Trouble at the Top Series 9 (4 Parts)

Synopsis

Four programmes from the ninth series, following more business ventures and their adventures in the struggle to make new firms succeed or to claw established companies back from the brink. Companies covered in this series include: a website providing sperm for lesbians which wants to expand and open a clinic, only the newspapers aren’t happy; a ferry company who introduce a new pricing system, similar to a budget airline, and decide to take their rivals to court; the launch of a new Sainsbury’s clothing range; an Essex market trader decides to open a nightclub and name it after his young girlfriend.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2007

Year of production

2005

Notes

Broadcast in 4 parts on on BBC2 on 11/1, 18/1, 1/2 and 21/2/2005

Subjects

Business studies

Keywords

business firms

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£500.00

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

160 minutes

Year

2007

Type

VHS

Format

PAL

Price

£500.00

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

160 minutes

Year

2007

Sections

Title

Sainsbury’s New Clothes

Synopsis

Sainsbury’s, formerly the number one supermarket, now struggles behind Tesco and Asda but believes it can fight back by taking on its rivals in the lucrative clothing market. After poaching top fashion retailer Richard Jones from M&S to launch over 1,200 new garments on a single day, will the gamble pay off?

Duration

40 mins

Title

Fighting the Pirates

Synopsis

The story of cut-price ferry company Speedferries. Founder Curt Stavis believes he can succeed with a low-cost ferry service across the English Channel but has never run a ferry company before and is soon fighting summer storms, breakdowns, bomb scares, and giant competitors who have a lot to lose if Stavis cuts the cost of crossing the Channel.

Duration

40 mins

Title

Sperm Wars

Synopsis

Looks at a website that helps lesbians and single women have babies by match-making with paid sperm donors. As the sperm is fresh, not frozen, it’s not regulated in the same way as regular fertility clinics. Founder John Gonzalez has been attacked by lesbian groups and investigated by the tabloids and now he wants to start his own regulated clinic, but will the authorities let him?

Duration

40 mins

Title

Hey Jo

Synopsis

Former barrow boy Dave West made millions from British booze-cruisers, and left Romford market far behind. Now he plans an exclusive members-only club in Mayfair where he can rub shoulders with the rich and well-connected. Dave names the club Hey Jo after his Polish girlfriend who is nearly 40 years younger than him, but as work begins, their relationship falters.

Duration

40 mins

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’