rates are at their lowest in 300 years, Channel 4 News Business Editor Siobhan Kennedy reports on the problems facing savers and examines some of the options available to them in a confusing market.

S29E12
Trains: Are You Paying Too Much?
Air date: 01/Jun/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

As rail passenger numbers hit an all-time high Morland Sanders goes undercover inside one of Britain's biggest rail operators to examine the key problems of ticket pricing, overcrowding and compensation claims.

Summary

As rail passenger numbers hit an all-time high Morland Sanders goes undercover inside one of Britain's biggest rail operators to examine the key problems of ticket pricing, overcrowding and compensation claims.

S29E11
The Secrets of Sports Direct
Air date: 27/Apr/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

How does Sports Direct sell it's trainers and clothing so cheaply? Harry Wallop examines the hidden costs behind the success of the high street store who have been accused of "reprehensible" business practices.

Summary

How does Sports Direct sell it's trainers and clothing so cheaply? Harry Wallop examines the hidden costs behind the success of the high street store who have been accused of "reprehensible" business practices.

S29E9
How to Buy a Meeting with a Minister
Air date: 23/Mar/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In the run-up to the General Election, Antony Barnett presents an undercover investigation into the way in which donors can pay to attend social functions with government ministers to discuss "issues".

Summary

In the run-up to the General Election, Antony Barnett presents an undercover investigation into the way in which donors can pay to attend social functions with government ministers to discuss "issues".

S29E8
Britain's Defence Squeeze
Air date: 16/Mar/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

In the wake of significant cuts to the UK defence budget, Morland Sanders asks if the nation is still able to defend itself adequately in the face of a growing range of threats.

Summary

In the wake of significant cuts to the UK defence budget, Morland Sanders asks if the nation is still able to defend itself adequately in the face of a growing range of threats.

S29E7
Benefits Britain: Universal Credit
Air date: 09/Mar/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The Government is introducing the new Universal Credit in the biggest welfare reform in a generation. It is claimed the new benefit is helping people back into work, Dispatches investigates claims the new system is a shambles.

Summary

The Government is introducing the new Universal Credit in the biggest welfare reform in a generation. It is claimed the new benefit is helping people back into work, Dispatches investigates claims the new system is a shambles.

S29E6
Britain's Benefits Crackdown
Air date: 02/Mar/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The Government has vowed to clampdown on benefit claimants and has introduced a new system of sanctions against those it thinks are abusing the system. Liz MacKean meets those hit by the new penalties.

Summary

The Government has vowed to clampdown on benefit claimants and has introduced a new system of sanctions against those it thinks are abusing the system. Liz MacKean meets those hit by the new penalties.

S29E5
Politicians for Hire II
Air date: 23/Feb/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover once again to expose the cash-for-access scandal of MP's accepting fees to provide access to government. This time two former Foreign Secretaries are the target of the sting operation.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover once again to expose the cash-for-access scandal of MP's accepting fees to provide access to government. This time two former Foreign Secretaries are the target of the sting operation.

S29E4
Secrets Of The Parking Wardens
Air date: 16/Feb/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The number of parking tickets issues by private firms has rocketed since 2007, with more than 2.5 million issued annually. Reporter Antony Barnett goes undercover to investigate why complaints against them have also grown.

Summary

The number of parking tickets issues by private firms has rocketed since 2007, with more than 2.5 million issued annually. Reporter Antony Barnett goes undercover to investigate why complaints against them have also grown.

S29E3
The Great Car Con
Air date: 26/Jan/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

British motorists were told that diesel would be the cheap, environmentally friendly fuel of the future but growing concerns over harmful emissions and the reliability of emissions tests have led to calls for surcharges or bans on diesels.

Summary

British motorists were told that diesel would be the cheap, environmentally friendly fuel of the future but growing concerns over harmful emissions and the reliability of emissions tests have led to calls for surcharges or bans on diesels.

S29E2
Low Pay Britain
Air date: 19/Jan/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

As parties launch their General Election campaigns focusing on Britain's economic recovery, Morland Sanders investigates the reality of the workforce today and shows how major companies are saving money on wages and taxes.

Summary

As parties launch their General Election campaigns focusing on Britain's economic recovery, Morland Sanders investigates the reality of the workforce today and shows how major companies are saving money on wages and taxes.

S29E1
How to Blow Your Pension
Air date: 12/Jan/2015 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Changes to the rules regarding private pension withdrawals mean some retirees are planning on raiding their pension pot to take luxury holidays or pay of debts. Michael Buerk asks if the state will be left to pick up the pieces.

Summary

Changes to the rules regarding private pension withdrawals mean some retirees are planning on raiding their pension pot to take luxury holidays or pay of debts. Michael Buerk asks if the state will be left to pick up the pieces.

Season 28 · 2014
30 episode(s) · Air date: 20/Jan/2014
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Season Overview

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S28E30
The British Property Boom
Air date: 01/Dec/2014
Summary

Dispatches investigates the consequences of rapid house price rises for buyers, sellers and communities and examines how the property boom of 2014 is changing the face of our towns and cities.

Summary

Dispatches investigates the consequences of rapid house price rises for buyers, sellers and communities and examines how the property boom of 2014 is changing the face of our towns and cities.

S28E29
How to Break Into Britain (II)
Air date: 24/Nov/2014
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover inside the makeshift camps around Calais to investigate the criminal gangs that are making big money by smuggling illegal immigrants into Britain.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover inside the makeshift camps around Calais to investigate the criminal gangs that are making big money by smuggling illegal immigrants into Britain.

S28E28
How the Rich Get Richer
Air date: 17/Nov/2014
Summary

Fraser Nelson, the editor of The Spectator magazine, explores the growing inequality in British society. In areas such as education, prospects and life expectancy there's a growing gulf between the haves and have not's.

Summary

Fraser Nelson, the editor of The Spectator magazine, explores the growing inequality in British society. In areas such as education, prospects and life expectancy there's a growing gulf between the haves and have not's.

S28E27
Rice: How Safe Is Our Food?
Air date: 03/Nov/2014
Summary

Dispatches investigates claims by some leading experts that some types of commonly consumed rice contain worryingly high levels of naturally occurring arsenic

Summary

Dispatches investigates claims by some leading experts that some types of commonly consumed rice contain worryingly high levels of naturally occurring arsenic

S28E25
Nigeria's Hidden War
Air date: 18/Aug/2014
Summary

Dispatches reveals a dark side to Nigeria's on-going war against Islamist terror groups such as Boko Haram: a campaign by the Nigerian security forces against civilians so brutal it could be classed a war crime.

Summary

Dispatches reveals a dark side to Nigeria's on-going war against Islamist terror groups such as Boko Haram: a campaign by the Nigerian security forces against civilians so brutal it could be classed a war crime.

S28E24
Are You Addicted to Your Doctor?
Air date: 18/Aug/2014
Summary

Dispatches investigates those who are over-using our health system, from the anxious woman who calls an ambulance 20 times a year, to the young mums who head to A&E with minor ailments and illnesses.

Summary

Dispatches investigates those who are over-using our health system, from the anxious woman who calls an ambulance 20 times a year, to the young mums who head to A&E with minor ailments and illnesses.

S28E23
How to Stop Your Nuisance Calls
Air date: 11/Aug/2014
Summary

Fed up with receiving repeated telephone calls asking for charity donations? Ever wondered why you keep getting called despite saying no? How did they get your number? Dispatches goes undercover to find the answers.

Summary

Fed up with receiving repeated telephone calls asking for charity donations? Ever wondered why you keep getting called despite saying no? How did they get your number? Dispatches goes undercover to find the answers.

S28E22
Supermarkets: The Real Price of Cheap Food
Air date: 04/Aug/2014
Summary

Morland Sanders lifts the lid on key supermarket suppliers. From field to factory, Dispatches examines hygiene, health and safety and the reality of life on minimum-wage, minimum-security, ultra-flexible contracts.

Summary

Morland Sanders lifts the lid on key supermarket suppliers. From field to factory, Dispatches examines hygiene, health and safety and the reality of life on minimum-wage, minimum-security, ultra-flexible contracts.

S28E21
Supermarket Wars
Air date: 28/Jul/2014
Summary

The era of domination by the big 4 - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda - is waning. Profits are slumping and online shopping is transforming the market. While the big 4 struggle, discounters like Aldi and Lidl are booming.

Summary

The era of domination by the big 4 - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda - is waning. Profits are slumping and online shopping is transforming the market. While the big 4 struggle, discounters like Aldi and Lidl are booming.

S28E20
Murder in the Sky: Flight MH17
Air date: 21/Jul/2014
Summary

On July 16 a flight full of tourists, travellers and families took off from Amsterdam en-route to Malaysia. Four hours after take-off the Boeing 777 was flying above war-torn eastern Ukraine when it lost all contact with flight control.

Summary

On July 16 a flight full of tourists, travellers and families took off from Amsterdam en-route to Malaysia. Four hours after take-off the Boeing 777 was flying above war-torn eastern Ukraine when it lost all contact with flight control.

S28E19
Faith Schools Undercover: No Clapping in Class
Air date: 14/Jul/2014
Summary

As the government is about to publish its report on the 'Trojan Horse' affair in Birmingham, Dispatches goes undercover to question the role of faith communities in our schools.

Summary

As the government is about to publish its report on the 'Trojan Horse' affair in Birmingham, Dispatches goes undercover to question the role of faith communities in our schools.

S28E18
The Great British Break-up?
Air date: 07/Jul/2014
Summary

In September Scotland will go to the polls to vote on independence, people south of the border can only watch and wait. Antony Barnett goes on the campaign trail of both sides to investigate claims of dubious tactics and misinformation.

Summary

In September Scotland will go to the polls to vote on independence, people south of the border can only watch and wait. Antony Barnett goes on the campaign trail of both sides to investigate claims of dubious tactics and misinformation.

S28E17
The Cost of Cheap Alcohol
Air date: 30/Jun/2014
Summary

There is concern that the wide availability of cheap alcohol may have a darker side. Alcohol-related crime, violence, accidents and disease are costing the country billions of pounds a year.

Summary

There is concern that the wide availability of cheap alcohol may have a darker side. Alcohol-related crime, violence, accidents and disease are costing the country billions of pounds a year.

S28E16
How to Fix a Football Match
Air date: 23/Jun/2014
Summary

As World Cup fever grips the globe, Morland Sanders investigates the dark side of the international game. Dispatches goes undercover to expose world football's problem with match-fixing.

Summary

As World Cup fever grips the globe, Morland Sanders investigates the dark side of the international game. Dispatches goes undercover to expose world football's problem with match-fixing.

S28E15
Secrets of the Police
Air date: 16/Jun/2014
Summary

'Plebgate' and Hillsborough have made many in Britain question the honesty and integrity of some of our police officers. Now Dispatches investigates how they handle one of the most sensitive areas of policing: complaints of police racism.

Summary

'Plebgate' and Hillsborough have made many in Britain question the honesty and integrity of some of our police officers. Now Dispatches investigates how they handle one of the most sensitive areas of policing: complaints of police racism.

S28E14
Breadline Kids
Air date: 09/Jun/2014
Summary

Over 300,000 children were given food aid in the UK last year. Politicians continue to argue about why many kids are experiencing food poverty, Dispatches asked three children to reveal how it feels when the cupboards are sometimes bare.

Summary

Over 300,000 children were given food aid in the UK last year. Politicians continue to argue about why many kids are experiencing food poverty, Dispatches asked three children to reveal how it feels when the cupboards are sometimes bare.

S28E13
Tricks of the Junk Food Business
Air date: 02/Jun/2014
Summary

Do you know when an advert is really an advert? Are you sure that the game you're playing isn't trying to make you buy something? When it comes to protecting our children from sugary food, the world of online advertising is a new frontier.

Summary

Do you know when an advert is really an advert? Are you sure that the game you're playing isn't trying to make you buy something? When it comes to protecting our children from sugary food, the world of online advertising is a new frontier.

S28E12
Policemen Behaving Badly
Air date: 14/Apr/2014
Summary

It's called the Police Federation - the police's union - and it represents the interests of 131,000 officers across the country. They never break ranks, and no one ever speaks out; until now.

Summary

It's called the Police Federation - the police's union - and it represents the interests of 131,000 officers across the country. They never break ranks, and no one ever speaks out; until now.

S28E11
The Truth About Low Fat Food
Air date: 07/Apr/2014
Summary

Do you know how skinny your muffin is? Or what's in your low-fat yoghurt? As the public try to grapple with confusing messages about what's best to eat, Dispatches investigates how the food industry has reacted to our fear of fat.

Summary

Do you know how skinny your muffin is? Or what's in your low-fat yoghurt? As the public try to grapple with confusing messages about what's best to eat, Dispatches investigates how the food industry has reacted to our fear of fat.

S28E10
Amanda Holden: Exposing Hospital Heartache
Air date: 24/Mar/2014
Summary

Holden investigates the treatment of some couples whose pregnancies end in failure. Mothers who tell her their experiences in the aftermath of their loss left a great deal to be desired, and seeks answers from those in authority in the NHS

Summary

Holden investigates the treatment of some couples whose pregnancies end in failure. Mothers who tell her their experiences in the aftermath of their loss left a great deal to be desired, and seeks answers from those in authority in the NHS

S28E9
Food: What's Really in your Trolley?
Air date: 17/Mar/2014
Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the criminal gangs moving into the food business, the profits that can be made by substituting fake foods, and how the authorities are struggling to battle the rising tide of food fraud.

Summary

Morland Sanders investigates the criminal gangs moving into the food business, the profits that can be made by substituting fake foods, and how the authorities are struggling to battle the rising tide of food fraud.

S28E8
Undercover: Hate on the Terraces
Air date: 03/Mar/2014
Summary

Reporter Morland Sanders' investigation exposes how some supporters take part in systematic and flagrant homophobic chanting. It also raises serious concerns about the police's response to racism and homophobia.

Summary

Reporter Morland Sanders' investigation exposes how some supporters take part in systematic and flagrant homophobic chanting. It also raises serious concerns about the police's response to racism and homophobia.

S28E7
Secrets of Your Credit Rating
Air date: 24/Feb/2014
Summary

A bad credit rating can affect your chances of getting access to bank loans, mortgages and even mobile phone contracts. But how accurate is the information used to compile your credit report, and what happens if there is a mistake in it?

Summary

A bad credit rating can affect your chances of getting access to bank loans, mortgages and even mobile phone contracts. But how accurate is the information used to compile your credit report, and what happens if there is a mistake in it?

S28E6
A&E's Missing Millions
Air date: 17/Feb/2014
Summary

With Accident and Emergency Departments under pressure, Dispatches investigates the cost and consequence of financial penalties imposed on hospitals when government targets to treat emergency cases are missed.

Summary

With Accident and Emergency Departments under pressure, Dispatches investigates the cost and consequence of financial penalties imposed on hospitals when government targets to treat emergency cases are missed.

S28E5
Benefits Britain: The Bedroom Tax
Air date: 10/Feb/2014
Summary

Of the welfare changes brought in by the coalition gov't, the so-called Bedroom Tax is perhaps most controversial. Thousands of people around the country have had their housing benefit reduced because of a spare room in their house or flat

Summary

Of the welfare changes brought in by the coalition gov't, the so-called Bedroom Tax is perhaps most controversial. Thousands of people around the country have had their housing benefit reduced because of a spare room in their house or flat

S28E4
Hunted
Air date: 05/Feb/2014
Summary

On the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia is officially welcoming gay athletes and spectators. But in a country where it's thought only 1% of gay people dare to live completely openly, it appears to be a hollow gesture.

Summary

On the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia is officially welcoming gay athletes and spectators. But in a country where it's thought only 1% of gay people dare to live completely openly, it appears to be a hollow gesture.

S28E3
Floods: Your Money Down the Drain
Air date: 03/Feb/2014
Summary

The floods that recently hit Britain have caused misery for thousands, but do you know what's actually in the flood water that has engulfed our towns and streets?

Summary

The floods that recently hit Britain have caused misery for thousands, but do you know what's actually in the flood water that has engulfed our towns and streets?

S28E2
Children on the Frontline
Air date: 22/Jan/2014
Summary

The children of Syria are often the forgotten victims in the ongoing civil war. More than 11,000 children have been killed and over a million are now refugees.

Summary

The children of Syria are often the forgotten victims in the ongoing civil war. More than 11,000 children have been killed and over a million are now refugees.

S28E1
Are You Addicted to Sugar?
Air date: 20/Jan/2014
Summary

Will eating less really help? Experts say that the real problem lies in the quantity of sugar hidden in the food we eat. So is Britain addicted to sugar?

Summary

Will eating less really help? Experts say that the real problem lies in the quantity of sugar hidden in the food we eat. So is Britain addicted to sugar?

Season 27 · 2013
38 episode(s) · Air date: 07/Jan/2013
Improve Season
Season Overview

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S27E37
Britain's Big Fat Bill
Air date: 25/Nov/2013
Summary

As Britain gets fatter, Channel 4 Dispatches investigates what the real cost is to the nation. The programme follows the treatment of some of Britain's morbidly obese patients to reveal the spiralling cost to the NHS.

Summary

As Britain gets fatter, Channel 4 Dispatches investigates what the real cost is to the nation. The programme follows the treatment of some of Britain's morbidly obese patients to reveal the spiralling cost to the NHS.

S27E36
What's Your Pension Really Worth?
Air date: 18/Nov/2013
Summary

Michael Buerk investigates the pensions crises facing us all. As the cost of living rises faster than many pay packets and life expectancy increases, he asks what your pension is really worth?

Summary

Michael Buerk investigates the pensions crises facing us all. As the cost of living rises faster than many pay packets and life expectancy increases, he asks what your pension is really worth?

S27E35
North Korea: Life Inside the Secret State
Air date: 14/Nov/2013
Summary

North Koreans are breaking down the barriers of the gulag state. Following covert filmmakers, this doc shows real life under the new leader Kim Jong Un, highlighting the contrasting ox-drawn farms to the glittering life of the elite in Pyongyang. The starving children on the streets are of artificial food shortages engendered by corruption. See how USBs, cell phones and DVDs from the South are transforming North Koreans' views of their world.

Summary

North Koreans are breaking down the barriers of the gulag state. Following covert filmmakers, this doc shows real life under the new leader Kim Jong Un, highlighting the contrasting ox-drawn farms to the glittering life of the elite in Pyongyang. The starving children on the streets are of artificial food shortages engendered by corruption. See how USBs, cell phones and DVDs from the South are transforming North Koreans' views of their world.

S27E34
Can You Trust Your Surgeon?
Air date: 11/Nov/2013
Summary

Dispatches reveals that failing doctors routinely slip through the system. We've been filming secretly in GP practices and have uncovered concerning evidence of misdiagnosis by doctors who have failed in the past, but are still practicing

Summary

Dispatches reveals that failing doctors routinely slip through the system. We've been filming secretly in GP practices and have uncovered concerning evidence of misdiagnosis by doctors who have failed in the past, but are still practicing

S27E33
Energy Bills Exposed
Air date: 04/Nov/2013
Summary

Energy bills are on the rise and in the news. Consumers are furious. The Labour Party wants a price freeze. John Major wants a windfall tax. But the big six energy firms say it's not their fault prices are so high.

Summary

Energy bills are on the rise and in the news. Consumers are furious. The Labour Party wants a price freeze. John Major wants a windfall tax. But the big six energy firms say it's not their fault prices are so high.

S27E32
The Property Market Undercover
Air date: 28/Oct/2013
Summary

Reporter Antony Barnett secretly films the latest tactics used by estate agents to secure sales and commissions and asks whether some agents are even willing to lie to seal the deal.

Summary

Reporter Antony Barnett secretly films the latest tactics used by estate agents to secure sales and commissions and asks whether some agents are even willing to lie to seal the deal.

S27E31
Secrets of Your Pay Packet
Air date: 21/Oct/2013
Summary

Morland Sanders meets employees at some of Britain's biggest businesses who say they're paying for the bosses' cost-cutting measures and, while profits have gone up, their working conditions may never recover.

Summary

Morland Sanders meets employees at some of Britain's biggest businesses who say they're paying for the bosses' cost-cutting measures and, while profits have gone up, their working conditions may never recover.

S27E29
Ryanair: Secrets from the Cockpit
Air date: 12/Aug/2013
Summary

Channel 4's flagship current affairs programme: Dispatches, hears from pilots of Europe's biggest airline about their concerns around passenger safety.

Summary

Channel 4's flagship current affairs programme: Dispatches, hears from pilots of Europe's biggest airline about their concerns around passenger safety.

S27E28
Celebs, Brands and Fake Fans
Air date: 05/Aug/2013
Summary

Dispatches investigate what's real and what's fake in the brave new world of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, exposing new tricks used by marketers to plug brands, from buying fake Facebook 'likes' to influencing social media conversations.

Summary

Dispatches investigate what's real and what's fake in the brave new world of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, exposing new tricks used by marketers to plug brands, from buying fake Facebook 'likes' to influencing social media conversations.

S27E27
NHS Undercover
Air date: 29/Jul/2013
Summary

Two undercover reporters reveal worrying failings in the new NHS 111 call system. Working as trainee call handlers, the reporters filmed evidence of patients left waiting, concerns about training, and staff shortages.

Summary

Two undercover reporters reveal worrying failings in the new NHS 111 call system. Working as trainee call handlers, the reporters filmed evidence of patients left waiting, concerns about training, and staff shortages.

S27E26
Taliban Child Fighters
Air date: 22/Jul/2013
Summary

More than 200 children convicted of fighting for the Taliban are currently being held in special prisons across Afghanistan. Their crimes include the laying of improvised explosive devices, ambush and the preparation of suicide missions.

Summary

More than 200 children convicted of fighting for the Taliban are currently being held in special prisons across Afghanistan. Their crimes include the laying of improvised explosive devices, ambush and the preparation of suicide missions.

S27E25
South Africa's Dirty Cops
Air date: 15/Jul/2013
Summary

With South Africa's future under the spotlight, Channel 4 Dispatches examines allegations that the country's police have become a brutal and corrupt force.

