Shattered (British TV series)
{{short description|2004 reality television program in the United Kingdom}}
{{distinguish|Shattered (2010 TV series)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox television
| image = ShatteredLogo.png
| image_size =
| caption =
| runtime =
| genre = Reality television
| creator =
| presenter = Dermot O'Leary
| starring = {{ubl|Neil Stanley|Dr. Gareth Smith}}
| company = Endemol UK Productions
| channel = Channel 4
| first_aired = {{Start date|2004|01|04|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2004|01|10|df=y}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 7
| creative_director = Tim Hincks
| executive_producer = Philip Edgar-Jones
| producer = {{ubl|Jilly Pearce|Rob Wakeling|Kate Bates}}
| related = Big Brother
}}
Shattered is a reality television programme shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, aired in January 2004 and presented by Dermot O'Leary.
Ten contestants were challenged with going without sleep for seven days while their actions were monitored, undergoing daily performance testing and a variety of challenges. They were competing for a potential prize fund of £100,000, with deductions made from the prize fund every time a contestant fell asleep.
Premise and challenges
Shattered was filmed in a specially constructed "laboratory" inside an abandoned shopping centre in Wapping.{{Cite news |last=Kale |first=Sirin |date=2018-09-04 |title=Shattered: legacy of a reality TV experiment in extreme sleep deprivation |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/04/shattered-legacy-of-a-reality-tv-experiment-in-extreme-sleep-deprivation |access-date=2023-11-11 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Deirdre |date=2004-01-04 |title=SLEEP TALK: COULD YOU STAY AWAKE FOR A WEEK?; Channel 4's latest reality TV show, Shattered, is like Big Brother with a twist - the longer you can stay awake, the more money you stand to win. If you don't go mad in the process, that is... |work=Sunday Mirror |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/SLEEP+TALK%3A+COULD+YOU+STAY+AWAKE+FOR+A+WEEK%3F%3B+Channel+4%27s+latest...-a0111829065}}{{Cite news |date=2004-01-06 |title=Channel 4 defends sleepless show |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3373375.stm |access-date=2023-11-11}} The ten participants selected for the show were aged between 19 and 33, with one eliminated each night until the "sleep-off". They were initially kept awake for 36 hours, with a two-hour nap permitted before the live first episode.{{Cite web |last=Weaver |first=Claire |last2=Paine |first2=Andre |date=2012-04-11 |title=Shattered claims first victim |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/shattered-claims-first-victim-6977797.html |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}} No medicines, alcohol, drugs, electronic equipment, mobile phones or musical instruments were allowed to be used. Performance tests included physical and mental tests, including tests of memory. Contestants were put forward for an elimination challenge after showing the greatest deterioration in performance in a day.{{Cite web |date=2004-01-08 |title=Shattered Craig is wide awake now |url=https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/7290564.shattered-craig-is-wide-awake-now/ |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald |language=en}}
=You Snooze You Lose=
Every day a contestant was chosen by their peers to endure an hour-long "You Snooze You Lose" challenge, in which the chosen contestant was tasked with remaining awake through an experience intended to encourage them to fall asleep. These challenges included cuddling teddy bears, listening to a bedtime story in an overheated room, and watching paint dry while seated in a comfortable chair.
= The Sleep-Off =
On the final day the contestants were sent to bed, with the last to fall asleep winning. The show reported that Jonathan Wood and Chris Wandel fell asleep within 15 minutes while Clare Southern continued to stay awake for nearly two hours, until producers intervened. She endured 178 hours of sleep deprivation, and won £97,000 in prize money.
Health effects
Contestants were provided with intermittent naps, daily sessions with a psychiatrist and doctor, and a doctor on call 24 hours a day during filming, with an ethics board adivising on issues surrounding the show.{{Cite web |last=Whitehead |first=Jennifer |title=Ofcom clears C4's sleep deprivation show Shattered |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/ofcom-clears-c4s-sleep-deprivation-show-shattered/205938 |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Campaign |language=en}} However, adverse effects of the sleep deprivation were evident in some contestants. For example, Chris reported major hallucinations and believed himself to be the Prime Minister of Australia, and Lucy left the show after consulting with the show's psychologists. None of the contestants reported significant long-term health consequences, with only weight gain and jet lag lasting a few days reported.
Reception
34 complaints were made to Ofcom about the effects of sleep deprivation on the contestants, as well as concern about the premise of the show. Ofcom said none of its programme guidelines were breached, and Channel 4 denied exploitation of the contestants, as well as emphasising the presence of ethics advisers and medical staff during filming.
1.8 million viewers watched both the first and second episodes of the programme.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.channel4.com/shattered Shattered] at Channel4.com
- {{IMDb title|0397824|Shattered}}
Category:Channel 4 reality television shows
Category:British reality television series