Power to the People
When you try and organise for a hundred angry villagers comprising Morris dancers, undercover Women's Institute members, disappointed schoolchildren and a dozen restless cows and sheep to invade a prominent part of London, you'd better be on first name terms with the Editorial Policy department.
When we set about making the three part ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳2 series Power to the People we knew we were in for a rocky ride. The premise was simple enough: take a group of angry people who feel they've been pushed too far and no-one is listening to them, and follow them as they stage a symbolic act that helps them to finally be heard.
Taking a village to London to for the day, following a recently formed platoon of abandoned soldiers as and getting 40 isolated old people together to in an attempt to storm the pop charts is not the most traditional way of covering current affairs topics. But we wanted to make films where there was a real sense of closure for the people involved rather than leaving them as poor victims as so many films involving 'victims' tend to do.
The results were incredible. The comments about all three programmes showed that the idea of people taking a stand and fighting back really struck a chord with the public and never more so than the stunning response to the Zimmers (our band with a combined age of 3,000) who entered the charts at number 26 last week and has been watched by over two million people on YouTube.
We trod a fine line making the series. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ quite rightly cannot be seen to campaign and we made sure we chose people who had been pushed to their limits and were prepared to fight back. We also clearly reflected both sides to every argument. These films were not polemics but they were incredibly empowering and show that all of us, if pushed hard enough, have a point where we're prepared to say 'enough is enough'.
Comments
While I have only watched parts of the second programme, I thought it was fair and balanced in the light of the subject matters at hand and the lack of response from the authorities.
From reading the summaries of the other programmes, the common thread seems to be about people who are ignored as a result of mostly faceless powers who want to simply avoid embarrassment to themselves. This appears to be a very common theme in modern Britain.
I thought the 'Zimmers' film was fabulous, although I was moved to tears at some of the dreadful scenes behind the walls of the private nursing homes.
I didn't approve of Tim Samuels' stunt with the English flags in Scotland, but he has 'come of age' with this series.
And I am pleased to see that Age Concern is now benefiting from the follow-up to the programme through single sales.
Please can we have more stuff like this.
The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ can't campaign; have you never watched Breakfast TV and News 24?
Both these channels deliver campaigns for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ programmes; they blatantly promote ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ programmes about to be screened as news items.
Most commonly this is Panorama; if it is news it should not be on Panorama, if it is not it should not be on the news.
Other programmes are promoted via the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳’s obsession with failure; let’s waste 15 minutes talking to the latest reject from Alan Sugar.
The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ does a very good job of campaigning for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳; these programmes should stick to reporting the news.
Peter,
Not to mention of course the weekly plugging for "Celebrity Come Get My Talent Show Out Of This Big Brother Jungle" on Breakfast each morning, and the two Pseudo "debates" at 7.25 and 7.40, usually publicising some meaningless celebrity and whatever stupid stunt they are doing next that happens to be on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV.
Piffle, the lot of it. I wonder why of everyone I know who dislikes Breakfast News, not one of them got onto the user panel? Maybe an article for the Breakfast Editor on how he chose which sycophants to put on the show?
well done will.
saw your 'brining home the bacon' and recognised your voiceover, especially liked the film aboutthe 16 kids filmed on the same day,
ed silva (UCS 1981-86)
wonderful wonderful programme. (and great video of 'zimmers' too) my grandma died a year ago in a home with dementia and i miss her like mad. society should not let these places be necissary. x