The 90s docusoaps craze.

[AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta]

Inspired by a thread about old telly shows got me thinking about the 90s docusoaps and my god there were so many of them.

The Cruise (which gave us the fab Jane McDonald)
Holiday Reps
Airport
Hotel
Lakesiders.
Vets in practice.
Driving school.

It all seems so random now, I know the shows documenting the emergency services shows are still popular these days but I cannot imagine now sitting down watching someone's day working in a department store or taking their driving lesson. But me and 10 million other people used to do just that. Different times!

Not sure of the era but think it was 90s - Who rules the roost! It was great!! Also Babes in the Wood which was way more innocent then it sounds it was about babies being born!

Remember Life of Grime or whatever it was called?

Loved that but what a strange thing to film.

Just came in here to say that! Loved it

Does anyone remember Castaway 2000? It was massive news when it launched but then the first UK Big Brother launched later that year and completely overshadowed it, which was a shame as it was much more interesting than BB.

Ah loved The Family and The Salon too

Wish Life of Grime was available to watch somewhere!
loved Mr Trebus. And some of it was incredibly sad (Mr Trebus’s story was actually v poignant)

I remember Castaway 2000 as it was where Ben Fogle came from. I honestly cannot remember anything that happened on it though, but weirdly I remember loads of the first series of BB so like you said that overshadowed it.

I Just looked up the premise of Paddington Green because I remember it vividly whilst also remembering nothing about it. Harry and his face cream sounds slightly sinister 😬 and Jason, Danny, Helen and Neil must have been rivetting watching 🤔.

Harry has a wig-maker shop, and is also seen working on a revolutionary face cream in the basement of his shop.

Jackie is a transsexual woman in her late twenties, seen working the streets of Sussex Gardens as a prostitute.During the series she undertakes some surgery, and we also get a glimpse of her love of the piano (she later goes on to record her own CD). Jackie is also featured in a June 2000 one-off special called "Jackie's Story".

Claudia works for her father's scooter business, and is trying to embark on a singing career.

Jason works as a locksmith, and is seemingly on call all day and night.

Danny is a bus conductor for London Transport.

Dave is a wheeler dealer. We see him in constant financial problems with his car park business. Later, he takes his hand at antique dealing.

Dominique and Lia
Dominique and Lia are seeking fame and fortune at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

Neil works as an estate agent.

Kelly is a teenage model, originally from Yorkshire. She is now established as an actress known for appearing in Casualty.

Helen is a taxi driver.

He got a restraining order for stalking a young news presenter

Bloody hell didn't know that.

Some that I remember were:

The clampers (parking enforcement), who took a vindictive pleasure in their work, and practically drooled over the "beautiful yellow clamps" they had applied that day.

One (probably not a docusoap, more of a documentary) about photos of children which had been seized as "indecent", such as children naked in the bath or paddling pool. There was a photo which a dad had taken of his teenage daughter, who had her shirt open but not actually revealing anything, which was pounced on as being "a little too sexy", and social services were involved. I remember thinking "surely all the nonces will be enjoying this documentary".

In the sitcom The Thin Blue Line (with Rowan Atkinson as the stuffy Inspector Fowler), there was a somewhat topical episode where the police station would be on the telly, for which the characters went to absurd lengths to play up to the cameras.

What was that one where they showed parents how fat and disgusting their kids would be by 40 years old if they didn't stop feeding them shit? The photos of what they would look like were hilarious, and it was all doom and gloom about how the kids would drop dead at 40.

I loved Life of Grime too, made me feel better about my lack of housework skills, see also How To Clean Your House.

Faking It was good, in which people would try to learn a completely new skill in a week, which was totally unsuited to their upbringing. For example, a posh-talking young man became an East End nightclub bouncer, and a classical cellist girl became a DJ. A panel of judges would try to spot the imposter; some of the fakers were successful.

I don't know if it was this particular programme, but I seem to remember that when The Office first aired, it was on after one of these types of shows - if not the next slot then the next night or something - which must have been deliberate. Setting itself up as some kind of comedy Blair Witch or something.

What's the TV show where people who were diagnosed as OCD or were self confessed 'obsessive cleaners' went to people's houses which were really dirty and helped them clean it? They had the same cleaners on it but the people with dirty houses were different every week. I loved that.

I loved Faking It! Lots pulled it off. I felt sorry for some of the professionals though.

I remember the ones with the kids I can't think what it was called. The projections into the future were funny. If they don't stop eating chips they will turn into mean looking criminals if they eat fruit they will be rich successful and good looking

Burglaring houses just to feed their McCains habit!

"It's very more-ish"

It was "Honey we are killing the kids"

Oh Paddington Green
I only remember Jackie who’d previously been Jason. Memorable! I loved that show.
I liked the one about London Underground, and one that was more recent I think, ‘people like us’ with the wishy washy laundry in Harpurhey.

Someone mentioned faking it upthread.
When I was in my early 20s a woman who appeared on that show as one of the coaches grabbed me and kissed me on the lips in the street in Edinburgh.

Does anyone remember Paddington Green?

Yes! I posted a list of the "cast" up thread. I only remember Jackie and the girl who was a model and ended up being in Casualty.