Docurality

[harv]

Nice made up word lol

Not sure what else you can call them tbh. They're not documentaries, they're not reality programmes but a mixture of the two. Basically a series following people as they're working.

I've been watching and enjoying:

Time Team for years.
Gold Rush, following people mining for gold.
Bering Sea Gold, following people dredging for gold in Alaska
A sister programme of Bering Sea Gold but this time showing the nutjobs dredging for gold under the fucking ice lol Can't remember what it's called though!
Treasure Quest, following people looking for treasure in shipwrecks

Anyone else like these sorts of programmes..? Any recommendations..?

[jman]

You mean you haven't watched Benefits Street ?    I find it funny.. these people complain how much they hate they life, and how little money they have and how much they love their children.  Then spend all their money on alcohol and fags and having arguments and swearing at their children 

The Undateables which is also on ch4 is also fascinating stuff although got nothing to do with people working.

[harv]

Never seen those but those are more reality than docurality.

[Dragontao]

You mean you haven't watched Benefits Street ?    I find it funny.. these people complain how much they hate they life, and how little money they have and how much they love their children.  Then spend all their money on alcohol and fags and having arguments and swearing at their children 

I agree with you to an extent JMAN, except they edit these shows to protray them how they want, to make things look as bad as they possibly can and find the worst street possible. They filmed a working family on that street as well, but decided not to use them in the documentary.

Yes a lot of those in the show are pretty scummy by all accounts (I have not watched it because it would have wound me up) but the people like that on benefits are in the minority. They are the ones the Government never seem to do anything about and this is all sucking up to the Conservatives attempts to stereotype any claimants so they can eventually emulate the America system of "fuck you if you've fallen on hard times, tough shit".

I'm pretty certain a responsible documentary maker could find a street in a town hard hit by the economic crisis, in which whole families have been made redundant from large companies, people  who are out of work throguh no fault of their own, but are being shat upon by the government and the job centre in equal measure, people who want to work and are in danger of losing their homes because of job losses. But they'll never make that documentary because it doesn't tell the story they want.

[jman]

Well I know that.. it is part documentary (regardless of what harv says) as it is documenting these people's lives.. although I'm aware that its only a select few, hence why it is also part reality show.

But its still a shocking view on how some people live...  For me, the most basic thing these people lack is any sort of education.. they wont get jobs because they are all as thick as shit.  I don't care they are on benefits.. its how they lead their lives which is disturbing.. and the fact these people are allowed to care for kids is even more disturbing.  People with no ambition breed people with no ambition because of the environment they are brought up in (obviously there will be exceptions to the rule).. not allowing these people to care for children would be a step in the right direction imo.