Eden - Channel 4

Pat Mustard

Eden is a Channel 4 tv program in which 23 volunteers make camp in the remote Scottish highlands. They have equipment and livestock and they are there for a year. The idea is to set up their own community.

Link

The 23 will be cordoned off from the outside world until March 2017 (an embedded camera crew has minimal contact with the producers). Medical assistance will be furnished as required; otherwise the participants are essentially on their own. They’ve had to construct toilets and dwellings on the fly, cultivate crops, tend livestock and agree a system of governance. Will they conjure their own bespoke utopia on the 600-acre site? Or will things inevitably go a bit Lord of the Flies?

Seems pretty interesting.

Stovepipe

you know full well that the TV crew will focus on the arguments, fights and any display of unwillingness to be a team player.

Pat Mustard

Stovepipe wrote: »

you know full well that the TV crew will focus on the arguments, fights and any display of unwillingness to be a team player.

There was a certain amount of that, alright.

What I found interesting about it was that they set up their main sleeping quarters in a straw-bail walled structure with a tarpaulin for a roof, which was located at the edge of an exposed beach.

One guy was styled as a "rowing coach and adventurer". He was a bit of an individualist. He observed the very high winds one day and thought to himself that the location of the sleeping quarters was going to be inadequate for the winter.

He began work on constructing new living accommodation in a sheltered wooded area. Some of the group cooperated with him but many of the others disagreed with what he was doing. There was a suggestion that the location of the new building would interfere with hunting grounds for deer in the winter. Also, other people who contributed to the group efforts saw this as pretty much a solo effort by this guy, which didn't contribute to the overall good of the group. The suggestion was made as to whether the point would come when they might start to resent feeding him.

There seemed to be little or no discussion on whether the existing shelter by the beach would be adequate for winter, which was this man's original point.

The guy was made to look selfish on TV but the question as to whether he was correct or not didn't seem to get much of an airing.

my3cents

Pat Mustard wrote: »

There was a certain amount of that, alright.

What I found interesting about it was that they set up their main sleeping quarters in a straw-bail walled structure with a tarpaulin for a roof, which was located at the edge of an exposed beach.

One guy was styled as a "rowing coach and adventurer". He was a bit of an individualist. He observed the very high winds one day and thought to himself that the location of the sleeping quarters was going to be inadequate for the winter.

He began work on constructing new living accommodation in a sheltered wooded area. Some of the group cooperated with him but many of the others disagreed with what he was doing. There was a suggestion that the location of the new building would interfere with hunting grounds for deer in the winter. Also, other people who contributed to the group efforts saw this as pretty much a solo effort by this guy, which didn't contribute to the overall good of the group. The suggestion was made as to whether the point would come when they might start to resent feeding him.

There seemed to be little or no discussion on whether the existing shelter by the beach would be adequate for winter, which was this man's original point.

The guy was made to look selfish on TV but the question as to whether he was correct or not didn't seem to get much of an airing.

As some of you will have read before I live by the sea and I can tell you your man is right about how bad it can be when the weather is bad in the winter.

It might be a good winter with only one storm but thats all it needs to take the roof off blow the walls down and ruin a massive amount of stores.

The stock should also have a sheltered winter location where they can be penned up and fed in bad weather.

Not having a leader is ideal for TV as it leads to the type of arguments and fights that Stovepipe suggests.

Mam of 4

my3cents wrote: »

As some of you will have read before I live by the sea and I can tell you your man is right about how bad it can be when the weather is bad in the winter.

It might be a good winter with only one storm but thats all it needs to take the roof off blow the walls down and ruin a massive amount of stores.

The stock should also have a sheltered winter location where they can be penned up and fed in bad weather.

Not having a leader is ideal for TV as it leads to the type of arguments and fights that Stovepipe suggests.

Haven't seen it yet, have it recorded though.

It caught my interest as I remember watching something similar,I think , years ago. Think it was called Castaway?

Anyhow , am looking forward to watching it.

my3cents

tbh I'm not really watching this. I've watched a few snipets when channel hopping but while I'm really interested in the subject this one didn't hold my interest. I really don't give a toss about the angst of the vet watching a goat die, personally I'd be more interested watching them all get their asses kicked for not knowing the goats will eat anything and keep at it even if it will kill them.

For me the concept fails before it starts. Perhaps its OK if you imagine they are shipwrecked but the community group thing is stupid. A working community group like that is called a tribe and its members are brought up as part of the group with a hierarchy not just parachuted into it each with there very own single none transferable vote.

