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315:, Robert Epstein praised Tim Loughton and Mark Oaten's performance, noting that "get on with the job, actually learning something from their hosts; Oaten even goes so far as to get a petition going to have the mould-ravaged tower block knocked down. But it's clear that neither is entirely comfortable in their new homes".
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that the programme showed "snobbery" on the part of the
Channel 4 executives who approved the show and described the participating politicians as "publicity-seeking" and "fools". He poured particular scorn on Oaten, saying his participation is no surprise: "the MP for Rent Boy Central treats TV as
335:
said that watching Tim
Loughton "doing his best "dad dancing" while trying to boogie to General Levy down the dancehall with the puffa-jacketed B19 posse was a hoot", but that Austin Mitchell's refusal to participate fully showed that he "seemed to exhibit only the faintest of grasps on reality".
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Austin
Mitchell said after the programme aired that he regretted participating: "I should have turned them down". He said that the production company produced a programme that was a "cynical distraction" from the premise he was initially approached about, which was more specifically to show the
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What I found difficult to cope with was the depressingness, the miserable side of living in a tower block. That's what got me down. But I didn't encounter hostility. Bemusement about us, yes. And I didn't feel threatened, but personally I found it difficult at times, and there were a couple of
348:
claimed that some of the people who had appeared alongside her were actors. This allegation was perceived as being particularly serious as
Dorries's Department was due to make a decision on whether to privatise Channel 4. Reviews by Channel 4 and the production company found no evidence to
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that the show "is absorbing and maddening in equal portions. Part MP rehabilitation show, part class war porn for angry, uppity sorts such as myself". She was particularly biting towards Austin
Mitchell's wife Linda: "she gives herself enough rope to hang herself almost every half hour".
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residents. A spokesman for Love
Productions responded to Mitchell's comments: "We certainly did not set out to humiliate the MPs taking part and we don't believe the end result does so."
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Nadine
Dorries was later revealed to have cheated by keeping a £50 note in her bra. She claimed that she would use the money to buy gifts for the children of her single mother hosts.
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What struck me most of all was the feeling of powerlessness amongst people on the streets, and the information vacuum that made it difficult to pursue any sort of community cohesion.
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appears but
Dorries appears in his place for the remainder of the three episodes. Duncan Smith's exit from the show followed his wife being diagnosed with cancer.
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In the second episode, having replaced Iain Duncan Smith, Nadine
Dorries moves into the South Acton estate in west London.
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of MPs investigated the matter and concluded that the claims by
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Upon Oaten entering the estate, he is confronted with homophobic abuse from youths.
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four-episode reality documentary show produced by Love Productions and broadcast on
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https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmcumeds/801/report.html
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was created from a revision of this article dated 20 September 2012
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546:"I was a fool to appear in Tower Block of Commons, says MP Austin Mitchell"
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598:"Tower Block of Commons, Channel 4; True Stories: Moving to Mars, More4"
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During the series, Mark Oaten lives in Goresbrook Village estate in
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After the show was recorded, Loughton said of the experience:
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184:(MPs) have to spend time living in a variety of deprived
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Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
240:, and Iain Duncan Smith visits the Carpenters estate in
501:"Tower Block of Commons - Tim Loughton Testimonial"
232:, Tim Loughton spends time in the Newton estate in
188:around Britain. The four MPs who participated were
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523:"Tower Block of Commons - Mark Oaten Interview"
422:"Behind Enemy Lines and Tower Block of Commons"
447:"Tower Block of Commons - Series 1, Episode 2"
396:"Tower Block of Commons - Series 1, Episode 1"
8:
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351:Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
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570:Wynne-Jones, Jonathan (6 February 2010).
344:In May 2022 Nadine Dorries, by this time
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795:2010 British television series endings
420:Banks-Smith, Nancy (2 February 2010).
266:occasions when I wanted to jack it in.
790:2010 British television series debuts
349:substantiate the allegations. The
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596:Epistein, Robert (7 February 2010).
572:"MP Nadine Dorries hid money in bra"
544:Sparrow, Andrew (17 February 2010).
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261:Oaten expressed similar concerns:
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653:Bevan, Nathan (7 February 2010).
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476:"Grace Dent's Screen Burn"
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655:"New kids on the block"
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762:Tower Block of Commons
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694:Listen to this article
340:Claims of using actors
169:Tower Block of Commons
25:Tower Block of Commons
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182:Members of Parliament
745:More spoken articles
624:"Points of disorder"
474:(30 January 2010).
180:in 2010 where four
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108:Running time
52:Mark Bazeley
44:Joanna Burge
24:
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756:(Channel 4)
525:. Channel 4
503:. Channel 4
472:Dent, Grace
449:. Channel 4
398:. Channel 4
373:. Channel 4
87:of episodes
49:Narrated by
41:Directed by
35:Documentary
784:Categories
741:Audio help
732:2012-09-20
357:References
328:therapy".
287:Grace Dent
271:plight of
234:Birmingham
198:Mark Oaten
158:2010-02-22
148:2010-02-01
144:1 February
111:60 minutes
95:Production
289:wrote in
282:Reception
242:Stratford
178:Channel 4
135:Channel 4
76:of series
743: ·
664:20 April
638:20 April
607:20 April
581:21 April
555:21 April
529:20 April
507:20 April
485:20 April
453:20 April
431:20 April
402:20 April
377:20 April
224:Overview
730: (
701:minutes
230:Barking
174:British
156: (
152: –
146: (
141:Release
131:Network
68:English
212:(both
194:Labour
172:is a
31:Genre
775:IMDb
666:2012
640:2012
609:2012
583:2012
557:2012
531:2012
509:2012
487:2012
455:2012
433:2012
404:2012
379:2012
238:Hull
208:and
773:at
309:In
204:),
196:),
85:No.
74:No.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.