Controversy over TV film on apathy

From the Echo, first published Thursday 2nd Oct 2003.

"DORCHESTER is not apathetic" - that was the message today to TV chiefs ahead of the recording of a TV show in the town.

Crews from TV company Outline Productions will be out in force today to record Sortitout Man - a spoof show where aliens from the planet Sorted aim to cure all that is wrong with the world.

The BBC3 show has already recorded programmes on dog owners who let their pooches foul footpaths and drivers who park in bays for the disabled.

Now they hope to prove that Dorchester is not the most apathetic town in Britain in the light of a public meeting in the summer which was attended by just four people.

Organiser of the meeting in the summer Eric "Giant" Amey said he was disappointed with the response to his event which aimed to push for affordable housing and give people a forum to raise issues that concern them.

Dom Carveley, associate producer for the show said he hoped the meeting being hosted tonight by Sortitout Man and his sidekick Dave would show that people in the town are not apathetic

"We're trying to prove wrong recent newspaper reports that Dorchester is the most apathetic town in Britain," he said.

But town mayor Coun Molly Rennie hit back at the moves today saying that Dorchester was not apathetic in the first place.

Coun Rennie, who has been asked to take part in the programme said: "Dorchester is not apathetic. The recent community planning process has proved that.

"Hundreds of people turned up for meetings and consultation events and we now have a draft community plan as a result. People have had the chance to speak through the community planning process and most certainly have done just that.

"Maybe that's why they didn't come to the other meeting. People do get overloaded with meetings and if they think that they have already discussed issues they do not want to come again, " she said.

"At the end of the day we have to remember that they are trying to make a television programme and they are not going to be delivering on anything that it discusses."

Mr Carveley said that he hoped that as many people as possible will attend tonight's meeting in the town hall at the Corn Exchange.

He said: "Various events will be held throughout the day leading up to this event. We will be filming from 7pm and local people are being urged to come along to air their gripes and come up with a positive solution to problems."

Doors for the meeting open at 6.30pm and filming starts at 7pm.

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