Summary

With South Africa's future under the spotlight, Channel 4 Dispatches examines allegations that the country's police have become a brutal and corrupt force.

S27E24
The Prince and His Secret Properties
Air date: 01/Jul/2013
Summary

Last year Prince Charles earned more than £18 million from the Duchy of Cornwall, but how much do we know about this secretive estate? A hugely profitable property empire and the amount of tax Prince Charles is paying.

Summary

Last year Prince Charles earned more than £18 million from the Duchy of Cornwall, but how much do we know about this secretive estate? A hugely profitable property empire and the amount of tax Prince Charles is paying.

S27E23
The Police's Dirty Secret
Air date: 24/Jun/2013
Summary

Dispatches exposes the shocking story of Britain's secret police and how undercover officers reportedly used sex and lies to spy on members of the public. Dispatches reveals the names of high-profile targets spied on by the police.

Summary

Dispatches exposes the shocking story of Britain's secret police and how undercover officers reportedly used sex and lies to spy on members of the public. Dispatches reveals the names of high-profile targets spied on by the police.

S27E21
Diets, Drugs and Diabetes
Air date: 10/Jun/2013
Summary

Dr. Deborah Cohen, investigations editor at the British Medical Journal, examines a new generation of diabetes drugs that some drug companies hope could also be a magic treatment for obesity.

Summary

Dr. Deborah Cohen, investigations editor at the British Medical Journal, examines a new generation of diabetes drugs that some drug companies hope could also be a magic treatment for obesity.

S27E20
Boston, Woolwich & the New Terror
Air date: 03/Jun/2013
Summary

On 15 April two bombs exploded at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon. Just over a month later a British soldier was run over and hacked to death on a London street. The images from either side of the Atlantic shocked the world.

Summary

On 15 April two bombs exploded at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon. Just over a month later a British soldier was run over and hacked to death on a London street. The images from either side of the Atlantic shocked the world.

S27E19
The Hunt for Britain's Sex Gangs
Air date: 20/May/2013
Summary

Three years ago Telford police allowed cameras to start filming what became one of the biggest child sex abuse cases in the UK. The investigation, Operation Chalice, encompassed over 100 victims, and around 200 suspected perpetrators

Summary

Three years ago Telford police allowed cameras to start filming what became one of the biggest child sex abuse cases in the UK. The investigation, Operation Chalice, encompassed over 100 victims, and around 200 suspected perpetrators

S27E18
Murdered in Tenerife
Air date: 13/May/2013
Summary

In 2011, Jennifer Mills-Westley, a 60-year-old British grandmother, was attacked and publicly beheaded in broad daylight in Tenerife. Traumatized by the event, her family have never spoken in detail - until tonight.

Summary

In 2011, Jennifer Mills-Westley, a 60-year-old British grandmother, was attacked and publicly beheaded in broad daylight in Tenerife. Traumatized by the event, her family have never spoken in detail - until tonight.

S27E17
Secrets of Your Missing Mail
Air date: 29/Apr/2013
Summary

With shoppers increasingly relying on private parcel companies to deliver online purchases, Dispatches goes undercover to find out why couriers sometimes fail to deliver.

Summary

With shoppers increasingly relying on private parcel companies to deliver online purchases, Dispatches goes undercover to find out why couriers sometimes fail to deliver.

S27E16
Britain's Millionaire Criminals
Air date: 22/Apr/2013
Summary

Why are some convicted criminals still enjoying luxury lifestyles funded by their ill-gotten gains? Dozens of fraudsters, drug dealers and money launderers are still enjoying the high life despite being convicted of serious crimes.

Summary

Why are some convicted criminals still enjoying luxury lifestyles funded by their ill-gotten gains? Dozens of fraudsters, drug dealers and money launderers are still enjoying the high life despite being convicted of serious crimes.

S27E15
Syria: Across the Lines
Air date: 17/Apr/2013
Summary

A remarkable film from award-winning documentary maker Olly Lambert who has spent weeks living deep inside Syrian territory - with both gov't and opposition supporters - to explore how the 2 year old conflict is tearing communities apart.

Summary

A remarkable film from award-winning documentary maker Olly Lambert who has spent weeks living deep inside Syrian territory - with both gov't and opposition supporters - to explore how the 2 year old conflict is tearing communities apart.

S27E14
Immigration Undercover
Air date: 15/Apr/2013
Summary

In this report Morland Sanders investigates whether Britain's immigration system is fit for purpose with reports that tens of thousands of files sit uncleared in the system and a large backlog of immigration cases not dealt with.

Summary

In this report Morland Sanders investigates whether Britain's immigration system is fit for purpose with reports that tens of thousands of files sit uncleared in the system and a large backlog of immigration cases not dealt with.

S27E13
The Truth About Junior Doctors
Air date: 25/Mar/2013
Summary

Three years ago, European regulations were brought in to limit hours and to protect both doctors and patients. In this Dispatches, Dr Christian discovers that junior doctors across Britain are still regularly working up to 100 hours a week

Summary

Three years ago, European regulations were brought in to limit hours and to protect both doctors and patients. In this Dispatches, Dr Christian discovers that junior doctors across Britain are still regularly working up to 100 hours a week

S27E12
Rich and on Benefits
Air date: 18/Mar/2013
Summary

In budget week Michael Buerk investigates claims that Britain's pensioners are part of an untouchable group when it comes to government welfare cuts and that some should not be receiving any help at all.

Summary

In budget week Michael Buerk investigates claims that Britain's pensioners are part of an untouchable group when it comes to government welfare cuts and that some should not be receiving any help at all.

S27E11
Undercover Designer Dogs
Air date: 11/Mar/2013
Summary

Designer dogs are all the rage with celebrities and many animal lovers. But Dispatches has discovered a darker side to this canine phenomenon: thousands of puppies are being imported illegally into Britain every year from Eastern Europe.

Summary

Designer dogs are all the rage with celebrities and many animal lovers. But Dispatches has discovered a darker side to this canine phenomenon: thousands of puppies are being imported illegally into Britain every year from Eastern Europe.

S27E10
Death on the Wards
Air date: 04/Mar/2013
Summary

Dispatches investigates the truth behind allegations that tens of thousands of seriously ill people have been put on a pathway to death. That doctors have callously killed off patients who could have had months or even years to live.

Summary

Dispatches investigates the truth behind allegations that tens of thousands of seriously ill people have been put on a pathway to death. That doctors have callously killed off patients who could have had months or even years to live.

S27E9
Britain on Benefits
Air date: 25/Feb/2013
Summary

The Disability Living Allowance helps more than 3 million people lead useful lives. But the benefit bill has to be cut, and the gov't plans to take more than half a million claimants off DLA. What will that mean for those who depend on it?

Summary

The Disability Living Allowance helps more than 3 million people lead useful lives. But the benefit bill has to be cut, and the gov't plans to take more than half a million claimants off DLA. What will that mean for those who depend on it?

S27E8
The Horse Meat Scandal
Air date: 18/Feb/2013
Summary

From burgers to ready meals, Britain's horse meat scandal has grown and grown. For Dispatches, Morland Sanders asks how Britain's meat supplies became so contaminated with unauthorized horse meat and who is to blame?

Summary

From burgers to ready meals, Britain's horse meat scandal has grown and grown. For Dispatches, Morland Sanders asks how Britain's meat supplies became so contaminated with unauthorized horse meat and who is to blame?

S27E7
How Safe Is Your Child's Nursery?
Air date: 11/Feb/2013
Summary

As the government unveils its plans to increase the number of children each nursery staff member is allowed to look after, Dispatches investigates whether parents can really trust their child's nursery.

Summary

As the government unveils its plans to increase the number of children each nursery staff member is allowed to look after, Dispatches investigates whether parents can really trust their child's nursery.

S27E5
Britain's Hidden Child Abuse
Air date: 30/Jan/2013
Summary

In a year-long investigation, other victims of child abuse from this closed community express their anger about the lack of justice caused by their leaders' misguided approach to dealing with the issue.

Summary

In a year-long investigation, other victims of child abuse from this closed community express their anger about the lack of justice caused by their leaders' misguided approach to dealing with the issue.

S27E2
Sharing Mum and Dad
Air date: 14/Jan/2013
Summary

Today, 1 in 3 children in the UK grow up in a home with only one parent. Are we doing what's best for the children of separated parents? Dispatches investigates the current situation surrounding shared parenting after divorce or separation

Summary

Today, 1 in 3 children in the UK grow up in a home with only one parent. Are we doing what's best for the children of separated parents? Dispatches investigates the current situation surrounding shared parenting after divorce or separation

S27E1
Secrets of Your Car Insurance
Air date: 07/Jan/2013
Summary

Investigates claims that major insurers cash in when you have a crash, through maximizing profits, lucrative referral fees and rebate deals, sometimes at the expense of doing what's best for you and your car.

Summary

Investigates claims that major insurers cash in when you have a crash, through maximizing profits, lucrative referral fees and rebate deals, sometimes at the expense of doing what's best for you and your car.

Season 26 · 2012
30 episode(s) · Air date: 13/Feb/2012
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Season Overview

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S26E30
The American School Massacre
Air date: 17/Dec/2012
Summary

Matt Frei reports from the scene of one of America's worst mass shootings, unravelling the chain of events and asking whether this latest tragedy will lead to a real change in America's attitude to guns.

Summary

Matt Frei reports from the scene of one of America's worst mass shootings, unravelling the chain of events and asking whether this latest tragedy will lead to a real change in America's attitude to guns.

S26E29
How Safe is Your Cash?
Air date: 10/Dec/2012
Summary

Reporter Morland Sanders investigates whether security procedures that our banks tell us are impenetrable really are? He meets customers who say they have lost thousands of pounds through chip and pin fraud.

Summary

Reporter Morland Sanders investigates whether security procedures that our banks tell us are impenetrable really are? He meets customers who say they have lost thousands of pounds through chip and pin fraud.

S26E28
The Chinese Are Coming
Air date: 03/Dec/2012
Summary

As China continues to flex its financial muscle by buying into British airports, water and breakfast cereals, Dispatches investigates growing Chinese power in the UK.

Summary

As China continues to flex its financial muscle by buying into British airports, water and breakfast cereals, Dispatches investigates growing Chinese power in the UK.

S26E27
Where Has Your Aid Money Gone?
Air date: 26/Nov/2012
Summary

Jonathan Miller travels to Rwanda - the jewel in the crown of British overseas aid - to investigate what British taxes have paid for, and to ask what our government has achieved with the influence our aid supposedly buys us.

Summary

Jonathan Miller travels to Rwanda - the jewel in the crown of British overseas aid - to investigate what British taxes have paid for, and to ask what our government has achieved with the influence our aid supposedly buys us.

S26E26
MPs: Are They Still at It?
Air date: 19/Nov/2012
Summary

Two years after the MPs expenses scandal, Dispatches examines whether our parliamentarians are still abusing the system. The investigation discovers a system still with problems and a lack of transparency.

Summary

Two years after the MPs expenses scandal, Dispatches examines whether our parliamentarians are still abusing the system. The investigation discovers a system still with problems and a lack of transparency.

