Aberdour residents to be polled on Channel 4 TV show plans

Siew Peng Lee • Published 8 Apr 2010 08:15 14 Comments

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ABERDOUR residents will be polled on their views on a television programme Channel 4 plans to film in the village.

The television channel is eyeing Aberdour as a possible location for 'The Village', a series in which eight people will live in a house in the village over the summer.

Villagers will hold a weekly ballot to vote them out and the winner will get the house - worth up to £300,000 - and a shot at life in the village as the prize.

However, the plans have divided opinion in the village and Channel 4 held three meetings, led by its director of nations and regions Stuart Cosgrove, to put its case to residents last Wednesday.

Studio Lambert, the independent production company commissioned to do the programme, was represented by creative director Jamie Isaacs - the man behind Brat Camp, The Choir and World's Strictest Parents - who underlined that 'The Village' would not be a reality TV show like Big Brother.

At the 7pm meeting, he said, "We'd choose eight people to come here and those people would be chosen because they have something to offer this place.

"We don't want to give the impression that it's some kind of construction for a car crash of values.

"We don't want people to come here and cause mayhem in this very nice village.

"We want to bring people here who want to come to Aberdour and who can sustain themselves."

He added that there would be "no fixed cameras, no camera rigged in the house, no voting with the public and no live element".

He said they had a budget of £250,000-£300,000 to buy a house, although one had not yet been bought.

Residents were also told that "hundreds and hundreds" of villages had been contacted but Aberdour was at the top of the short list.

Concerns were raised over how the programme had been 'sold', with residents saying it had been proposed as a documentary but had turned into a "game show".

Mr Cosgrove assured, "It will not morph into a game show and I can give you an absolute cast-iron guarantee that it will not be a game show."

Mr Isaacs also said that once people had signed up, the format of the show could not be changed.

He said it was "unfortunate" that the Press had got hold of the story before they could discuss plans with residents, and said that the Press story had been "negative".

However, the Press did extend Studio Lambert the right to respond, but instead received the response from Channel 4 that was printed in the 18th March edition.

Other concerns raised related to how the participants would be chosen, and if they would give an honest representation of themselves, how terms of agreement would be drawn up with the village if the programme did go ahead.

Mr Isaacs said there would be a selection process and rigorous background checks "to make people who are selected are not going to cause any problems", and they would independently assessed to see their suitability.

One resident also queried the rationale of bringing in outsiders to win a house when there were "people who are very much a part of this community who don't own their houses", and asked if they would be eligible to apply for the show.

Mr Isaacs said that was not ruled out, adding, "One of the points of this exercise is to foreground the issue that faces many people in Britain.

"For someone who's a resident here and can't get on the property ladder, there are thousands who have that same problem throughout the country."

Residents in favour of the programme said it could be "a great opportunity" for Aberdour.

An exit poll conducted by Aberdour Community Council after the meetings showed that of 207 people, 45 were for the proposal, 93 were against, 62 did not know, and seven were 'not saying'.

An online poll, also conducted by the community council, revealed that 34 were for it, 151 were against, with 42 undecided.

The community council, which met on Tuesday following the public meetings, has decided to ballot the village to get a "clear understanding of people's views".

Chair Willie Dryburgh said, "We're going to put ballot papers through everybody's letter box and ask them to send back their reponses so we get a better feeling of what the village thinks.

"Neither the online survey or exit poll are a balanced selection - only people with internet access can respond to the online survey and the exit poll only shows those who were at the meetings, and it only shows the views of about 200 in a village of 2000.

"We'll be asking for opinions of 'for' or 'against' with no option of 'don't know' - that's a cop-out. You're either for it or against it.

"We'll also be asking people to state if they're in single or multiple-occupancy households, and to state the number of opinions in the household, for example three for and two against."

The ballot papers are expected to go out this weekend, and hoped residents will drop their responses off before 4pm on 16th April.

It's been proposed that ballot boxes be put in the village store in Wester Aberdour and in Moffats in Easter Aberdour, although details will be confirmed in the ballot papers.

He added, "I wish to make it clear that at no time have Studio Lambert been in any discourse with Aberdour Community Council or myself as its chairman.

"I have met with representatives of Studio Lambert but only as an interested private citizen and not in anyway connected with Aberdour Community Council.

