Published: Thursday, 25th March, 2010 7:00am

Villagers' anger at 'sneaky' TV company

by Siew Peng Lee

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ABERDOUR residents are said to be "up in arms" over plans which could see a Big Brother-type reality programme based in the village.

The Press revealed exclusively last week that independent TV company Studio Lambert were eyeing Aberdour as a possible location for a Channel 4 show and representatives had been meeting residents and members of Aberdour Community Council over the last few months.

Called 'The Village', the show would see around eight contestants moving into a house in Aberdour for six to eight weeks and given opportunities to integrate into the community.

Residents would be asked to vote on which contestants they would most like to see stay, with the winner getting the house as the prize.

However, following the Press exclusive, which after appearing on www.dunfermlinepress.com reached as far as The California Chronicle, community council chair William Dryburgh said residents were angry over the "turn-around" on the programme's format.

He said, "It's not about Channel 4 coming to the village, it's the fact that they've done an about-face in a sneaky way.

"When they came up the first two times before Christmas, everyone was led to believe that they were going to make a documentary about village life in the UK.

"People got the impression that it would be a documentary series showing villages in Cornwall, the Midlands, Central Scotland, comparing what village life was like in various communities.

"We do have a very tight community feeling in Aberdour and people thought yes, this sounded good.

"Then three weeks ago we found out Channel 4 had picked Aberdour as a possible location but had changed the format."

In a letter sent to the Press and residents, Studio Lambert says its programme is "well-intentioned" and wants to "highlight the qualities required to be a good neighbour, an active citizen and a valued member of a community", with contestants having "many opportunities to do things collectively and individually for the benefit of the community".

Executives add that Aberdour is currently at the top of their shortlist of possible communities and that featuring the village and Fife will give the region "a high profile and is likely to boost significantly tourism trade to the area".

It is anticipated there will be a "substantial local spend in the village by production over the period of filming", which the Press understands is in the region of £100,000.

However, Mr Dryburgh said residents' opinion was divided on the project, with "probably 60-40 or 70-30" against it.

He added, "There are people who watch Big Brother and think it'd be good for the village and others who think we have more integrity and think it will be damaging to the village.

"But the majority of people are not happy about it.

"Putting the village up as a prize in a game show is prostituting yourself and pandering to the lowest common denominator of intellect.

"Their letter also states that 'By introducing a competition into the series we will ensure that this is a programme that attract viewers'.

"That's what they're after.

"It's not about making a programme about Aberdour."

Studio Lambert have organised three public meetings on Wednesday to address residents' concerns.

Meetings will be held at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm at the Aberdour Community Centre and residents are advised to confirm their attendance, also stating their preferred time slot.

Mr Dryburgh said the community council would wait until after the meetings before deciding what to do.

He said, "We have the Residents Association meeting on Tuesday, then the Studio Lambert meeting, and the community council meeting on Thursday.

"I think the whole concept's been badly thought out but it's got a mixed reaction so we're trying to get as many people along to attend as we can, before deciding what happens next."

Residents can contact Studio Lambert by e-mailing thevillage@studiolambert.com or calling 0207 5342024.