S26E25
Chinese Murder Mystery
Air date: 12/Nov/2012
Summary

A look at the life and death of Neil Percival Heywood and whether he was actually murdered. His death, virtually unnoticed at the time, has gone on to shake China's Communist Party to the core.

Summary

A look at the life and death of Neil Percival Heywood and whether he was actually murdered. His death, virtually unnoticed at the time, has gone on to shake China's Communist Party to the core.

S26E24
Nuclear War Games
Air date: 05/Nov/2012 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Provides unprecedented insight into Israel's internal tensions concerning an attack between Israel and Iran which, if escalates, could have major implications for global stability.

Summary

Provides unprecedented insight into Israel's internal tensions concerning an attack between Israel and Iran which, if escalates, could have major implications for global stability.

S26E23
Getting Rich on the NHS
Air date: 29/Oct/2012
Summary

Morland Sanders examines whether the rapid handover of services to private contractors is really good for the public purse, and good for patient care.

Summary

Morland Sanders examines whether the rapid handover of services to private contractors is really good for the public purse, and good for patient care.

S26E22
Do You Know Your Partner's Past?
Air date: 22/Oct/2012
Summary

Tina Nash investigates 'Clare's Law', a new pilot scheme in which men and women are warned by the authorities about their partners' history of violence.

Summary

Tina Nash investigates 'Clare's Law', a new pilot scheme in which men and women are warned by the authorities about their partners' history of violence.

S26E20
Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck
Air date: 01/Oct/2012
Summary

Investigate the reality of life below deck for the multi-national workforce who toil behind the scenes of luxurious ocean going holidays.

Summary

Investigate the reality of life below deck for the multi-national workforce who toil behind the scenes of luxurious ocean going holidays.

S26E18
Secrets of Poundland
Air date: 17/Sep/2012
Summary

As other High Street retailers struggle for survival, discount leader Poundland is booming. Its pre-tax profits are up an astonishing 50% in a year. Dispatches' Harry Wallop asks how Poundland sells so cheaply, yet makes so much money.

Summary

As other High Street retailers struggle for survival, discount leader Poundland is booming. Its pre-tax profits are up an astonishing 50% in a year. Dispatches' Harry Wallop asks how Poundland sells so cheaply, yet makes so much money.

S26E16
Property Nightmare: The Truth About Leaseholds
Air date: 20/Aug/2012
Summary

Investigates allegations of private landlords, councils, and housing associations overcharging leasehold homeowners for housing works and maintenance.

Summary

Investigates allegations of private landlords, councils, and housing associations overcharging leasehold homeowners for housing works and maintenance.

S26E11
Myths About Your 5 a Day
Air date: 16/Jul/2012
Summary

Dispatches investigates what's happened to the five-a-day campaign, which was designed to get us all eating more fruit and veg. Reporter Jane Moore reveals how this vital health message has been hijacked as a marketing tactic.

Summary

Dispatches investigates what's happened to the five-a-day campaign, which was designed to get us all eating more fruit and veg. Reporter Jane Moore reveals how this vital health message has been hijacked as a marketing tactic.

S26E9
Cashing in on the Games
Air date: 02/Jul/2012
Summary

Reporter Morland Sanders goes in search of the people cashing in on the 2012 London Olympic Games, and questions whether the overall economic benefits of hosting the event have been oversold.

Summary

Reporter Morland Sanders goes in search of the people cashing in on the 2012 London Olympic Games, and questions whether the overall economic benefits of hosting the event have been oversold.

S26E7
Let Our Dad Die
Air date: 18/Jun/2012
Summary

Tony Nicklinson had a catastrophic stroke, which has left him utterly paralyzed. He has what is known as 'locked in syndrome' and cannot move, talk, feed himself or perform even the most basic function without help.

Summary

Tony Nicklinson had a catastrophic stroke, which has left him utterly paralyzed. He has what is known as 'locked in syndrome' and cannot move, talk, feed himself or perform even the most basic function without help.

S26E6
Murdoch, Cameron and the £8 billion deal
Air date: 11/Jun/2012
Summary

Investigates just how close the Prime Minister got to the Murdoch empire. Did the Tories agree to help the mogul secure a business deal worth £8 billion?

Summary

Investigates just how close the Prime Minister got to the Murdoch empire. Did the Tories agree to help the mogul secure a business deal worth £8 billion?

S26E5
The Real Mr & Mrs Assad
Air date: 28/May/2012
Summary

Investigates the extent of the Assad family's culpability and the chains of command that link the President and select inner circle to the brutal crackdown.

Summary

Investigates the extent of the Assad family's culpability and the chains of command that link the President and select inner circle to the brutal crackdown.

S26E2
The Great Ticket Scandal
Air date: 23/Feb/2012
Summary

An investigation into two major 'fan-to-fan' ticket exchange websites to investigate who is selling via their websites and why so many tickets appear at over the face value so soon after the box office sells out.

Summary

An investigation into two major 'fan-to-fan' ticket exchange websites to investigate who is selling via their websites and why so many tickets appear at over the face value so soon after the box office sells out.

Season 25 · 2011
30 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Jan/2011
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Season Overview

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S25E28
Britain's Rubbish
Air date: 10/Oct/2011
Summary

An investigation into Britain's waste disposal industry, exposing criminals who profit from illegal dumping and looking at what actually happens to the recycling.

Summary

An investigation into Britain's waste disposal industry, exposing criminals who profit from illegal dumping and looking at what actually happens to the recycling.

S25E26
The Wonderful World of Tony Blair
Air date: 26/Sep/2011
Summary

Peter Oborne investigates the former PM's eight figure fortune that he has accrued since departing Downing Street in June 2007. The bulk of his income is through his consultancy firm, Tony Blair Associates but shrouded in secrecy it is not clear who they are consulting for.

Summary

Peter Oborne investigates the former PM's eight figure fortune that he has accrued since departing Downing Street in June 2007. The bulk of his income is through his consultancy firm, Tony Blair Associates but shrouded in secrecy it is not clear who they are consulting for.

S25E25
Gypsy Eviction: The Fight for Dale Farm
Air date: 19/Sep/2011
Summary

On the day that the mass eviction was due to start on Dale Farm, Britain's largest traveller site, investigates the controversial relations between gypsies and travellers, their neighbours and the law.

Summary

On the day that the mass eviction was due to start on Dale Farm, Britain's largest traveller site, investigates the controversial relations between gypsies and travellers, their neighbours and the law.

S25E15
The Truth About Your Dentist
Air date: 23/May/2011
Summary

Sam Lister, The Times' Health Editor, investigates NHS dentists looking at dentists which overcharge patients for treatments and constraints the NHS causes.

Summary

Sam Lister, The Times' Health Editor, investigates NHS dentists looking at dentists which overcharge patients for treatments and constraints the NHS causes.

S25E12
Undercover Hospital
Air date: 11/Apr/2011
Summary

An undercover investigation in one of the country's busiest NHS hospitals as it faces multi-million-pound cuts and hundreds of job losses in the next year.

Summary

An undercover investigation in one of the country's busiest NHS hospitals as it faces multi-million-pound cuts and hundreds of job losses in the next year.

S25E10
BP: In Deep Water
Air date: 28/Mar/2011
Summary

An investigation into oil company BP - reporting on its oil spills in the gulf of Mexico and similar incidents and its relationship with Government.

Summary

An investigation into oil company BP - reporting on its oil spills in the gulf of Mexico and similar incidents and its relationship with Government.

S25E5
The Truth About Hospital Food
Air date: 21/Feb/2011
Summary

Reporter Mark Sparrow examines the quality of hospital food after his 10 week stay in hospital. With people leaving hospitals malnourished and complaints of disgusting food, the reporter asks if something can be done.

Summary

Reporter Mark Sparrow examines the quality of hospital food after his 10 week stay in hospital. With people leaving hospitals malnourished and complaints of disgusting food, the reporter asks if something can be done.

S25E4
Lessons in Hate and Violence
Air date: 14/Feb/2011
Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate allegations that, behind closed doors, some Muslim secondary schools in Britain run by Islamic organizations teach a message of hatred and intolerance.

Summary

Dispatches goes undercover to investigate allegations that, behind closed doors, some Muslim secondary schools in Britain run by Islamic organizations teach a message of hatred and intolerance.

S25E3
Tabloid's Dirty Secrets
Air date: 07/Feb/2011
Summary

Following the resignation of the Downing Street's head of communications Andy Coulson, charting the unfolding events in the phone hacking scandal.

Summary

Following the resignation of the Downing Street's head of communications Andy Coulson, charting the unfolding events in the phone hacking scandal.

S25E1
The Battle for Haiti
Air date: 09/Jan/2011
Summary

On the night of the Haiti earthquake something happened in downtown Port au Prince - which would leave the fate of all the aid efforts and the country's future hanging in the balance: 4,500 prisoners escaped from Haiti's prison.

Summary

On the night of the Haiti earthquake something happened in downtown Port au Prince - which would leave the fate of all the aid efforts and the country's future hanging in the balance: 4,500 prisoners escaped from Haiti's prison.

Season 24 · 2010
33 episode(s) · Air date: 11/Jan/2010
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Season Overview

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S24E31
Riding Europe's Gravy Train
Air date: 15/Nov/2010
Summary

Dispatches reveals the exceptionally generous package of salary, pension and expenses that MEPs receive and how some have abused the rules to pocket as much cash as possible.

Summary

Dispatches reveals the exceptionally generous package of salary, pension and expenses that MEPs receive and how some have abused the rules to pocket as much cash as possible.

S24E28
Iraq's Secret War Files
Air date: 25/Oct/2010
Summary

Exposing the full and unreported horror of the Iraqi conflict and its aftermath. The programme reveals the scale of civilian casualties, and allegations that after the scandal of Abu Ghraib, soldiers continued to abuse prisoners; and that US forces did not intervene in the torture and murder of detainees by the Iraqi security services.

Summary

Exposing the full and unreported horror of the Iraqi conflict and its aftermath. The programme reveals the scale of civilian casualties, and allegations that after the scandal of Abu Ghraib, soldiers continued to abuse prisoners; and that US forces did not intervene in the torture and murder of detainees by the Iraqi security services.

S24E25
Tabloids, Tories and Telephone Hacking
Air date: 04/Oct/2010
Summary

An investigation into the News of the World phone hacking scandal and News International's working relationship with the police, politicians and the current government.

Summary

An investigation into the News of the World phone hacking scandal and News International's working relationship with the police, politicians and the current government.

S24E23
How the MoD wastes our billions
Air date: 20/Sep/2010
Summary

Veteran war correspondent Sam Kiley turns his sights on the critical issue of whether the British tax payer, and British soldier, are getting value for money from the Ministry of Defence.

Summary

Veteran war correspondent Sam Kiley turns his sights on the critical issue of whether the British tax payer, and British soldier, are getting value for money from the Ministry of Defence.

S24E22
Britain's Secret Slaves
Air date: 30/Aug/2010
Summary

A look at domestic workers who come to the UK from other countries and end up being mistreated by having their human rights violated by their employers.

Summary

A look at domestic workers who come to the UK from other countries and end up being mistreated by having their human rights violated by their employers.

S24E20
Britain's Witch Children
Air date: 26/Jul/2010
Summary

Dispatches looks at why some of Britain's African churches perpetuate the myth of witchcraft and believe children can be possessed by evil spirits.

