Alex visits a hotel in Dorset which has seen a steadily declining occupancy rate. Could the answer to the hotel’s problems lie in a spirited assistant?
The beautiful Milton Lodge is set in six acres of Dorset countryside, and comes complete with stables, an outdoor pool and even its own cricket pitch. It also comes with an owner whose collections of knickknacks are liberally littered around the hotel and its ten bedrooms.
The owner and his wife have lived in the lodge for over 20 years and consider it their home. But having decided to close the door on letting the whole place out for money-spinning functions, they have seen their income dwindle. They are now worried about how the house will support them in the future.
Alex feels that modernising the hotel is the only option if they are going to attract more visitors. Can Alex win the apprehensive owners round to her way of thinking?
She finds a possible saviour in the form of the couple’s assistant, who has worked with them for more than twenty years. Could she be the light that guides the hotel into a bright new future?
Comments (87)
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9 months ago
Charles S
It's interesting that the owner pleads the 'Fifth Amendment' at the end. Fifth Amendment??? I think he's been watching too many American courtroom dramas.
9 months ago
Peter P
It costs £90 a night to stay here? Who can afford prices like that? No wonder they're not getting many guests.
9 months ago
Tracey
Hi Maureen and Terry and Jo, great to see you at Milton Lodge with Vi a few weeks ago, and guess what? This has finally aired on TV in New Zealand, had us laughing out loud, Terry you naughty boy (as India calls you) putting that tent pole up and swearing like a trouper - I'm surprised they left that in! And giving poor lovely Olga Polizzi a hard time. She seems very nice. Love David and Trace xoxox
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9 months ago
Peter Piper
The comments are unbelievable. People are moaning and complaining that Channel Five is not putting up their show fast enough when they should be glad that it gets posted at all! I mean, so what if BBC posts within 24 hours. Did anybody ever think that Channel Five is maybe possibly swamped with work as it is? People can be so unappreciative these days.
10 months ago
mr unhappy
this player is absolute rubbish always crashes i have no problem with itv player or bbc or 4od but yours always breaks grrrr :@
11 months ago
Unsatisfied Viewer
What was with the time elapse when the children were coming in? What did I miss? Grrr Channel 5 :'(
12 months ago
BJ
I thought I'd try the shows available on C5. Some watchable stuff, but haven't managed an entire episode of any programme without constant technical problems. I've had enough, so I'm giving up and won't be back. The BBC works, this doesn't. Crap.
12 months ago
BJ
I thought I'd try the shows available on C5. Some watchable stuff, but haven't managed an entire episode of any programme without constant technical problems. I've had enough, so I'm giving up and won't be back. The BBC works, this doesn't.
over 1 year ago
Alan Brown
This episode aired faultlessly but, It took longer to read the complaints than to watch the programme! Has the management at Demand 5 had a reallity bypass? I cant believe you dont know your service is crap! or are you just happy to sit on your corporate wage packets untill the p45's arrive. (soon i hope)
over 1 year ago
margaret Hutcherson nee Brierley
At last I have been able to see this programme. I met this gentleman when I visited a few years ago and found him totally rude. Jo however is a gem. I wish her well and hope that she is now paid for the managerial post she has taken on. Milton Lodge is a beautiful house with a history few know of.
over 1 year ago
margaret Hutcherson nee Brierley
Why is this still unavailable. I was a child evecuee in this house when it was a "bomb-baby" nursery and would love to have seen this programme.skinning rt
over 1 year ago
joanne anderson-scade
Channel 5s "demand" service has never been more appauling than ever. Arent all shows supposed to be available online? Or just the choice of whomever is in charge at C5? It takes forever to load and days for shows to appear. I concur with most of the comments on here , that C5 should get their act together and put the shows online faster as other channels can do it withing 24 hours, and nearly everything that you can watch on the TV is available to be viewed online. Whats the point of having on demand if you cant watch that particular show online and only on the TV....poor customer service
over 1 year ago
NR
Channel 5s "demand" service has never been more appauling than ever. Arent all shows supposed to be available online? Or just the choice of whomever is in charge at C5? It takes forever to load and days for shows to appear. I concur with most of the comments on here , that C5 should get their act together and put the shows online faster as other channels can do it withing 24 hours, and nearly everything that you can watch on the TV is available to be viewed online. Whats the point of having on demand if you cant watch that particular show online and only on the TV....poor customer service
over 1 year ago
Barb
Why do we still have to have adverts online? It's daft and time consuming! :(
over 1 year ago
Freda
Please get your act together. I love the programme and hate having to miss an episode.
over 1 year ago
Nikki
Argh I didn't realise that you can't watch it on an iPad
over 1 year ago
Steven
Why do the adverts always play perfectly when the actual TV show always stops part way through or sometimes never even plays at all??? Its almost as if the entire point of this website is to show the adverts rather than the programmes...
over 1 year ago
Dave
half way through and it crashes. waste of time.
