Following the ratings success that Benefits Street proved to be for Channel 4, Channel 5 are throwing their hat into the ring tonight at 9pm with The Big Benefits Row.
The show boasts a panel containing Katie Hopkins and Edwina Currie in the blue corner, with Ken Livingstone and Deirdre "White Dee" Kelly, who stars in Benefits Street, in the red corner.
The debate has already drawn controversy from both sides. Those agreeing with Hopkins and Currie concluding that White Dee et al are everything that's wrong with Britain, while people siding with Ken and Deirdre (not that Ken and Deirdre unfortunately) mutually agree that the benefits system itself has let people down.
The show promises to be "a live debate to uncover the truth behind the headlines" which would be fine if the show were titled The Big Benefits Debate, but it isn't. It's a row. Something largely agreed to be almost totally without reasoned debate or respect for the opposing party.
Hopefully Channel 5 will prove me wrong, giving TV audiences the chance to voice their concerns and thoughts in a carefully thought out and considered way.
However, if the recent Twitter responses to Benefits Street were anything to go by, in which many viewers called for the the residents of James Turner Street to be hung and gassed, I doubt that reasoned debate is what Channel 5 have in mind.
Like many people I was confused to see that Benefits Street has been dropped from tonight's viewing schedule. Perhaps Channel 4 have conceded that there really is no such thing as bad publicity after all?
When called upon to talk about so called "Poverty Porn" on BBC's Newsnight some weeks ago, Channel 4's Head of Factual Programmes Ralph Lee insisted that Benefits Street was designed to showcase how incredible the community spirit was in areas affected by benefits culture.
While this may be true perhaps something like The Big Benefits Debate would be a great idea, halting the witch hunt that seems to have captures the country's imagination and instead replacing it with a feeling of compassion and concern. But remember, this is not a debate. It's a row. SAM BRADLEY
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