Channel 4 Documentary about Collectors

Sharing this post from Peter Strachan of Twenty Twenty Television in case anyone is interested:

Do you have a doll collection that is threatening to take over your living space? Would you welcome a little professional help to better organise your collection?

Twenty Twenty Television is making a warm hearted, celebratory prime time documentary series for Channel 4 (UK) about people with very large collections, collections that are quite possibly on the verge of taking over the collectors’ homes. Does this sound like you? Your partner, relative etc? If so, we'd love to hear from you.

Please write to peter.strachan@twentytwenty.tv with your contact details and I will call you for an informal and confidential initial chat.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bleah. This sounds like a "make fun of the freaks" type of show, like Hoarders. The way it's worded, it's clear they want to bring in someone to "help" you.

I would approach with caution, for the reaons Vixy says. Also Channel 4 is a bit ...ehhh....
But that's still interesting to hear about though, thanks for the info!

Have you even seen / watched the "hoarding" documentary "Obsessive Compulsiver Hoarder" or the UK series "The Hoarder Next Door"?
Our shows are very different from the US, I saw a clip of the US programme Hoarders and thought it was atrocious. So unless you are going to speak to the person to find out the approach I would suggest you keep an open mind or wait until this documentary is made and aired.

Edit: I had a look and this is the same production company that makes The Hoarder Next Door. No idea if its part of a new series or a completely separate documentary altogether. Who knows, this might actually help someone.

Mermaid's_grotto said:

Have you even seen / watched the "hoarding" documentary "Obsessive Compulsiver Hoarder" or the UK series "The Hoarder Next Door"?
Our shows are very different from the US, I saw a clip of the US programme Hoarders and thought it was atrocious. So unless you are going to speak to the person to find out the approach I would suggest you keep an open mind or wait until this documentary is made and aired.

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I don't know much about what the US shows are like, being from the UK. I have seen those UK series though.
Aw, I am keeping an open mind! XD Just said

serafina said:

I would approach with caution,

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I just remember hearing first hand from some convention-goers who had a very negative editorial written about them , under the guise that it would be more positive. Specifically it was a my little pony convention, and the reporter was extremely lovely and friendly, very interested, and spoke to people a long time taking many notes. She took small excerpts, quoted them out of context and made them look like sad, sad people It ended with a psychological analysis questioning why women still played with toys as if in denial of being adults etc. It was not the first, and will not be the last (this was in the UK)

I don't know, this documentary might be awesome, but if it IS a 'make fun' type show, they will not tell people that. Then again they may say they are not one, and actually not be one. Keeping an open mind is keeping an awareness of both possible outcomes?

Ah, I had missed that it was a UK rather than US production. I don't know anything about the UK versions of those shows, no. My only experience was with US shows of that kind, which are generally exploitative and horrible. It's one of the many times I'm a bit embarrassed to be American; our television so often caters to the lowest, most awful impulses it can find.

serafina, I had a similar experience at a SF/Fantasy convention, where a local music publication wanted to report on filk (the type of music we do there). He talked to us for a couple of hours, and was polite, funny and interested, and then wrote an awful, snarky, insulting article painting us all as socially inept losers with barely a modicum of musical talent between all of us put together.

So I'm usually leery. But again, these were all US experiences.

I can certainly understand that especially with reporters/articles, they sound like very stereotypical representations of convention goers. I heard something about a documentary that was edited in a way that was out of context, I think it was probably about One Direction :lol: (different production company). I really like watching The Hoarder Next Door, you should try and check it out if you find it available anywhere

I was contacted directly about this too, I'm steering well clear as people are far too judgy about adult toy collectors, and even if they are trying to do things from a positive perspective (which I doubt) I suspect people will come off being portrayed as weirdo losers anyway. I dunno why people have so much of a problem with those of us who want to collect toys though, but apparently its more socially acceptable to get drunk every night than collect dolls ... Go figure ?!? ... Each to their own, but I know which one I'd rather spend my money on

It sounds like another version of collector intervention, where the host who is knowledgable of collector's item try to help comic and toy collectors strike a compromise of sort with loved ones and help them downsize their collections by keeping the more valuable stuff and selling the rest and also get stuff appraised. But this show doesn't sound helpful and may just try to paint adult collectors as people out of touch with reality for entwrtainment purposes

Merriennes said:

I was contacted directly about this too, I'm steering well clear as people are far too judgy about adult toy collectors, and even if they are trying to do things from a positive perspective (which I doubt) I suspect people will come off being portrayed as weirdo losers anyway. I dunno why people have so much of a problem with those of us who want to collect toys though, but apparently its more socially acceptable to get drunk every night than collect dolls ... Go figure ?!? ... Each to their own, but I know which one I'd rather spend my money on

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Yes, I like watching programmes about other collectors but it's certainly not something I want to be part of. I'm happy to share photos of my collection online but that's about it. We'll probably have a sigh of relief it's not us on tv when it is broadcast :lol: