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A brand new society – from scratch
Can 23 people create a self-sustaining community from nothing in a year? A gripping new show finds out
Disillusioned with the fallout f rom Brexit? Fed up with the complexities of modern life? Then you might wish you’d joined the 23 men and women who’ve relocated to a remote part of Scotland for new Channel 4 show Eden. Taking with them only what they can carry, as well as their diverse skill sets, they’re aiming to create a self-sustainable society from scratch within a year.
It’s effectively Castaway all over again, the BBC reality series from 2000 that launched the career of Ben Fogle and drew ratings as high as 9 million viewers. Channel 4’s head of entertainment Liam Humphreys says the concept appealed to him because it challenges everything about modern living – what we need to be happy, what we want from our communities and how we’re influenced by society as a whole. ‘Eden developed partly as a response to a growing malaise among the young with traditional political systems,’ he says. ‘It asks, “What would the world look like if we started again?” It’s a bold idea, not least because we have absolutely no idea what’ll happen.’
So who are the people that have been chosen? Most applied to be on the show but some, such as the vet and the two doctors, were approached by the producers because their particular skills were needed. Some have left families behind, while others are single, but none of the 23 have met before. Ranging in age from 24 to 54, they include a fisherman, plumber, yoga instructor, gamekeeper and chef and there’ll be no winner; the success will be in creating a thriving community over the 12 months.
When they set off for the wilderness of Lochaber in the Highlands in March this year the group were given a starter kit of potatoes, barley, salt, turnips, oil, onions, vinegar and oatmeal to get them through the first 100 days. They were also given seeds and livestock – pigs, chicken and sheep – to enable them to sustain themselves longterm. They must decide together on their own rules and laws, whether they select a leader, what kind of shelter they build, as well as how they grow or catch their own food and raise their animals.
They’re being filmed round the clock by 45 cameras and, unlike Castaway, the participants will be given head-mounted cameras so they can do their own filming too. Channel 4 is screening hour-long episodes each Monday night (the first one was last week), and to ensure the community is kept isolated, fences have been put up around 600 acres of land and local walking paths have been closed.
Each participant has their own reasons for taking part, as they explained before they left. Rafael, a carpenter from east London, who at 54 is the oldest of the bunch and has left his wife and three children at home, hopes he’ll recreate the carefree nature of his childhood. ‘I don’t think we appreciate life as it is today. I wish all the satellites would drop out of the sky, the oil would dry up and electricity would just stop so we’d have to go back to working with our hands. I miss Sundays when everything was closed and you could play football in the road – everyone’s too busy whizzing around.
‘The nearest I’ve come to something like this is a seven-month trip I did with my dad, who was from Montserrat in the Caribbean. He taught me how to use a cutlass to chop through bushes and sugar cane but I don’t think there’s going to be any of that in Scotland! I’ll enjoy learning the talents of other people, especially hunting. I’d like to become the black Bear Grylls. I’ll miss my wife, and my kids think I’m mad but they’d love to do it too. I’d like to come out of this experience a more rounded person.’
Robert, 28, a locum vet from Northumberland, thought it was a good time to make the most of having no responsibil ities when the programme approached him to take part. ‘I liked the con - cept of getting a group of skilled people together to see if they can su r vive and flourish by going back to the old ways. I grew up on a farm with cows and sheep so I’m used to being in the wilderness. We’ll hopefully have animals for food, and we’ll have to make sure they stay healthy. Their welfare is my responsibility. I’ll have a small medical box with emergency treatments like syringes, antibiotics, painkillers and bandages.’
Helping him with the livestock will be Caroline, 27, who runs a pet shop and dog-grooming salon and grew up on a sheep farm in the Scottish Borders. ‘It’s going to be wet, windy and cold, and it’ll be miserable if you can’t get dry,’ she said. ‘But I’m attracted to the idea of sustainable farming. We’ll need to see our livestock right through from young animals to slaughter and cooking. Plus I love the idea of going down to the sea and putting lobster pots out and being able to cook your dinner on the beach.’
Whether that’s a purely romantic notion only time will tell, but there are some ambitious plans when it comes to food. Stephen, 25, who’s worked as a chef in London since he was 17, is keen to step up to the plate. ‘I’m excited about the prospect of hands- on butchery and primitive techniques,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to making hams and salamis. I’ll construct a pantry and pickle vegetables and cure meat so things don’t perish. And I’d love to make some booze.’
That might ease tensions – or exacerbate them, as Castaway saw its fair share of arguments, many of them alcohol-fuelled, over the year and a number of participants left the show early. Will Eden turn out to be paradise for its 23 guinea pigs – or hell on earth? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
‘We have absolutely no idea what will happen’