TV documentary `faked' scenes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.MILLIONS of television viewers were deceived by a Channel 4 fly- on-the-wall documentary in which apparently shocking scenes were staged, it was claimed last night.
Cutting Edge's "Rogue Males" documentary purported to be a gritty portrayal of the black economy, showing men who were prepared to flout the law as they wheeled and dealed to earn a living. A ruthless and cut-throat world was depicted in which men fought and wrestled in front of the camera, stole goods from a yard, and attempted to charge people for cowboy building work.
But today's Mirror newspaper reports that some of the men who appeared to be strangers actually knew each other, and three of the characters had appeared in a previous documentary. One man works as a stand-up comic. Friends of those shown in the documentary were quoted as saying they had a "good laugh" at the programme. One man who had appeared in a previous docu-mentary by the same producer was said to have "roped in a few mates" for the programme.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: "When a documentary crew follows people around there are certain things which cannot be filmed, like illegal activities. Scenes depicted in `Rogue Males' would and could have occurred.
"There was an element of reconstructed truth of sorts but there is not a documentary around which does not have an element of that in it. There was never any question in `Rogue Males' that people involved didn't know each other."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments