Eden (2016 TV series)

Coordinates: 56°44′55″N 5°53′19″W / 56.748556°N 5.888552°W / 56.748556; -5.888552

Eden
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
Production
Location(s) Cul na Croise Bay, Ardnamurchan, Scotland
Production company(s) KEO Films
Release
Original network Channel 4
Original release 18 July 2016 – present
Chronology
Related shows Castaway 2000
External links
Official website

Eden is a British reality TV series, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 18 July 2016. It features 23 participants living for a year in a remote part of Scotland, attempting to build a self-sufficient community. Filmed by the participants themselves, production began in March 2016.

Synopsis

The aim of the show is to act as a social experiment, to ascertain if the participants can build a self-sufficient community away from the technology and hectic pace of modern life.[1] Producers hope that the participants will not merely survive, but thrive, and that the footage will tell both their human stories as well as relate the practicalities involved.[2]

The participants were given no other goal or task than the broad aim of building a community, being allowed to decide for themselves how to feed, shelter and organise themselves.[1][2] Participants were solicited with an online advert that asked, "Are you tired of modern life? Would you like to start all over again?"[3] Any participant is allowed to leave the show at any time.[4] Although they cannot simply walk out of the site, there is protocol is in place should someone wish to leave.[2]

Production

Channel 4 first proposed the project to the owner of the estate in December 2015.[5] The series is being produced by KEO films.[4] Series producer is Liz Foley.[2] The show's Executive Producers are Andrew Palmer and Coleen Flynn.[6]

Genesis

A reality TV based social experiment based around community building had previously been pioneered the BBC, who broadcast Castaway 2000 (from 1 January 2000 to 1 January 2001), following the efforts of thirty-six men, women, and children on a remote Scottish island.[2] According to the Radio Times however, Castaway's "integrity as a pioneering format" was compromised by "regular interference and assistance from the outside world" and the production team's alleged focus on conflict. Since Castaway, the idea for a truly unmediated show had been discussed by broadcasters, but it was not until three things came into alignment before the idea was taken from the idea stage to execution - the use of fixed rig filiming technology as pioneered by One Born Every Minute, the change in appetite for a return to social experiment style reality TV (citing the evolution of Big Brother into a "hysterical grotfest"), and the "growth of disenfranchisement and interest in self-sufficient living" following the late 2000s recession.[2] It has been argued that the timing of the show coming so soon after the "start again" mood after Brexit referendum was either genius planning or extremely lucky timing.[2]

Previewing the show, the Radio Times identified several failings of the Castaway production that Eden should avoid - getting the right number of interesting participants, ensuring every moment is filmed, maintaining the isolation of the participants - preventing visitors and journalists gaining access and stopping participants smuggling in radios or mobile phones, prevent participants leaving (including temporarily, for funerals etc.), don't make the experience too "grim" for participants or viewers, set up accommodation in advance, and prevent the non-cooperation of participants (i.e. those who choose to stay but try not to be filmed). It was believed by the previewer that the enhanced filming set up would ensure no moment was missed and tight security would prevent incursion. They were unsure whether the reduced number of participants would be small enough to solve the casting issues.[7]

Filming

Filming began in March 2016, and will last for one year.[1] Footage for the show is obtained in three ways - from a network of fixed rig cameras, from four embedded camera operators, and GoPro personal cameras.[2] Four of the participants, Ben, Jane, Matt and Oli are the designated embedded camera operators, who are expected to film proceedings in addition to being fully functioning members of the community.[1][4] All other participants were issued with their own personal Go Pro cameras, to supplement filming.[5] The fixed camera set up comprises a large network of remotely operated CCTV cameras, the rig for which had to be transported onto the site by helicopter.[5] There are a total of 45 cameras.[8]

Mixed in with the experiment filming shown during episodes is a small amount of footage of participants filmed individually in pieces to camera before it began, where they give some information about their motivations and beliefs.

Isolation

The participants are isolated from the outside world, and were not going to be told of any news or current events that take place during the experiment.[5] Despite this, in Episode Two, a pair of fisherman are seen visiting the beach, later returning to leave a package of food and drink.

