benefits street benefits street british documentary series broadcast channel_4 aired january ran episodes filmed documenting lives residents birmingham england newspapers including daily_mail guardian reported residents claim benefits shows benefits committing crimes including demonstration portrays situation people dependent welfare payments lack motivation seek employment controversial police channel_4 media receiving hundreds complaints twitter death threats residents street channel accused making poverty porn taking claimed documentary makers launched investigation programme breached broadcasting regulations ultimately concluded rules broken producers defended series arguing reaction demonstrated importance making documentary series mentioned house_of_commons prompted political debate topic welfare number programmes commissioned channels covering topic channel_4 commissioned follow series titled immigration street follow lives immigrants living united_kingdom benefits street gave channel_4 highest viewing figures august confirmed second series benefits street filmed kingston road background approached bbc idea programme feature prominent member business community working unemployed people come fruition unnamed individual withdraw commitments format series later benefits street suggested bbc declined commission series producing number programmes concerning similar issues people like nick margaret pay benefits suggested format channel_4 agreed commission programme writing observer january head documentaries channel_4 said intentionally selected area high proportion residents welfare payments effect benefit cuts community principal source income filming production process took eighteen months channel head factual programming said residents street consulted series filming began cameras observed course month period decision series benefits street taken weeks programme aired comedian approached documentary turned concerns people birmingham portrayed wish city voice provided coronation street actor instead episode benefits street aired monday january ran episodes live hour debate discuss issues raised series scheduled air final episode channel_4 announcing plans days second episode transmitted week following broadcasting episode charged street residents drugs related offences connection raid officers carried june facing charges included people seen episodes series channel said plans alter footage episodes transmitted january reported items benefits street branded merchandise shirts produced sale internet individuals wishing cash programme street street residential street victorian houses area birmingham street city constituency recorded local records street given present according education historian street possibly named taught birmingham suggested pupil town way turner legacy birmingham historian believes street named local businessman partner firm manufacturer buttons writes originally developed better working class district 20th century properties area falling decay reader public history city described street ribbon development suburban districts built birmingham expanded 19th century street original residents locals moved inner city houses moved far away london cornwall work birmingham describes respectable working class skilled workers earned shillings week cases afford employ maid grew prosperous moved areas replaced immigrants asia west_indies came years world war high proportion lived area employed birmingham industrial economy enjoyed prosperity collapse city manufacturing industry early 1980s resulting mass unemployment professor noted birmingham lost manufacturing jobs city capita highest city outside south east region fallen lowest england seven years later 1980s unemployment birmingham reached says areas including figure reduced decade grew area represented member parliament years said high unemployment came new culture drugs crime mental health problems website channel described street britain benefits dependent streets sources daily_mail guardian reported january street residents benefits synopsis narrated series presented fly wall documentary format follows year lives residents road area birmingham channel_4 describes britain benefit dependent streets programme portrays situation people dependent welfare payments lack motivation find employment residents seen committing crimes attempting raise money support families shown ambition young mother wants model series aims street sense community spirit residents helping times difficulty episode list follow programmes reception political media response programme led political debate issue welfare speaking house_of_commons january conservative secretary suggested programme justified changes democrat coalition government welfare reform act following week gave speech mark tenth anniversary said areas country long term unemployment remained largely hidden rest society conservative raised subject benefits street prime minister questions january saying street type seen series existed constituency land prime minister conservative leader responded government intervene people lives benefits employment declining invitation visit deputy prime minister leader liberal democrats said believed right wing arguments welfare wrong want welfare system shortly comments birmingham councillor told compiled letters cameron labour leader behalf street residents inviting visit street asking help find employment writing wiltshire gazette herald liberal democrat argued programme contribute little subject need rational informed debate improve welfare system editorial line taken supposedly factual reality adds little programme condemned current labour found shocking channel organisation present poverty entertainment profoundly wrong radio_times represented constituency prior said series totally area condemned misleading criticised benefits street arguing present balanced view subject labour chair said programme people claiming benefits arguing focused claiming unemployment benefits makes small proportion overall welfare bill referring episode featured labour said irresponsible portray typical benefits columnist independent described series medieval stocks updated modern format article birmingham mail writer television personality native birmingham said series view city shadow welfare minister claimed residents known row expensive properties likely drink drugs problems residents editor spectator suggested programme highlighted section society forgotten politicians people people don voice don vote years nelson comments echoed daily_mail felt programme portrayed participants real scandal benefits street fact tells welfare system thousands people fault life hope ambition effectively turning dependent charity state felt programme broadly sympathetic portrays daily_mirror entrepreneur founder wrote benefits street fully represent spectrum people claim benefits happen forgotten system caught kind social suicide benefits britain debate live hour debate scheduled broadcast channel_4 following final episode benefits street channel_4 announced january chaired presenter feature panel guests represent views political spectrum claim benefits producers programmes bbc commissioned produce originally scheduled february programme titled benefits britain debate subsequently moved week february rival broadcaster announced plans hour debate immigration evening channel_4 said benefits britain debate immediately preceded follow documentary benefits street word change announced listings magazines gone press practice generally discouraged media industry programme announced shortly aired included benefits street participants minister opposition daily_telegraph columnist political editor participated programme described chaotic based formula shouts view echoed telegraph felt follow programmes didn live standards series debate sparked lot shouting little