Summary

Dispatches looks at why some of Britain's African churches perpetuate the myth of witchcraft and believe children can be possessed by evil spirits.

S24E19
Catching the Gun Runners
Air date: 18/Jul/2010
Summary

For the last two years, Dispatches has been following an undercover police operation as it tracks a criminal gang trying to smuggle guns into Britain.

Summary

For the last two years, Dispatches has been following an undercover police operation as it tracks a criminal gang trying to smuggle guns into Britain.

S24E16
How to Save £100 Billion - Live
Air date: 21/Jun/2010
Summary

On the eve of the emergency budget announcement, in a live hour-long debate, Dispatches sets out controversial cuts that could save Britain £100 billion.

Summary

On the eve of the emergency budget announcement, in a live hour-long debate, Dispatches sets out controversial cuts that could save Britain £100 billion.

S24E15
How the Banks Won
Air date: 14/Jun/2010
Summary

Next week's emergency budget will bring more cuts and tax rises to help pay for the bank bailout. Will Hutton investigates the banks and what they've done with our money.

Summary

Next week's emergency budget will bring more cuts and tax rises to help pay for the bank bailout. Will Hutton investigates the banks and what they've done with our money.

S24E13
The Lost Girls of South Africa
Air date: 23/May/2010 · Runtime: 66 min
Summary

South Africa has the highest incidence of rape and 80% of the victims are girls under 13. The trauma of 5 such girls in Port Elizabeth is discussed. Ineffective police, lax judiciary and the stretched social welfare system are highlighted.

Summary

South Africa has the highest incidence of rape and 80% of the victims are girls under 13. The trauma of 5 such girls in Port Elizabeth is discussed. Ineffective police, lax judiciary and the stretched social welfare system are highlighted.

S24E12
Election Uncovered
Air date: 03/May/2010
Summary

It's nearly time to vote and the campaigning is reaching a climax. Journalist Ben Laurance analyses each party's campaign and gets a real taste of what's happening behind the scenes in the run-up to polling day.

Summary

It's nearly time to vote and the campaigning is reaching a climax. Journalist Ben Laurance analyses each party's campaign and gets a real taste of what's happening behind the scenes in the run-up to polling day.

S24E9
Children of Gaza
Air date: 15/Mar/2010 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Jezza Neumann arrived in Gaza to follow the lives of 3 children over a year. Surrounded by the remnants of the demolished Gaza Strip and increasingly isolated by the blockade that prevents anyone from rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Summary

Jezza Neumann arrived in Gaza to follow the lives of 3 children over a year. Surrounded by the remnants of the demolished Gaza Strip and increasingly isolated by the blockade that prevents anyone from rebuilding their homes and their lives.

S24E8
Cameron Uncovered
Air date: 08/Mar/2010
Summary

According to polls, after 13 years in the political wilderness, the Conservatives under David Cameron's leadership seem likely to form the next government. Andrew Rawnsley brings viewers an inside portrait of the government that might be.

Summary

According to polls, after 13 years in the political wilderness, the Conservatives under David Cameron's leadership seem likely to form the next government. Andrew Rawnsley brings viewers an inside portrait of the government that might be.

S24E7
Britain's Islamic Republic
Air date: 01/Mar/2010
Summary

Dispatches investigates a fundamentalist Islamic group headquartered in Britain, and its claims to have placed its "brothers" in positions of political power here.

Summary

Dispatches investigates a fundamentalist Islamic group headquartered in Britain, and its claims to have placed its "brothers" in positions of political power here.

S24E6
Kids Don't Count: Part 2
Air date: 22/Feb/2010
Summary

In the second half of the two-part special, maths specialist Richard Dunne returns to Barton Hill Primary School, accompanied by Countdown's Rachel Riley, to help the pupils with their mental arithmetic.

Summary

In the second half of the two-part special, maths specialist Richard Dunne returns to Barton Hill Primary School, accompanied by Countdown's Rachel Riley, to help the pupils with their mental arithmetic.

S24E4
Post Office Undercover
Air date: 08/Feb/2010
Summary

Two reporters go undercover as agency postmen to find out if the Royal Mail has delivered on claims that it is modernizing and improving its service.

Summary

Two reporters go undercover as agency postmen to find out if the Royal Mail has delivered on claims that it is modernizing and improving its service.

S24E3
Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines
Air date: 01/Feb/2010
Summary

Dispatches goes inside the enemy camp in northern Afghanistan as award-winning Afghan reporter Najibullah Quraishi is granted access to an army of extreme Islamic combatants.

Summary

Dispatches goes inside the enemy camp in northern Afghanistan as award-winning Afghan reporter Najibullah Quraishi is granted access to an army of extreme Islamic combatants.

S24E2
The Slumdog Children of Mumbai
Air date: 21/Jan/2010
Summary

This Dispatches Special , screening as part of Channel 4's Indian Winter season, reveals the brutal reality of life on the streets and in the slums of Mumbai, following the daily struggles of four young children to survive.

Summary

This Dispatches Special , screening as part of Channel 4's Indian Winter season, reveals the brutal reality of life on the streets and in the slums of Mumbai, following the daily struggles of four young children to survive.

S24E1
My Family and Alzheimer's
Air date: 11/Jan/2010
Summary

Fiona Phillips returns to the issue of Alzheimer's treatment, examining whether there has been any improvement in the provision of financial support and respite care available for them and their carers.

Summary

Fiona Phillips returns to the issue of Alzheimer's treatment, examining whether there has been any improvement in the provision of financial support and respite care available for them and their carers.

Season 23 · 2009
38 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Jan/2009
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S23E32
Cops on the Cheap?
Air date: 21/Sep/2009
Summary

A look at Police Community Support Officers who patrol the streets and cost the taxpayers millions. This documentary questions if they are good value.

Summary

A look at Police Community Support Officers who patrol the streets and cost the taxpayers millions. This documentary questions if they are good value.

S23E30
Battle Scarred
Air date: 07/Sep/2009
Summary

Follows the stories of four soldiers returning from the combat zones in the middle-east and the impact it has had on their lives and the people around them.

Summary

Follows the stories of four soldiers returning from the combat zones in the middle-east and the impact it has had on their lives and the people around them.

S23E22
Rape in the City
Air date: 22/Jun/2009
Summary

After two recent, high-profile cases in which young women have been attacked and raped by groups of men; Journalist Sorious Samura investigates gang rape in the UK.

Summary

After two recent, high-profile cases in which young women have been attacked and raped by groups of men; Journalist Sorious Samura investigates gang rape in the UK.

S23E4
Unseen Gaza
Air date: 22/Jan/2009
Summary

Jon Snow explores the difficulties faced by news organisations around the world in reporting the conflict in Gaza. Who is getting the true picture of events as they happen?

Summary

Jon Snow explores the difficulties faced by news organisations around the world in reporting the conflict in Gaza. Who is getting the true picture of events as they happen?

S23E3
The True Cost of Cheap Food
Air date: 22/Jan/2009
Summary

After looking at rising prices in The Truth About Food Prices, Rayner now looks at the other end of the scale - the new cheap food ranges and whether they have a true higher cost ... our health.

Summary

After looking at rising prices in The Truth About Food Prices, Rayner now looks at the other end of the scale - the new cheap food ranges and whether they have a true higher cost ... our health.

S23E2
Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's & Me
Air date: 12/Jan/2009
Summary

Journalist Fiona Phillips tells the very personal story of her father's developing Alzheimer's disease, and how it affects him and the family as a whole.

Summary

Journalist Fiona Phillips tells the very personal story of her father's developing Alzheimer's disease, and how it affects him and the family as a whole.

Season 22 · 2008
41 episode(s) · Air date: 10/Jan/2008
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S22E36
The Truth about Your Energy Bill
Air date: 20/Oct/2008
Summary

Deborah Davies investigates the rising price of energy bills in the UK. She finds out why our charges are so high, whether changing suppliers can reduce bills, and the impact of Gordon Brown's fuel package.

Summary

Deborah Davies investigates the rising price of energy bills in the UK. She finds out why our charges are so high, whether changing suppliers can reduce bills, and the impact of Gordon Brown's fuel package.

S22E31
What's in Your Wine?
Air date: 15/Sep/2008
Summary

Jane Moore investigates scandals in the wine industry, taking a look at the 40 different substances that can be used in producing wine but which are rarely detailed on the label of your bottle of wine.

Summary

Jane Moore investigates scandals in the wine industry, taking a look at the 40 different substances that can be used in producing wine but which are rarely detailed on the label of your bottle of wine.

S22E30
Hope for the Last Chance Kids
Air date: 08/Sep/2008
Summary

Update on the pupils of Monteagle Primary School featured in an earlier documentary. The pupils experience a remarkable improvement as a result of using synthetic phonics.

Summary

Update on the pupils of Monteagle Primary School featured in an earlier documentary. The pupils experience a remarkable improvement as a result of using synthetic phonics.

S22E26
The Jab That Can Stop Cancer
Air date: 21/Jul/2008
Summary

A new jab will be offered to every girl aged 12 to 13 in Britain to help protect her against cervical cancer. While some hail it as a medical breakthrough, it has provoked controversy.

Summary

A new jab will be offered to every girl aged 12 to 13 in Britain to help protect her against cervical cancer. While some hail it as a medical breakthrough, it has provoked controversy.

S22E25
It Shouldn't Happen to a Muslim
Air date: 07/Jul/2008
Summary

On the third anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings Peter Oborne investigates whether the has fueled anger and violence towards British Muslims.

Summary

On the third anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings Peter Oborne investigates whether the has fueled anger and violence towards British Muslims.

S22E24
A Widow's War on Yobs
Air date: 05/Jul/2008
Summary

This documentary follows widow, Helen Newlove. Her husband Gary was kicked to death outside their home in Cheshire. This film follows her journey to tackle youth crime in the UK.

Summary

This documentary follows widow, Helen Newlove. Her husband Gary was kicked to death outside their home in Cheshire. This film follows her journey to tackle youth crime in the UK.

S22E9
Iraq: The Lost Generation
Air date: 16/Mar/2008
Summary

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy investigates the biggest and most catastrophic refugee crisis in the Middle East since the Palestinian diaspora of 1948.

Summary

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy investigates the biggest and most catastrophic refugee crisis in the Middle East since the Palestinian diaspora of 1948.

S22E3
The Court of Ken
Air date: 21/Jan/2008
Summary

With just months to go before Londoners vote for the next Mayor of London, the current affairs series investigates the current mayoral system and takes an in depth look at current Mayor, Ken Livingstone and the how he has misused his power to his advantage.

Summary

With just months to go before Londoners vote for the next Mayor of London, the current affairs series investigates the current mayoral system and takes an in depth look at current Mayor, Ken Livingstone and the how he has misused his power to his advantage.