According to the Radio Times, after the experiment had begun but before its first broadcast, journalists had been allowed access to the participants camp in a "tightly controlled set visit", observing evidence of their early achievements.[2]

Supplies

The participants were allowed to specify in advance what supplies, tools and equipment they thought they would need, which was left in place for them on site.[2] Each was also permitted to carry into the site some personal belongings, in a large rucksack.[2]

These initial supplies included livestock (chickens, sheep and goats) and seeds and vegetables, and basic building materials such as tarpaulin and pipes. The participants were supplied with a basic set of food rations, with the expectation that within a short period they would become self-sufficient in terms of food supply, living off of the produce of a vegetable garden and the milk, eggs and meat from the livestock. At the start of filming, most of the livestock was either pregnant or too young to be slaughtered.

Observations

According to show producers, three months into the experiment the participants were getting along well, the atmosphere being described as "not totally harmonious, but it’s not explosive in a negative sense", and they were achieving impressive results as they worked together to overcome challenges.[2]

Filming location

The experiment is being conducted on the remote peninsula of Ardnamurchan in Inverness-shire, on the west coast of Scotland.[5] The peninsula itself is 50 square miles, while the Eden site covers just 600 acres. The nearest village is five miles away from the site, being Acharacle to the south east on the shore of Loch Shiel, a popular destination for hikers and naturalists.[3][5]

The Eden site is located on the private uninhabited Ardnamurchan Estate,[3] formerly used by the Ministry of Defence as a training area during World War II.[5] It is bordered on one side by Cu na Croise Bay, looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean. The other three sides have been enclosed with a six foot high fence.[5] The nature of the site ranges from dunes to woodland to marsh.[2]

The Eden site is roughly triangular, with a coastline on the NW and NE side, and the rest of the peninsula to the south. Covered mostly in forest, there is a beach on the NW coast, and between the beach and the forest lies a strip of dunes. The site only included two pre-existing structures, located together between the dunes and the forest - a tool shed made of corrugated iron, and an unenclosed hay barn. This became the location group's first camp site, being known as the Summer site. Another site, becoming known as the Winter Camp, was then established on the north east side, inside the forest but near the coast.[9]

The estate is owned by Donald Houston, who claims it has been uninhabited since the Bronze Age, and describes it as a challenging environment, with the prevailing wet and windy conditions and "not very fertile" ground posing a challenge to building shelter and growing crops, although the site does have some more sheltered areas.[5] Initially depicted as wet and windy, by episode two the site had also been covered in snow, but by episode three, which began six weeks into the experiment, it was at times sunny enough for the group to wear beach clothing.

To ensure no members of the public enter the site during filming, the production company was granted a temporary suspension of the public right of access by Highland Council and Scottish Ministers.[10] The application was controversial, with objectors expressing fears for the environment, and supporters viewing it as a potential boost for the local economy.[4]

Participants

During casting, it was reported there would be 24 participants[3] but a total of 23 participants began the experiment,[1][4] comprising 13 men and 10 women.[2] Several have partners who they will be away from for the duration of the experiment.[11] Once filming had begun, the identities of participants were initially withheld by Channel 4 until they had decided when the series would be broadcast.[4]

Participants were selected to provide a broad cross section of skills deemed to be needed in the community.[2]

On the day of the first broadcast, the Radio Times identified six participants as "ones to watch" - Jack, Katie, Lloyd, Jane, Jasmine and Raphael.[11]

By the end of the fourth episode, the group had been reduced to 22 after Tara chose to leave.

Name[1] Occupation/skill[1] Age[1] Status
Andrew shopfitter 34
Anton rowing coach / adventurer 41
Ali junior doctor 24
Ben crew 37
Caroline dog groomer and sheperdess 27
Glenn IT consultant and game keeper 35
Jenna junior doctor / hairdresser 27
Jack former army officer 31
Jane crew 42
Jasmine personal trainer and yoga instructor 24
Josie shop assistant 26
Katie marine conservationist and artist (forager) 30
Lloyd locksmith and fisherman 37
Matt crew 32
Oli crew 37
Rachel food development officer (horticulturalist) 29
Raphael carpenter 55
Robert J Engineer 26
Robert P vet 28
Stephen chef 26
Sam paramedic 25
Tara life coach 33 Left on 24 May
Titch plumber
Tom outdoor instructor 25

Broadcast

The show was first broadcast weekly on Channel 4, in the 9pm-10pm Monday slot (episode one being an extended 80 minutes). Due to strong language and the presence of animal slaughter, Channel 4 rates the program as only suitable for viewers over the age of 16.[6]

The show will be broadcast in a number of series. The first follows the group as they establish their basic living conditions, while future series will update progress after some months.[1]

Channel 4 released extra footage on their website - The Making of Eden,[12] and Counting Down to Eden (featuring some of the participants in the hours before entering the site).[13]

Episodes

Series 1

No. Title First broadcast
1 Arrival 18 July 2016
The participants enter Eden; the date 23 March 2016 is given on screen. They enter individually in intervals, congregating on the two buildings and introducing themselves. After choosing to make camp on the site of the existing structures, the first building activity begins with the construction of a drop toilet, a warm shower, a basic kitchen (in the lee of a rock face, covered by tarpaulin) and a communal sleeping area (using the hay in the store to build walls around it). After just a few days, one of the pigs that is not pregnant is slaughtered for food. A large teepee is constructed on the sands for group meetings, using logs and covered with tree branches, complete with a fire. The polytunnels for the garden are also erected. Disliking the group sleeping arrangements, Anton begins sleeping in the toolshed. Having expressed doubts that the exposed nature of the camp site is not going to be suitable given the winds expected during the winter months, Anton begins work on an 8-person hut on a site to the north east, inside the forest but near the coast. The rest of the participants choose to stay on their existing site, extending the hay loft sleeping accommodations and digging into the rock by the kitchen to create basic ovens. Friction develops between Anton and some other participants after he continues to work on the other site, and a group vote of 12 to 10 denies him use of a barrel and some tarpaulin (despite some of the latter having been used to build a sauna). Having been left to roam free, one of the goats dies after eating from an open sack of chicken feed in the tool shed. The group is still largely surviving on their initial rations, and they begin to tire of their mainly potato based diet despite Stephen's best efforts at varying the menus; the few personal items such as tobacco and chocolate that each person brought with them begin to gain in trading value between participants. Fueled by moonshine, romances begin to develop in the group, between Robert P and Katie, and Stephen and Jasmine.
2 Eden 25 July 2016
One month into the experiment, and Anton has moved to his winter site due to the vote to deny him materials. As rations run low, the participants become tired of their potato dominated diet; nonetheless with Jack placed in charge of rations he lays down a potato based menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and sets aside staples for the entire year. With participants physical condition deteriorating, a makeshift gym is constructed. With the soil not yet prepared, the garden is behind schedule. To make more progress the group organises itself into work gangs. Although "there should be plenty of fish and crab around" in Spring according to the narrator, there has been no catch yet, so the group agree to fisherman Lloyd building a fisherman's hut so he can redouble his efforts. It is deemed by some that Tara is not pulling her weight, and she is given the boring task of sorting potatoes - feeling isolated and underutilised, she seeks out Anton in his camp. Two fishermen land in a boat on the beach, and inform the group that there won't be any fish in the seas for a month, after which mackerel will begin to arrive. Having begun taking materials without asking, some participants discontent with Anton comes to a head and Stephen agrees to communicate the group's concerns in person, but it only results in an argument between Anton and the group back at the main camp. After a snowfall, the group begins to worry about Anton after they cannot find him - he returns to the main camp hours later after going for a walk, and by the time the snow is gone the next day, he has decided to move back into the main sleeping quarters. Sugar cravings, particularly among the women, leads to the suspicion of pilfering from the rations - morale is boosted after the fishermen who visited before, return with a small package containing sweets, chocolate bars, beer, tinned beans, apples and bananas. Tara is given permission to change her role on a trial basis, becoming the group's masseuse, setting up a parlour in the sauna. After a fishing trip the group manages to catch its first fish, a sea trout, and crabs in pots, as well as finding razor clams in the sands - to celebrate a seafood feast is prepared.
3 Rations and Cabins 1 August 2016
Six weeks into the experiment and the garden is still a month away from harvest, and the hens are not laying at full capacity while they still adjust to their new surroundings. Pilfering of rations continues, and disputes emerge over participants perceptions of each other's workrate. With a lack of direction over future plans, a small group use a salvaged pontoon to begin converting the tool shed into a winter dwelling. After a prototype 2 person wicker hut is built, the group resolves to eventually relocate to Anton's winter site, and after a motivational speech from Jack, a new system of setting aside one day a week, Fridays, as a community build day to work on it as one workforce, is introduced. After Katie is upset by Stephen a confrontation erupts between him and Robert P, leading to her considering leaving. Tensions ease, and the group enjoy a games event featuring volleyball.
4 Spring 8 August 2016
It's Spring, and although the sheep are lambing and a litter of piglets has been born, neither can be eaten for another month yet, and with the fish yield being lower than expected, hunger is beginning to take its toll. The carcass of one of the ewes that has drowned in bog is eaten, and it is also decided to slaughter one of the ewes whose lamb did not survive. Glenn and Caroline are becoming close, preparing a haggis feast for the group from the entrails. A 1980s themed birthday party is held for Stephen. Tensions persist over Tara's perceived lack of effort, although when Rachel reminds the group they intended to vote on whether or not to continue her trial period as a masseuse after two weeks, the group decides she can continue. Glen learns his affections for Caroline are not mutual, with Caroline instead being pursued by Titch, and his mood takes a turn, exacerbated by the fact it is still not yet the hunting season, leading him to question his participation. With complaints about other people's workrate persisting, Glen and some others ponder how those perceived to be the hardest workers could set adrift the lesser members, either by being intentionally difficult or offensive to force them to leave, or to split off into a sub-group, leading to alarm in the rest of the camp. With three months having passed, the group is still some way from self-sufficiency, the weather having delayed some progress but with some now failing to turn up for the community build days on the winter site, Glen doing so out of protest. After a tetchy encounter with Glen, and with conversations with friend Rahael failing to have any effect, Tara concludes she no longer wants to be part of the experiment, and leaves. The remaining participants erect a cross, inscribed Tara, 24 May.

