IT was billed as a ground-breaking social experiment building a new community “in the wilderness”, but some have been describing the first episode of Eden as “Big Brother goes outdoors”.
Channel 4’s new reality series has taken 23 men and women to the northern side of Ardnamurchan Peninsula (although one participant seemed to think they were on an island) to “take on the challenge of building a new life and creating a society from scratch”.
READ MORE: All is not well in Eden
They started their task four months ago in the Highlands and, as they don’t have phones or internet, they don’t even know Britain voted to come out of the European Union or that Portugal won the Euro 2016 championships.
The group includes a doctor, vet, chef, carpenter, shepherdess and an adventurer called Anton.
He seemed to annoy most of the others in the first episode by deciding to build a winter shelter a good distance away from where they have set up a camp.
He has already threatened to leave, even before the second episode is broadcast.
There are other interactions as one viewer tweeted yesterday: “New survival series #Eden kicks off in style with snogging, bickering, plotting and even a shock death.”
It is not one of the 23 who has died, but a goat which made the mortal error of eating the hens’ food.
Another viewer slated the show as “a middle-class Love Island”.
Meanwhile, somebody calling themselves Many A True Nerd confessed: “Survival Reality TV shows are my guilty pleasure, and even then Channel 4’s #Eden is utterly, staggeringly boring”.
READ MORE: All is not well in Eden
But others were more positive. “Eden on channel 4 right now is gonna be my new addiction” and another saying it was already her mother’s favourite.
The settlement areas lie around a beach and inland a native (predominantly birch) woodland, which merges into a conifer plantation.
The sands are a popular picnic area for the village of Acharacle which is not very far away with most amenities including pub, coffee shop and bakery.
A close boarded fence almost 6ft high has been erected at the site.
This is to keep the 23 in and the rest of Scotland out, as the Scottish Government has allowed the temporary suspension of Scotland’s right to roam legislation.
Local councillor Andrew Baxter said he had watched the first episode.
“I thought it was extremely dull, to be quite honest. I suppose the shots not involving any of the new inhabitants, showed the beauty of the area extremely well, but I can’t say I was interested in what they were doing.
“It has been controversial locally. I would say the majority are quite happy it is there but there is a minority that are not so happy. They are concerned at such a large area being cut off by that big fence.”
He said local people liked to go to the picturesque beach there.
“But if you didn’t know the area you would be quite discouraged by the fence.
READ MORE: All is not well in Eden
“It is pretty off-putting.”
But Channel 4 has been encouraged by the ratings which saw Eden draw the highest share of young viewers on Monday night from 9pm, with 16.4 per cent.
The average audience of 1.8 million, was up 16 per cent for numbers and up 27 per cent for share on the slot average.
But whether the viewers make it to episode two next week will prove to be a test of their survival instincts.
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