Fact Ent, Features And Daytime

25 October 2012

My 15 Stone Baby (w/t) (December 2012, Channel 4))

A new film exploring the fascinating fantasy world of Britain's ‘adult babies' will expose and shed light on this secretive practice. Made by Minnow Films, this one off documentary will reveal why some fully grown adults choose to embrace an alter ego that allows them to dress in a onesie, have their nappies changed and generally be cared for like a new born baby. 

With access to adult babies who run or frequent ‘nurseries' both in the UK and USA, the film explores the motivations behind their fetish, as well meeting the ‘mummies and daddies' who tend to their needs.

Acutely aware that many will label them as perverse, sexual fetishists, or presume there is something sinister going on, they are keen to distinguish their behaviour as innocent role playing. Some simply yearn to be absolved of any of the responsibilities of modern life, and  swapping taxes for toys and commuting for cuddles simply helps them relax. For many, this regression to babyhood, with all of the trappings of nappy changing and bottle feeding, is not about sexual kicks but about relinquishing control and escaping the pressures of being a grown-up.

 

Britain's Secret Shoppers (November 2012, Channel 4)

Business expert Justin Preston is out to turn shy shoppers into savvy shoppers and together they'll be showing viewers how to achieve the very best deals for a host of products from cars to kitchens and holidays to designer wear.

Justin will also go behind the counter to help businesses deliver great deals for their customers. He will use secret focus groups to prove sometimes customers really do know best.   He'll also show Britain's small businesses how to give the best deals to superserve their loyal customers and make a tidy sum themselves. 

Justin and his shoppers will be hitting stores, hotels, car dealerships and restaurants and putting his tips to the test.  His mission is to get people on small budgets big discounts.  He's determined to shake up the shopping habits of the over polite British shopper, get them to take control in the high street and beyond and discover their inner dealmaker. 

 

Food Fight Club (December 2012, Channel 4)

Friends since childhood, Essex boys Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty are working together on TV for the first time on an exciting new Channel 4 food series that aims to entertain as well as amaze - Jamie and Jimmy's Food Fight Club.

The four-part series sees the friends take over a seaside café that hasn't changed much since they spent time there in the 80s - except that it's now doubling as a television studio.

They'll be bringing together friends, locals and celebrity mates for a food fight where anything goes.  Celebrities visiting the café - including Gwyneth Paltrow, Gary Barlow, Jonathan Ross and Alan Carr - will be encouraged to join in the mischief.

And in each episode Jamie and Jimmy take their food fight out on the road, travelling abroad to take on big food challenges and see how the best of British food and drink measures up against the best of what our European neighbours have to offer.

Mischievous, irreverent and with all the amazing food knowledge and banter you would expect from two passionate Essex lads, this series will show that good food is worth fighting for.

 

Heston's Fantastical Food (Tuesday 6 November, 9pm, Channel 4)

This brand new series will bring back the wonder of childhood food memories and much loved food traditions on a monumental scale - set to awaken the kid in every viewer. Heston will combine his exacting scientific expertise and culinary genius to re-create some fantastical treats in order to help remind everyone how magical food can be.

Along the way, Heston will break a few food records. He will bring back the magic of the ice cream van with the world's largest 99 Flake and celebrate the iconic tea break with gigantic biscuits and the world's biggest pyramid tea bag, served in a suitably enormous teapot.

He will hail the great British fry up with the biggest boiled egg and the world's largest packet of Shreddies. And why not build a whole pub inside a pie, complete with edible billiards and the world's largest pork scratching. In addition, the series will also celebrate the packed lunch with giant Kit Kats and a record breaking packet of Hula Hoops.

Finally Heston will rejoice in all that is magical about our Christmas treats with Britain's biggest Christmas pudding, edible tree decorations, and a snow globe and snowball cocktail.

 

Kirstie's Vintage Home (Thursday 8 November, 8pm, Channel 4)

In Channel 4's brand new series, Kirstie's Vintage Home, Kirstie Allsopp looks to the past for inspiration and embraces vintage style to help homeowners desperately in need of her help.  She's going to transform unloved and cluttered houses into beautiful homely homes that are a joy to be in.  By showing the families how to ditch their "throw out and spend" ways, Kirstie will inspire them to "make do and mend", introducing them, and viewers, to a whole host of new crafts, skills and techniques for interior decoration in the process.

Over the course of the series, Kirstie will be helping five families spruce up their homes and be giving one couple a helping hand with their vintage wedding.  Each week the families will be travelling to Kirstie's vintage workshop on London's Portobello Road to learn crafting techniques from Kirstie and her team of skilled experts. 

Creating everything from 1920's art deco style gold leaf gilded photo frames to up-cycling 1960's sideboards, from 1930s inspired handmade plates to distressing chairs for a 1950s theme; the series is full of easy ways for anyone and everyone to transform their home.

In the series, Kirstie continues her love affair with everything handmade.  She's a passionate advocate for buying vintage items which have stood the test of time and add charm and individuality to the home. So, as well as showing each couple how to make and improve their home furnishings, Kirstie also offers advice on how to buy vintage at auction houses, markets, second-hand shops and trusty salvage yards.