Season 21 · 2007
42 episode(s) · Air date: 08/Jan/2007
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S21E42
How Safe Are Your Christmas Toys?
Air date: 17/Dec/2007
Summary

Deborah Davies reports on potentially dangerous toys that can be bought in the UK. These toys are then safety tested and the findings reported to authorities

Summary

Deborah Davies reports on potentially dangerous toys that can be bought in the UK. These toys are then safety tested and the findings reported to authorities

S21E39
Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola
Air date: 19/Nov/2007
Summary

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas reports on how Coca-Cola has caused problems in the world with pollution, worker exploitation and even death. The documentary also reports on how Coca-Cola respond to these allegations.

Summary

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas reports on how Coca-Cola has caused problems in the world with pollution, worker exploitation and even death. The documentary also reports on how Coca-Cola respond to these allegations.

S21E34
Searching for Madeleine
Air date: 18/Oct/2007
Summary

After the disappearance of child, Madeline McCann 168 days ago; Dispatches sent a team of five of the UK's best-qualified criminal investigators to Praia da Luz to investigate and assess the situation.

Summary

After the disappearance of child, Madeline McCann 168 days ago; Dispatches sent a team of five of the UK's best-qualified criminal investigators to Praia da Luz to investigate and assess the situation.

S21E32
China's Stolen Children
Air date: 08/Oct/2007
Summary

Ten years after the policy-changing and award-winning film, The Dying Rooms, the same team returns to a very different China where the infamous One Child Policy has had the horrific side effect of a boom in stolen children. With extraordinary access to devastated parents desperately searching for their stolen son; a man who brokers the deals and has sold his own offspring; and prospective parents grappling with giving up their soon-to-be-born daughter through lack of options, we are brought face to face with the crisis that such a stringent government policy has created among China's poorest people

Summary

Ten years after the policy-changing and award-winning film, The Dying Rooms, the same team returns to a very different China where the infamous One Child Policy has had the horrific side effect of a boom in stolen children. With extraordinary access to devastated parents desperately searching for their stolen son; a man who brokers the deals and has sold his own offspring; and prospective parents grappling with giving up their soon-to-be-born daughter through lack of options, we are brought face to face with the crisis that such a stringent government policy has created among China's poorest people

S21E31
Immigrants: The Inconvenient Truth
Air date: 01/Oct/2007
Summary

Looks at the beneficial social and economical contributions made by different immigrant groups, drawing on research done by the Institute for Public Policy Research. Contrasts this with the perception of immigrants and political and media issues.

Summary

Looks at the beneficial social and economical contributions made by different immigrant groups, drawing on research done by the Institute for Public Policy Research. Contrasts this with the perception of immigrants and political and media issues.

S21E25
Undercover Mother
Air date: 23/Jul/2007
Summary

Tazeen Ahmad investigates the overstretched maternity services which are resulting in new mothers having traumatic births and at worst, putting lives at risk.

Summary

Tazeen Ahmad investigates the overstretched maternity services which are resulting in new mothers having traumatic births and at worst, putting lives at risk.

S21E21
Drinking Yourself to Death
Air date: 18/Jun/2007
Summary

Based on medical research and personal findings Dispatches investigates the effects binge drinking can have on a consumer's health and whether low-priced (supermarket bought) alcohol is one of the causes for an increase in alcohol consumption.

Summary

Based on medical research and personal findings Dispatches investigates the effects binge drinking can have on a consumer's health and whether low-priced (supermarket bought) alcohol is one of the causes for an increase in alcohol consumption.

S21E9
Greenwash
Air date: 05/Mar/2007
Summary

The government is set to achieve only a third to a half of its overall policy target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Dispatches reports. The expert-reviewed audit by the UCL Environment Institute is the first comprehensive investigation into the real impact of the Government's carbon-cutting policies across all government departments mandated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Summary

The government is set to achieve only a third to a half of its overall policy target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Dispatches reports. The expert-reviewed audit by the UCL Environment Institute is the first comprehensive investigation into the real impact of the Government's carbon-cutting policies across all government departments mandated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions

S21E3
Undercover Mosque
Air date: 15/Jan/2007 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Investigative journalist, Bobby Pathak, has investigated a number of mosques run by high profile national organisations that claim to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths. But reporting undercover he joined worshippers to find a message of religious bigotry and extremism being preached. The investigation reveals Saudi Arabian universities are recruiting young Western Muslims to train them in their extreme theology, then sending them back to the West to spread the word.

Summary

Investigative journalist, Bobby Pathak, has investigated a number of mosques run by high profile national organisations that claim to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths. But reporting undercover he joined worshippers to find a message of religious bigotry and extremism being preached. The investigation reveals Saudi Arabian universities are recruiting young Western Muslims to train them in their extreme theology, then sending them back to the West to spread the word.

Season 20 · 2006
26 episode(s) · Air date: 13/Feb/2006
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S20E28
NHS Postcode Lottery
Air date: 13/Nov/2006
Summary

How does the care you receive at your local hospital compare with the rest of the UK? Jon Snow reveals the true scale of the NHS postcode lottery, which is denying some patients vital drugs while others receive the same treatment elsewhere

Summary

How does the care you receive at your local hospital compare with the rest of the UK? Jon Snow reveals the true scale of the NHS postcode lottery, which is denying some patients vital drugs while others receive the same treatment elsewhere

S20E26
Jihad TV
Air date: 06/Nov/2006
Summary

Videos of suicide bombers and insurgent attacks have become an important weapon for Al Qaeda. But who watches these videos and what effect are they having on young people in the Muslim world?

Summary

Videos of suicide bombers and insurgent attacks have become an important weapon for Al Qaeda. But who watches these videos and what effect are they having on young people in the Muslim world?

S20E8
After School Arms Club
Air date: 03/Apr/2006 · Runtime: 30 min
Summary

Two groups of high school kids, one from England and one from Ireland set up shop as online arms dealers and broker various deals, shipping arms from the far east to homes in America.

Summary

Two groups of high school kids, one from England and one from Ireland set up shop as online arms dealers and broker various deals, shipping arms from the far east to homes in America.

S20E1
Ryanair: Caught Napping
Air date: 13/Feb/2006
Summary

A behind-the-scenes look at low budget airline Ryanair. Uncovering security and health and safety breaches, uncleaned aircraft and long staff working hours.

Summary

A behind-the-scenes look at low budget airline Ryanair. Uncovering security and health and safety breaches, uncleaned aircraft and long staff working hours.

Season 19 · 2005
28 episode(s) · Air date: 24/Jan/2005
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S19E20
The Big Heist
Air date: 22/Sep/2005
Summary

Just before Christmas 2004, two men dressed as police officers arrive at a remote home and, after tricking their way inside the house they take the family hostage. Meanwhile at another house a second family is taken hostage. The reason for both movements was to gain control over two key employees of the Northern Bank in Belfast. The next day, while the families are still held, the employees are used to carry over £26,000,000 in cash out of the bank in broad daylight. This documentary looks at who did the robbery and how the failings of the British government contributed to the freedom of the robbers to act.

Summary

Just before Christmas 2004, two men dressed as police officers arrive at a remote home and, after tricking their way inside the house they take the family hostage. Meanwhile at another house a second family is taken hostage. The reason for both movements was to gain control over two key employees of the Northern Bank in Belfast. The next day, while the families are still held, the employees are used to carry over £26,000,000 in cash out of the bank in broad daylight. This documentary looks at who did the robbery and how the failings of the British government contributed to the freedom of the robbers to act.

S19E13
Beslan
Air date: 21/Jul/2005
Summary

The school siege at Beslan on September 1st, 2004 left 334 dead and a small town in shock, having to come to terms with the loss of so many of its people.

Summary

The school siege at Beslan on September 1st, 2004 left 334 dead and a small town in shock, having to come to terms with the loss of so many of its people.

Season 18 · 2004
10 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Apr/2004
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Season 17 · 2003
10 episode(s) · Air date: 11/May/2003
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S17E4
Virgin Soldiers
Air date: 02/Jun/2003
Summary

With unprecedented access, award winning filmmaker Dodge Billingsley tells the story of India Company 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine regiment, crack U.S. frontline troops in Iraq. With some as young as 19, the invasion of Iraq was the first time any of them had actually been sent into combat. Experience a day in the life of these young men as they play a vital role in the liberation of Iraq. With remarkable battle footage, Virgin Soldiers reveals the true story of men who fought their way into the heart of Baghdad.

Summary

With unprecedented access, award winning filmmaker Dodge Billingsley tells the story of India Company 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine regiment, crack U.S. frontline troops in Iraq. With some as young as 19, the invasion of Iraq was the first time any of them had actually been sent into combat. Experience a day in the life of these young men as they play a vital role in the liberation of Iraq. With remarkable battle footage, Virgin Soldiers reveals the true story of men who fought their way into the heart of Baghdad.

S17E2
The Killing Zone
Air date: 18/May/2003
Summary

Dispatches revisits the Gaza Strip to focus on civilians caught in the crossfire of never-ending battles. We meet seriously injured children and their distraught families, and the International Solidarity Movement whose member Tom Hurndall is shot. Then it hits even closer to home, when previous Dispatches director and cameraman James Miller is shot dead while he and Saira Shah are making another of their films together.

Summary

Dispatches revisits the Gaza Strip to focus on civilians caught in the crossfire of never-ending battles. We meet seriously injured children and their distraught families, and the International Solidarity Movement whose member Tom Hurndall is shot. Then it hits even closer to home, when previous Dispatches director and cameraman James Miller is shot dead while he and Saira Shah are making another of their films together.

Season 16 · 2002
10 episode(s) · Air date: 06/Mar/2002
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S16E9
Lifting the Veil
Air date: 10/Nov/2002
Summary

One year on from when she secretly entered Afghanistan to film her original tv special "Beneath the Veil" (2001) (TV) Saira Shah re-visits and investigates the story of a woman whose public execution had been secretly filmed in the first film and to see if women's situation had improved after the fall of the Taliban

Summary

One year on from when she secretly entered Afghanistan to film her original tv special "Beneath the Veil" (2001) (TV) Saira Shah re-visits and investigates the story of a woman whose public execution had been secretly filmed in the first film and to see if women's situation had improved after the fall of the Taliban

Season 15 · 2001
10 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Feb/2001
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S15E8
Unholy War
Air date: 11/Nov/2001
Summary

Reporter Saira Shah returns to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorists attacks. She reunites with three Afghan girls who were forced to watch as her mother was executed by Taliban soldiers. She also tours Northern Alliance fortifications and profiles an aid worker from the United States.

Summary

Reporter Saira Shah returns to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorists attacks. She reunites with three Afghan girls who were forced to watch as her mother was executed by Taliban soldiers. She also tours Northern Alliance fortifications and profiles an aid worker from the United States.

S15E5
Beneath the Veil
Air date: 26/Jun/2001
Summary

British journalist Saira Shah travels to Afghanistan with a camera crew to document the realities of life under the Taliban. Filmed just months prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the footage reveals the chilling brutality of a fledgling government made up of radicalized followers of Osama bin Laden.

Summary

British journalist Saira Shah travels to Afghanistan with a camera crew to document the realities of life under the Taliban. Filmed just months prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the footage reveals the chilling brutality of a fledgling government made up of radicalized followers of Osama bin Laden.

S15E4
Unforgiven: The Boys Who Murdered James Bulger
Air date: 12/Jun/2001
Summary

The documentary covers the outcry from the population after hearing about the release of the two boys who killed 2 year-old James Bulger in 1993. Presenting the protests against their release from an institution, the film also gives a background about the killers, their terrible violent act and the impact it caused in UK.

