Faking It
Encyclopedia
Faking It was a television programme originating on Channel 4
which has spawned various international remakes, including a US version which began in 2003 on the TLC
network. Devised by Stephen Lambert
of RDF Media
, the programme's original concept was "a modern-day Pygmalion
", referring to the George Bernard Shaw
play in which flower girl Eliza Doolittle is trained to appear like an aristocrat
.
. The second episode was a straight use of the Pygmalion concept as a young working-class woman, Lisa Dickinson-Grey, was taught how to behave in high society by Tim Walker, the Daily Telegraph's Mandrake diarist. Since the show began being sold abroad, these episodes have picked up the titles "Alex The Animal" and "Lady Lisa".
The two programmes were well received by critics and a further seven episodes followed in 2001, ten in 2002, five in 2003 and a final feature-length show in 2006. The programme has always fared well in the ratings, with an average audience of just over two million - a strong showing for Channel 4
, which is still to some extent regarded as a minority station.
learning to be a club DJ, burger-van proprietor Ed Devlin training with Gordon Ramsay
to become a cordon bleu chef, former naval petty officer Spencer Bowdler being trained as a drag artist
and city lawyer George LuBega learning the art of the garage MC.
Faking It hit some controversy in 2003, when participant Laura-Jane Foley claimed she had been misrepresented by the show. A former choirgirl, she had taken part in an episode in which she was taught how to be the frontwoman for a punk rock band. The episode in question had run into trouble before it even aired, with regular sponsors Smirnoff
refusing to be associated with its scenes of "irresponsible drinking", but apart from an article in the Cambridge university newspaper Varsity
Foley did not pursue the matter further. She is, however, the only participant to date not to co-operate with Channel 4 in pre- and post-publicity for the show.
The show has proven hugely successful in the UK and elsewhere, twice winning the BAFTA award for Best Factual Feature. A 2002 episode, in which punk singer Chris Sweeney was trained as an orchestral
conductor
, won the Golden Rose of Montreux in 2003 as well as the Press Prize at the same festival. The chef episode won an International Emmy Award
.
Faking It is now being shown on UKTV People
part of the UKTV Network and in the Channel 4 section of Youtube
's TV pages.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
which has spawned various international remakes, including a US version which began in 2003 on the TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
network. Devised by Stephen Lambert
Stephen Lambert (media executive)
Stephen Lambert is an English television producer and executive. He is best known for creating and launching international hit formats such as the award-winning Wife Swap, Faking It, Secret Millionaire, and Undercover Boss...
of RDF Media
RDF Media
Zodiak Media is a Anglo-American television production company. It was formed in 2010 when RDF Media Group was acquired by, and merged with Zodiak Entertainment...
, the programme's original concept was "a modern-day Pygmalion
Pygmalion (play)
Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
", referring to the George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
play in which flower girl Eliza Doolittle is trained to appear like an aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
.
Beginnings
The programme debuted in 2000 with a short run of two episodes, one of which featured Alex Geikie, a well-spoken gay man, being taught to "fake it" as a London club bouncerBouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
. The second episode was a straight use of the Pygmalion concept as a young working-class woman, Lisa Dickinson-Grey, was taught how to behave in high society by Tim Walker, the Daily Telegraph's Mandrake diarist. Since the show began being sold abroad, these episodes have picked up the titles "Alex The Animal" and "Lady Lisa".
The two programmes were well received by critics and a further seven episodes followed in 2001, ten in 2002, five in 2003 and a final feature-length show in 2006. The programme has always fared well in the ratings, with an average audience of just over two million - a strong showing for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, which is still to some extent regarded as a minority station.
Format
The programme shares much with earlier British TV shows such as In At The Deep End and Jobs For The Boys/Girls, and more recently the children's show Bring It On, all of which featured TV presenters or other celebrities learning other trades, but Faking It was the first that successfully used members of the public in the role. Its basic format is that a member of the public lives with and trains with an expert for four weeks and then takes part in a contest against experienced participants in whatever activity they have learned. A panel of expert judges then give their verdict on which participant is the "faker". Ostensibly, success means fooling a majority of the judges, though there is no prize for success and the real point of the show is the experience that the fakers receive over the course of the month's filming.Success and Controversy
Among the most acclaimed episodes were cellist Sian EvansSian Evans
Siân Evans is a Welsh singer/songwriter from Caerphilly, United Kingdom, born October 9, 1973. She is also a member of the band Kosheen where she has found major success across Europe.-Career:...
learning to be a club DJ, burger-van proprietor Ed Devlin training with Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
to become a cordon bleu chef, former naval petty officer Spencer Bowdler being trained as a drag artist
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
and city lawyer George LuBega learning the art of the garage MC.
Faking It hit some controversy in 2003, when participant Laura-Jane Foley claimed she had been misrepresented by the show. A former choirgirl, she had taken part in an episode in which she was taught how to be the frontwoman for a punk rock band. The episode in question had run into trouble before it even aired, with regular sponsors Smirnoff
Smirnoff
Smirnoff is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov , the son of illiterate Russian peasants. It is now distributed in 130 countries.Smirnoff products include vodka, flavored...
refusing to be associated with its scenes of "irresponsible drinking", but apart from an article in the Cambridge university newspaper Varsity
Varsity (Cambridge)
Varsity is the oldest of Cambridge University's main student newspapers. It has been published continuously since 1947, and is one of only three fully independent student newspapers in the UK. It appears every Friday around Cambridge...
Foley did not pursue the matter further. She is, however, the only participant to date not to co-operate with Channel 4 in pre- and post-publicity for the show.
The show has proven hugely successful in the UK and elsewhere, twice winning the BAFTA award for Best Factual Feature. A 2002 episode, in which punk singer Chris Sweeney was trained as an orchestral
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, won the Golden Rose of Montreux in 2003 as well as the Press Prize at the same festival. The chef episode won an International Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
.
Faking It is now being shown on UKTV People
UKTV People
Blighty is a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel originally launched on 8 March 2004 and relaunched in it's current format on 17 February 2009...
part of the UKTV Network and in the Channel 4 section of Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
's TV pages.
External links
- Faking It at Channel4.com
- Full episodes from Series 4, 5 and 6 on Youtube