new wisdom independent said programme proved documentary sparked hour long studio neutral host topics adding opinions guardian found debate unsatisfactory feeling topics discussed broad bacon effective chair laws birmingham mail described debate articulate felt interesting points fact people benefits didn benefits street debate watched average audience million big benefits row live aired big benefits row live unconnected debate welfare state february presented featured panel guests conservative reality television star london mayor broadcaster model people associated street charity known series programme watched million viewers described heated debate heavily critical kelly claiming welfare modelling career independent felt larger life personality dominated proceedings fact based arguments lost non stop barrage immature daily_mirror described mess programme joke discussion public reception complaints episode series attracted complaints channel_4 media viewers variety issues according guardian complaints received alleged criminal activities foul language misleading portrayals welfare january days series debuted attracted complaints channel weeks later figure collectively increased said assess viewer feedback deciding launch investigation generating total complaints channel broadcasting announced february investigate programme inquiry described guardian high profile investigation programme cleared channel_4 unfair racial big fat gypsy weddings published findings june concluded channel_4 breached broadcasting regulations looked number issues raised viewers including concerns rules governing child welfare broken programme featured certain criminal techniques concluded benefits street reflected real lives children taking channel_4 taken care limit time seen screen concerns criminal activity said satisfied certain essential details broadcast enabled successful commission crime sufficient editorial justification including material broadcast concluded programme fair portrayal participants documentary complaints negative offensive portrayal needed investigation public responses following episode benefits street said received number complaints members public alleged criminal activities filmed considering investigate alleged death threats twitter users residents channel said provide investigators material benefits street issued court order reported january programme attracted influx tourists street wished picture taken james turner street road sign police advised visitors stay away founder charity runs primary school subsequently said visitors disrupted activity school preparing complaint shortly submitted letter alleging children subject public harassment programme rules welfare age majority breached february newspapers including reported theft james turner street road sign outside school online petition calling channel cancel remaining episodes launched attracting signatures january total people signed time series ended february trade union unite organised protest offices afternoon january group people attended critical reception street residents claimed tricked appearing series told community spirit resident told told living community got actual programme doesn said benefits making street look bad taken tricked responding allegations residents said spent time consulting residents filming began process continued key contributors offered programmes editing period given opportunity comment love channel listened concerns raised cases changes programme accommodate subsequently told itv morning believed programme provided sided view community residents went price guardian suggested producers edited film order provoke response intended audience sources including reported commentators accused channel_4 making poverty porn response refuted accusations debate january edition bbc programme inaccurate people programmes open lives offensive people claimed reaction benefits street demonstrated touched nerve subsequently proved essential series boss defended series saying poor honest true portrayal life britain people frightened writing series concluded daily_telegraph felt benefits street exploited participants definitely kind series channel making easy grasp innovative revelation heart modern britain view echoed channel_4 chief creative officer described series perfect channel_4 engaged huge audience got millions people thinking welfare state people society head teacher oasis school organised public meeting evening january discuss issues raised programme event attended residents area bbc journalist said reporters allowed pictures present felt occasion opportunity preach political agenda meeting told employed couple filmed series dropped final version said people benefits unnamed pair benefits officer episode televised january daily_mail reported community leaders residents accused channel_4 exploiting children claiming led children featured documentary targets bullying response channel_4 said consent parents guardians children obtained filming began accordance relevant sections broadcasting code children consent blurred programmes birmingham mail reported february figures released newspaper fraud investigation service indicated instances benefit fraud city lower suggested documentary years preceding average total benefit furthermore housing benefit birmingham prosecuted fraudulent claims viewership overnight figures indicated episode attracted million viewers share viewing channel second instalment aired january saw increase million viewers million share audience beating itv edition bbc celebrity big brother aired time slot episode drew million viewers giving share audience making popular programme time slot second week row giving channel_4 highest ratings coverage closing ceremony summer paralympics september fourth episode attracted fewer viewers average million world war documentary series britain great war aired bbc average viewership million final episode drew million viewers audience share beaten itv watched average million viewers aftermath related series series benefits street came close february confirmed investigating potential locations second series filmed birmingham march reported number residents street approached appear second series wish channel subsequently confirmed programme filmed april evening gazette reported similar approaches number people living area reported young women dressed cut glass southern accents describing producers attempting persuade residents street evening gazette reported residents chased thrown eggs researchers return visit street town april guardian reported facing opposition politicians community leaders attempt secure participants series article executive producer conceded controversy surrounding series difficult find locations future programmes hoped settle soon speaking april smith confirmed plans follow series titled immigration street focus immigration issues said channel_4 commission programme reported filming taken place area southampton city leaders voiced opposition series expressed concerns programme lead racial tension area member parliament suggested follow set script opposed accurately portraying reality july channel_4 confirmed series titled immigration street filmed area southampton protests local residents planned series reduced single episode aired february august confirmed second series benefits street filmed kingston road labour said deeply disappointed series filmed february confirmed broadcast magazine process filming similar documentary titled individuals families discuss lives welfare reported march looking hull potential location series city council urged residents participate reported similar approach residents april announced plans famous rich hungry documentary bbc sport relief celebrities spending time families experiencing food poverty order explore issue
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