Muslim doc to take religion mainstream

Love Productions’ two-parter, which airs across two nights on BC2 from 9pm today (12 December), follows a diverse group of 10 British Muslims who live together for 10 days.

Factual assistant commissioner Salaria said the show used a familiar device to engage audiences. “This is an example of how you can take a really dense subject that’s been done loads of times in the past ten years and make it feel fresh and new,” Salaria said.

“Not just by the way we did the social experiment, but in terms of the people and the voices that we get. That’s something that I really want to build on going forward.”

The show has attracted criticism for casting former boxer Abdul Haqq, who is associated with radical preacher Anjem Choudary, and has spent time in Belmarsh prison on terrorism charges. He was subsequently found not guilty.

Along with Love executive producer Kieran Smith, Salaria defended Haqq’s inclusion in the show and claimed it would have been irresponsible not to represent and challenge extreme Muslim views.

She added that the programme was not an attempt to be “sensationalist or populist” but was part of a plan to make religion “feel accessible and very mainstream”.

Last week, controller of factual commissioning Alison Kirkham told the Broadcast Business Breakfast that she wanted to make BBC2’s factual output “more timely and less timeless”.

Salaria added: “You can put really tabloid-y populist touches to subjects like this and still come out with something that’s very rigorous, grown-up and really on the pulse.”

Smith said the show had been “through quite a few permutations” since it was first pitched to the BBC 18 months ago.

“It was always about a group of Muslims coming together, living under one roof and exploring their faiths. There are various ways you can skin that but we’re happy with what we’ve done” he said.

Salaria said she thought there was potential for the format to return.

Photo credit: BBC/Love Productions/Gareth Gatrell