'God slots' embrace the spirit of the age
Attracting audiences to religious programmes has always been a challenge. But an injection of reality television seems to be providing the answer.
Sally Turner reports
Published: 22 May 2006

In May of last year, an episode of BBC2's religious "reality" series The Monastery beat ITV's Celebrity Love Island in the ratings. Having pushed the boundaries with food, sex, and sport, it was only a matter of time before producers gave faith the reality treatment as well.

The Convent, which begins on BBC2 next month, follows four women from different walks of life as they spend six weeks with a closed community of nuns. It's an approach that appeals to society's obsession with the make-over; instead of plastic surgery and home improvements we're being sold the possibility of spiritual transformation.

Last Wednesday the Religious Television Awards were held at Lambeth Palace, the official home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and three of the shortlisted shows for the Radio Times-sponsored Audience Award were reality shows. Although the prize went to a documentary (Channel 4's Tsunami: Where Was God?), the success of the reality formats denoted a trend. With church attendances in decline, programme-makers face the same challenge as the religious establishment - how to make faith entertaining, progressive and accessible. the rest