"Officially Aberdour Community Council didn't know anything about this until 15th March when we got an e-mail from Fife Council's libraries and museums service."

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

******
Apr 28, 12:33
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Grassington Resident
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Nov 9, 21:22
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You were very lucky to be rid of Studio Lambert. I am a resident of Grassington and one of the vast majority who did not want this is a cheap, grubby little show. Thank goodness they are all gone at last. Studio Lambert even had to resort to free drinks as a bribe to get onlookers to go to the introductions of new contestants and money as a bribe in order to get more residents to vote. The “events” the contestants offer received virtually no support at all, probably because no one wanted either the events or the contestants. Many businesses were much slacker than usual during filming because residents were doing their shopping out of Grassington or shopping on the two days per week we were spared the cameras, which, incidentally were extremely intrusive. The crew were very rude and badly behaved. One of them, for instance, helped herself without asking to one of the orange juices poured out for the rugby team!! Very few shops or organisations allowed the cameras in. Studio Lambert have reneged on everything, like paying out money they promised, the latest being that the "winners" do not have to live in the house and can sell it after three years, thus rendering the whole intention behind the competition pointless.

Last week one of the contestants claimed to have “the ability to assert change when necessary.” Who exactly does this person think she is and what makes her think Grassington is in need of change? We do not need someone to come out from a city and show us how life should be lived. We are probably much like you in Aberdour.

We are very fortunate to have very talented people in our midst who do a fantastic job of organising events to an international standard. Day to day living here is a delight with so much to do and such friendly people to do it with.

You have no reason to feel aggrieved, in fact we heartily wish they had not got in by the back door here, just the same as they tried to in Aberdour, but we were not even given the chance of a public ballot.

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lovingit
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Jan 31, 10:03
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I'm sure Arberdour has its fair share of biggots and general local nimbys like Grassington, however had you had the chance for the filming to take place hopefully you wouldn't have allowed them to come to the fore.

As a contestant, I found the village generally extremely rude, and un-cooperative, unlike the film crew..... Ultimately Grassington accepted this project, but the small minded folk certainly came out in their droves blissfully unaware, in their own little world that they were playing straight into the hands of Channel 4.

Given the very appropriate title change of the programme to 'The Outsiders' Grassington have certainly shot themselves in the foot........ Had I known what I know now, I would never have entered into this competition (which incidently was simply to win a house!) and If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would't dream of moving there...

Can't wait to see it.

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 19, 10:39
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Well, that is your opinion. You were only here for five days, and obviously no one took to you. Reading your sour grapes remarks, that is hardly surprising. What a good thing we don't have to put up with you. Incidentally, the programme is now going to be called "Love Thy Neighbour," another unoriginal title, like "The Outsiders," both already the titles of other shows. And no, we haven't shot ourselves in the foot. We know that all Channel 4 wanted to make a programme which they hoped would show bigotry and ineptitude and that is what they will show, but only because of the all the editing which will be necessary for their purpose. We know what a wonderful place this is to live in and how fortunate we are.

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 21, 23:44
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Actually, Lovingit, you were not even here for the five days everyone else was, were you? There were only two here without partners, and the other one was very popular and was helped by various bigots and local nimbys who are native to Grassington to rent a property here. You must be the one who was thrown out by Studio Lambert because of your appalling behaviour in The Square on the morning following your disaster of a free nude show, alias live modelling, which only three ladies attended, and the intention of auctioning yourself for a hot date that evening without first clearing it with the landlord of the pub where you proposed to hold the auction.

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Grassington-er
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Feb 22, 01:29
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Well said Grassington resident! Another supporting villager here!

I actually enjoyed having them here and it livened up the village a bit, however I am not looking forward to what they'll do to the village. The businesses here rely on tourism and this programme could damage that trade a great deal.

But you never know...we could be wrong. We'll just have to wait and see.

Another Grassington-Er

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 22, 10:50
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I don't think the programme will make much difference. The filming was just an intrusive nuisance, but we managed to carry on by ignoring the cameras and adjusting our schedules, and life went straight back to normal when they had gone. Grassington is quite capable of overcoming anything Channel 4 might try to do to us and they might find the egg ends up on their face.

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Houseowner
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Feb 25, 21:57
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I just wondered how the programme went ahead "by the back door" because in Aberdour there was so much outcry against it, and people wouldn't sell the TV company their houses, that they gave up on it and turned to Grassington. Did Grassington protest too? Or can a TV company just go ahead and make the programme without the support of the village? I think the concept was flawed because it really relied on the cooperation of the villagers and yet also relied on annoying the villagers. My house was going to be the original prize.

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 26, 10:37
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Hello Houseowner. Yes, we certainly did protest, but to no avail. First of all we found out by word of mouth from staff at one of the pubs where the advance party had stayed. They had said the programme would be a documentary, and most people were pleased, after all Channel 4 do sometimes show good documentaries as well as tacky reality programmes. Then it got out it was actually a game show with a house here as the prize and all hell was let loose. They arranged three "public" meetings, all in the mornings, meaning only retired people could attend, and you had to have a appointment for the one you wanted to attend. We did hold an emergency real public meeting, but it had to be a very short notice and I was one of the many who had a prior commitment and so was unable to go, but there was uproar against it, like there would have been in Aberdour. None of it was any use, as they said they were coming and that was that. A very small number of decent people believed them when they said they had no intention of portraying us in a bad light, but if you look in the current Radio Times you will see they have immediately spotlighted bigotry and racism, neither of which exist here. Anyway, to answer your query, Studio Lambert foisted themselves on us and we were unable to stop them. Lucky you!!

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******
Feb 26, 15:57
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Grassy res
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Feb 27, 09:41
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Grassinton-er,

Are you worried that two lesbians could ruin the village? Perhaps you should look closer to home at the way they and other contestants were treated by some of the bigoted narrow minded folk. The villagers I guarantee will make much better viewing and more than likely have more of an impact on whether or not businesses are affected. Who would want to visit a village that seems to not unable to accept anything that's not 'the norm'?

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 27, 10:17
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You seem to have missed the point, Linda and Grassy res. Any of them would have been made welcome here in the normal way, because that is how we are. Do you think we don't already have lesbians, gays etc??? Of course we do, and we love them all. No one is homophobic here, and if you came here you too would feel the general welcome friendliness. The issue was not with the contestants, but with Studio Lambert who just waltzed into Grassington, univited, and attempted - fortunately unsuccessfully - to take over, causing a great deal of inconvenience and quite a lot of stress. That is, of course, what they wanted. It is true to say that all the contestants were given not necessarily politically correct nicknames because of the resentment to the competition most of us felt. Did you not read above that the contestant who was the most popular, who incidentally did not win because we have a suspicion the whole thing was a fix, has been helped to move in here??? How narrow minded is that? I did not see any contestants badly treated. They did not get the celebrity attention they were perhaps expecting, but I myself did not see any of them treated with anything other than common courtesy. You, Grassy res, might have seen something unfortunate, obviously among the rich mixture we have here we have the odd rude one, but I did not. For the most part, the film crew, the contestants and all the "events" they organised to try to whip up enough enthusiasm to win our votes were ignored, and frankly Studio Lambert were powerless to do anything about it.

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Standup
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Feb 27, 15:24
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I know the two lesbians you are speaking about and not all the villages made them feel welcome!! As for the reason they left, it wasn't the stress but as you have picked up on it with that the show was fixed! All the situations in the semi final were staged and fake!!

Such a shame as the programme could have shown a positive light on village life and the wonderful place that is Grassington and shown some of the amazing people that live there, not just the bigots and small minded people!

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 27, 21:36
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Thank you Standby. Some of the comments have been from people who do not know Aberdour or Grassington and have never met any of the contestants either, and think it is all right for a TV company to walk all over a community where they do not live. As you say, if Studio Lambert had prepared everything properly, with general consent, and the prize had been say, a house rent free for a year, the majority would have been in favour and supported the programme. What a waste!

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Grassington Resident
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Feb 27, 21:57
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Sorry. I meant Standup

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******
Feb 28, 12:33
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Grassington Resident
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Feb 28, 14:00
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Hello Baileyb0. I am really sorry for your friend who, as you say, has obviously been stitched up by Channel 4, as have we all. Please tell her we were unaware of the full story. I, for one, now have even more contempt for people who make these cheap, nasty, offensive programmes. Are there really people who actually want to watch this drivel and believe all that is shown jindeed took place?

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