Eco House Challenge – Episode 3, Emission Impossible (2007)

Television program, Lifestyle, Reality TV

Length: 27 minutes 8 seconds

Taken from the reality series Eco House Challenge

Collection: Special Broadcasting Service
Availability of the complete title

Synopsis

The families from the first two programs who had to survive for 24 hours with no water, electricity, cars or waste disposal, have now had one of those resources returned so long as they can cut their household emissions by 60%. The Edwards family who already live quite frugally are struggling to lose that amount while the profligate Shepherds are achieving that target because they’re coming down from a very high household energy usage.

Curator’s notes

This is episode three of six in a series about two families who have taken on the eco challenge of reducing their environmental footprint. The program begins with entertaining and very informative opening titles that set the style and tone and fill us in on what happened last week. The two families are well chosen because, although they’re both middle class Australians, one family lives more simply than the other family with their big four-wheel drive, several television sets and computers around the house, and a Christmas tree with lights burning every evening.

I asked Julia Redwood of Prospero Films about the product placement in the series. She explained that the producers were keen to find authentic, carefully researched products of a quality and standard to meet the approval of the producers and SBS and the legions of green viewers out there who would have taken them to task if they had been pushing less than effective energy-saving appliances. Since this is such a new area, it’s great to get to know some of the technologies now available to help us to reach eco targets. While each family is being encouraged to think smarter, they can also achieve terrific savings through the use of energy-efficient washing machines, low-energy light globes and a solar hot water system.

Janet Bell, curator

Original aspect ratio: 16 x 9 (TV)
Original censorship rating: G

Production company	Prospero Productions
Producer	Julia Redwood
	Ed Punchard
Commissioning editor (SBSi)	Trevor Graham
Director	Russell Vines
Writer	Tanya Ha
	Glenn Hall
Original concept	John McCourt
Music	Tim Count
	Keith Van Geyzel
Cast	Monica Main