Summary

The documentary covers the outcry from the population after hearing about the release of the two boys who killed 2 year-old James Bulger in 1993. Presenting the protests against their release from an institution, the film also gives a background about the killers, their terrible violent act and the impact it caused in UK.

S15E2
Bloody Foreigners: Part 2
Air date: 10/Feb/2001
Summary

Part two deals with illegal workers who are employed by apparently respectable companies as waitresses, cleaners, and builders, to name but a few, without any legal documents or insurance, and paid as little a £20 for a long day. The final section uses hidden cameras to show the trade in forged passports which is rife in Finsbury Park Mosque, north London.

Summary

Part two deals with illegal workers who are employed by apparently respectable companies as waitresses, cleaners, and builders, to name but a few, without any legal documents or insurance, and paid as little a £20 for a long day. The final section uses hidden cameras to show the trade in forged passports which is rife in Finsbury Park Mosque, north London.

S15E1
Bloody Foreigners
Air date: 03/Feb/2001
Summary

'Bloody Foreigners' is Andrew Smith's investigation into the British attitude towards asylum seekers and immigrants who live and work in the UK. It exposes the culture of hypocrisy under which xenophobia proliferates to such an extreme that asylum seekers are physically and verbally abused on a daily basis. It underlines the fact that these very people are working illegally for well under minimum wage, to line the pockets of seemingly legitimate British businesses. Part one reveals the scam behind a government-funded housing project in Liverpool. The owner receives millions from the council for ostensibly offering accommodation to asylum seekers. Yet the blocks of flats are in a shocking state of disrepair, conditions are freezing - not to mention the treatment the occupants receive from the locals. Secret camera footage shows the assault and harassment of inhabitants, regularly inflicted by neighbouring youths.

Summary

'Bloody Foreigners' is Andrew Smith's investigation into the British attitude towards asylum seekers and immigrants who live and work in the UK. It exposes the culture of hypocrisy under which xenophobia proliferates to such an extreme that asylum seekers are physically and verbally abused on a daily basis. It underlines the fact that these very people are working illegally for well under minimum wage, to line the pockets of seemingly legitimate British businesses. Part one reveals the scam behind a government-funded housing project in Liverpool. The owner receives millions from the council for ostensibly offering accommodation to asylum seekers. Yet the blocks of flats are in a shocking state of disrepair, conditions are freezing - not to mention the treatment the occupants receive from the locals. Secret camera footage shows the assault and harassment of inhabitants, regularly inflicted by neighbouring youths.

Season 14 · 2000
20 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Feb/2000
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S14E19
The Runaway Cars
Air date: 16/Nov/2000
Summary

In Britain and America, there have been many incidents of Ford cars suddenly accelerating, causing serious injuries and even deaths. However, Ford deny all responsibility, and say that the accidents are caused by driver error.

Summary

In Britain and America, there have been many incidents of Ford cars suddenly accelerating, causing serious injuries and even deaths. However, Ford deny all responsibility, and say that the accidents are caused by driver error.

Season 13 · 1999
27 episode(s) · Air date: 07/Jan/1999
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S13E11
The Crime Game
Air date: 18/Mar/1999
Summary

The revelation that police and criminals are playing a mutually beneficial game, in which the latter admit to crimes they have not committed so the former can then show falsely improved crime figures.

Summary

The revelation that police and criminals are playing a mutually beneficial game, in which the latter admit to crimes they have not committed so the former can then show falsely improved crime figures.

Season 12 · 1998
28 episode(s) · Air date: 15/Jan/1998
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S12E11
The war Business
Air date: 09/Apr/1998 · Runtime: 60 min
Summary

Journalists uncover the bloody truth of the world's most successful private army, Executive Outcomes. Sent wherever mineral resources like diamonds or oil promise wealth, these mercenaries, trained as soldiers in apartheid-era South Africa and equipped with state-of-the-art weapons of war, sell their security services to the highest bidder and frequently leave a trail of destruction in their wake. And British interests are behind it all.

Summary

Journalists uncover the bloody truth of the world's most successful private army, Executive Outcomes. Sent wherever mineral resources like diamonds or oil promise wealth, these mercenaries, trained as soldiers in apartheid-era South Africa and equipped with state-of-the-art weapons of war, sell their security services to the highest bidder and frequently leave a trail of destruction in their wake. And British interests are behind it all.

S12E9
Golf Lima Foxtrot
Air date: 26/Mar/1998
Summary

GLF is police jargon for "Go Like F***". But does such light-hearted jocularity betray a lack of serious regard for the potential dangers to the public of cops' ability to break the rules of the road when performing high-speed pursuits?

Summary

GLF is police jargon for "Go Like F***". But does such light-hearted jocularity betray a lack of serious regard for the potential dangers to the public of cops' ability to break the rules of the road when performing high-speed pursuits?

S12E6
Judgement for Louise
Air date: 05/Mar/1998
Summary

Journalist David Jessel and producer Steve Haywood from the acclaimed Trial and Error (1992) come to Dispatches to examine doubts about the safety of the conviction of nanny Louise Woodward for the death of a baby in her care.

Summary

Journalist David Jessel and producer Steve Haywood from the acclaimed Trial and Error (1992) come to Dispatches to examine doubts about the safety of the conviction of nanny Louise Woodward for the death of a baby in her care.

Season 11 · 1997
24 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Jan/1997
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Season 10 · 1996
30 episode(s) · Air date: 10/Jan/1996
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S10E20
A Bosnian Betrayal
Air date: 29/May/1996
Summary

The program explores the extent to which United Nations officials and commanders in Bosnia put the safety of their troops ahead of their responsibility to the civilians in Srebrenica. Although Srebrenica was designated as a United Nations safe haven, the Serbian forces apparently massacred Bosnian Muslims after they captured the city in July, 1995.

Summary

The program explores the extent to which United Nations officials and commanders in Bosnia put the safety of their troops ahead of their responsibility to the civilians in Srebrenica. Although Srebrenica was designated as a United Nations safe haven, the Serbian forces apparently massacred Bosnian Muslims after they captured the city in July, 1995.

S10E1
Estate of Terror
Air date: 10/Jan/1996
Summary

Every year up to two hundred and forty thousand old people suffer form crimes committed by children. Overwhelmingly these crimes take the form of harassment. The elderly are verbally abused, stoned in the street and have their windows smashed. Sometimes the harassment escalates into burglary or even murder. At least 12 old people have been killed by juveniles in the last 4 years. Dispatches contacted all of the main national agencies who care for the elderly and without exception they were all unaware of the extent of the problem. Old people all over Britain are suffering in silence afraid to leave their houses whilst children control the streets.

Summary

Every year up to two hundred and forty thousand old people suffer form crimes committed by children. Overwhelmingly these crimes take the form of harassment. The elderly are verbally abused, stoned in the street and have their windows smashed. Sometimes the harassment escalates into burglary or even murder. At least 12 old people have been killed by juveniles in the last 4 years. Dispatches contacted all of the main national agencies who care for the elderly and without exception they were all unaware of the extent of the problem. Old people all over Britain are suffering in silence afraid to leave their houses whilst children control the streets.

Season 9 · 1995
26 episode(s) · Air date: 11/Jan/1995
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S9E25
New Labour, Old Habits?
Air date: 29/Nov/1995
Summary

An investigation into the alleged disreputable behaviour and secretly-recorded comments of Leicester East MP Keith Vaz suggests that Tony Blair's New Labour may not be such a new way of doing politics after all.

Summary

An investigation into the alleged disreputable behaviour and secretly-recorded comments of Leicester East MP Keith Vaz suggests that Tony Blair's New Labour may not be such a new way of doing politics after all.

Season 8 · 1994
34 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Jan/1994
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S8E28
Insult to Injury
Air date: 19/Oct/1994
Summary

With the increase of insurance claims, insurance companies are involved in a string of scams. This investigation reveals the desperate measures undertaken by insurers to cut their pay out bills. It shows the real-life scam brought on three innocent victims by the use of deceitful tricks and private eyes. The investigation provides 3 people caught in the insurers scams and attempts of interviewing the insurance companies.

Summary

With the increase of insurance claims, insurance companies are involved in a string of scams. This investigation reveals the desperate measures undertaken by insurers to cut their pay out bills. It shows the real-life scam brought on three innocent victims by the use of deceitful tricks and private eyes. The investigation provides 3 people caught in the insurers scams and attempts of interviewing the insurance companies.

S8E26
Accident Waiting to Happen
Air date: 12/Oct/1994
Summary

An investigation into safety standards at football grounds and how they are being ignored in spite of the Taylor and Popplewell reports which were issued after the Hillsborough disaster and Bradford stadium fire. Our reporter uncovers through secret filming the many ways in which football clubs are still ignoring these safety regulations. Club chairman are confronted on camera with the evidence collected and are asked to justify their lack of concern.

Summary

An investigation into safety standards at football grounds and how they are being ignored in spite of the Taylor and Popplewell reports which were issued after the Hillsborough disaster and Bradford stadium fire. Our reporter uncovers through secret filming the many ways in which football clubs are still ignoring these safety regulations. Club chairman are confronted on camera with the evidence collected and are asked to justify their lack of concern.

S8E16
Pocket Neutron
Air date: 13/Apr/1994
Summary

Following last year's The Trail of Red Mercury (1993), Dispatches now presents new evidence of how Russian scientists have designed a new miniature neutron bomb using red mercury.

Summary

Following last year's The Trail of Red Mercury (1993), Dispatches now presents new evidence of how Russian scientists have designed a new miniature neutron bomb using red mercury.

Season 7 · 1993
34 episode(s) · Air date: 06/Jan/1993
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Season 6 · 1992
34 episode(s) · Air date: 08/Jan/1992
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Season 5 · 1991
35 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Jan/1991
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S5E20
The Arthur Legend
Air date: 22/May/1991 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Director Ken Loach and reporter-producer Lorraine Heggessey defend miners' leader Arthur Scargill against allegations made by the Daily Mirror and ITV's The Cook Report (1987-98), including financial misconduct during the 1984-85 miners' strike.

Summary

Director Ken Loach and reporter-producer Lorraine Heggessey defend miners' leader Arthur Scargill against allegations made by the Daily Mirror and ITV's The Cook Report (1987-98), including financial misconduct during the 1984-85 miners' strike.

Season 4 · 1990
39 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Jan/1990
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S4E14
Apartheid's Assassins
Air date: 04/Apr/1990 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Over the years many political activists have been murdered in strange circumstances, but security denied that special 'hit squad' units were responsible. Then Captain Dirk Coetzee, ex-commander of one of these units, fled the country and told his story to the ANC, in extensive interviews Coetzee explains the functioning of the special units. The video also reconstructs attacks carried out against Zimbabwean anti-apartheid campaigners.

Summary

Over the years many political activists have been murdered in strange circumstances, but security denied that special 'hit squad' units were responsible. Then Captain Dirk Coetzee, ex-commander of one of these units, fled the country and told his story to the ANC, in extensive interviews Coetzee explains the functioning of the special units. The video also reconstructs attacks carried out against Zimbabwean anti-apartheid campaigners.

Season 3 · 1989
39 episode(s) · Air date: 04/Jan/1989
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S3E35
Hungarians Not Comrades
Air date: 22/Nov/1989 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary profile of the people of Hungary, whose country has been the centre of world attention in 1989 with the return of democratic elections.

Summary

Documentary profile of the people of Hungary, whose country has been the centre of world attention in 1989 with the return of democratic elections.

S3E16
The Most Neglected Crime
Air date: 19/Apr/1989 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Four out of ten women had received an unwanted obscene phone call, but a police superintendent could not recall one individual being prosecuted for that offence in 23 years.

Summary

Four out of ten women had received an unwanted obscene phone call, but a police superintendent could not recall one individual being prosecuted for that offence in 23 years.

S3E14
Chico
Air date: 05/Apr/1989 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A documentary about the Brazilian Chico Mendes, filmed over several years by Adrian Cowell, about the Brazilian campaigner against deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

Summary

A documentary about the Brazilian Chico Mendes, filmed over several years by Adrian Cowell, about the Brazilian campaigner against deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

S3E6
The Copper Seven Story
Air date: 08/Feb/1989 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report abut the legal wrangle in Los Angeles involving G.D. Searle, manufacturers of a contraceptive coil which it was forced to withdraw from the American market.

Summary

Documentary report abut the legal wrangle in Los Angeles involving G.D. Searle, manufacturers of a contraceptive coil which it was forced to withdraw from the American market.

S3E5
Buckets of Money
Air date: 01/Feb/1989 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary investigation into high pressure shares salesmen. Exposes the 'bucket shops' where share dealers are cheating the small investor.

Summary

Documentary investigation into high pressure shares salesmen. Exposes the 'bucket shops' where share dealers are cheating the small investor.

S3E4
The Spy Who Broke the Code
Air date: 25/Jan/1989 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary examining the continued significance for the USA and her allies, of John Walker, a US Navy Chief Warrant Officer and Soviet Spy.

Summary

Documentary examining the continued significance for the USA and her allies, of John Walker, a US Navy Chief Warrant Officer and Soviet Spy.

Season 2 · 1988
34 episode(s) · Air date: 08/Jan/1988
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S2E34
A Very Polish Secret
Air date: 14/Dec/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary about the previously untold story of a 1945 massacre of Polish partisans by Russian troupes and pro-Russian Polish security forces.

Summary

Documentary about the previously untold story of a 1945 massacre of Polish partisans by Russian troupes and pro-Russian Polish security forces.

S2E33
The Countertraders
Air date: 07/Dec/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary examination of the growth of "Countertrade" deals - compensatory agreements made between a government and a foreign company to offset the effects of placing an order overseas.

Summary

Documentary examination of the growth of "Countertrade" deals - compensatory agreements made between a government and a foreign company to offset the effects of placing an order overseas.

S2E32
The Battle for Stone Bassett
Air date: 30/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary investigation into the controversy surrounding the plan to build a new 6000 houses town, Stone Bassett, in rural Oxfordshire.

Summary

Documentary investigation into the controversy surrounding the plan to build a new 6000 houses town, Stone Bassett, in rural Oxfordshire.

S2E30
The Day the Dream Died
Air date: 16/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

25 years after the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, British Channel Four's Dispatches asks the following still unanswered questions: 1) Our evidence points to an inescapable conclusion - this casket is empty. The question is, why? 2) Lyndon B. Johnson - what did this man stand to gain from the death of President Kennedy? 3) Who was this man [at the scene]? 4) Why did all these witnesses have to die? 5) Why was Lee Harvey Oswald arrested so quickly? 6) Who set Jack Ruby up to kill Oswald? 7) Why was it necessary to alter Kennedy's body before the official autopsy in Washington? 8) Why did the Dallas doctors change their testimony the very next day? 9) Why was Kennedy's brain missing at the autopsy in Washington? 10) Why did the Warren commission deceive the world?

Summary

25 years after the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, British Channel Four's Dispatches asks the following still unanswered questions: 1) Our evidence points to an inescapable conclusion - this casket is empty. The question is, why? 2) Lyndon B. Johnson - what did this man stand to gain from the death of President Kennedy? 3) Who was this man [at the scene]? 4) Why did all these witnesses have to die? 5) Why was Lee Harvey Oswald arrested so quickly? 6) Who set Jack Ruby up to kill Oswald? 7) Why was it necessary to alter Kennedy's body before the official autopsy in Washington? 8) Why did the Dallas doctors change their testimony the very next day? 9) Why was Kennedy's brain missing at the autopsy in Washington? 10) Why did the Warren commission deceive the world?

S2E29
Tibet - A Case to Answer
Air date: 09/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary examining the destruction of the landscape, and the rights and religion of the people of Tibet, which has been ruled by the Chinese for 40 years.

Summary

Documentary examining the destruction of the landscape, and the rights and religion of the people of Tibet, which has been ruled by the Chinese for 40 years.

S2E28
Exporting High Technology from West to East
Air date: 02/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report about the measures taken by the United States to ensure that their high technology is not exported to the Soviet bloc.

Summary

Documentary report about the measures taken by the United States to ensure that their high technology is not exported to the Soviet bloc.

S2E27
Turkey: Trading with Torture
Air date: 26/Oct/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report on the continued use of torture in Turkey, despite its desire to join the EEC, which bans such practices. Includes graphic personal accounts.

Summary

Documentary report on the continued use of torture in Turkey, despite its desire to join the EEC, which bans such practices. Includes graphic personal accounts.

S2E26
The Two State Solution
Air date: 19/Oct/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report on the attitudes of Israelis and Palestinians to the future of the occupied territories. A look at the idea of forming two separate states, however, people on both sides are opposed to this.

Summary

Documentary report on the attitudes of Israelis and Palestinians to the future of the occupied territories. A look at the idea of forming two separate states, however, people on both sides are opposed to this.

S2E24
Disciples of Chaos
Air date: 05/Oct/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report about the National Front, which will be 21 years old this year. They now work mostly underground as a subversive organization. Also reports on Roberto Fiore in Italy.

Summary

Documentary report about the National Front, which will be 21 years old this year. They now work mostly underground as a subversive organization. Also reports on Roberto Fiore in Italy.

S2E21
The Raid on San Fernando: Communist Rebels in The Philippines
Air date: 17/Jun/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary made by Nick Downie about the time he spent with the Philippine Communist guerrillas, the New People's Army.

Summary

Documentary made by Nick Downie about the time he spent with the Philippine Communist guerrillas, the New People's Army.

S2E20
What's Best for the Children? : Coventry
Air date: 10/Jun/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary about a model system in Coventry which has been set up to deal with child abuse, and which it is hoped will avoid most of the problems that occurred in Cleveland.

Summary

Documentary about a model system in Coventry which has been set up to deal with child abuse, and which it is hoped will avoid most of the problems that occurred in Cleveland.

S2E19
Illegal Betting
Air date: 03/Jun/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report about illegal gambling, worth £400-600 million annually. Hidden cameras are used in pubs and clubs from London to Liverpool.

Summary

Documentary report about illegal gambling, worth £400-600 million annually. Hidden cameras are used in pubs and clubs from London to Liverpool.

S2E17
War in the Desert
Air date: 20/May/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The first documentary about a war that has been going on for 13 years in the Sahara Desert between Morocco and a rebel army known as the Polisario.

Summary

The first documentary about a war that has been going on for 13 years in the Sahara Desert between Morocco and a rebel army known as the Polisario.

S2E14
Cancer Research
Air date: 22/Apr/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

A look at cancer research, and the lack of evidence that there has been much progress over the last 50-60 years. Some researchers think that there is no cure in sight. Why is so little research done into cancer prevention?

Summary

A look at cancer research, and the lack of evidence that there has been much progress over the last 50-60 years. Some researchers think that there is no cure in sight. Why is so little research done into cancer prevention?

S2E13
Talking to the Terrorists
Air date: 15/Apr/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report in which former members of the West German terrorist group, the Red Army Faction, talk about their pasts and their hopes for an amnesty which will let them back into society.

Summary

Documentary report in which former members of the West German terrorist group, the Red Army Faction, talk about their pasts and their hopes for an amnesty which will let them back into society.

S2E6
Palau: Paradise Lost
Air date: 19/Feb/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Documentary report on US policies in the Pacific island of Palau and the seeking of an agreement with the islanders, despite their non-nuclear constitution, to bring nuclear weapons to the island.

Summary

Documentary report on US policies in the Pacific island of Palau and the seeking of an agreement with the islanders, despite their non-nuclear constitution, to bring nuclear weapons to the island.

S2E4
Interview with John Stalker
Air date: 05/Feb/1988 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Interview with John Stalker who recently resigned as Deputy Chief Constable of Manchester. He was removed from an investigation of police and army tactics in Northern Ireland, and has now written a book about his experiences.

Summary

Interview with John Stalker who recently resigned as Deputy Chief Constable of Manchester. He was removed from an investigation of police and army tactics in Northern Ireland, and has now written a book about his experiences.

Season 1 · 1987
8 episode(s) · Air date: 30/Oct/1987
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S1E7
Kimberly Carlile - Falling Through the Net
Air date: 11/Dec/1987 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

4 1/2 year old Kimberley was starved, dehydrated and beaten and weighed 24Ibs-small for a normal child her age. Her stepfather Nigel Hall was jailed for life for her murder, the mother Pauline Carlile was jailed 12 years for cruelty.

Summary

4 1/2 year old Kimberley was starved, dehydrated and beaten and weighed 24Ibs-small for a normal child her age. Her stepfather Nigel Hall was jailed for life for her murder, the mother Pauline Carlile was jailed 12 years for cruelty.

S1E6
Gunning for Government
Air date: 04/Dec/1987 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The undercover world of arms dealing is revealed by a defector (Frank Turner) who reveals his involvement with the CIA and British Ministry of Defence.

Summary

The undercover world of arms dealing is revealed by a defector (Frank Turner) who reveals his involvement with the CIA and British Ministry of Defence.

S1E5
Selling the Tunnel
Air date: 27/Nov/1987 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

TVS's Business Unit tells the inside story of the Eurotunnel Management Team's battle to persuade the City and the public to back the issue of shares and raise capital.

Summary

TVS's Business Unit tells the inside story of the Eurotunnel Management Team's battle to persuade the City and the public to back the issue of shares and raise capital.

S1E4
Divided by Law
Air date: 20/Nov/1987 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

Explains how new D.N.A. testing techniques could help to re-unite divided immigrant families and looks at claims that the government has delayed progress pending on legislation.

Summary

Explains how new D.N.A. testing techniques could help to re-unite divided immigrant families and looks at claims that the government has delayed progress pending on legislation.

S1E3
AIDS - The Unheard Voices
Air date: 13/Nov/1987 · Runtime: 45 min
Summary

The program challenges the theory that AIDS is caused by the H.I.V. virus and discusses the social pressures on those diagnosed as H.I.V. positive.

Summary

The program challenges the theory that AIDS is caused by the H.I.V. virus and discusses the social pressures on those diagnosed as H.I.V. positive.

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