I'm just getting old and there is such a total lack of common sense in the group that I couldn't put up with it.

monkeynuz

Mam of 4 wrote: »

Haven't seen it yet, have it recorded though.

It caught my interest as I remember watching something similar,I think , years ago. Think it was called Castaway?

Anyhow , am looking forward to watching it.

Spot on, castaway 2000and castaway 2007.

Funnily enough both based on exactly the same island as this new series, the island is also open to tourists so not exactly that remote or quiet.

Pat Mustard

According to reports, Eden is set in a private estate on the Ardnamurchan peninsula:




Castaway was set in Taransay in the Outer Hebrides:

DavidKeane

I'm finding this interesting but also annoying.
One of the main issues is with Anton wanting to build a winter house, which seemed like a good idea IMHO but has caused a lot of grief. Surely it makes sense to build in the most sheltered area, as opposed to the beach, for the (presumably) harsh winter.
Can't believe they took so long to plant the veg etc and the fisherman is useless.

my3cents

DavidKeane wrote: »

I'm finding this interesting but also annoying.
One of the main issues is with Anton wanting to build a winter house, which seemed like a good idea IMHO but has caused a lot of grief. Surely it makes sense to build in the most sheltered area, as opposed to the beach, for the (presumably) harsh winter.
Can't believe they took so long to plant the veg etc and the fisherman is useless.

Maybe he googled the climate for the area before he arrived https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/taransay_united-kingdom_2636246 .

DavidKeane

my3cents wrote: »

Maybe he googled the climate for the area before he arrived.

Yeah, I think next week they come to their senses (hopefully) and follow Anton's lead.

L1011

Had this on for a bit last night. Couldn't stand the arguing.

If I do have to go all survivalist, I think I'll have to go on my own if that's how argumentative it makes people - although the producers will have picked people very deliberately too.

Alkers

It's nearly always the most difficult part of these kind of shows. A lot of it comes from the people all being strangers, most groups would have natural leadership patterns / hierarchies established and be able to trust each other with specific tasks rather than all the micro-management and arguments that goes on. That being said, while I agree with Anton on a lot of the things he says, he needs to work on his people skills. I get that he's coming from an expedition leadership position where everyone takes his word as gospel but he really should have anticipated this as part of his planning.

DavidKeane

L1011 wrote: »

Had this on for a bit last night. Couldn't stand the arguing.

If I do have to go all survivalist, I think I'll have to go on my own if that's how argumentative it makes people - although the producers will have picked people very deliberately too.

Yeah- like all those show it'll be edited to cause the most drama.

DavidKeane

Simona1986 wrote: »

It's nearly always the most difficult part of these kind of shows. A lot of it comes from the people all being strangers, most groups would have natural leadership patterns / hierarchies established and be able to trust each other with specific tasks rather than all the micro-management and arguments that goes on. That being said, while I agree with Anton on a lot of the things he says, he needs to work on his people skills. I get that he's coming from an expedition leadership position where everyone takes his word as gospel but he really should have anticipated this as part of his planning.

Definitely some personality clashes happening and more too come. I agree re: Anton- he makes sense IMHO but he does about it the wrong way.

DavidKeane

Anyone still watching this? I was late watching this weeks ep. After weeks of Anton being derided for wanting to build a winter shelter the "lads" have decided it would be a good idea and therefore it HAS to happen... but naturally they've been dickheads about it.
Eden still very annoying but yet I'm watching it.
I don't understand why some of them aren't constantly hunting/gathering food but they complain that they're sick of potatoes. There's fish in the sea... they even have fishing gear and a boat. I could't cope with any of them.
Leave me there alone, perfect.

hiujn

It is a disapointing watch tbh there should be alot more fish being caught. In all honestly i don't know what he was thinking bringing a flyrod with him a spinning outfit would produce more fish his casting range is very restricted with the flyrod.

I prefare the alone series but this is watchable i just wish there was less drama but i suppose that,s what the majority of people are into watching these days it is a bit like a soap i would still rather watch this than corrie or any of those type of shows.

my3cents

I might have missed it in my channel hoping but for the fishing why don't they have nets and why don't they have lobster, crab and shrimp pots?

I found a few shrimp posts washed up which I gave to a family here that are out fishing all the time. They put them out at low tide in the summer and get a good meal out of them.