Reviews on the top ten channel 4 documentaries

1. Top Ten Channel 4
Documentaries
The Reviews

2. No.1: Educating the East End
By The Guardian
Headline: ‘Educating the East End review- funny, moving and inspirational.’
Sub Headline: ‘The Year 9s are terrifying: a force of nature. No wonder Mr Bispham looks nervous’
First line makes a joke about the past series ‘Educating Essex and Yorkshire”:
‘After Educating Essex And Yorkshire, schools must be queuing up to let the cameras in.’
They then continue to make jokes throughout:
‘Pretty much everything ends in a stressed “ar” sound for Fredrick Bermer Year 9s, even the way they
say their own names: Acaciar, Tianar, Shazzar, Jessicar, Summar … oh, and Tawny, but she wants to be
a sngar, or maybe in EastEndars, playing Baiancar’s long-lost sistar.’
They then explain what has happened while focusing on certain students.
The article ends saying that the show will bring tears to the audience and restored their
faith in the teaching system.
Overall, this review is surprisingly nice to the show, but does like to point out the parts
that are not so good while ‘making fun’ of it.
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is enlightening as it shows that there
are teenagers that are still trying to get a good education.
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/sep/05/educating-east-end-review-funny-
inspirational

3. No.2: Cops and Robbers
By ‘The Independent’
Headline: Cops and Robbers, Channel 4 – TV review: Depressing insight into the lives of
serial offenders.
Subheadline: None.
Tries to say that the creator of the show hasn’t put much effort in:
‘Apparently, the makers of this depressing two-part documentary could only find four criminals
in total brazen enough to talk about their activities’
The last paragraph makes the show seem pointless:
‘The title Cops and Robbers implies an energetic game that both parties are invested in, but this
take on the criminal justice system was listless. Both the cops and the robbers seemed to
have long since stopped caring, and were only wearily going through the motions, for lack of
anything else to do.’
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is explloitative as it shows that both sides
have given up.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/cops-and-robbers-channel-4-
-tv-review-a-depressing-insight-into-the-lives-of-serial-offenders-9719387.html

4. No.3: Worst Place To Be a Pilot
By The Independent.
Headline: ‘Worst Place to be a Pilot (channel 4), Tv review: This insight at the
world’s daredevil filers makes a smooth take-off.’
Sub headline: None.
Briefly explains that this show is for ‘sofa tourist’:
‘The most adventurous sofa-tourist could have spent last night in remote Indonisa, for
instance.’
They make jokes about the greetings of the ‘civillians’ living there:
‘Apparently, they were pleased to see him, which is just as well: local rumor has it that
this particular tribe took missionaries off the menu a few years earlier.’
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is enlightening as it shows
people are willing to work dangerous job to help others.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/worst-place-to-be-a-
pilot-channel-4-tv-review-this-insight-at-the-worlds-daredevil-fliers-makes-a-smooth-
takeoff-9679589.html

5. No.4: Royal Marines
Commando School
By The Guardian
Headline: ‘Royal Marines Commando School review- is spotlessness- is spotlessness really so important
in the theatre of war?’
Sub headline: ‘Young men are shouted at, deprived of sleep and made to clean and clean and keep on
cleaning, while the first series of Utopia opens in a nightmarishly labyrinthine style.’ (This review
contains reviews from two different shows, not both are documentaries.)
Starts off with
‘So that’s where the expression “to go commando” comes from. Royal Marines do, simple as that. Or
rather don’t, wear pants, in bed anyway. “Is that clear?” barks Corporal “Froggy” (because he’s French)
Chaffour.’
It calls the show ‘compelling’:
‘And its utterly compelling. So it may not be as profoundly moving as EY, because that was about
education and young people getting leg-ups from amazing people. This is more like the opposite of
education- turning people into machines, no thinking, no questions, about pants or anything else.’
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is elightning as it shows the effot people go through
in attempt to serve their country.
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/jul/15/royal-marines-commando-school-review-spotlessness-
theatre-war-new-series-utopia

6. No.5: First Time
Farmers
By The Guardian
Headline: ‘TV review: First Time Farmers’
Sub- Headline: ‘Tough times ahead for the next generation of young farmers? The writing’s
on the sheep.’
First paragraph ends out of context and inappropriate:
‘I was interested in the lamb in the opening titles of First Time Farmers (channel 4). It
appeared to have “COCK” written in big blue letters along along its flank. Has it been
grafittied, offensively, by rural yob with a spray can? Or is that the unfortunate name of the
farmer who owns it? It could be COOK, I suppose. In which case is that the (less unfortunate)
name of a farmer, or perhaps an instruction? Mmmm, with rosemary and garlic…’
It then describes one of the ‘First Time Farmers’ called Nick:
He does a nice comedy routine on the subject of livestock death. ”Quite a popular one for
lambs at this time of year is to jump in water troughs and drown,” he says, doing rounds of
the field on his quad bike. “Ewes like to sort of generally collapse in a heap and die, that’s
quite popular. Getting struck in brambles, that’s always a favourite for sheep suicide. Or lie
there and let a crow peck its eyes and backside out, that’s the other favourite.’
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/jan/11/tv-review-first-time-farmers

