2. SandfordThis REVIEW
Way…
Funny, friendly and slightly cringily upbeat, ‘The English
Village,’ can be added to the pile of Channel Four
documentary gems.
Channel 4, Good Friday,
8.00pm The subject matter of these representations, that it
community and local people is in these sleepy, residential
leads „The English Village‟ to
T
havensthat are our picturesque
ractors rumble along the lanes, some brilliant and entertaining villages, where community
elderly ladies take a stroll to places such as the village has been carefully preserved
the local shop for a pint of like a jar of homemade jam.
milk and the newspaper. A This programme offers
youth moodily mutters that England a reality check,
his village is “SO boring,” as showing a modern English
he kicks a coke can along village as it really is. Featuring
the gritty pavement, and a a mumbling teenager stating
4x4 races down the road “there‟s not much going on
closely past a little girl around here really,” through to
waiting at the zebra crossing old biddies who are
to go to her charming members/chairmen/treasurers
primary school in it‟s Gardening Club, where the of every
antiquated building. This is members are simply thrilled to club/association/committee
Sandford (not to be confused learn how to make Christmas within five miles. This
with „Sandford,‟ in the Simon floral arrangements. It is the energetic look at villages from
Pegg comedy „Hot Fuzz.‟) people of „Sandford,‟ that a personal perspective doesn‟t
Through handheld camera make this documentary a make us feel like „we‟re not
techniques, this performative success, with their quaint from round „ere,‟ but doesn‟t
and expository new associations, clubs and quite encourage us to move
documentary gives the viewer personal quirks. there next week either.
an accurate sense of what it is With pictures of rioting In this merry production we
like to live in an English village. scallywags on the news, the can see how a „proper local,‟
Charming local „lad‟ Charlie idea that English communities fits in when a hidden camera is
Lucy has an abundance of are decaying seems very attached to a villager, as well
interesting encounters with much supported. In slushy as how a camera crew can
eccentric and heart-warming American rom-coms such as make Charlie the talk of the
characters, as he follows his „The Holiday,‟ and British village, and reveals how the
bright, bubbly instincts and classics like „Vicar of Dibley‟ villagers want to present
tries get involved in his local and „Midsomer Murders,‟ it themselves pleasantly. For the
community, Sandford, and is seems unquestionable in cameras that they are aware of
jolly keen to get stuck in with anyway…
his local community.
