Life at the Cutting Edge

Posted: 24-04-08

As the longest-ever series of Cutting Edge draws to a close, The TV Show asks the commissioning editor Meredith Chambers to reflect on what makes a successful documentary, the films we’ve seen and those that are coming up. Plenty of these caused a huge reaction in the C4 Forums at the time and been regulars in the monthly Cheers & grumbles Top 10, such as Sex Change Soldier, My Street and A Boy Called Alex, but he’d appreciate your feedback on the series as the whole – the best and worst, and what’s missing.

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It’s been a hugely exciting and intense few months. Strictly Baby Fight Club (24 April, 9pm) is the 15th in this massive series of Cutting Edge films, with three more to come after a short breather. The plan to do such a large series of individual documentaries came quite late last year, forcing us to move fast. But that’s great because good ideas can suffer the longer you sit, wonder and procrastinate, while a fast turnaround forces you to gamble and take risks. Some of the more interesting films in the run, like Pramface Babies and Shannon Matthews: The Family's Story, were quick decisions based on a gut instinct.

No matter how they come about, all Cutting Edge documentaries should be underpinned by an insight in to modern life - usually British life – and geared to leave us thinking about the way we live at the end of the film. They share the same few key ingredients to succeed - a great director with an interesting take on the world; great characters, heightened by circumstances – be it giving birth, scaling a building, or conducting an orchestra while close to death, - situations that are powerful because they reveal the truth about how people choose to live.

I'm delighted the series has gone down so well. Sometimes straightforward documentary - telly without tricks - is criticised for being old-fashioned or unglamorous. But this series is just good old-fashioned social documentary - films about real people, honestly capturing the world around us - and they have achieved seriously high viewing figures. It's not surprising there’s still such an appetite for this, as these films prove that people can be inspiring, funny, cagey, scary, without having to be in a reality show. Clearly people want to watch powerful films about political and social issues that matter.

A really good documentary climbs in to your brain and refuses to budge. Take My Street, a cast of people who just happen to live on a typical street, makes you think about your neighbours afresh; and after meeting the young mums in Pramface Babies, you’ll never think about teenage pregnancy the same way again. There's nothing like seeing it for real. The sight of the woman in the insurance film Scams, Fiddles and Honest Claims sadly justifying her insurance fiddle for the engagement ring she’d never really lost on holiday, will stay with me for a long time - I can’t remember seeing someone so vulnerable, normal and small. As it happens, another character in the film withdrew their contentious claim the next day! So that was a result for the insurance company.

Let me tell you a bit about the trio of films due to air after a short break. Things always change, but it's likely that the first will focus on the extraordinary story of the couple at the centre of the alleged art fraud – supposedly they forged famous works of art in their garage that sold for a fortune. Next, probably, we’ll take a look at some remarkable families who have as many as 13 children - and are trying for more. The documentary maker has made close connections with the families and gives a good insight into what makes people carry on after number two, three, four... Currently the favourite for the finale is a film that takes a wry look at Britain's snarled up roads and how it's driving us to distraction. It's a programme with exclusive access to the Highways Agency, the people tasked with making all the traffic flow. It should give us a better understanding of just why traffic jams happen. And why the people who lose it in jams, lose it so badly!

I hope these three films will tide you over until the autumn when we have a 15 – yes, 15 - more Cutting Edge films to come in the autumn, including some high-octane adventure stories; a powerful social documentary focused on the increasing gap between rich and poor; and much more besides. It's a challenge and a privilege for me to choose what films to go for. And it’s a real bonus to get feedback from viewers. Now this series has ended, it would be fantastic to hear what you think we're missing, what you loved - and hated – the most and what you'd love - or hate - to see in the next series. Many thanks for watching and reading.

Please add your comment below or join the discussion in The TV Show forum.

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Sex Change Soldier: Jan responds to well-wishers.

Debating Chamber: for previous debates.

Tell Krishnan: find out about the next show or comment on the last.

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