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over 1 year ago
Laura
How come BBc iplayer and ITV iplayer work with no problems and channel 4 and 5 have so much trouble?? No point in even having this website!
over 1 year ago
Steve
Really annoyed. Kept freezing and had to refresh all the time!!! Had to watch this in 3 minute chunks with several minutes of adverts in between!!! What a waste of time.
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over 1 year ago
joyce paull
Disappointed to see the subtitle caption missing !!
over 1 year ago
John
Ra Ra it's up ,haven't used ch5 on-demand since the last series,don't know if ch5 deliberately delay the program from on-demand to increase t.v. viewing, because every episode of series 7 took day's to air also,really poor service would be the understatement of the year,they certainly know how to piss off viewers big time ,week after week ,show after show ,i mean do they only employ someone 12 hours a week to put their content up,every second program seems to develop technical problems in addition to usual long delay in availability,very sad especially when bbc ,itv & ch4 do such a great job ,surely it can be that hard to make content available ,either that or they get more revenue from ch5 youtube. No matter how many people complain the service never improves ,need to get the finger out ch5 ,very very poor service,no wonder no-one watches ch5 after their experience here. One-demand is supposed to increase viewers to a show but the usual experience of ch5 on-demand leave's people tearing their hair out, never fail's.
over 1 year ago
Callianne
Fab first programme of new series. great to have Alex back!
over 1 year ago
Graham Hought
Press the button please, I am keen to see Alex, gorgeous....
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over 1 year ago
Mariamaria
I love this programme too. Please sort out the delay, Channel 5. This is spoiling the start of the new series. We have been waiting eagerly for it.
over 1 year ago
jen
please please hurry up and post this programme .I love it
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over 1 year ago
CJL
''your wish is our demand''... then make it so channel 5. My wish is to have the only decent programme that you bother to air on demand and on time.
over 1 year ago
CBC
Useless. Big Brother which is the most mindless CARP gets priority, all else, when the monkees feel like it
over 1 year ago
Jeremy
Dire. C Five- why bother? This is the only programme I've ever TRIED to watch either via the TV (Sky wouldn't record) or the dreadful website (oh? not available) so will now give up. If Five's tech people don't care, what about the advertisers and in-house bean counters? A mad way to run a business Mr. Desmond!!
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over 1 year ago
jegpad
I looked outside the box, thanks Arnold S. No need to use this site.
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over 1 year ago
LFJ
I note you have had the time to remove the comments informing us of alternative sites to view this programme.
over 1 year ago
Jaz
This is ridiculous. How come they can get other programmes on almost immediately but not this?
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over 1 year ago
James Reames
get real channel5 and get somebody to upload it.
over 1 year ago
heather dixon
the only half decent programme chanel five have and they carnt even get it on the web when it was aired three days ago! what an absolute JOKE!!!
over 1 year ago
heather dixon
get your act together channel 5!!!!
over 1 year ago
Arnold S.
I live in California and just watched this. Think outside the box and you will find it. USE the NET...
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over 1 year ago
Charlotte
Are you joking?!!!!
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over 1 year ago
Green
I think a complaint to the broadcasting standards agancy is in order - if you can't deliver, don't say you can. not even a response from channel 5 to explain what's going on. Very poor.
over 1 year ago
Wurfy
In todays day and age this is ridiculously slow. What is the point in offering an 'on demand' service that is anything but?!
over 1 year ago
ANNOYED EVERYTIME I COME ON DEMAND 5
OMGGG A JOKEEE HURRY UP WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOURSELF CHANNEL 5 HURRY UP. UNACCEPTABLE. GETTING REALLY ANNOYED NOW DEMAND SERVICE. TAKES AGESSSSS. PEOPLE DON'T NEED THIS. COMPARED TO YOUR COMPETITORS BBC ITV AND CHANNEL 4 PUT IT ON THE SAME DAY. SOMETHING YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF:@
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over 1 year ago
Mr Polizzi
What everybody else said.
over 1 year ago
Lynne
This is a joke we have just watched Motorway Cops which was on BBC1 last night and is now on BBC1 iplayer this was shown at the same time as Hotel Inspector 9pm last night what is going on are we not in the 21st Century where is all the technology. We love this show and wanted to watch it now!!!
over 1 year ago
Liam
I think @jegpad sums it up. This has been a running theme with many of Channel 5's programming. It is a shame that Channel 5 feel it is more of a priority for them to remove content they deem undesirable, but fail to respond to the more polite and appropriate criticisms posed to them. One simple explanation is all we ask, but I see from their point of view as well, that they are pretty immune from criticism or threats of a boycott because I'm sure most of us will be here next week asking why it's not up, as for many of us who don't work a 9-5 lifestyle, online services are key, so whether I like it or not I have to wait for the whim of Channel 5 week in week out.