 

Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast (November 2012 More4)

Yotam Ottolenghi has revolutionised Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern food in the UK - and made the flavours of the region more accessible and desirable than ever before. Brought up in Jerusalem at the crossroads of conflicting food cultures, he embraces different culinary traditions with a passion and creative restlessness unmatched by any other chef around.

In Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast, Yotam goes on a culinary journey through the sun-soaked Lavant, from the spice markets of Morocco and Tunisia to the exotic eateries of Istanbul - a part of the world that has captured his imagination since childhood.

Across four episodes Yotam meets cutting edge chefs and local food heroes; experiences the remarkable repertoire of food on the street; and picks new and exciting flavours to blend with traditional and timeless classics. Within each programme, from stunning locations at the heart of each culinary hotspot, he prepares sumptuous food for the senses, arming viewers with the skills to bring a touch of the Mediterranean and Middle East effortlessly into their own kitchens.

But this is not just a succession of stunning recipes; every one of Yotam's concoctions tells a story. Beyond an exciting culinary odyssey, this series is also a personal journey of discovery - a cultural, anthropological road trip. But at its simplest, Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast is a tantalising, original food show from a part of the world that defines the new aspirations of Britain's home cooks today.  

 

Spice Trip (Sunday 11 November, 9pm, More4)

Award-winning chef Stevie Parle and professional spice blender and chef Emma Grazette are embarking on a vibrant, colourful and spice-filled journey around the world, in a brand new series, Spice Trip.  

In the UK we love cooking but most of us don't know how to harness the true power of spices at home.  Adding spice is the easiest and quickest way to transform a simple dish from mundane to sensational.

Throughout the series, Stevie and Emma go to some of the most exotic countries on earth to meet the world's greatest experts, the people who grow spices and use them every day.  They join in the spice harvests, discover how they are used in food and create recipes inspired by and using the spices that we can all cook at home like mulled wine beef stew with cloves and chocolate cake with chilli.   As well as cooking up amazing food along the way, Emma will concoct therapies, beauty treatments and teas using the potent spices. 

Across the series Spice Trip takes viewers into the world of a different spice visiting Mexico for chilli, Cambodia for black pepper, Grenada for nutmeg, Turkey for cumin, Zanzibar for cloves and India for cinnamon.   Full of stunning scenery and delicious recipes, food tourists Stevie and Emma will show us all how easy it is to spice up our food.

 

Stephen Fry:  Gadget Man (November 2012, Channel 4)

Gadget fanatic Stephen Fry, will be offering his unique and engaging insight into this wonderful world of technology, and show viewers how ordinary everyday activities can be made more exciting by using the very best time saving tools. 

Each episodes will be based around a theme and follow Stephen as he spends a typical day surrounded by gadgetry, ranging from ordinary consumer products on the British market to extraordinary prototypes from the world's leading companies. He will be joined by celebrity guests, who will be suggesting their own personal favourite gadget and the series will also undertake  a big-scale consumer check to road-test rival products.

Stephen will have unprecedented access to some of the most impressive gadgets, and will be showcasing and testing them to highlight how far technology has advanced and show that, contrary to common belief, they are not just the preserve of billionaires.

 

The Intern (w/t) (January 2013, Channel 4)

In brand new series The Intern (w/t), businesswoman Hilary Devey will offer talented, ambitious and deserving candidates the opportunity to break into highly competitive industries by giving them the chance to win an internship with some of the most exciting employers in the UK.

To prove their mettle, the candidates will be thrown in at the deep end in aspirational businesses including fashion retail, hospitality and advertising, and over the course of a week, they will experience a super-charged version of life in their chosen field through a number of challenges and real-life scenarios devised to test their suitability for their chosen profession.

Made by Boundless, this series is their big opportunity to prove they have the skills and personality required to make a break and secure the prized internship.

 

The Undateables II (January 2013, Channel 4)

On the back of the huge success of the first series, The Undateables are back in 2013 to follow the stories of a variety of people who feel that they struggle to find love because of their disability or long-term condition.

In series one, viewers followed the uplifting and moving stories of several extraordinary singletons as they entered the dating circuit in pursuit of love - from a stand-up comedian with Tourette's to a media student with Down's Syndrome and a trapeze artist with brittle bones disease.

How did they fare in their quest to find love in an image-obsessed world where people are too quick to make snap judgements or assumptions based on first impressions - and even consider such people to be "undateable"?

In this second series, we follow an inspiring range of people who are all hoping to find "the one", including 26 year old charity volunteer Michael, whose autism means even holding a conversation with a girl is a huge challenge, 34 year old outdoors and science enthusiast Heather whose OCD means she has an extreme fear of physical contact and has been single for several years, and 22 year old supermarket worker Sarah who suffered a stroke four years ago which left her unable to speak, read or write. We will also revisit some contributors from series one to see if they have found lasting love.