7. No.6: All Creatures Great
And Stuffed
By The Telegraph
Headline: All Creatures Great and Stuffed, review: ‘was it really about taxidermy?’
Sub-Headline: ‘Channel 4’s All Creatures, Great and Stuffed was a fascinating look
at the people who love stuffing pets’
We start of hearing of a women called Jane Brown:
‘Her latest ambitious projects was to turn a dead white lamb into a black unicorn foal.
It beat, she thought, pouring shots into the mouths of nightclub clients, while
dressed in brass brassière that on camera looked like a couple of plate-domes.
We then get told about ‘Jayne Brown’:
‘The film regularly shifted focus. Jayne Brown’s tale explored love and death, for the
pitiful Billy eventually had to be put down. “For 18 years he was my child,” she said,
weeping. “That’s why I’m not having anymore.”
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is exploitive because it tries to
put down other peoples choices which doesn’t involve them.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11088103/All-
Creatures-Great-and-Stuffed-review-was-it-really-about-taxidermy.html

8. No.7: The Gypsy
Matchmaker
By Herald Scotland
Headline: TV review: ‘Gypsy Matchmaker pretends child abuse has a romantic side.’
Sub- Headline: ‘We know that children have been abused in Rotherham but what if the abuser rides a dashing white
horse? That gives it an air of romance, doesn’t it?’
We Get told that the two families have ‘moved there from Eastern Europe, bringing the foul gypsy tradition of buying
and selling young girls and forcing them into ‘marriages’ when they are barely past puberty.’ We also get told that
‘Adrian is 14 and, therefore, needs a wife.’
We then find out that he has he’s eyes on a child called Esme, but Sanko asked ‘”Has she become fuller?”’
We then get a bit of good news:
‘Thankfully, Esme's family reject the offer, saying they want her to stay at school. She is saved, for now, from
a life of constant child-bearing and bullying. This segment was notable in the film for showing a Gypsy family
who offered hope and dignity to their daughter. The rest showed Gypsies gleefully stuck in this obscene
tradition and, even though we saw men hunt young girls for sex, there was no sense of horror. The
programme almost seemed to romanticise it, though I can't say whether this was for dramatic purposes or out
of political correctness. For example, Adrian was filmed riding a white horse in an open field whilst speaking of
his Gypsy heritage. The horse is a symbol of Gypsy freedom and culture but this smug boy should have been
pulled from his horse and reminded that what he plans to do with the child his father purchases is illegal - and
it's illegal for a reason.’
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is exploitive because every child has a right to an education and that
this show shows that they are getting taken out of education to marry, causing them to have no idea what is
happening.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/tv-radio/tv-review-gypsy-matchmaker-pretends-child-abuse-has-a-romantic-side.
1409781305

9. No.8: Don’t Stop The Music
By The Independent.
Headline: Don’t Stop the Music, Channel 4- TV review.
Sub-Headline: None
It first explains that Primary Schools have very little when it comes to music:
‘This two-parter, which concluded last night, follows Rhodes and the children at St Teresa's primary school in
Basildon, Essex, as they fight to save music education. The school's budget for music teaching is exactly
zilch, and that's hardly unusual. According to Rhodes, nearly a third of British primaries give children no
opportunity to play instruments, while a newly mandated focus on "dead German men" in the music
curriculum is causing staffroom grumbles. Here comes Rhodes to the rescue.’
We then get told that it is inspirational by showing how hard one child is working:
The pitiful sight of a nine-year-old trying to learn percussion on a yoghurt pot, for one. But, also, if you don't
appreciate the value of music in education, what's wrong with you? As is often the case in school-set
documentaries, it was the children who spoke the most sense: "You've got to let kids have instruments
because everyone likes music," said one little girl. "If anyone don't like music, that's just a shocker.”
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is enlightening because it shows that someone is
willing to give up their time in order to educate children music because they want them to have the
choice to learn instruments.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/dont-stop-the-music-channel-4--tv-review-
9736701.html

10. No.9: Pakistan’s Hidden
Shame
By Dawn
Headline: ‘Pakistan’s Hidden Shame: Documentary reveals horrors of pedophilia in K-P
Sub-Headline: None
First line:
Director Mohammed Naqvi, and British producer James Doran’s film Pakistan's Hidden
Shame depicts the shocking reality of sexual abuse faced by small boys in the Northern
areas of Pakistan.’
It uses statistics:
‘The documentary alleges that 9 out of 10 children in Peshawar have been victims of
pedophilia.’
‘Shockingly, one of the drivers admits, without any remorse, to having raped 11 or 12 year
olds.’
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is exploitive because it ties to show
the whole country doing this when only a small part is shown to have done it, so we
don’t know if it is happening everywhere in the country or just in that part.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1129614

11. No.10: Posh Pawn
By The Telegraph.
Headline: Posh Pawn, Channel 4, review
Sub-heading: Gerard O’Donovan reviews Posh Pawn and finds that the Channel 4
documentary glosses over the harsher realities of the pawnbroking industry.
Explains that even the rich are finding it hard to get money:
‘Even the rich need a hock shop occasionally. Posh Pawn (Channel 4) was an entertaining slice
of life and a neat encapsulation of why pawnbroking was one of the big winners of the
financial crash (the sector grew from £300 million in 2007 to more than £850 million last
year). With banks keeping a stranglehold on lending, people have to look elsewhere for
short term funding to bridge business or personal cash crises.’
It then shows the reality of Pawnbroking:
It all seemed so easy: bring your fabulous ruby necklace, your Hermès handbag, your
Cartier watch and all your problems will be solved by a nice man who will lend you
pots of money. But no one who had forfeited a precious possession on being unable
to pay back a loan was interviewed. Fair enough, you might say, quick cash costs
money and most of these people looked like they could bear it. But what of those
who can’t?
Overall, this review makes me think that this show is exploitive because it doesn’t show the
harsh reality of the Pawnbroking business.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10313131/Posh-Pawn-
Channel-4-review.html