over 1 year ago
KJC
BBC IPlayer = less than 5 mins Demand 5 = less than 5 days - possibly
over 1 year ago
Robert Pickering
MARTIN. Hello I want I can't have, gone to channel 4 bye bye on demand 5 (NOT).
over 1 year ago
daniel
YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE JOKE! A disgrace to the British media! Sort this out right now!!!
over 1 year ago
Ruth
Oh fiddlesticks! To be frank Channel 5, this is your only good show and I know you think you're all that now you've got Big Brother but even with that your site can't receive half as much attention as the other, actual 'on demand' sites who manage to get shows up within hours of them being broadcast. You're not somehow above criticism because you managed to scrape up channel 4's leftovers. I don't mean to blow your mind or anything but the idea of it is that you put the shows up sharpish cause otherwise it's not really 'on demand' is it? Where's the Office of Fair Trading when you need them? This is false advertising!
over 1 year ago
Cornish Pasty
First time i've used c5, on demand ? Should be reported to trade descriptions. The only on demand service on this site is incompetence. Primitive technology...........
over 1 year ago
jegpad
If there is a moderator viewing this thread, why can't they action the comments, have the courtesy to respond perhaps, rather than just deleting them?
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over 1 year ago
flash
i was unable to watch this recordinr yesterday and hoped to watch it tonight but no unlike aunty (who we all thought was a bit stoggy) channel 5 is a waste of time if you are not going to show ON DEMAND SHOWS, why advertise it as such. thats pure and simple fraud as fraudulent as the MPs expenses
over 1 year ago
juniee
just tried as well really wanted to watch this as am busy rest of the time when it is being aired cannot understand why big brother should be on demand services and not this
over 1 year ago
dollypop
I cant get TV reception because I live on a boat in the middle of no-where so have to rely on DEMAND5. Time methinks to chuck toys and teddy out of pram. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
over 1 year ago
sue
yeah comeon chanel 5 i was hoping 2 watch this 2day as its my day off work. i was wondering if it is your day off work too !!!!!!
over 1 year ago
Colin
Its REPEATED on Five* (star) again: Sun 21:00 9 Oct So you don't have to suffer internet viewing just yet!
over 1 year ago
SJ
Fail to see the point of channel 5 having an allegedly "on demand" service. So much of its output is American and is always unavailable and what's the story with this pre-recorded British programme still not being available nearly 48 hours after broadcast. Frankly Channel 5, why do you bother, I certainly won't anymore!
over 1 year ago
Kateyj
would channel 5 prefer people to gravitate towards other channels, because they can't keep up with technology. I notice It is called DEMAND 5 - well where is the supply??? Get real Channel 5 - what is the explanation for this?? Demand and ye shall (Not ) find.
over 1 year ago
Matthew
Demand 5 good joke Rebrand to delay 5
over 1 year ago
Matthew
Demand 5 thats a good joke Rebrand to Delay 5
over 1 year ago
channel 5 hurry up
HURRY UP CHANNEL 5 FOR GOD SAKE
over 1 year ago
Carl
I want to watch this. Come on channel 5, i thought u were getting better. Big Brother was on after this programme and yet that is avail to watch
over 1 year ago
jak
yetagain another monday night programme not hear on tuseday,,, viva la bbc
over 1 year ago
big jock knew
Get a move on channel 5
over 1 year ago
me
Come on!!!!!!!!Is it that hard?
over 1 year ago
dollypop
I'm sure that there is a little pixie sitting in an office somewhere waiting until 20 complaints have been recieved, then flicks a switch so we can watch this. Some pixies derive perverse satisfaction from the frustrations of us mere humans.....
over 1 year ago
Louie
Yeh hear hear get a move on
over 1 year ago
dollypop
I'm sure there is a little pixie who sits in an office, waiting until at least 20 people complain, then flicks a switch so we can watch this. Some pixies derive a certain perverse satisfaction from frustrating us humans....
over 1 year ago
Emma Hickman
Why isnt it available every other channel can manage it come on its 2011 not 1990!
over 1 year ago
jegpad
get a move on! Why oh why do you have links to the 'latest episode' if it is not available? This occurs throughout this site and is poor management
over 1 year ago
N
Same i have been checking all night and morning! hurry up i want to watch this please....
over 1 year ago
G
27hrs after airing and still not available! HELLO..... Is anybody there!? Every show I (attempt) to watch on Demand 5 is always heavily delayed and I know C5 is aware because this type of comment is on all of the shows! Pull our finger out C5, I refuse to believe it's difficult to get a show online and how about listening to your viewers!?