Hilda's 'lifeless'
The war of words over the cancellation of Channel 4 documentary College Girls continued this week as director Kevin Sim and St. Hilda's Principal Lady English levelled several accusations against Channel 4.
Mr. Sim told the Guardian that Channel 4 was being "basic and laddish" in canceling the program and condemned the network's preoccupation with "blood on the floor and girls in beds," even though neither of these figured much in the documentary.
Lady English publicly stated that "an explanation and an apology" by the network were an order.
These comments had followed criticisms from Channel 4 that the series "lacked life and was too mannered," describing the cancelled fifth episode as "a little bit pretentious." The public voted with their remote controls, and the final episode was trounced by a Channel 5 programme on Julie Goodyear, which drew 1.6 million viewers' to College Girls' 900,000 for its series finale.
The now notorious 'lost episode' remains shrouded in mystery, although some details, such as the 'coming out' of Ruth Hunt, former OUSU President, have found their way into the Daily Telegraph.
Despite the relative apathy of the rest of the country, the cancellation continues to arouse strong opinions at Oxford. When asked about the circumstances surrounding the program, one Pembroke student said he found them "enraging, infuriating, yet enthralling."
17th Oct 2002