It did not seem possible, but Aston-based satellite TV channel Legal TV has finally realised that the great British public do not find lawyers terribly fascinating. Last week, the channel put out a press release saying it had lost the love for lawyers it once had, following a disastrous attempt at a reality show in which lawyers were tasked with no less than saving the world - or at least London - from an imaginary flood.


According to the release, the lawyers on the show 'did not come across as able to save London from drowning'. This should hardly have been surprising - their day-to-day work more likely involves saving clients from themselves. Letting Londoners perish was the last straw for Legal TV, allegedly.



The truth is more prosaic. Davy Singh-Bal, the lawyer who owns Legal TV, said this week he had signed up with a US TV company to receive real-life US court footage, as drama gets more bums on seats. He may keep one or two legal advice shows, he said, but everything else would be jettisoned. Watching UK lawyers just has not proved riveting to the public, essentially.



At least solicitors made an effort, however. Barristers, who are the more natural showpeople said Mr Singh-Bal, tend to ask to be paid to appear. 'The public are not warming to lawyers on the telly,' said Mr Singh-Bal. 'But I want to make it publicly known that the fat-cat perception of the profession comes only [because of] barristers. The solicitors have been great, and have travelled at their own expense and given up their time to go on telly and help the public.' Great for the owners of TV channels too.