Well, did you see the first programme in the new 'Home from Home' series on home exchange on Channel 4 (UK) last night?
As mentioned in a previous post, the swap featured in the first programme was between Home Base Holidays members, the Jackson family from Bodmin, Cornwall, HE13667, and the Fischoebers, HE13854, a German family living in a remote village in the Champagne region of France.
As with previous series' of 'Home from Home', we had publicised the TV production company's requests for members willing to be filmed on exchange in Home Swappers Newsletter and left it up to any volunteers to decide whether to go ahead if asked (provided, of course, their exchange partners were also willing to participate). We had had very good reports from members who took part in the previous three day time series', i.e. the filming didn't take up a lot of time and was not intrusive on their holidays.
Joanna Jackson, too, sent a positive report on the filming experience (with the family enjoying outings with the film crew, including some free meals, drinks and visits to attractions while in France). However, reading between the lines, I did feel that the demands on the participants' time and general intrusion was much more evident than before, probably due to the evening slot, i.e. for a series competing with all the other reality type programmes on TV.
With over 15 hours of filming with the Jackson family alone (edited down to only 15 minutes for the programme), and probably with more emphasis on creating an entertaining programme than on necessarily reflecting reality fairly, the programme makers must have been delighted to have had lots of footage on a rather ill-matched exchange - at least on one side. The Fischoeders appeared to be having a very good holiday in Cornwall (the film commentary did include some rather predictable, cringe-making comments about German organisation). In the programme, the teenagers in both families were shown transgressing a very important rule of home exchange etiquette, i.e. not betraying trust, in this case by opening a locked door/searching through personal belongings (for clues to a computer password). However, my guess is that in both cases, it probably seemed like just a bit of fun by the teenagers being filmed (possibly encouraged?) by crew members they would have got to know during the longer than expected period of filming. Other scenes had a slightly stage managed look too.
The Jacksons soon realised that, due to not doing their research on the area and facilities in the home in advance, the very quiet location and minimalist home were far from ideal for their urban teenagers used to lots of activities readily to hand. However, the importance of doing thorough research before agreeing to exchange was emphasised, both by Joanna and in the commentary. Hopefully both families who took part will go on to have better matched swaps in future, both providing detailed information on their homes and areas (exchanging lots of photos) and asking/answering questions as they crop up during the run-up before an exchange.
No one can predict what will happen when any exchange is filmed 'live' but it is too bad that this programme didn't show home exchange (for both parties) as it is experienced by the majority of members. Hopefully the next 'Home from Home' programmes (Thursdays, 8.30 pm - two more before Christmas and two after) will show a more representative and positive side of home exchange.
We watched the first episode of the new series of 'Home from Home' and were profoundly disappointed at the whole tone of the exchange. Tonight we attempted to watch the second offering and turned off in disgust after the first 5 minutes.
Sadly, the programme makers have chosen the easy route of fabricating disaster situations. We cannot believe that the exchangees involved would be so feckless and insensitive.
For a lot of potential exchangees this must be a complete turn off. I wonder how many would-be members will now not bother to find out more. We got involved initially as a result of watching the first series. Had we been introduced to swapping through this current offering, we would not have enjoyed some great holidays and made some fantastic friends.
The emphasis made by the narrator that we engage in exchanging solely to get cheap holidays is quite crass and ignores all the hidden costs associated with additional insurance cover, gardening help and a myriad of other things we do to make our exchangees stay in our homes as enjoyable as possible.
I could go on all night about this stupid programme but won't inflict it on you. We are truly disgusted.
Posted by: John & Dorothy Storry | December 10, 2004 at 02:09 PM