Great TV: "Faking It"

I don't normally write about popular culture, but I have so enjoyed the show "Faking It" on BBC America that I feel compelled to make a note. This is a reality show of sorts, but I have been amazed with the quality of the production as much as I have been with how heartwarming it is.

The premise is to take a person from one walk of life and drop him/her into another, and give four weeks to get "up to speed" on that new life. At the end of the four weeks, s/he goes up against several others who are genuine participants in the other walk of life, and they see if trained judges can pick out the fake. The judges don't know a fake is involved until after the competition.

"Ballet Dancer" becomes "Professional Wrestler"
"Web Surfer" becomes "Ocean Surfer"
"House Painter" becomes "Art-type painter"
"Burger fry cook" becomes "Head Chef"

and the like. The premise is just great, and the people doing the "training" don't know in advance about the background of the contestant. When one of the leading hairstylists in Britain learns that the guy was a sheep shearer, his experession was priceless.

The show takes us through the four weeks of training - the agony, the screwing up, the hating-of-life, and the like. We're sure that the contestant will fall fall on his or her face.

But he or she usually doesn't, and it is positively heartwarming. The effort involved in tranforming oneself is so palpable, and the bonding between the mentor(s) and the protegé so clear, that you can't help but root for the contestant. When they end up fooling all the judges, it's just amazing.

This is great TV, on BBC America Sunday nights.

Posted by Steve at January 11, 2004 08:27 PM | TrackBack