Rated/Slated – March 09

Red Riding, a trilogy of films set against a backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper murders, was Channel 4’s most appreciated programme last month while Dispatches: The Trouble with Boris received the highest number of complaints.

Channel 4’s viewer enquiries team handled a total of 13,118 contacts (phone calls and emails) from viewers in March. Each query was logged and the appropriate people at Channel 4 notified. Of these contacts, 1,079 criticised the channel and its shows, while 268 complimented the programmes broadcast.

Top 10 programmes most appreciated by people who contacted Viewer Enquiries in March 2009 (quote is an example of viewer comment):

1. Red Riding (20 contacts)
   “Absolutely fantastic. I was stunned watching it. It was beautifully filmed and the actors fabulous. This is a credit to Channel 4. I never gush but this blew me away. Well done!”
2. The Secret Millionaire (20)
   “Just wanted to say this is such a fantastic programme, my favourite! And even though I consider myself a tough man, I always end up weeping (just a little). Good to know such kindness and generosity exists in this country when times are hard for so many. More of the same please… 5 stars!”
3. Christianity: A History (17)
   “This series has been wonderful, thank you so much. Each episode was really interesting, informative and enriched by the personal enthusiasm of each presenter. I have watched every one, and watched each again on Catch-Up.”
4. The Sex Education Show v Pornography (15)
   “I feel that all teenagers should get frank sex education from early teens and that they understand their own body and see the difference between fake and real bodies. Thank you for such an eye opener.”
5. Dispatches: How They Squander our Billions (11)
   “What a fantastic programme from Dispatches!  I honestly mean ‘fantastic’.  Jane Moore was just as disgusted as you and I when she uncovered the obscene amounts of our money being spent in this way!”
6. Dispatches: Pakistan’s Taliban Generation (10)
   “May I thank the production team of Channel 4s’ Dispatches for yet again producing a very insightful and thought provoking programme. I believe using Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an award winning and well respected reporter, added credulity to this well balanced programme.”
7. Grand Designs (6)
   “I think this must be the best Grand Designs ever and thanks again for a fabulous series, it just keeps getting better.”
8. Boys and Girls Alone (6)
   “I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I enjoyed this programme. Although some might say it’s a bit controversial, I thought it was very good and gave me insight into how much we do for our children and their progress into adulthood.”
9. 10 Years Younger: The Challenge (4)
   “Why, I must say what a vastly improved programme this is mostly due to the darling Myleene Class!  What a fantastic decision it was to recast a new and far more decent and endearing presenter.”
10. Dispatches: Confessions of a Nurse (4)
    “I want to congratulate you on the Dispatches show this evening. You should follow this up in perhaps 6 months’ time.”
11. Skins (4)
    “I wanted to write to you to say how much I am enjoying the new season of Skins. I was an avid watcher from the first series and can only emphasise the brilliance of the writing. Admittedly the new characters took some adapting to, but once I looked passed the fact the old characters were gone, I began to love watching the new storylines and development of the characters.”

Top 10 programmes most criticised by people who contacted Viewer Enquiries in March  2009 (quote is an example of viewer comment):

1. Dispatches: The Trouble with Boris (131 contacts)
   “Never before have I watched such a one sided ‘documentary’. I always believed that Channel 4 was an independent television channel and it was only the BBC that was willing to transmit such politically motivated drivel. Where was the other side of the story? Did your researcher simply go out and find people who didn’t like Boris and broadcast it?”
2. KNTV Sex (75)
   “It is too explicit. I couldn’t believe it was on before 10 O’clock in morning…”
3. Heston’s Feasts (74)
   “First of all I want to congratulate you on a fantastic series which I have on the whole enjoyed. However, in Heston’s Roman feast, Heston gutted a fish while it was still alive, which he did to emulate what the Romans did. However, in today’s modern and more civil world, I would like to think that this could have been prevented, as I do not believe that killing the fish and then draining its blood would have compromised the taste of the dish.”
4. Red Riding (42)
   “I want to complain about the swearing and sexual content and violence. I know it’s after the watershed but I still have teenagers up at this time. We saw Sean Bean on This Morning and we like him so we thought we’d like it but it’s no Life on Mars.”
5. The Sex Education Show v Pornography (42)
   “I am truly astounded at Channel 4’s total lack of responsibility to our younger generation, evident in the distasteful way it has chosen to portray our youth’s curiosity of pornography. Channel 4 has so obviously lost all sensitivity and sense of decency.”
6. Christianity: A History (32)
   “This programme was not very history like at all, it was just a series with eight different presenters who had a personal axe to grind. There was a lot of information left out and a lot of wrong comments put in. You should have called it what it was, which was just people discussing Christianity but not showing its history!”
7. 10 Years Younger: The Challenge (21)
   “Having being a viewer of 10YY over the last 3 years, I am disappointed! Although I’m a male in my late 30’s, I guess I’m not your core demographic. Nicky Hamilton-Jones was professional and led the show. The new presenter has no personality on the show, I’m aware she is a very talented person in other areas; however, NHJ was not afraid to voice her opinion. Is it true that NHJ was replaced due to her age? This was a fun show and a great way to unwind after a day at work. Unfortunately, I will not be watching in the future.”
8. Sliding Doors (14)
   “I can’t believe you spoiled the end of the film… couldn’t see the film and people talking over it…Film4, I don’t love you any more.”
9. Dispatches: How They Squander our Billions (12)
   “Just watched this programme and thought it was really unbalanced and infuriating. The wholesale criticism of any government spending completely obscured those areas where Jane Moore was right to point out wastefulness. So what if money is spent on pot plants? Civil servants are also human beings and deserve to work in half decent environments. A bit more focus on the real issues rather than trying to stimulate cheap outrage would have been good.”
10. Grand Designs (12)
    “I am an avid watcher of both programmes but have become very disappointed by the revisited episodes which contain 50 minutes of rehashed coverage of an original programme and 10 minutes catch up of progress made since that programme was put together.”

How do you feel about this month’s Rated/Slated? Please leave your comments below, vote on other comments, or submit your own Video Vox Pops to let us know what you thought of Channel 4 last month.

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