Nine to air UK dole documentary on back of Struggle Street

James McGrath
By James McGrath | 14 May 2015
 
Image courtesy of The Hull Daily Mail http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Benefits-Britain-s-Leah-Newton-Hull-working-dole/story-21332742-detail/story.html

Channel Nine will air “Life on the Dole”, a six-part documentary series looking at the realities of living off the dole in the UK, hot on the heels of the controversy surrounding Struggle Street.

The Nine series is expected to air next Wednesday, at 8.40pm on Nine.

The series “gets up close and personal with the struggling people in the dole queues and behind the headlines,” and comes with the hashtag #LifeOnTheDole.

“It explores the lives of those fighting for scarce jobs and trying to live on less than £5 ($10) a day – and reveals the smarties who know how to beat the system,” according to Nine.

Last night SBS wrapped up its documentary series Struggle Street, which focused on the community of Mount Druitt in New South Wales.

The series created controversy for allegedly portraying its subjects in a poor light, with representatives of the affected community even going as far as blockading SBS headquarters with garbage trucks.

However, it led to some of the highest-ever ratings for the network, with it beating out Nine and Seven's reality programs both last week and last night.

Nine said it ordered the program at the end of 2014, and that it did not anticipate a negative reaction to the series given its UK context.

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