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.
The Monastery was reported to be very good and that it greatly affected the life of the four participants including one man who is now a former sex film actor. It will be interesting to hear if the same happens with the new series. You can easily guess that it will take place in a more traditional convent. T.V. shows and movies always know what traditional is suppose to look like.
2 comments
Yes, ‘The Monastery’ was an excellent series and there is a ‘follow-up’ episode which was filmed last year and is still to be aired.
Incidentally, one of the participants on ‘The Monastery’ studies Latin at Blackfriars Cambridge with me and my fellow novice! He’s now applied and been accepted to train for ministry in the Anglican church.
Just to be clear, the one participant you mention, Tony, used to run a sex chat line. He was not a porn actor. He’s now undergoing instruction in the Faith at Worth Abbey and has written an article for The Tablet.
The US series is taking place at the Cistercian monastery of Nuns in Iowa and Christ in the Desert Monastery in New Mexico.
They tapped us but we said NO WAY, NO THANK YOU!