Reception

With no other added features or elements, the show has been described by the Radio Times as an ambitious "new kind of television", being atypical of the reality genre.[2] To avoid piquing the interest of journalists who might otherwise try to independently visit the site, Channel 4 did not release any preview footage.[7]

Since airing its first episodes, there has been comment about attempts to contact the team while they're in the wilderness by the outside world. Indeed, in one of the episodes there was an interaction with people that gave them provisions. Since then Channel 4 have asked the public to respect the section 11 ruling that allows them to cut off the land for filming.[14]

Current status

Following the first run of four episodes in August 2016, no further footage has been broadcast and it is unclear when, and if, the show will return. This has led to speculation in the media about the status of the show and its participants.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Eden, Channel 4: contestants, location, and three other things to know". 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Eden turns reality TV on its head as 23 strangers try to survive in remote Scotland". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Reality TV show Eden heads for remote Scots West Coast beach". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/897980/filming-of-eden-begins-in-remote-lochaber-forest/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Where in the Scottish Highlands is Channel 4's Eden?". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  6. 1 2 "Eden - Episode Guide - All 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  7. 1 2 "Lessons Channel 4's Eden can learn from Ben Fogle and Castaway 2000". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  8. ↑ Episode 1
  9. ↑ Episode 1
  10. ↑ "Section 11 Order of the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003" (PDF). http://www.highland.gov.uk. Highland Council. 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2016-10-24. External link in |website= (help)
  11. 1 2 "Eden: six contestants to watch". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  12. ↑ "Eden - On Demand - All 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  13. ↑ "Eden - On Demand - All 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
  14. ↑ Foster, Patrick. "Channel 4 begs public to stay away from Eden wilderness".
  15. ↑ "Eden: When will the second season start?". The Press and Journal. 2016-10-26.

External links

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