Comment YOU THE JURY


Jewish life, models and designer scents S


James DuBern Senior vice- president, programming, Current TV


trictly Kosher feels like My Big Fat Jewish Wedding, set in Manchester’s thriving


Jewish community. It’s always good to see producers taking docs and making them accessible and entertaining – especially with a topic such as religion. While it lacks the flamboyance


and grit of BFGW, it offers an interesting window into a world rarely seen, and the access felt deep and uncompromised. In one moving scene, 83-year-


old survivor Jack Aisenberg talked about his family’s deaths in World War II. This dark reminder was offset by what was generally an upbeat and optimistic look at modern Jewish life. E4’s Dirty Sexy Things takes


celeb fashion photographer Perou and eight aspiring models, and puts them through their paces in a series of groundbreaking shoots. The models are diverse and like-


able, with interesting stories. Perou was sufficiently demanding and creative, but I wasn’t clear on what he was trying to achieve, or the repercussions of failure for him or the models. Described as an “entertainment concept-doc


series”, it has elements of three genres but risks falling between them. It doesn’t try to be a funny Zoolander version of The Only Way Is Essex, it’s not a documentary and it’s not as structured as Britain’s Next Top Model. This opening episode didn’t quite hang together, but it has promise. BBC4’s Perfume is my favour-


ite of the trio. A fascinating doc about the worldwide fragrance industry – from designer perfumes to the insanely lucrative market for bathroom cleaners. It’s a business I hadn’t really thought much about but, unlike


‘Who knew Brazil was the make-or-break market for fragrances such as Lynx?’


the world of Mancunian Judaism, it was full of surprises. Who knew that Brazil was the make-or-break market for fragrances such as Lynx, or that a Middle Eastern buyer would spend £54,000 on a few bottles of Victorian reproduc- tion perfume? Some of the segments on the


history of fragrance were a bit slow, but more than made up for by the inner workings of the billion- dollar business. As in all good doc- umentaries, it showed rather than told, and had compelling charac- ters in unexpected situations.


Simon Meek Head of digital, Tern TV


We saw eight, hand-picked pro- I


TV1’s Strictly Kosher offers a positive insight into the Jewish culture and community


in Manchester. The show is pacy and focuses largely on the quirks and personalities that exist within the group. For instance, I didn’t realise that the Sabbath prevented people from tearing kitchen-roll, flicking light switches, or even car- rying an umbrella. Very insightful. But I never really felt the show


dug beneath the surface of the Manchester group. Where are the counter-arguments, especially when it comes to match-making? The parties and celebrations


seemed like great fun, though, and would give Big Fat Gypsy Wed- dings a run for its money. And I did come away with a sense of community that transcends religious beliefs. E4’s Dirty Sexy Things pro-


vides another insight – this time into the world of fashion photo- graphy. The show is framed around a new exhibition by British photographer Perou. He wants models that can deliver on both looks and personality. Judging by the first episode, he certainly gets the aesthetics.


fessional models in their underwear strutting their stuff in a rather chilly London. It felt genuine, with issues such as eating disorders addressed, but lacked the drama you get in for- matted shows such as Britain’s Next Top Model. And while Perou was a joy to watch, the models weren’t quite as interesting. On title alone, I watched


Perfume first. I wanted to know how well BBC4 would be able to sell smell through sight and sound. The BBC spiel describes the


series as exploring “the astonish- ing creativity behind a commodity


‘It felt genuine, but lacked the drama of formatted shows such as Next Top Model’


that uses single molecules to whisper to the subconscious, trigger memories and spark the emotions”. That’s a good indica- tion of how the script is delivered, and it does a good job of crafting words to romanticise smells. Perfume would have benefited


from a younger, more enthusiastic, and perhaps female, narrator. But the mix of frank marketing insights – fragrance being the single best way of monetising celebrity and brand – was deliv- ered with the passion of some of the craft’s top noses.


Strictly Kosher Production company ITV Studios Executive producer Alexander Gardiner Producer Chris Malone Commissioner Jo Clinton-Davis TX 5 July, 9pm, ITV1


www.broadcastnow.co.uk


Dirty Sexy Things Production company Betty TV Executive producer Dave Emerson Commissioner David Williams TX 4 July, 10pm, E4


Perfume Production company The Garden Productions Executive producer Magnus Temple Series producer Emma Tutty Director Ian Denyer Commissioner Richard Klein TX Tuesdays, 9pm, BBC4


1 July 2011 | Broadcast | 23


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