Born to Be Different
{{Short description|British documentary series}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
Born to Be Different is a British documentary series on Channel 4, which follows the lives of six disabled children who were born in the millennium. Series 10 began in the UK on 26 March 2020.{{cite news |last1=O'Donovan |first1=Gerard |title=Born to Be Different, Channel 4, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/9931266/Born-to-Be-Different-Channel-4-review.html |accessdate=14 December 2018 |work=The Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited |date=14 March 2013}}
Children
- William Davis{{spaced ndash}}lives with tuberous sclerosis, which causes him to have autism and epilepsy. He passed away in 2023. {{Cite web|title=William Davis, from Bury St Edmunds, who appeared on Channel 4 series Born to be Different, dies aged 24 |url= https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmunds/news/amp/he-made-everybody-smile-born-to-be-different-s-william-da-9333107/ |website=Suffolk News|date= 2 October 2023 }}
- Hamish McLean{{spaced ndash}}has dwarfism
- Zoe Frew{{spaced ndash}}has arthrogryposis{{cite news |title=Everyone fell in love with Zoe from Born To Be Different |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/entertainment/everyone-fell-in-love-with-zoe-from-born-to-be-different-723298.html |accessdate=14 December 2018 |newspaper=Irish Examiner |date=1 March 2016 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002222227/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/entertainment/everyone-fell-in-love-with-zoe-from-born-to-be-different-723298.html |url-status=dead }}
- Shelbie Williams{{spaced ndash}}has trisomy 9, which has caused her to be severely disabled{{cite news |last1=Wyatt |first1=Daisy |title=Born to Be Different, Channel 4 - TV review: A life-affirming watch |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/born-to-be-different-channel-4-tv-review-a-truly-life-affirming-watch-a6905526.html |accessdate=14 December 2018 |work=The Independent |date=1 March 2016 }} and who died in 2019 {{Cite web|title=Help raise £5000 to funeral fund for Shelbie Williams|url=https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/leah-mort|access-date=2021-07-28|website=JustGiving|language=en-GB}}
- Emily Speirs{{spaced ndash}}has spina bifida{{cite news |title=Emily to appear in 'Born To Be Different' on TV |url=https://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/emily-to-appear-in-born-to-be-different-on-tv-1-7758573 |accessdate=14 December 2018 |newspaper=Burnley Express |date=29 February 2016 |language=en |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002222227/https://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/emily-to-appear-in-born-to-be-different-on-tv-1-7758573 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Born To Be Different |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/television/2011/0610/430140-borntobedifferent/ |accessdate=15 December 2018 |work=RTE.ie |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |date=10 June 2011 }}
- Nathan Christie{{spaced ndash}}has Down syndrome{{cite web |title=Born to Be Different - Episode 1 |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/dwk2p/born-to-be-different--episode-1/ |website=Radio Times |publisher=Immediate Media Company Limited |accessdate=15 December 2018 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002223730/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/dwk2p/born-to-be-different--episode-1/ |url-status=dead }}{{efn|Nathan dropped out of the series after series 8}}
Overview
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;" |
| scope="col" style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Series
! scope="col" style="padding: 0 8px;" rowspan="2"| Episodes ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Originally aired |
|---|
| scope="col" style="padding: 0 8px;"|
! scope="col" style="padding: 0 8px;"| |
| scope="row" style="background: #FF5F5F;"|
| 1 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 1 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2003}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #0000FF;"|
| 2 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 1 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2004}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #006600;"|
| 3 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 1 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2005}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #800080;"|
| 4 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 3 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2007}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #FFFF00;"|
| 5 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 2 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2009}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #00ABFF;"|
| 6 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 2 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2010}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #FFA500;"|
| 7 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 3 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2011}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #FD2EFF;"|
| 8 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 2 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2012}} |
| scope="row" style="background: #00FF00;"|
| 9 | style="padding: 0 8px;"| 2 | style="padding: 0 8px;" colspan="2"| {{Start date|df=yes|2016}} |
=Series 1 (2003)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FF5F5F; color:#FFFFFF;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FF5F5F; color:#FFFFFF;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FF5F5F; color:#FFFFFF;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The first episode looks at the first year of the children's lives. |LineColor=FF5F5F }} |
=Series 2 (2004)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#0000FF; color:#FFFFFF;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#0000FF; color:#FFFFFF;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#0000FF; color:#FFFFFF;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2004|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The second episode looks at the children's lives as they reach two years of age. |LineColor=#0000FF }} |
=Series 3 (2005)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#006600; color:#FFFFFF;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#006600; color:#FFFFFF;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#006600; color:#FFFFFF;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2005|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The third series follows the children as they turn three. |LineColor=#006600 }} |
=Series 4 (2007)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#800080; color:#FFFFFF;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#800080; color:#FFFFFF;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#800080; color:#FFFFFF;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2007|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The fourth series looks at the children's lives between the ages of three and four. |LineColor=#800080 }} |
=Series 5 (2009)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FFFF00; color:#000000;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FFFF00; color:#000000;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FFFF00; color:#000000;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The fifth series focuses on the children at the ages of six and seven. |LineColor=#FFFF00 }} |
=Series 6 (2010)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#00ABFF; color:#000000;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#00ABFF; color:#000000;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#00ABFF; color:#000000;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2010|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The sixth series focuses on the children at the ages of eight and nine. |LineColor=#00ABFF }} |
=Series 7 (2011)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FFA500; color:#000000;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FFA500; color:#000000;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FFA500; color:#000000;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The seventh series follows the lives of the children between the ages of nine and ten. |LineColor=#FFA500 }} |
=Series 8 (2012)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FD2EFF; color:#000000;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FD2EFF; color:#000000;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#FD2EFF; color:#000000;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2012|df=y}} |ShortSummary= This series follows the children as the turn eleven and start secondary school. |LineColor=#FD2EFF }} |
=Series 9 (2016)=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#00FF00; color:#000000;"| Series ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#00FF00; color:#000000;"| Director ! scope="col" style="white-space:nowrap; background:#00FF00; color:#000000;"| Original air date |
| {{Episode list
|DirectedBy=Anna Stickland |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2016|df=y}} |ShortSummary= The ninth series looks the lives of the children at the age of sixteen. |LineColor=#00FF00 }} |
Critical reception
Reviewing the show, TimesOnline commented with irony that "by the end of [it], we had sobered up entirely. A queasy feeling followed, of being pulled morally up and down and in and out until you didn't know whom you pitied or why. The sign, in other words, of excellent television."{{cite news |last1=Rumbelow |first1=Helen |title=Desperately Hungry Housewives; Born to be Different; Cruickshank on Kew |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6187666.ece |work=The Times Literary Supplement |date=29 April 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508091904/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6187666.ece |archivedate=2009-05-08}}
In its review, The London Paper expressed concerns about the voyeuristic approach of the show and asks: "what is to be gained from watching harried mothers breaking down, and children being constantly reminded of their problems by the camera crew? [...] Let’s just hope Channel 4's intentions were in the right place."{{cite web |url=http://www.thelondonpaper.com/staying-in/tv/features/born-to-be-different}}|{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
The music for the series was composed by Julian Stewart Lindsay.
See also
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
External links
- [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/born-to-be-different Born to Be Different on channel4.com]
Category:2009 British television series debuts
Category:2000s British documentary television series
Category:2010s British documentary television series
Category:2020s British documentary television series
Category:Channel 4 documentary series
Category:Documentary films about children with disabilities
Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios